Read "The Daily Whippet" editions from the 2006 National
Best of Breed
"Moxi"
Ch Brushwood's Moxi Of Endeavor. HN007039/13. 8/12/2002. Breeder: Linda Stewart, Dennis Sumara, Raymond Yurick. By Ch Rhode Paved With Gold - Riverchase A Tempo. Bitch. Owner: Angie Diehl & Linda Stewart & Dr Dennis Sumara. (Amanda Clevenger, Agent).
Links to the Daily Whippet
Monday, 4/24/2006
Tuesday, 4/25/2006
Wednesday, 4/26/2006
Thursday, 4/27/2006
Saturday, 4/29/2006
Final Daily Whippet 4/30/2006
A MESSAGE FROM THE SPECIALTY JUDGE FOR THE AWC NATIONAL SPECIALTY 2006
Judging the AWC national specialty is a dream come true for anyone who loves our breed. The opportunity to go over several hundred whippets, including a lot of the top dogs both current and past, made me feel like a kid in a candy store. I am very grateful to the AWC membership for giving me the chance to do this, and to the show committee, especially Cindy Scott and Jeffrey Kimmelman, for the hospitality and kindness shown to me during the week. I also want to thank Pat Dresser and Wendy Clark, the best ring stewards anywhere, for making my job as easy as possible.
When did you last read the AKC whippet breed standard? I thought I knew it well, and I ought to since I was part of the committee in charge of the revision that was approved nearly 13 years ago. However, on getting closely acquainted with the standard once again I was reminded of some things I had almost forgotten. Talking to a few other fanciers during the week I realized that I’m not the only one who could benefit from a regular brush-up on the standard. Let’s agree to take a close, analytical look at it once every few months or so, OK? If we don’t remember exactly what the standard says, how can we even begin to discuss what’s good and what’s not in our breed?
For instance, did you know that the whippet standard lists 10 disqualifications (four of them for coat alone), 23 characteristics that should be "strictly" or "severely" penalized, and another 10 that should just be "penalized"? (And no, dark eyelids/eyerims isn’t one of them - that’s only listed as "desirable.") All this adds up to a pretty negative word picture, so while keeping all the specific faults in mind I prefer to focus on the "General Appearance" description which conjures up such a wonderful image of our breed: "… should convey the impression of beautifully balanced muscular power and strength, combined with great elegance and grace in outline…" etc.
Please also remember that the standard clearly lists three "main considerations." These are key to understanding our breed and ought to be engraved in stone in every whippet judge’s book: "Symmetry of outline, muscular development and powerful gait are the main considerations…" Once you have this phrase clearly imprinted on your brain everything else should fall into place.
The problem, of course, is that very few whippets excel in all the three crucial areas. Even at the top level you often have to settle for a dog that’s just OK in one or two of them and really excellent in one; or for a dog that is quite good in all three areas but not really outstanding in any of them.
In the end, judging involves rewarding dogs that are as good as possible in all the main areas of consideration, while at the same time having as many other virtues as possible and few or none of the faults that should be penalized. On the whole, I think that most of my final selection excelled in at least two of the "main consideration" and didn’t lack seriously in any area.
The quality in the classes was very high, with many dogs that did not place but would be worthy of high honors on other occasions. Outlines were generally good, with just a few being too short or steep in croup, which spoiled the silhouette. Heads were often too narrow, with almost Borzoi-like skulls; I would rather see a little too much width than not enough. (The standard says "fairly wide between the ears.") Eyes were almost universally dark and beautiful, however, and ears almost invariably perfect. Necks were not nearly as long as I expected; really well laid back shoulders were rare, and long upper arms with a good return, so the elbows are set directly below the tip of the shouldeers, were almost non-existent. Fronts were otherwise better than expected, with fewer toeing in than in the past, and hindquarters were excellent, with very few straight stifles and almost no over-done, over-long second thighs. Feet were generally tight and neat with strong pads, while movement, although usually clean coming and going, varied from tiny little steps all the way to an almost exaggerated German Shepherd-like extended side gait.
The muscle tone was good to excellent in most cases, with strong muscle definition the rule rather than the exception, and just a few really soft couch potatos. Handling and presentation were very impressive, with almost every single dog and handler performing happily in unison. The only real criticism I would offer is that a surprising number of dogs were frankly dirty, some to the degree that I could smell them before putting my hands on them on the table… This should be easy to fix, but if you don’t bathe your dog before the National Specialty, when DO you bathe it?
Judging the Best of Breed class, totalling over 100 dogs including the non-regular classes, was something I really enjoyed. I had thought about the ring procedure beforehand: it’s pretty complicated when you have 10 Select awards, plus BOB and BOS, and are expected to give oral critiques as well. That means you almost have to place them in reverse order, as once you’ve awarded BOB who would stay and listen to any comments? Eventually I cut the class down to 17 dogs and bitches, which meant that not everyone could get a ribbon, but these were the dogs I thought were the best on the day.
After judging the national, I’m not quite sure what the future holds for me in whippets. I have been very lucky and done almost all the things I could ever have hoped to do in this breed when I got my first one 45 years ago. Even if I won’t show, breed or judge very much any more I hope I’ll always have a couple of whippets around. There just isn’t a more wonderful breed!
Bo Bengtson
A complete critique with comments about all the placements will appear in the May issue of AWC’s "Whippet News."
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Online donations are via PayPal. If you do not wish to make a donation online, you can mail your donation directly to:
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 Whippet Health Foundation (WHF)
Online donations are via PayPal. If you do not wish to make a donation online, you can mail your donation directly to:
Whippet Health Foundation, Inc.
To commemorate your donation, those contributing $100 to $1000 will receive a Whippet Health Foundation sterling silver Helping Hand pin. Donors contributing $1001 to $3000 will receive a Whippet Health Foundation gold Helping Hand pin. Donors contributing $3001 or more will receive a Whippet Health Foundation gold with diamond Helping Hand pin. Amounts are cumulative until the premium amount has been reached. In addition, all contributions will be acknowledged in the WHIPPET NEWS.
Thank you for supporting the Whippet Charities. Your contribution will go a long way to assisting both organizations in assisting the Whippet breed that we all cherish. Thank you. David Howton |
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