[ SHOWGSD-L ] All breed and specialty judges
- From: "Nancy Harper" <nancy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 13 Dec 2005 23:42:30 -0500
It is interesting to know that some of the authors of our original GSD breed
standard and those involved in the early development of the breed in this
country were also live stock breeders. Marie Leary, respected breeder judge
also bred and showed fine horses. These people also bred other breeds namely
Boxers, Standard Poodles, and Hunting dogs.
Marie Leary judged Westminster and other all breeds shows as well as Specialty
Shows/ These early GSD
people were not limited to one breed and there was a lot of interaction between
breed people. Most had very large kennels with round the clock kennel help and
management. This was a time when Dog Showing was what we might call today an
elitist hobby as most of these people were from the East and had money to
spare.Much time was spent in round table discussions of proper skeletal
structure, ligamentation, musculature, gait, working ability etc. all the
things that go into
making that GREAT ONE.
Luckily, while in college,I was instructed by the great Helen Crabtree whose
portrait hangs in the hall of fame in
Lexington Ky. She was a tough instructor and one had to do their homework or
she did not waste her time.
To learn the anatomy of the horse was a must. You didn't ride, saddle or
anything until you knew. Helen always maintained that the basic skeleton was
there regardless of the breed, American Saddle Bred, Arabian, Quarter Horse,
Thoroughbred etc. What made the difference was the bones that put that
skeleton together, length etc, the organs within the skeleton, the muscles,
ligaments, lung room, etc.
Maybe one reason the GSD Standard is so specific is because these early
breeders and producers of our standard knew DOGS, from the inside out. Lang
Skarda, is an example of a real dog man, whose talents were not limited to one
breed. There are still some great all breed judges out there - they know dogs
period. Some all breed judges should not be judging any breeds they do not
have an eye.
Saw the Australian Shepherd Michele talked about down in Priceville Al -
Chance, I believe.
A beautifully put together dog, won BIS 3 out of the 4 days. Beat Jimmy every
day.
Speaking of Jim he once told me the interesting story of being called by the
owner of the top winning and most famous Dachshund kennel the dog world ever
knew.
This man's dogs were renown throughout Canada and the US. His great top
winning Dachshund died and the owner
knowing that this was the most perfect Dachshund the
breed had ever seen, had the skeleton assembled and
sent back to him. He told Jim, now you want to learn real structure come over
and I will teach you how bones come together, and joints line up. Jim was 12 or
13 at the time
and worked as kennel help for this breeder.
One of the dog world's most respected breeders and seminar instructors,
Patricia Trotter,uses the tape of a German Shepherd in motion to illustrate
gait in her
all breed seminars. Pat was at the cluster in Ohio,and she came over to the
Shepherd Ring to watch/. There were 3 specialties in conjunction with the all
breed and I believe Fred M. judged one day, myself on the second day Phil
Miller one day,& then also Joan Fox
. I was watching on the 3rd day as Phil judged. Pat and I sat together, her
comments were interesting, challenging and thought provoking. Her eye for
ligamentation, where problems might be coming from etc were those of a person
understanding structure. Afterward she took me over to her set up, she brought
out a 3 month old puppy, a 5 month old bitch and the BOB from their National
Specialty, all were put on the table, we went over them inch by inch.
Shoulders, croups, legs, depth of chest etc. lung capacity and on and on. Then
she had her handler move them. An education yes, did I learn something
applicable to our breed, you bet. Patricia Trotter's breed is Elkhounds
Nancy Harper
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