AndrewHBrace
The Perennial All Rounder vs
Specialist Argument
Ever since I can remember, the discussion as to whether breed “specialists” or
all-rounders make the better judges has been going on at and around dog shows,
and it is really a question to which there is no absolute answer. I have always
maintained that there is no finer judge than a real specialist worthy of the name, this
being someone who is steeped in a breed, has established an identifiable line and
who is capable of judging their breed without fear or favour, understanding all the
nuances and subtleties of the breed regardless of pedigree or ownership. I do
however have a problem with the point of view put forward in an article I read
recently that it is impossible to fully understand breed type unless a judge has
actually owned a breed.
The really great all-rounders study the breeds they judge and apply their
natural aptitude. They are keen to “get inside” every breed they tackle and often
make a far better job of judging than the breeder-judge whose placings are far too
often influenced by breeding, ownership and future judging appointments.
If you think back to the great all-rounders whose names are still revered and
respected even though they are no longer with us, their stature as judges came not
only from their fundamental stockman approach to the job – they fully understood
how dogs should be constructed and what movement should result from that
physical conformation – but they were also perpetual students. These are the kind of
judges who would take the time and trouble to visit the great breeders who had large
kennels and strong lines to learn about a breed. Talking to such breeders would give
them a much greater appreciation of the finer points of the breed concerned and a
better understanding of the minutiae that contribute to defining breed type.
Furthermore, they were sufficiently interested that they would often visit
successful breeders, many of whom had over the years also become close personal
friends, to watch a breed at all stages of development, from the whelping box
through puberty to adulthood. After all, judging puppies is one of the greatest
challenges for judges who have never owned a particular breed. When confronted
with, for example, a six months old Great Dane puppy, the physical reality of even an
outstanding baby is so far removed from the written description of the perfect adult
conveyed by the breed standard. In terms of head, outline, general proportions and
bone, it takes a highly experienced eye and a natural instinct to see beyond and
appreciate the worth in the embryo star.
One of the biggest problem that faces the breeder-judge is that they can
sometimes have far too much information on the peripheral aspects of judging as,
particularly if they are still actively breeding and exhibiting, they will invariably know
the breeding and winning record of a large percentage of the dogs that are brought
to them. There are also factions within certain breeds, personality clashes, and
obvious type preferences and all of these things can help to cloud the issue when it
comes to judge.
When starting off as a breeder judge (I loathe the misuse of the word
“specialist” as this is a label which must truly be earned), the toughest thing to
master is the ability to look at a dog on a given day in total isolation, freeing the mind
of its pedigree, its ownership, its past successes, and simply judge it cold as if they
had never seen it – or its handler – before.
Every dog in the ring should have an equal chance, from the rawest of
puppies to the highest profiled Champion, and all should be judged against the breed
standard, taking into account nothing other than their merits in the context of that
Standard, their form, condition and performance. Nothing else is of relevance. Yet
time and time again we see breeder-judges making what appear to be completely
illogical and unjustified decisions which produce a line-up that is totally inconsistent.
In a country like the United Kingdom where breeder-judges dominate, we possibly
see this on a much greater scale than elsewhere.
The self-styled “specialist” all too often has a resentment of what they see as
“outsider” judges as they feel that no one can possibly understand “their” breed as
well as someone who has owned and bred it. That may have a certain element of
truth but the reality is that the all-rounder may be blissfully unaware of breed politics
and just concentrate on judging the dogs, regardless of how “well owned” they may
be. History relates that many of our most successful exhibitors were given their first
big break by all-rounder judges who saw the quality in the dogs they happened to be
showing at the time, regardless of how long their “apprenticeship” had been, and
rewarded them accordingly. In some cases the dogs in question may have been
outstanding examples of their breed that had been shown mainly under breeder-
judges who refused to acknowledge their excellence purely because their
owner/handlers had only been in the breed “two minutes”.
It is also fact that breeder-judges can develop personal fetishes that may well
have come about because of their own experiences as breeders. Some breeder-
judges may well be known to be a sucker for a gorgeous head and expression,
others insisting on a long neck, some having an aversion to poor feet, and some
actually being colour prejudiced.
Just as the breeder-judges can have their personal fancies, so can the all-
rounders. Many of the old school had their “must haves”, regardless of the breed,
and woe betide any exhibitor that brought them dogs that failed in their favoured
aspect.
It is of course impossible to generalise, and lest anyone should be getting the
mistaken idea that I think every all-rounder is a genius and every breeder-judge an
idiot, let me point out that just as we have substantial multi-breed judges who are
prepared to give novice handlers a big break when their dog justifies it, we do also
have judges in that category that all-too-often simply fall back on the faces they have
seen placing recently in groups, regardless of the level of competition they happen to
be up against.
Let us not forget also that the vast majority of our leading all-rounders began
their careers as one-breed judges. No one was born wearing the mantle of an all-
rounder. Consequently their original judging mind-set was that of the specialist; it is
only with experience that they have become more open-minded and wider-visioned.
How many times have judges admitted to me that, having expanded their portfolio of
breeds, they acknowledge the fact that when they return to their own breed in a
judging capacity their perspective has changed? Oftentimes they find themselves
being more forgiving of faults that previously, as a breeder judge, they may have
penalised heavily, and conversely they are now more demanding of other aspects on
which they had previously been lenient. This generally happens where soundness is
concerned. As a breeder-judge they may well have forgiven indifferent out-and-back
action when a dog was dripping in breed type, but years later with a few more breeds
under their belt they are more insistent on conformation and movement that is of a
high standard.
The truth of the matter is that we will always have great, good and indifferent
judges whether they be breeder-judge or all-rounder and it is having a healthy mix
that makes dog showing so interesting.
© ANDREW H. BRACE
(This article may not be reproduced in any form without the author’s
permission)
Welcome to my new website where I hope you will find lots to interest you, whether you are an exhibitor, breeder, judge or just a committed dog lover. Over the years I have had the opportunity to interview many of the icons of our sport and lots of their wisdom has been included in the Webinars. My involvement with purebred dogs has allowed me to travel the world, meet some amazing people and get my hands on countless outstanding dogs. I hope that this website will allow you to share some of the pleasure that dogs have given me.
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