The Word For The Morning After: Gratitude

by Peri Norman

The last several days there has been a lot going on in my life.  I was delighted and honored to once again be invited to judge at the Colorado Kennel Club shows.  In the midst of the packing, flying and judging for two days, there was the event that everyone who loves dogs is focused on; Westminster Kennel Club.  If that were not enough to fill the days thoughts, my family was deeply involved in a dog event of an entirely different sort; Montana’s Race To The Sky.  My sister and her husband have been involved in sled dog racing since before my niece was born.  When my niece, Jenny, started running, my brother-in-law gave up the sled and became the race marshall, sort of the equivalent of the AKC Field Rep.  My sister just finished two terms as President of the race committee, so had a lighter burden this year, but my other sister and several of her kids “worked a checkpoint”, providing food, coffee and warmth for mushers as they traversed their trails of either 100 miles or 300 miles.  So while I was focused on the tasks needed to fulfill my obligations to the kennel club and my exhibitors, my spare moments were filled with the excitement of news of friends and dogs from New York and interest and concern for my niece and friends and their dog teams in the snowy backcountry of the Montana mountains.

At the airport on the flight home, I made a list of people I am thankful for.  The top of that list is the committee.  It could be a wonderful show like Colorado Kennel Club or an extravaganza like the Garden or small puppy match or seminar.  It does not matter.  These events do not happen without the dedication, persistence and attention to the details provided by a hard-working and under-appreciated committee of people focused on just one thing; making their event the best they possibly can.  Whether your love is showing dogs, running agility, participating in herding, hunting or coursing or even sled dog racing, be sure to pick a sponsoring group, join a club and spend at least one weekend paying it forward.  This will do two things.  It will give you a greater appreciation for the tremendous amount of work that goes into putting on a competition.   And, it will ensure that the dog sports we love will continue to have knowledgeable and experienced people to do the hard work.  “Pay it forward” is not about a cup of coffee, although that is a lovely thought.  Paying it forward in a meaningful fashion requires participation in the hard work and planning so our favorite activities are available for new and future fanciers.

The second group on my list is the stewards.  I have to tell you that I had a great time in Colorado and a huge part of that was having a most knowledgeable and personable steward.  I kept telling her I was going to pack her up and ship her everywhere I go to judge!  Agility does not happen without gate stewards, chute straighteners and pole setters and a volunteer coordinator to keep them all organized.  Herding needs scribes, timers, gate stewards and people to make the lunch.  Sled dog races require kitchen staff at each checkpoint, snowmobile operators to mark the trails and veterinarians to attend to the dogs.  “Thank you” are the two words that need to be most repeated at any event.  Thank you, Judy.  You were awesome!

Superintendents and show/trial secretaries have a massive and important job at our AKC dog events.  Premium lists are prepared, proofed and mailed or posted.  Entries accepted and processed with remarkably few errors and then during and after the event, piles and piles of paperwork are double checked, entered in the computer and official results forwarded to North Carolina.  No matter what the event, someone somewhere is handling an onerous amount of paperwork.  If you are mindful of the tremendous amount of work they accomplish, then you have to know that there will be some errors.  An appropriate perspective on the quantity of work they accomplish should lead everyone to be respectful and kind, even on the rare occasion when you have to fix a mistake.

Lastly, but far from the least important people are the competitors.  Exhibitors who come to the competition with a good attitude and a pleasant demeanor make the whole event better for everyone.  No one achieves their goals 100% of the time.  Exhibitors should absolutely have goals and the first one needs to be to win or lose with grace and sportsmanship.  If you won, someone else lost.  You can enjoy your success without diminishing someone else’s experience.  We all come from different levels of skill and are striving to improve from whereever we are.  Kindness is never wasted, so strive to win well.  If you lost, there is always another opportunity.  Endeavor to learn the lessons available from your less than completely successful performance and do so in a manner that does not steal someone else’s joy.  In closing, I want to share a Facebook post from my niece Jenny Greger.  Although you may not have attended a sled dog race and understand the implications of her commentary, the positive attitude and deep appreciation is crystal clear.  Her words and attitude can serve as an example for us as we share “post-competition” thoughts.  We must strive to represent ourselves and our dog-related activities in a positive and sportsman-like fashion.

“Race to the Sky this year was quite a race. Unfortunately, I had to make the decision to scratch at Owl Packer checkpoint out of concern for the health and well being of my team. The trail was very rough, and despite the efforts of the trail crew the hot weather left us with a trail of dirt and ice. The combination of hot weather and low snow was very hard on the team and I saw no reason to push the dogs to continue on. Everyone is doing well now and happy to be resting back at home. I am very proud of them all especially my leaders Alice and Bella who navigated the challenging trail which included 4 open water crossings (one of which was up to my knees), numerous bare road crossings, and miles of dirt, gravel, or ice. We also had a beautiful run over Rice Ridge at just the perfect time to see the sun set out behind the mountains. Though scratching was hard to do, it was in the best interest for the dogs. It was great to see all my Race to the Sky “family” of mushers, vets, and volunteers who are all here for the love of the dogs. It’s all about the dogs in the end.” Jenny Greger, Anduril Sled Team

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Posted by chesliepickett on Mar 2 2015. 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.