Are We Losing Heart In The Sport We Know So Well And Love?

©Lisa Croft-Elliott

by Kerry Rushby of The UK

The UK is fortunate to have Championship shows throughout the entire year. Mainly held on weekends, the UK has on average thirty-five general championship shows during the year. Entries for the show are gaining no more then 10,000 dogs these days. Over a decade ago, general championship societies were gaining entries of well over 12,000 dogs.

Not like the USA, those who show in the UK are mainly owner-handlers and the sport is seen as more of a hobby rather than a job. Indeed, there are some professional handlers in the UK but, understandably, the costs are not so cheap for the normal working-class owner of pedigreed dogs to pay for professional handling of their dogs.

Not surprisingly, the cost of living has risen and the working class people struggle to make ends meet and merely get by each month. During the last couple of years, the show societies have increased the prices of dog entries making it difficult for the exhibitor to find the money to pay for entries, plus fuel, plus a day off work, plus hotel accommodation – all for a piece of cardboard and placing at a championship show.

Another factor is concern about fair judging. Here is an example: Here I have my dog which is on 2 CCs and awaiting his Championship title. With my dog, I continue to get beat in the class, by a UK Champion. Am I losing heart because my good dog, who is worthy of being a Champion, is constantly competing against another worthy Champion? Are the judges too concerned or lacking the confidence to not place the Champion second, instead of the good dog stood who is worthy of his crown?

We have to ask ‘why’ the pricing for entries is becoming so ridiculous? The question has been asked repeatedly as the Kennel Club recently announced that breeds in the UK may lose their yearly Challenge Certificate allocation in each CC awarding breed to then encourage more exhibits to shows that will then host CCs for breeds.

Exhibitors are disheartened with the possible loss of CCs and feel that the cost of shows with or without CCs will remain high anyway and that entries on a whole for each society will significantly decline because of the potential change.

After some heartbreak and losing the willpower to fight this supposed change, some exhibitors have asked that the Kennel Club introduce a Champions class for each CC breed, so that up and coming dogs can challenge in their class but not be beaten by a Champion, who he himself can still win the CC on the day. This follows on from the FCI format in Europe who have an Open Class and a Champion class and still both class winners can compete for the CC. This has proven successful with the entries they receive for these classes.

Other ideas are that the societies could cut the price on entry fees if they were to dismiss benching and wet weather tent contractors at their show. Many people do without using the benching at the shows nowadays as they prefer to have their own dogs in crates at or around the ring so that they do not miss any judging whilst prepping dogs before the class. Surely the hire of equipment that could be cancelled would save the societies thousands of pounds each year and therefore the entry fees could be kept at a reasonable rate. This would then encourage more dogs to be entered at the show.

The concerns grow within the dog showing community that the Kennel Club have our best interests in their hands and the future of shows remain in their care. Exhibitors and enthusiasts await news about the CC allocation scenario for next year, but remain to suffer the annoyance of entering their dogs at general championship shows with progressing entry fees.

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Posted by admin on Jul 3 2013. Filed under Featured, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.