I recently wrote an article for the swedish kennel club magazine that entailed how we handle competition. You know...its fun just being in it, no need to win it. Thinking about this aspect seriously, I came to the conclusion that I actually know of NO SINGLE DOG-PERSON that thinks like that. I certainly know that I want to win EVERY time and will for instance never go to an obediance-competition if I am not prepared enough and stand a very good chance of winning.
Then there are levels of winning of course. When it comes to shows, you can set your sights on being placed or on BOB or even BIS (if your dog is good enough).
My question is: Is there anyone out there, on this worldwide settersite that HONESTLY can say "Its just fun to be in it..." when it comes to competing in any form or shape?
Like how fun CAN it be "just to be in it?"
When I used to show in obedience, I considered that to be fun and didn't have any expectations of a win. I certainly expected to qualify (although with an Irish Setter I learned to expect the unexpected). I didn't demand perfection from my dog and I would rather have a wagging tail than perfect position at all times.
But in the show ring, if you don't win, you don't get anything - so it wouldn't really make much sense to enter a show and spend the entry money and often travel money to get there if you didn't expect to win. Most dogs, obviously don't win, so hopefully everyone who goes spends some time socializing and having fun also.
As far as showing goes I don't expect to win as I am only showing for the last 6 years! I am quite the novice but when Rua or Megan have a win it is a complete bonus to the day. I enjoy the shows regardless and will attend, often without a dog, just to watch, chat and generally socialise!!! So when Rua gained her Show Champion title I was over the moon!! And there was much celebration when Megan won her first Green Star(she still needs 6 more to become Champion, and maybe wont ever make it)but that was such a great day as it was my first home bred winner!!!!!!!!!!!! And when I run Megan in agility it is strictly for fun!! If she gets a placing that is an added bonus also!
Im delighted to see that there ARE at least some people out there that seem to enjoy being in it...without the winning. (Although they do sort off confess that they are hoping...)
Just goes to show, I am obviously part of, and totally surrounded by a very focused and competetive crowd.
Perhaps we have been at it too long? Or are show people more social creatures than the obediance-lot? Well, they seem to like the show anyhow... even if they dont win. We just dash home and practice even more to reach perfection...(hopefully with wagging tails Mavis!!!!!)
I usualy enjoy much more, when I'm not competing... then I can just relax. Otherwise I am trying hard to do my best - be it at shows, trials, or whatever the event - and that makes me nervous. And being nervous is not what I really enjoy................But I wouldn't miss it for the world:-))
Im heavy on the nerves as well, before going in to the obediance-ring I focus (and dont want to be disturbed by social chitchat).
If all has gone well, Im social, if not, I just want forget about it and leave the scene of the crime. Going to obediance-compertitions WITHOUT a dog, just makes me feel: Oh shit, I would have done so much better than that, had I just entered! Like the surface is great, the judge OK, the lay-out perfect...
Reading this back...I realise I must be a totally screwed up person, ah well...probably too late to change in to a social chitchatter.
:-)
i could formulate it in a different way: if you know that someone else is going to win (because he/she IS better or because the judge is corrupted or ...), would you still enter? answer: YES, in many cases i enter because this is an opportunity to meet friends that you can't meet during the week (not only setters), have a good time and possibly learn. this applies in higher degree to the 2-day shows if you sleep at the place, have a nice wine in the evening and chat and go out with the dogs to unknown places they can discover (and sleep like a banana, hehe). and you never know, maybe your dog is just sooooo nice that day, you managed to stack her well and she runs like a champion and you win, unexpectedly so to say - and are on cloud 9 (or was it 7?).
sometimes i go without dogs entered, just to watch (and laugh). sometimes i do the translation for other clubs (clubshows) that have a judge from abroad, last time for the pointers in may, it was a great experience.
not winning can make you happy and unhappy. happy if you manage to win a big class. but very unhappy if the best dog/bitch title is given to a speciman absolutely not deserving it. if it is given to the handler so to say, not to the dog. when this happens (and we see it more often and often unfortunately), i always swear not to enter in the future :) but i do, hoping and trusting in that there are judges out there that are not completely corrupted.
I feel very much as Laura does. There are shows where I go to f.e. support a friend who is organising it, or some club show even when I know I will not win. I also like to go to places where I have never been before like last weekend when we went to Monte Negro. The show there was very relaxed, not much competition, but loads of nice people, excellent food and we saw some sights. I also enter lately quite a few times because some of our "babies" are entered. I help the owners, groom the dogs, sometimes present them if they get too nervous. Most of the cups we get are "recycled" and donated to some Club show anyway. I rarely go just to watch. Seem to get bored not doing anything.
Alenka
oh, last time "only watching" i ended up with the junior bitch in the ring, winning best junior and also BOB with her :-)
and there are always people with more dogs and if they win in all classes, you just help. this is normal. 2 weeks ago it was me needing help, so odin was handled by a girl and winning :-)
i would never give away the cups we win. i love them all! no idea how many we have but i need to buy another shelf, danka starting to gather more and more ;-) i also keep the simple ribbons, don't ask me why. i have them in nice baskets.
I've ran out of shelf space a long time ago. I only keep the special cups, the ones that really mean something to me. But I keep all the rosetes because we rarely get them.
Well as a judge I am not allowed to handle other people's dogs (only mine and those I've bred). So if I go and watch than it is to some special show (looking for a suitable stud f.e.). Really if I don't have something to do I get bored - all those barking dogs and all those people talking........
Alenka
By far my best events of competition without competing yourself: celebration of fifty years National Red Setter Field Trial Club. On a horse following racing reds in the Kentucky Wildlife Reservate....great! Plus a centennial of the Finnish club, best eating ever.
Also good memories: training/trialling in Poland. In a hotel huge surroundings completely fenced, real setterparties! Working in daytime terrific landscapes, celebrating in evenings. The French club has great working weeks.
I enter some of my dogs with the intent to "have a shot at winning", others are entered to be trained, to learn what its like to go to a show, be around over one hundred other breeds, and to learn how to travel, be groomed, bathed, blown out and shown. They have to learn their "job".
Most times I can handle losing with a smile on my face, sometimes I feel like I've been robbed. Remember here in the states we compete against professional dog handlers all the time, and they do have the advantage of being out there every weekend and being seen and known by the judges. Plus the advertising that is done to campaign a dog.
But it is FUN to be a part of the whole dog show scene. We get to see our friends, meet new friends, meet judges, and see the dogs. I love to watch and learn about other breeds, but my heart is always ringside for the Irish.
Its a hobby for me, I don't make my living doing it, but its breaks up my weekly routine, so it is FUN to get away. Next week I get to go for three days of shows in cooler climate than what I live in so that's a treat.
We love to brag about our dog show wins and that is FUN.