AmStaff Major 2016

BY PHILIP BRIASCO

April I had the pleasure of judging the Amstaff Major, an American Staffordshire Terrier Specialty, held each year in a different European country. This show was put together by it’s founders, Mirko Popovic and Vladimir Mihaljcic, both residents of Serbia. They have done a fabulous job of in- creasing the size of this specialty to hundreds of exhibits.

This year it was held in Spain, outside of Barcelona, at The Hotel Gultart Monterrey, a 5-star hotel and spa in the resort town of Lloret de Mar on the beautiful Mediterranean sea. The hotel was probably built in the 1950s, but was completely updated, while still keeping the architecture and ambiance of the time. A huge dining room was open for breakfast, lunch and dinner (unfortunately resulting in extra pounds for me). The food was excellent, however, it seems these folks eat dinner at 9:30 or later, something that re- quired some adaptation. Let’s just say I am glad they only weigh the luggage and not the passenger on the return trip!

It was raining Saturday, the day of the Major, and the show was hastily moved indoors. I had the feeling of judging in a “Theatre In The Round.” I must say that our home-grown breed is in good hands with our European friends. All of the dogs were shown in good condition and the entry was very nice. There was quality in all of the classes.

I would like to thank William Potter, my associate judge, for sending me a beautiful bitch for Best In Show. However, I could not take my eyes off of the nine-year-old Verteran dog, who I eventually awarded the top prize.

I hoped to have a lot of excellent AmStaffs and my expectations were met. However, I was most impressed by the camaraderie shown by ALL the exhibiters. Many countries such as France, Spain and Italy, to name just a few, were present. The friend- ship through the common thread of the AST was apparent. The exhibitors cheered for each other and seemed genuinely happy for all the winners. This is something I wish we could see more of in the States. Best of luck to Mirko and Vladimir, who are now ex- panding and taking the AmStaff Major to Mexico City next.

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Posted by Alex on Jun 12 2016. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.