You know, I understand the idea behind this is to increase entries and interest in the Futurities. But I don't think this is going to make a piddly damn bit of difference. If our judges are judging handlers then we need to pick better judges that judge dogs. That... will increase entries. The Futurities were big when they weren't as important. Once they became so important (ranking stud dogs based on Futurities and exhibiting those dogs at the National), then handlers started charging more and people started flying all over the country with every littermate instead of staying home and showing them all in the local Futurity. And no, I don't think the answer is to make people show in their local Futurity, that's too complicated and can be unfair to someone who buys a dog from out of the area, and other scenarios. We also need to publish in the Review the Top 10 AKC point winning producers, and invite THOSE dogs to the National, after all, that's the goal isn't it? Our breeding programs are evaluated by the Champions not Futurity winners (some of which don't ever finish their Championships). And please don't tell me that these dogs are in the Red Book. That's nice but it's not the Review and the National. And while we're at it let's make it mandatory that every breeding a dog or bitch has be public in order to compete for top 10. We should be able to look up a stud dog and see every bitch that he has bred. We should be able to know if those 5 Champions he sired came from one litter or ten. I know many have been saying this for years. But it still never happens and we just try to put band aids on a gaping wound. JMHO, Ken On Fri, Feb 21, 2014 at 2:20 PM, Carolyn Martello <marhaven@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>wrote: > So this info below STILL makes it like it is "MORE" than an Amateur > Class!? > We don't give out Rosettes for a Bred By dog beating another Bred By dog? > Why do these changes always have to have ....."special" compensation? > We should just merely allow a class in the Futurity and the Maturity > where someone is guaranteed to not compete with a professional handler. > AND... > IF that IS the REAL purpose....why would they be allowed to hire a > professional > handler in winners? Suddenly it becomes NOT an Amateur handled dog??? > Also....why is the Amateur Class broken down according to ages? Again that > makes it "MORE" than an Amateur Class. > If you want to use AKC shows as an 'example'....we don't break our Bred By, > or American Bred, or Open or Novice classes into ages. They have their > TITLE as AMERICAN BRED...etc. PERIOD. Amateur Class has it's "Title" as > an > AMATEUR CLASS .......PERIOD?? > IF they win...of course they can compete for the higher Awards such as > BIF, BIM...the National...etc. By why all the extra "compensation"?? > Just because they entered a specific class?? > > This is becoming like the Long Coat Classes at the National. Not good > enough to just offer a Long Coat Class.... > Gotta have PUPPY LONG COAT CLASSES!! > Why don't we have "Puppy" American Bred Classes at the National?? > > Carolyn marhaven@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx > www.marhaven.com > > > From Joannie...... > Subject: Re: IMO, KUDOS ~Amateur class for 2015 > > Here's the overview of the Amateur classes as it was presented to the Board > at the January meeting: > > The Amateur as a separate event will be eliminated. INSTEAD, there will be > Amateur handled classes in the Regular futurity. > > The Amateur (handled) classes for each sex will be: > > Junior Futurity Amateur Handled for Junior & Teenage Futurity aged animals > Senior Futurity Amateur Handled for Intermediate & Senior Futurity aged > animals > Junior Maturity Amateur Handled > Senior Maturity Amateur Handled > * Professionals (received compensation, rate card, etc.) cannot handle in > the Amateur classes. An individual who trains and conditions dogs for > others, may handle in the Amateur Classes if they are the breeder or in the > family of the breeder of record of the dog being shown. > * Anyone can handle the entry in the winners class (same as BBE in point > show). > * After winners, a Regional Best Amateur competition (must be handled by an > amateur) will be held. Rosettes (no plaques) for Best & Best Opposite in > each Amateur Futurity & Amateur Maturity. The winners will be entitled to > show in the National Amateur finals. > * Redbook points will be calculated for ALL classes. > > ============================================================================ POST is Copyrighted 2014. All material remains the property of the original author and of GSD Communication, Inc. NO REPRODUCTIONS or FORWARDS of any kind are permitted without prior permission of the original author AND of the Showgsd-l Management. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Each Author is responsible for the content of his/her post. This group and its administrators are not responsible for the comments or opinions expressed in any post. ALL PERSONS ARE ON NOTICE THAT THE FORWARDING, REPRODUCTION OR USE IN ANY MANNER OF ANY MATERIAL WHICH APPEARS ON SHOWGSD-L WITHOUT THE EXPRESS PERMISSION OF ALL PARTIES TO THE POST AND THE LIST MANAGEMENT IS EXPRESSLY FORBIDDEN, AND IS A VIOLATION OF LAW. VIOLATORS OF THIS PROHIBITION WILL BE PROSECUTED. 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