Back to “Normal” or
Whatever
Since our pole barn is done except for the wiring and some
cement work, we are breathing a sigh of relief. Our equipment is back under cover that’s not tarps and the
shelves are going back up, so we’re heading in the right direction. Phyllis and I are still trying to
figure out what “normal” is for us.
Assuredly it’s different than what most people might attribute to the
word, but that’s our choice.
Just looking thru the latest CC of A Bulletin which is full
of photos from the National. Some
nice looking dogs and some not quite as you might wish, but we all know
pictures may be a bit deceiving. I
learned years ago not to form opinions of Collies I haven’t actually seen
and/or judged. If you don’t have a
really flattering picture, it’s better not to use one at all. It would be nice to see more shots of
Collies showing on a loose lead without being stacked up and held in place.
Interesting article in the Bulletin from Kathy Moll relating
to our breed’s fall from popularity with the public. The reasons are many and complex as I’ve noted before. Collies were once one of the breeds of
choice as a family dog and many of us can remember that. The slow, but sure sliding down the
list has largely been aided by not thinking what the public wants and
consequently shooting ourselves in the foot. We can’t bring Albert Payson Terhune back and Lassie has
likewise faded into history. If we
want our breed to only fit into the niche of show dogs with glued up ears, coat
to the ground, and make up kits that go with each puppy, then continue to watch
the slide. Perhaps in today’s
world we’ll see Pit Bulls as the breed of choice.
The Bulletin also highlighted the many different activities
that are offered for our Collies.
The days of a National that focused on conformation seem to be
over. In perfect honesty there are
competitions that are offered that I have no idea of what the requirements or
guidelines might be. Some of these
activities surely highlight the versatility of our breed, but the show keeps
growing and growing. Years ago we
had national symposiums which were held in the summer when dogs were basically
out of coat. Having some of the performance
events at that time made sense and cold weather problems were no longer an obstacle. The allure of having a “big” National
that lasts for a week or more seems to have prevailed and I suppose you only
have to show up for what interests you.
The cost of putting on the National and the difficulty of
finding a suitable and affordable venue continue to be an issue. Most clubs find such an undertaking
beyond their capabilities. Many
clubs that used to be considered “powerhouse” groups have seen memberships
decline and age to the point that they struggle just to put on an annual
specialty let alone tackle the National.
This trend would seem to parallel the declining interest in our
breed. The yardstick used to be
that most new people would just last a few years, but today we see less new
people and many other activities competing for their time.
Given the enormous effort required by host clubs for the
National it’s always amazed me that they really have so little say in things
like picking judges. The host club
selects a panel and then it’s off to the races. The final choices seldom resemble the host club
preferences. With all due respect
to the Executive Committee, I’ve never understood why they are more fit to
select the judges for the National.
In many cases most of them don’t even compete in conformation. Years ago Jim Mangels wrote an article
about criteria for picking judges for the National. It included things like champions bred, shows judged, and
success competing at high level events.
Interesting idea.
If the stars align themselves and I stay healthy the old
dinosaur will judge his last show for the Nebraska CC in October. A few nagging health issues and a
distaste for the way airlines treat travelers nowadays have had me declining
assignments for several years.
This will be their 100th specialty and it’s the club that
Steve Field was connected with for years.
I’ve judged this show often and used to think Steve put my name up so we
could visit after the show. Steve
will not be there this time, but I hope to see his daughter, Karen, and a few
other old friends. The date in
early October is surely early for Collie coats, but the Keystone CC used to
hold a show with Devon each fall at the same time and it was great. I’m long past worrying about the size
of my entries, but did get 100 dogs a few assignments back which is pretty good
nowadays.
My hope for Nebraska has little to do with numbers and more
to do with content. If I have some
quality Collies, well groomed, properly shown on loose leads standing on their
own God-given four legs, I’ll be a happy camper. Bigger isn’t always better, but better always is.
Think about it!
