I've heard @Rits describing the frustration of getting to a show, needing X number of dogs to be in the ring to get a major and somebody doesn't show up. You can show and win, but not enough dogs to get the Major points you need for a CH. It's a bit over my head but I feel the frustration on this every time it happens to her or to someone else. So in my morning coffee time scrolling, FB fed me this. A writer whose breed is Chinese Cresteds, but this major thing evedintly happens to any breed any time so this applies to the whole dog world in the show biz.
DISCUSSION TIME… LET’S TALK ABOUT BREAKING MAJORS!
Alright dog-show folks, here’s today’s episode of “What Would YOU Do?”
You roll into a four-day cluster and there are MAJORS EVERY DAY.
Day one… your dog wins.
CHAMPION! FINISHED! DONE! HALLELUJAH AND PASS THE CHAMPAGNE!
Now here comes Day Two.
Your dog is officially a move-up. You can move that freshly minted Champion on up to Best of Breed and strut into the ring like, “Excuse us, peasants… we live with the specials now.”
BUT WAIT…
You start counting dogs.
One… two… three…
Well, crap.
If you move your dog up, you just might BREAK THE MAJOR.
And somewhere ringside is another exhibitor who drove six hours, spent $150 on a hotel, $40 on an entry, $87 at the gas pump and ate a questionable breakfast sandwich at 5:30 in the morning specifically because THEY NEED THAT MAJOR.
Now we have ourselves a moral dilemma.
Do you…
MOVE UP because your dog finished and you’ve earned your ticket to the big-kid ring?
OR…
STAY PUT and preserve the major because you’ve been on the other end of that heartbreak and know exactly how it feels?
Now let’s make this more interesting…
What if staying keeps the major for your best friend?
Easy decision?
Okay then…
What if staying keeps the major for Linda?
You know Linda.
Linda has talked about your dogs.
Linda has talked about your breeding program.
Linda probably counted your dogs before you even got out of the parking lot.
Suddenly we’re all standing ringside whispering…
“Lord, I know you said love thy neighbor…but you didn’t specifically mention preserving her major.”
Now don’t get yourselves banned from the show grounds arguing in my comments. This is supposed to be FUN.
But I genuinely want to know:
YOUR DOG FINISHED YESTERDAY. MOVING UP TODAY COULD BREAK THE MAJOR. WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
Move up?
Stay in and save the major?
And be truthful because some of y’all are typing “I’d stay” while already standing at the superintendent’s table filling out that move-up form.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
This post had over 200 comments - I didn't read them all, but even the comment of "I'd ask everyone, even Linda, if they wanted me to move up or stay" and even that most-kind gesture resulted in hard feelings because some wanted the winner out - because chances are they'd win again, so still not opening the door for anyone. Or you'd stay and someone else would go home, depriving you of going into the Specials because you didn't move up and the major is now short again for anyone else that you were trying to help out. Others admitted they would stay but purposely not show their dog to its best (?!?) so someone else could get their major. Others said they'd stay but would continue to show their dog to it's best... I suppose there are no right answers....
Posting this simply for education to newbies who have no idea how complicated the road to a CH can be. I certainly had no idea.
Chinese Cresteds - EverCrest Kennels
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Alright dog-show folks, here’s today’s episode of “What Would YOU Do?”
You roll into a four-day cluster and there are MAJORS EVERY DAY.
Day one… your dog wins.
Now here comes Day Two.
Your dog is officially a move-up. You can move that freshly minted Champion on up to Best of Breed and strut into the ring like, “Excuse us, peasants… we live with the specials now.”
BUT WAIT…
You start counting dogs.
One… two… three…
Well, crap.
If you move your dog up, you just might BREAK THE MAJOR.
And somewhere ringside is another exhibitor who drove six hours, spent $150 on a hotel, $40 on an entry, $87 at the gas pump and ate a questionable breakfast sandwich at 5:30 in the morning specifically because THEY NEED THAT MAJOR.
Now we have ourselves a moral dilemma.
Do you…
OR…
Now let’s make this more interesting…
What if staying keeps the major for your best friend?
Easy decision?
Okay then…
What if staying keeps the major for Linda?
You know Linda.
Linda has talked about your dogs.
Linda has talked about your breeding program.
Linda probably counted your dogs before you even got out of the parking lot.
Suddenly we’re all standing ringside whispering…
“Lord, I know you said love thy neighbor…but you didn’t specifically mention preserving her major.”
Now don’t get yourselves banned from the show grounds arguing in my comments. This is supposed to be FUN.
But I genuinely want to know:
Move up?
Stay in and save the major?
And be truthful because some of y’all are typing “I’d stay” while already standing at the superintendent’s table filling out that move-up form.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
This post had over 200 comments - I didn't read them all, but even the comment of "I'd ask everyone, even Linda, if they wanted me to move up or stay" and even that most-kind gesture resulted in hard feelings because some wanted the winner out - because chances are they'd win again, so still not opening the door for anyone. Or you'd stay and someone else would go home, depriving you of going into the Specials because you didn't move up and the major is now short again for anyone else that you were trying to help out. Others admitted they would stay but purposely not show their dog to its best (?!?) so someone else could get their major. Others said they'd stay but would continue to show their dog to it's best... I suppose there are no right answers....
Posting this simply for education to newbies who have no idea how complicated the road to a CH can be. I certainly had no idea.
