I agree with Evan. Keep it easy and if anything make it easier to get to a Futurity. Many of the suggestions and complaints are coming from some who admit they think they are pointless and therefore they do not participate. Those of us that do enjoy them and do show in them......just keep going to them if we can and if we are allowed to. <G> Regarding showing only in your own Region.....there are a couple of things to think about. ( Because we get a nice black dog now and then.....I am aware of this one issue...and I am sure those with sables occasionally run into the same issue. ( NO .....we are NOT "breeders of blacks".......we just get them occasionally ) <G> Anyway........as an example....I hear more than a few judges say they don't care for blacks, ( or sables ...or big dogs....or small dogs....or extreme dogs....) ....and IF you had a really nice black or sable or whatever .....and one of those judges were judging your "Regional Futurity" what would you do if you could only show "regionally"?? I know what we would do........NOT SHOW. Why bother......?? The Parent Club or Futurities would lose a couple of entries because we just would not show!! This same issue covers many facets of the breed, from extreme mover.....or not... to booked handlers or your only vacation....or job issues.......whatever....?? It is nice to know that we have a choice as I sure hate to think of some of the animals that COULD NOT and therefore WOULD NOT be shown because the owner has to stay regional only. Exactly what is the point of that.....or how would it help the Futurities? WHY does it matter if a dog comes from another Region? If it's a great dog.......enjoy getting to see it. If the handler is over priced.......find one that is not. If the judge in your region would not like your dog or your handler....find one who will consider the dog! If you don't like the Futurities. allow us who do show in them to exhibit where we choose.....or not choose. Don't make a concerned Futurity Chair work overtime trying to please those who don't like the Futurities anyway with a litany of complaints. We could all do that about All Breeds, Specialties, Rally, Herding, the National....etc. IF they are getting smaller and we have to overhaul the whole system......that would have to apply to many things right now in this economy......listen to the Sports, AKC, CKC, anything that costs money and is not a NECESSITY is facing difficult times......including all of us that show in ANY venue. Carolyn marhaven@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx www.Marhaven.com Scharo777@xxxxxxx writes: The rest has been discussed all year and I would say the country is divided about 50 50 . ****************************************************** I will again throw out my suggestions. I often try to think "outside the box." Assume if you will, that the problem is that overall the entry is so small. So, if we want to have regional shows, it isn't going to happen since few bitches are shipped any longer, so regional litters no longer reflect the stud dogs in the area. If we want to showcase young puppies we have to make it easier to show, not harder. Increase the futurities held, and make it easier to get to them. My suggestion, which I have given to Carole and many others is to have a futurity in each state and two in large states like Texas, California or New York. Then the states would be divided into regions, (maybe as they now are, and only the winners go the regionals). From the regionals, those winners would go to the national. What does that do? 1. It gives more people the ability to go to a futurity. 2. It adds more futurities to link with regional shows to increase entries at the shows. 3. It makes for regional winners an incentive to go to the semi-finals. 4. It gives more clubs the chance to sponsor the futurities. 5. With more shows, the incentive to charge more to handle should reduce. It might go up for the semi-finals, but that would be those who already won. 6. It would give our parent club more income because those entered in a total would increase. I have suggested this many times. Everyone who wants less regions responds they want to reduce the regions. Those who no longer breed just say to leave it as it is. Those who attend the futurities say they don't mind driving to Utah or Phoenix for a futurity. What do you say? Evan Ginsburg Asgard German Shepherds http://www.asgardgsd.com/ Where Type Movement and Temperament come together ============================================================================ 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. 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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