The Big E – Look Who’s Running the Show!

BY ELAINE LESSIG

“Breeders, exhibitors, judges, and professional handlers are working hard to benefit the fancy. If not for them, the show scene would be greatly altered.”

Have you been looking at premium lists lately? I mean really looking. If you haven’t or if you don’t, you may be surprised. There, right on the page or on the screen in front of you, you will see a new and exciting trend. Professional handlers are now running the show. Think about it. What a great idea!

For countless years, the job of show chair has been filled by longtime breeders, judges, and patrons of the clubs. Now, as many of those notable members of the fancy have retired from those duties or passed on, the void is being filled by professional handlers who bring a much welcomed, new energy to the task. They have made the transition from going to a show to actually managing the event with all its intricate details.

How did this happen? Smart officers and members reached out to professional handlers in their area and invited them to their club meetings. Those dedicated handlers made the effort to join their local clubs and get involved. It might have started out by parking cars or serving lunch. As time goes on, trophy chairs, judges’ hospitality coordinators, and facilities planning are jobs that these new club members accept. Step by step their knowledge about running a show increases.

Mike Stone, a well-known, respected, professional handler from the Bay Area of Northern California, chairs the Golden Gate Kennel Club show, a huge, benched event in San Francisco. He has been at the helm of the show for many years. It is safe to say he has become quite adept at producing this celebrated event at the Cow Palace every January. His success as a show chair speaks volumes. Now other professional handlers understand the value of contributing their time and effort . Well done, Mike.

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Posted by Alex on Mar 14 2018. 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.