Some years ago I was judging an international show in Finland, which was part

of an ambitious weekend (remember that the Europeans are not used to the

mammoth “back to back” events now so familiar in the USA) – a whole bunch of

breed and group specialties on Friday, a national Championship show on Saturday,

and then an international Championship on the Sunday. This gave some exhibitors

four chances to show their dogs over the weekend.

On the Saturday I had the pleasure of judging Best in Show – a mixed

blessing as two dogs in particular that would, from my ringside opinion, have been

easy contenders for the top spot placed Second in their respective groups – but on

Sunday, after some mighty breed entries I had been invited to judge Best Veteran in

Show. As is traditional at the large Scandinavian shows, this competition was “pre-

judged”, in other words all the competitors are examined and moved individually in

another ring, and then just brought into the main ring for the judge to make his cut

and then the placings. This speeds things up considerably when a lengthy

programme is scheduled in the Best in Show ring, though some foreign judges seem

to have difficulty grasping the principle and have been known to start from scratch

again, exasperating stewards and show officials alike … to say nothing of the long-

suffering ringsiders.

But I digress … into the pre-judging ring came what seemed to be a cast of

thousands – in reality over a hundred dogs, each past their seventh birthday and

almost without exception in superb condition and coat, showing well and giving of

their best. Making a short list was going to be difficult as dozens of these dogs could

easily and happily have won BOB under me in strong competition. So many of the

dogs in contention were still, although in the September of their years, clearly of

“Certificate Quality”.

Once in the big ring I was asked to make a very short cut, as the skies were

threatening, but try as I might I had to pull out ten and work them one more time, not

that any were giving an inch. Eventually a decision had to be made and I opted for

an Australian Terrier, the much titled Bluepeppers Woody Woodpecker, then almost

ten years old but showing like a young freshman. I had admired him many times

before but never actually laid hands on him. Having done so, I would say he was one

of the great dogs of our time, having those vital ingredients of type, quality,

soundness and natural charisma. I seem to recall that an enchanting Papillon and

graceful Saluki, both of whom could still take on the very best in their breeds, closely

followed him.

It is interesting to see how the Scandinavians regard their Veterans, as many

of them continue to show dogs will into their golden years, provided they are still

looking good. Perhaps one of the reasons is that so many of their show dogs are first

and foremost household companions, lovingly cared for, exercised well on a daily

basis and treated as family members. Oftentimes they live in a household where

they may be the only dog, or be one of two or three, and so their owners have limited

numbers to campaign. Their show lives tend to be a lot longer than the dogs in

Britain and, dare I say it, the United States.

Sadly these days we tend to live an instant society, which permeates the dog

fancy, and most of our exhibitors seem to think that if they haven’t finished a dog’s

Championship before its second birthday then there is something amiss. Whilst it

can be said that most of the Toy breeds are fully mature at this age, the bigger

boned and physically larger breeds take a long time to reach their peak. When I first

began handling Afghan Hounds it was rare to find a dog in the Open class younger

than 5 years, yet today many of these very dogs are already retired!

It has amused me no end to hear some exhibitors enquiring of the owners of

top winning dogs that began their successful careers very young when they are

going to retire them. In many cases these dogs are winning Best in Show before they

are at their mature best, because of their exceptional quality and attitude to the job.

But why should they be taken out of the ring when they are not yet at their peak? I

have to say I was lost in admiration for the strength of character shown by Mike

Gadsby and Jason Lynn when they decided that Crufts 2014 was to be Ricky’s (the

exceptional Standard Poodle, Afterglow Maverick Sabre) last show, having won Dog

of The Year in the UK and the Eukanuba World Challenge in Florida, regardless of

how he fared at the world’s most famous show. As it happened, Ricky did pull off

Best In Show at the big one, but as planned he left the UK the following April when

he competed at the Poodle Club of America, returning to his new home in Peru with

Poodle and Shar Pei enthusiast Ilara Bondi de Ciabatti who continued to campaign

him whilst giving him an idyllic home life.

We seem to want our dogs to start winning at six months, and we want them

hitting the high spots long before they are often ready. In some ways I rather like the

American approach which seems to be – bring them out, finish their Championship

title, then leave them at home to really mature, bringing them back out when they’re

bang on form. That is not, sadly, the British way. We panic simply because if a dog is

out of the limelight for six months it will be forgotten about!

So many dogs in so many breeds, like good wine, get better with age and my

experience with the Finnish veterans proved that in many ways they can continue to

take on the best for many years. Indeed, when I judged in Kotka in Finland some

time ago no fewer than three of my BOB winners came from the Veteran class. How

short sighted it is for us to give a dog a year or two of heavy campaigning and then

retire them to a kennel life or a pet home? Having a wonderful dog that is capable of

holding its form into its twilight years is a great advertisement for both the breed and

the individual.

Furthermore, if we still believe that the show ring is the breeders’ shop

window, does it not make sense to have potential breeding stock seen by other

breeders in the flesh for as long as possible?

In the UK I do feel for exhibitors when they show their dogs in the Veteran

class (and often these golden oldies are in much better condition and frequently with

cleaner teeth than the younger dogs) and then in the challenge barely get a second

look. It is almost as if the judge doesn’t take the Veteran winner seriously, as if it

were some form of novelty class. When judging at Three Counties Championship

show in 2013 my Pembroke Welsh Corgi Bitch CC winner was 10½ years old. She

won the Certificate because I felt she was the best bitch on the day; for me she had

breed type and quality, and was a superb mover. I was astounded to hear that this

was her first CC. I was further amazed at the reaction of some people to this award.

Some remarked that it took a lot of courage. Why? Isn’t judging all about putting up

the best dog on the day? Others said it was “a waste of a ticket”, suggesting that at

that age she wouldn’t get made up. That’s not my problem. How could the CC be

wasted when it was merely proof of my opinion of the bitch on the day? Far too many

people worry about what happens to their winners in the future. It is irrelevant.

It is true that many breeders tend to retire a dog after a couple of successful

seasons because they have younger dogs coming along. They are to be admired for

that, but far too often great show dogs are taken out of the ring before they have

actually peaked, and that is as big a travesty as showing dogs until they are well past

their sell-by date … a sad mistake made by many exhibitors who have had one great

one but then nothing of the same calibre with which to follow it up. Of course people

only remember those dogs as sad, tired old dogs rather than the great dogs they

were in their prime. There is a happy medium and the important thing is knowing

when to take a dog out of the ring.

Sometimes young dogs come along that are capable of beating the golden

oldies, oftentimes the reigning Champion is the best on the day, but frequently the

Veteran gets dismissed for the serious awards simply on the grounds of age. That is

not judging dogs, it is judging birthdays!

© ANDREW H. BRACE

(This article may not be reproduced in any form without the author’s

permission)