Ringside Thoughts – Beauty In The Hands

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204 – February, 2024

By Kerrin Winter-Churchill

Like all lifelong students, I have had many mentors. I first learned about straight fronts when I was eleven and a crusty old breeder of German Shorthaired Pointers told me that while yes, my dog was beautiful to the eye, he was terribly, straight fronted. Unfortunately, my early mentor must have thought I understood her meaning but I did not. Why, I thought, was his beautifully boned front legs – stick straight from elbow to paw – considered a flaw? It wasn’t until much later I learned that while words are helpful, they are not enough.

For many, sharing knowledge and enlightening newcomers to the finer details of our breeds is what keeps their interest in dogs alive. And so, it is no surprise that some of our best judges have also been our greatest teachers.

Although I first spoke to Anne Rogers Clark while still in my twenties, her life-changing knowledge handed down to me came much later. These immortal words were shared by my first English Cocker mentor, the late Kate Romanski, who learned at Anne’s knee. She said; “Anne taught me to close my eyes and go over the dog from head to tail and around. Let your hands find the quality (or lack thereof). See without looking. The beauty is in the hands.”

Click here to read the complete article
204 – February, 2024

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