THE RUSSIAN CAVALIER CLUB…..1STSPECIALTY SHOW
It was an honour to be invited to judge the 1ST Russian Cavalier Club show held on 31st May 2015 in Moscow. This was my first visit so it was very special. The flight to Moscow took just over 3 hours from London. I was met at the airport by Elena Lomokhova and Svetlana Lukashova whose grasp of the English language made it very easy for me, as my Russian is non-existent! The taxi ride from Domodedova airport to my hotel allowed me to catch my first glimpse of Moscow and I was fascinated. I had 2 days sightseeing arranged for Friday and Saturday before the show on Sunday and I could hardly wait.
A quiet relaxing dinner in the hotel that night before bed was very welcome. Friday was day one of sightseeing and that meant a trip on the Metro where I could see the beautifully decorated spotlessly clean stations. So spectacular.
Then it was into the centre of Moscow and a wonderful guided tour of the Bolshoi theatre where I was fortunate enough to have been given a ticket for that evening’s performance of ‘Onegin’
then a walk around the Nova Divichy Convent.
This is what dreams are made of and it was an incredible experience for me. My perfect companion for the ballet evening was Liudmila Glukhova and it is something that I will never forget.
The next day was a full one, taking in the Red Square and the Kremlin where we arrived to see The Ceremonial Changing of Foot & Cavalry Guards of the President’s Regiment and a band! The Cossacks display of horsemanship was terrific. We explored as much of the Kremlin as was possible and my eyes popped too see the gems in the Diamond Fund and then the magnificence of the Churches with their copulas, icons, tombs and frescos. I was so lucky to be seeing all this. Our afternoon finished with a trip to the main department store in Moscow and a supermarket to see how they compare to the ones back home. My camera was working overtime! It had been a long, lots of walking, sort of day but I would not have missed it for the world. Such memories.
Show day arrived…what I had come to Russia for. The day was warm and sunny and I arrived at the show venue where the organisers had been working hard to get things organised. My ring steward was charming and her English made it fairly easy for us to converse. The hall was light and airy and a good size for the number of dogs and their owners.
My findings...There were 97 Cavaliers entered (36 males and 61 females) and I understand that is the largest entry of Cavaliers there has ever been in Russia. And as I was the first breeder/judge to be invited from the UK, it was such a compliment to me that people were keen to have my opinion. Some, I later learned, had come vast distances to the show. The absentee rate was low, only 14. The 18 classes (9 for each sex)consistedofBaby, Puppy, Junior, Intermediate, Open, Winner, Champion (2) and Veteran.Followed at the end by aBrace,Breeders Group and 2 Progeny Groupsand finallyBest Head and Best Mover.
As happens in most countries there were more Blenheimsthan any of the other colours, followed by Tricoloursand only a sprinkling of Wholecolourswhich was a pity.
I graded the dogs:-
Adults…42 Excellent, 21 VeryGood, 3 Goodand 1 NotJudged (nervous on the day)
Babies and Puppies….9 Very Promising and 6Promising and 1Not Judged.
Wherever you judge in the world you will find the same construction problems and today there was a variety of issues that need to be addressed. Cavaliers that were way too big and heavy, much too little and fine, too long in back, gay tails, small eyes, poor fronts and rears, deep stops like the King Charles. But on the plus side, there were very few light eyes, temperaments on the whole were good with friendly, cheerful Cavaliers, coat colours and texture were very good and poor nose pigment and bad mouths were not excessive.
I would guess that a number of the dogs exhibited were much loved family pets and came purely to support the Club. Whilst providing loving homes for their Cavaliers they have no real ambitions to breed or show on a regular basis. I understood this. My comments were aimed at the Russian breeders and exhibitors who want to see the breed improve and be part of that process. "Never double up on a fault if you are breeding and don’t over compensate by going too far in the other direction. Use dogs where possible who are correct in the area you are trying to improve upon."
I tried to give a balanced report on what I found with each dog, as it is of no use whatsoever to give a wonderful glowing report if that is not the case. The judge’s honest opinion, highlighting both the strength and the weaknesses found is far more beneficial to the breed and the exhibitor than one which is overly flattering and avoids mentioning the defects found. Equally as damaging is a judge whose report only dwells on the dogs failings. My ring secretary worked hard to understand my English and doggy terminology! It may help in the future if the secretary writes the report, as dictated by the judge, in the judge’s own language. That lessens the possibility of the ring secretary, who may not always be familiar with the Cavalier standard, misinterpreting or losing in translation what the judge is trying to convey. The exhibitor can then translate their own critiques either by asking someone who is adept in that language or use Google….!
I felt that the quality of the top winning dogs would ensure their place in good company anywhere in the world…and I have been all over the world judging our breed.
"If your dog has only a few minutes to impress the judge he needs to make the most of himself and you need to play your part and make sure he is washed, clean and groomed. He must be used to walking on a lead and be able to be handled on the table by the judge. If there are not opportunities for your dog to learn show training take a few minutes daily practicing at home and get friends and family to handle him….this will help a lot."
I was seeking a small, balanced, well-made dog with a typical head and expression and outgoing personality. I tried to judge and appreciate the whole dog and not over penalise an exhibit for any one fault. No dog is perfect so I was not looking for perfection.
At the end of judging I enjoyed the social side of the day relaxing, eating, drinking and talking with my new friends. The refreshments, especially the commemorative cakes, were most beautiful and very tasty.
I went back to work after the break and gave a talk on the Breed Standard, with colour photographs of many of our own Champions to highlight the points I was making. My talk had been translated in advance and leaflets provided. I also had a translator for any questions that cropped up.
It seemed to go well.
It was nice for me to give something back to the Club who had been so generous in inviting me and looked after me so well. I went home with fabulous gifts that will in years to come, remind me of my trip.
Some of the Winners...
BEST MALE, BEST JUNIOR AND BEST IN SHOW
GORGEOUS GEM MAGNOLIA PASSKO
PETERS CAVALIER ADELLI LEYA
BABY PUPPY MALE
FOUR OF KIND TOMMY
VENECIA KRISTALL
PETERS CAVALIER ADELLI LEYA