Take care ! breed standard respect in France

[Cathy Forster]

I would like to draw your attention to the irish red setters judgments in French shows. Especially I would like to draw your attention to the French Irish setter club, the red club’s practices and their bad influence on the French judges. History repeats itself !

I went to Lyon’s international dog show, the last 5^th June, and took part in with my dogs under the close observation of the red club’s members and its president. My lovely Cotton Candy obtained 1. Place in open class with the qualification excellent and excellent comments. After, she was immediately ejected before the final judgment (for the attribution of the CAC and the CACIB). I was asked from the judge to leave the ring.

Why ? (I cite the judge)

“My bitch is too tall. She cannot obtain the CAC and this are the directives of the red club". Cotton Candy measures 60 cm but this day she was measured 61.5 cm. Her height is OK with regard to the irish red setter FCI breed standard !!!!! but it’s not OK for the Reb Club who’s limiting the height at 60 cm !!!!!

Of course I was disillusioned and in disagreement but the only thing to do was to send a complaint to the French kennel club, and that’s what I did. I’m still waiting for an answer !

The Red Club doesn’t respect the FCI breed standard, in disagreement with the FKC, the judge was influenced and doesn’t respect the FCI breed standard, even when it was an international dog show !

It’s unacceptable and I want to warn you because a lot of you are coming to the next French championship and to the World dog Show. What can we expect ?

Please, pay attention to the judgments.

Herewith my letter and a foto from the club's directives !

[Laura Kolbach]

Cathy, i am sorry that this is happening again and again... And the behaviour of the red club was one of the reasons why i did not enter to the WW show - just too high money for being treated like this :-( i still hope that the two judges will do a good job and there won't be any chaos there. good luck to all going!

[Susan Stone]

Excellent letter, Cathy.

I am going to Paris. I have entered my dogs in the hope of them being assessed by an experienced judge who knows the breed standard and who will not let himself be influenced in his judgment by anyone at all.

[Carmel Murphy]

I really dont understand how an FCI show can have a different height standard to the official one, set out by the FCI itself???

Its crazy!! Did you send the letter to the FCI also?? As it was one of their shows(under their rules!!!!)

[McBIRDY - Jean DUHANT]

Hello Cathy,

Congratulations for your actions. You know I support you (we discussed a lot about those incidents at the Genk Show (B) last Sunday.

I also entered two dogs in Paris. And of course I'm in the expectative to see the judgement in particular for the bitches (with a french judge).

Of course, if the same situation that Lyon occured, don't worry I'll be on your side to discuss with judge and those sutpid members of the Red Club Committee.

[eva ciechonska]

I am with Carmel.  FCI show, FCI rules.   I sense it is not as simple as that.  Is the Red Club so powerful that members of the committee can intimidate judges.  What would happen to the judge if he refuses to be intimidated?  Can the French Kennel Club or the FCI put a stop to this kind of behavior?

[Myra Thomas-Rhodes]

As an international judge, I am in full support of you, Cathy. As Eva has said, FCI show, then FCI rules. Each country we judge in, we have to abide by their standard, and if FCI, then those are the rules.I  well remember seeing the photos from a previous blog, on the decisions of the French winners......need I say more!!!!!!!!!!

[Cathy Forster]

Dear all

Luckily the red club doesn’t influence all the French judges ! many of them, especially the all-round judges or the “big” and experienced specialist of the breed know that this club wants absolutely to impose his own conditions. They tried to influence M. Pichard last year and also M. Sean Delmar 3 years ago, without feeling ill !

I mean, they want absolutely to impose their own dogs, issued from their kennels, and issued from the French working lines. I don’t want to polemize about working and beauty lines in our breed, I respect and love the hunting dogs. My own dogs are hunting and participating to field-trials, but we have to establish that the French working dogs hunt so good but aren’t any more irish setters.

The only thing the red club find to win in shows is to influenced some judges and I confirm that the owner of most of the dogs in Lyon was M. Jean Pierre Gotti, his wife or his good friends !!!

I send my letter to the French kennel club at first. I would like an answer before sending my letter to the FCI. I hope they will be aware that there is a problem to solve in our country.

[Cathy Forster]

you can see some fotos from the dogs present in Lyon, following this link :

https://picasaweb.google.com/105476455634375457662/31ExpoLyonJuin20...

[Carmel Murphy]

Interesting photos Cathy, and very similar to the ones posted from the same show in 2009;o)

Who was the other nice looking setter handled by the man in the dark jacket(grey haired man) could not make out the number!! I was unhappy with the condition of number 1404, very thin!! Not a typical setter either! And as for the colour of 1403 well definitely not chestnut!!

[Carmel Murphy]

Thanks Wilko;o)

[Charlotte Godart - Riverwood]

Hi Carmel, if you want to speak about this bitch link It's a young bitch from Jean-Marc Velay a Westerhuy & Sametsuz from her mother Vicary's & Shadyview (us imp) from her father, nothing french on her :-)

If I have to add a word, a month ago a Scott's sister "Riverwood Jewel in Red" had her first shows (1st shows for Jewel and her owner) VIDEO ! I must say that her owner did a very good job on the ring ! The judge had words a bit sad again, he was very surprised about Jewel maturity and asked to her owner who the dog is called and when he saw the name "Jewel" he said aah she is not French ! ! ! ! Yes some people (even here in Belgium) attached to the fact that we must call his dog as the name on her pedigree. So as the 1st litter of pedigree in France in 2010 must be started by an F, Jewel is Belgian, probably his greatest shame. The judge gave a second excellent to Jewel as directed by the club does not match what the club wants.

 

Wait to see it all in Paris

[Cathy Forster]

On the Lyon's show, it was a "speciale de race", it means normaly a show with a very good judge who knows the breed and normaly there are a lot of dogs !!! the judge can in this case be choosen by the club, under condition there are more then 35 entries in the breed. You must have a CAC from a "speciale de race" for the french champion titel. So you can easely understand that the red club wants to master this shows. They cannot master the french championship (I hope) so easely, and other CACIB shows too.