Veterans Rule!

BY AMY FERNANDEZ

AKC has reigned at the top tier of dog breeding excellence for over a century. I’m pretty sure nobody reading this will disagree. It therefore stands to reason that our dogs are build to last. They come with an ironclad warranty and we are rightfully proud of that. Also needless to point out, the level of skilled craftsmanship backing up that assurance doesn’t come easy. It’s the product of decades of dedicated learning, endless hours of unpaid and unacknowledged labor, and all the delightful financial aspects of nurturing a living, breathing genetic legacy.

Okay, so in consideration of all those facts, we obviously have some alarming cognitive dissonance going on. Let me spell it out. Better yet, let Becky Parchman spell it out; Becky definitely qualifies as a lifer in this sport. She cut her teeth in Juniors showing Springers and maintained her lifelong dedication to both Springers and Brittanys that ran the gamut from Texas to Jersey to Germany. Growing up she worked for several handlers, describing the experience as a great education. In 1990, she got her first English Cocker and has likewise done quite well there. Anyway, you get the Spaniel-oriented picture. Getting to the point, after a few years off to raise her son she returned to her lifelong passion but something had changed. She says, “My English Cocker bitch, Queen, will be eight.” As you’d expect, Becky is keen to present her in Veterans class. However, “Over the past few years I would say that most people have become so busy trying to get their photos after sweeps or organize their dinner plans that no one stays to watch the veterans and that is so disrespectful.” She adds that the problem has become so pervasive that, “finally, they moved the class up ahead of puppy sweeps so people would stay.” And there’s more.

She says, “And the other thing is that you clap for every veteran, not just one or two that you happen to like. They have earned this right. They look so happy to be out there in the limelight again and their owners deserve credit for keeping them in superb condition.

“When I watch those old dogs having so much fun and I see the pride on the owners’ faces, sometimes I think I’m gonna cry. I think to myself, people do not walk away from these dogs. This is an opportunity to actually see the influential dogs in your pedigrees.”

Short URL: https://caninechronicle.com/?p=162555

Posted by Alex on May 10 2019. 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.