THE LEARNING CLUSTER JUDGE Q&A
I found exhibitors to be on their best behavior and the camaraderie was evident throughout the weekend. I was a healthcare worker for 30+ years and I feel if people will adhere to safety protocols we can get back to shows, at least in some areas of the country.
with the exhibitors staying six feet back from the ring, there were no crowds to fight through. I also think the setting out of armbands for exhibitors to pick up on their own worked well. When I was calling dogs in, if one was missing my steward would just look on the table to see if the number was still there and if it was, we knew it was absent. I did find it necessary to divide many of my classes into groups, and send some out of the ring so I could give everyone the proper space. How would I rate my experience overall? It was wonderful! Would I say that the shows set a good example for other clubs to follow? Definitely. The use of separate entrance and exit gates, not making the stewards hand out armbands, and Photoshopping judges into win pictures should be implemented by all. Is there anything that could have been done differently? Not that I could see. Am I planning to judge other shows that are held this year? Yes, I have a show July 12th in Alaska, one the end of August in West Vir- ginia, and the beginning of September in Iowa. I’m more concerned about the airline flights than the shows. Do I have a message that I’d like to share with the dog show community? I was so proud of the dog show community for com- ing together the way they did to make this show happen. I found exhibitors to be on their best behavior and the camaraderie was evi- dent throughout the weekend. I was a healthcare worker for 30+ years and I feel if people will adhere to safety protocols we can get back to shows, at least in some areas of the country. JON COLE Overall, I thought the shows ran very well. When did I decide to judge the
to all of you, and I look forward to seeing you at a show in the near future! DANELLE BROWN When did I decide to judge the shows in Oklahoma? Terry James called me in the beginning of June to ask if I’d come. I didn’t even have to think twice. I was more than happy to help out. I judged the last weekend of shows before COVID, so I thought it only appropriate I should do one of the first back. How many days was I judging? I judged the first three days. How far did I travel to get there? It was just short of 400 miles each way and took about six hours to drive. How well organized was the show in regards to COVID-19? Extremely well organized! I can’t say enough about the Onofrio crew and Southern Handlers League. The way they had the rings laid out and marked for social distancing was more than I expected and a great reminder to exhibitors. I wasn’t in the grooming area, but I could tell exhibitors were spaced well and the aisles were very wide. Were rules noticeably enforced? Yes, they were. Onofrio employ- ees, SHL members and AKC personnel made sure exhibitors and judges adhered to the practices. Did exhibitors practice social distancing? For the most part, yes. I did see a few groups in the building congregating at times, but I think that was because everyone missed each other. Hopefully with the masks in place, it will be okay. I have no idea what took place out in the RV area, but praying that common sense prevailed and people kept their distances. What was it like to judge without spectators? To be honest, I never really notice the spectators, so it wasn’t any different. You still had people up in the stands cheering during Groups, so that was pretty much the same. How “clean” did I find the facility overall? For an indoor arena, it was as clean as it could be. There was hand sanitizer and paper towels at each table, but I had brought my own hand wipes to use between breeds. When I went into the restrooms they seemed to have been nicely maintained. I never saw them dirty. Being a dirt floor there was a layer of red dust on my personal belongings and myself each day, but nothing can be done about that! Was everyone wearing a mask and did the dogs react to them? Yes, everyone I saw was wearing a mask and the few I saw outside the ring who didn’t have them on properly were reminded rather quickly that both mouth and nose needed to be covered. It seemed the handlers were policing each other, but they were doing it in a very respectful way. I’d say 95% of the dogs didn’t care about the masks. I had a few young dogs that backed away, but on a couple of those occasions the handlers informed me it wasn’t the masks, it was just naughty puppy behavior. Was I pleased with the ring set-up (separate entrances and exits)? It was great. I was a little concerned that with all the changes, judg- ing might take longer; it actually went quicker! There were no traf- fic jams with people trying to get in while others were exiting and,
shows in Oklahoma? Tim James and I talked on the phone as they were beginning to organize the event—maybe three weeks ago. How many days was I judging? I judged four days. How far did I travel to get there? I flew from point A to point B in a straight line, it was over 600 miles.
How well organized was the show in regards to COVID-19? The committee had social distancing and masks for each day. They also sprayed everything in and about the ring, and the building staff did a good job on the restrooms. They also had sanitizer available for everyone to use. Were rules noticeably enforced? Yes. Did exhibitors practice social distancing? The exhibitors, judges and committee people practiced social distancing in and out of the ring. Everyone wore a mask as far as I saw. What was it like to judge without spectators? Lots of shows have few spectators. Your primary purpose is to judge the dogs and not worry about spectators around the ring. >
SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, JULY 2020 | 141
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