PREMIER 2009
This year I attended PREMIER in a new capacity, that of ring steward. I’ve attended before as spectator and as judge, but stewarding here was new for me. I was fortunate to be able to assist my good friend David Kittredge all day on Friday and Saturday. Let me tell you, stewarding a UKC show is hard work! Dogs to call, ribbons to sort, judge’s book to keep track of, exhibitors to ‘herd’ in the ring and make sure they are where they are supposed to be. Man, I was exhausted by Saturday night. But it was wonderful fun and another great learning experience and I hope that any of you out there who have some extra time on your hands at PREMIER next year will volunteer to steward for at least a little while. The in-ring seat that a steward has offers a bird’s eye view of the dogs, and allows for close study of so many breeds that we normally do not get to see in large numbers except at PREMIER. Along with seeing them comes the opportunity to discuss the dogs with the judge following the judging. It’s a priceless experience for any prospective or current judge.
On to my favorite moments at PREMIER this year
I come away from PREMIER every year in wonder that yet again the UKC staff has upped the ante and improved the show. There are so many things to see and do, there is wonderful shopping (I think I dropped $300 at the booths), and there are a whole lot of friendly people and dogs to interact with. This year, some of my best memories are:
● Watching a wonderful entry of 97 Retrievers on Thursday evening at the United Retriever Specialty. This was by far the largest entry that this specialty has had and the dogs were just beautiful. Maybe they can break 100 next year!
● Seeing Dave Kittredge judge on Thursday from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m.; we think he holds the record for the most dogs judged in one day. He was game and a trooper and he enjoyed each and every one of them, right down to the last American Hairless Terrier at their Specialty that night. And he was up and back reading his standards at 4:30 the next morning to get ready for his first full day at the all breed show. Now that’s dedication!
While the Retriever specialty was going on, so was the Rat Terrier National Specialty, and I was sitting at the corner of the joined rings so that I could watch both. When the Rat Terrier judge, Matt Proctor, pointed to his Best of Winners dog for Best of Breed, the crowd erupted with prolonged cheers in support of his decision. I thought that this was one of the most honest displays of outstanding good sportsmanship I have ever witnessed, and I don’t think it could have happened anywhere other than at a UKC show. It was amazing.
Walking around the first all breed show on Friday, I was delighted to run into a number of old friends of mine who were having their first UKC experience. These are people with a long history in purebred dogs and much success in other venues, and they were loving the people and the atmosphere at PREMIER. I am pretty sure that all of them will be back. As one person, who was having a great weekend with her own dog, said, “I’m a convert! I love this!” What better endorsement than that could UKC receive?
I thought that the quality in the groups was strong last year, but this year it was even stronger. Lovely dog after lovely dog graced the group rings, and the judges did a spectacular job of sorting through them and sending the cream of the crop to the top. I saw so many dogs that I loved. In many groups I know that the judges wished they had twice as many ribbons to hand out.
The Parade of Portugal Breeds Specialty on Saturday was amazing. The exhibitors invited all judges to come and hear a critique of the entry by their judge who came over from Portugal just for this event. The exhibitors cooked a feast of traditional Portuguese food and put out a lavish buffet for the judges, who were invited to be seated at the end of the ring, and when the judge finished with each breed he brought the major winners over and talked about them. He was articulate and extremely well informed about his native breeds and we all learned a great deal. Congratulations to the group who planned and executed this, it was wonderful.
Having Walt and June Pasco at the show this year was especially poignant. Walt has had a tough time with his health lately and for him to make the trip to see all his friends and the dogs was heartwarming. He got a big hug from me, and I know from many others!
On an amusing note (which I did not think was so amusing at the time), Sue Phillips played a little trick on me when I was getting ready to steward for a group on Saturday afternoon. I had laid down the judge’s sheet for the group on the table that was inside the ring and walked away for about six seconds to check on something. When I came back, the sheet was gone. I guess the look on my face was priceless because Sue (and her cohort, Maude Tank) didn’t let me suffer for long, they ‘fessed up and handed it back to me. I was stricken for about two seconds. And I have warned Sue to watch her back. What I love about this is, where else could friends get away with playing a trick on each other, all in the sake of good fun, and not get in trouble with the powers that be? Only at UKC! I’ve discovered that FUN is FUNdamental at UKC shows. Yes, we all take the dogs and the competition seriously, but honestly, it’s a lot better day when you lose if you at least had FUN than it is if you were miserable and cranky and lost as well.
Once again we had dogs that were proving the UKC motto of “our dogs do stuff” by competing and qualifying in a number of events. The terrier people were running in and out of the building, showing their dogs and racing them. There were dogs doing agility and obedience and family obedience and protection. And dogs doing dock jumping and weight pulling and rally. It might be hectic but the dogs get so much interaction out of it, they don’t just sit in a crate and wait for their turn to run around a ring twice. At the end of the day, the dogs are satisfied and tired, and so are their owners.
The enthusiasm that so many exhibitors have for PREMIER is infectious. I can’t wait for the next one to come around. Again, my hat is off to the UKC staff that run the show like clockwork, and to all the Specialty club committee members whose Specialties and diverse events add so much to the PREMIER experience. Well done, to you all!
Correspondence is always invited at vincefan@centurytel.net.
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