Great post Ms Granger!.....you are right, we should set the bar as high as possible......but everyone decides what great is for them!...it's like playing darts, a bar game that I played years and years ago when I went to bars....it was the goal of most to hit the bulls-eye ( red circle),,it was my goal just to hit the dart board...lol...and as for the Kentucky Derby v.s winning the Triple Crown... Christine....the last Triple Crown winner was 32 years ago....I'm 57, do the math...lol...a horse wins the Derby....EVERY YEAR...lol..wish we'd hear more from you....and others would say and less of ME...lol...FB ----- Original Message ----- From: "Hickoryhill" <hickoryhillgsd1@xxxxxxxxxxxx> To: sallyhayden5@xxxxxxxxx Cc: edwinx@xxxxxxxxxxx, "showgsd-l" <showgsd-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Penny & Bill" <ketchy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Tuesday, November 8, 2011 3:42:41 PM Subject: Re: [ SHOWGSD-L ] Re: Great Conformation German Shepherd Dog Interesting thread and even more interesting are what the driving forces are for people in this sport. Awhile ago, I was talking with a friend about dog breeding, puppies, etc. She stated that when she bred her bitches, she always bred litters with the hopes of producing a specialty winner. I sort of laughed and told her, we always bred litters to produce dogs that would go select. There is a significant difference as many dogs finish at specialty shows and never go select.  Flower Boy, I had to laugh at your example, your content with a horse that wins the Derby whereasI want a horse that will win the Triple Crown! LOL! To me, Everything is relative to where you set your own standard bar. If you set your sights  lower you aspire to achieve accordingly, if you set it higher, it may take longer to attain your goal, but you have the satisfaction of achieving the best in your sport. With that said you have to be realistic about what you are working with in terms of dogs and breeding. At the national Jerry Guzman and I had a very interesting conversation about "critical analysis" or the ability of a breeder or even exhibitor to be able to critically look at the animals they are breeding/showing or take critical comments about their animals from others. We determined ( for the sake of our conversation) that a lack of critical evaluation was basically lowering the standard bar for our breed. Grant you, was just a conversation between a breeder and a handler, but I walked away thinking that would be a good topic for the List! C ----- Original Message ----- That is why the dog game is so interesting we all want different things.  After many many years of being a hard core specialty person . I have come full circle and am back at all breeds doing my own thing and having fun. A gorgeous extreme moving German shepherd still takes my breath away but I am content to watch them and let someone else have the thrill of owning and showing them. Sally www.embroiderybysally.org On Nov 8, 2011, at 2:46 PM, Penny & Bill <ketchy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > All I ever wanted when I started out was to put obedience titles on my dogs. >  (I still like that!)  Then I wanted a dog that could compete in both > "types" (ahem!) of breed rings.  Along the ways I bought a great one:  BIS > Select CH Plainbrownwrapper v Jada-Edan.  There will NEVER be another Punky. >  The ONLY thing my ego drove me to do was to breed a solid black bitch > champion, which I did.  Amazingly, despite the economy, the bs and > back-stabbing, I still love to show dogs.  Flower Boy, I would never trade a > BIS for a Select.  Just the way my head spins. > > Penny in NC > The Farm Dog > > > On Nov 8, 2011, at 2:28 PM, Sally Hayden wrote: > >> Interesting Ed all I ever wanted was my ROM's .my  rom plaques mean more to >> me then my dogs select >> >> Sally >> www.embroiderybysally.org >> >> >> On Nov 8, 2011, at 1:18 PM, edwinx@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote: >> >>> ...I guess everyone defines great differently ( it's all ego anyway and >>> that's okay)...Watching the Covy-Tucker Hill video a statement was made and >>> I quote " All good dogs are not Champions and all Champions are not good >>> dogs".....I never had a great conformation GSD, I've only had three good >>> ones and I'm only talking conformation.......Joe Frazier was a GREAT >>> heavy-weight fighter/champion.....he was great because he beat other great >>> fighters.....to be great you have to compete against and beat other great >>> competitors..... I'd exchange every other conformation title including BIS >>> for a "Select" title....in this sport the National is the Super Bowl of >>> shows for the GSD......I wanted one of those select titles more than >>> anything when I showed dogs...didn't get one, but for the most part I >>> enjoyed the chase....if I ever get a race horse and I never will...lol....I >>> want to win the Derby!....but like I said before, it's all ego...lol...how >>> do you define great........RIP Joe, y  ou >> >>> were a Great one...Ed Hill >>> ============================================================================ POST is Copyrighted 2011. 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. 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