I told myself that I wasn't going to get into this discussion, but I couldn't help myself. I aree with a lot of what has been said. I do agree that some champions are more deserving than other. But I also think that mediocrity is somewhat in the eyes of the beholder. Baring any faults or undesirable traits, what wins on any particlar day may be mediocre to you and worthy of becoming a Champion to me. Do I think that there are Gsds competing that I would not give Ch. points to? Of course I do. Do I think there are points awarded on any given day at any given show to animals that I do not think deserving of the points that day. Of course I do. But there are others in the fancy who will disagree with my OPINION. I know there are some in the fancy who think the animals produced by other known breeders are mediocre. I absolutely know there are those in the fancy who think my Champions are mediocre. But I also know there are those who think them deserving of their wins. Come on people! I know when you are talking about mediocre, you are not talking about animals with sqare bodies, no angles and no sidgate. Does this mean that only "stars" should become champions? And who decides what a "star" is? To those of you(us) who have "mediocre" Champions in the eyes of some, I do salute you! And to all of us, lets remember to encourage, not dicourage. If you see someone at a show with what you believe to be a mediocre dog or bitch, just remember they LOVE their animal. Do not hurt their feeling bu being cruel or unfeeling. Point out what you think could be improved upon. Point out an animal you believe to be of superior quality and try to explain the differences between that dog and theirs. Neither they or their dogs should be treated as pariahs. They did have the foresight to get a GSD and their dog is still a member of the BEST breed on earth. Gail Caldwell Gail Caldwell Angelrun German Shepherds GSDs Rock! __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ============================================================================ POST is Copyrighted 2006. 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. 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. For assistance, please contact the List Management at admin@xxxxxxxxxxxx VISIT OUR WEBSITE - URL temporarily deleted due to AOL issues ============================================================================