Many of you have seen the web-site Ferrum Photolineage GSD American Select Gallery and know that it shows photos and the years of our GV/GVX and Selects by the year they won that title along with the judges name who bestowed that honor to them. Because it takes forever to look this all up, I'll save you some time and will report to you the last 20 years of the number of Selects (including GV/GVX) that was awarded. Year: males: females: 2002 - 18 15 2001 - 13 12 2000 - 13 12 1999 - 11 11 1998 - 14 14 1997 - 12 14 1996 - 9 9 1995 - 10 11 1994 - 12 14 1993 - 8 7 1992 - 8 8 1991 - 13 14 1990 - 13 13 1989 - 14 14 1988 - 11 13 1987 - 11 14 1986 - 10 12 1985 - 12 13 1984 - 13 12 1983 - 9 9 1982 - 9 10 As you can see, mostly double digit numbers. In the last 20 years, seven of those years males were given out 10 or less Selects. In the last 20 years, five of those years females were given out 10 or less Selects. So are you going to tell me that those judges who handed out more than 10 Selects, are saying that from their Select number 11 and on, they were not good enough (according to the "new" rules of allowing only 10 Selects)? Look this List up and you will see many of the lower Selects, in the following years did indeed, go higher and some made it all the way to the top! I've said it twice before in other past e-mails, and sorry if this is getting redundant, but needs to be repeated..............CONDITION and PERFORMANCE on the day that the National is judged will prove your winners time and time again. Read the judges critiques: "I've seen this dog before, but on this day he/she was asking for it, and could not be denied". How many dogs/bitches have Multiple Select titles to their credit, but they never make GV/GVX? And how many of them never make their ROM titles? As breeders, you know that that dogs lay back of shoulder, croup, rear angulation hasen't changed from the year before. The dogs structure is never going to change as an adult. If you didn't like his shoulder last year, you're not going to like his shoulder any better this year.......no miracle taking place!! It's how he/she is using what they have on the day that they are judged. It's not the number of Selects that we should be concerning ourselves with, it's the Parent Clubs wording of saying what a Select should be..........as good as the GV/GVX on another day. So what you're telling me is suddenly the next year, that same dog grew a curvier turn of stifle, or a longer upper arm? So what are our judges to say when they judge the animals that come into his/her ring? Gee, I really like 12 of these dogs, but the rules say I can only give out 10? "Sorry fella, I like you alot too, but the rules tell me I have to cut it off at 10." "Come back next year and give it another try". And to call these other ones that you like anything else but Select would be an insult to the owners of all the dogs that went Select before this year. Too much "rules and regulations". We're taking the "fun" out of the sport of showing dogs. "Signs, signs, everywhere signs, do this, do that, can't you read the signs"?! (You "baby boomers" will know where I'm quoting that line from). Yeah, and I'm LOL! Rules are made to be broken, but in this case there was nothing broken that needed fixing. We are a CLUB, that is suppose to promote, and improve our chosen breed and yes, darn it to have some fun while doing it. This isn't Congress for Pete sakes..........although it's starting to feel that way. Barbara Galasso ============================================================================ POST is Copyrighted 2005. 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 - http://www.showgsd.org ============================================================================