2021 WESTMINSTER KENNEL CLUB
GROUP JUDGES THE
JAMES COVEY
after his lifetime of dedication to his breed displayed the commit- ment shared by so many in the sport. 9. Would you like to share a few words with the members of the Westminster Kennel Club? Thank you, thank you, thank you. I can’t imagine the time and dedication involved in putting on this event. David Haddock, Dave Helming, Chat Reynders, and Paul Campanella left nothing to chance and their task was most certainly the challenge of a lifetime. And I cannot fail to mention that behind all these great men stands an amazingly efficient and talented woman in Florence Foti. I think Florence is likely the glue that holds everything in place. Thank you, Florence. 10. Have you got any advice to offer next year’s Group & BIS judges? Go prepared. Then have the time of your life. You will never forget it.
1. The past year has been unlike anything the (dog show) world has experienced. How did you spend your time preparing for this year’s assign- ment? Since I was a last-minute fill-in, there wasn’t much time for preparation (nervous anticipation). We checked our tuxedos to make sure they still fit, and upon advice of two dear friends in North Carolina, double-checked our shoes for
comfort and stability. Aside from that, I refreshed myself on stan- dards; especially for the new and rare breeds, since I’ve not judged at all in over 18 months. 2. The show was not held in New York City for the first time in the club’s 145-year history. What are your thoughts about the Lyndhurst location? The Lyndhurst location was idyllic. And as much as we all enjoyed being there and wish it could be a yearly event, this is likely not feasible because of the weather in the Hud- son Valley that time of year, and the cost and effort that went into preparation for the event. 3. Since the Groups were not judged at Madison Square Gar- den this year, did the night “feel” different to you in any way? Yes, different, but in no way diminished. This was a once-in-a-lifetime event, and I was proud to be a small part of it. 4. What about the lack of spectators; did you miss the raucous New York crowd? Having never judged a Group at Westminster before, I have nothing to compare it to. But I think, for the most part, when a judge is sorting through a Group of that quality, the background is secondary to your concentration on the job at hand. 5. Breed judging was live-streamed each day, and Groups were featured live on Fox Sports. How important is this kind of cov- erage to purebred dogs? I think the coverage was very good for our Sport. I haven’t viewed any of the live-streamed Breed judging, but the Groups were handled well considering the time constraints. Judging for live television is not what most of us are used to and we all needed to make some adjustments to our regular routine. In some cases, this leads to criticism from the “armchair athletes.” 6. Let’s talk about those dogs! How challenging was the assign- ment? Can you share your selection process? It’s always easier to judge a group of good dogs than a group of mediocre dogs. Thanks to the breed judges, my job was much easier than it could have been. Sorting for type, then soundness, was not a problem at all. I had a number of dogs that, on first glance, I thought would be in the run- ning only to have them fail on the down and back. My final cut of eight were all of correct breed type for me and all with sound and efficient movement. 7. Do you have a word or two about your winner? About the dogs that placed? I was pleased to see all four of my placements were bitches. All were unquestionably feminine, typical, and sound. The Shorthair bitch had the ring presence it takes to win a Group this deep in quality. I find her correct in every way and would be hard- pressed to change her. 8. In your opinion, does this year’s show reflect positively on the sport of dogs and on preservation breeders? Absolutely. To have so many breeder/owner-handled dogs winning and or plac- ing in their respective Groups and, ultimately, David winning Best
WKC SPORTING GROUP G1 GCHS Clarity Reach The Sky Vjk-Myst (German Shorthaired Pointer) G2 GCHB Hope's Copper Pennie (Brittany) G3 GCHS Sevenoaks Weymouthcatchingifre (English Setter) G4 GCH Greyborn's Belle Starr (Weimaraner)
JAMIE HUBBARD
1. The past year has been unlike any- thing the (dog show) world has experi- enced. How did you spend your time preparing for this year’s assignment? I didn’t do anything different from pre- vious years, although Doug and I went down to Manhattan Friday night and didn’t return back to Tarrytown until Saturday afternoon. It was a good way to keep my mind off the judging assign-
ment until just a few hours before I entered the ring. 2. The show was not held in New York City for the first time in the club’s 145-year history. What are your thoughts about the Lyndhurst location? Lyndhurst was spectacular, but honestly it was the hard-working members of the WKC that brought it to life. I did attend the breed judging on Sunday and it was nice to see all the rings in one place. It made it easier to view the breeds you wanted to see. 3. Since the Groups were not judged at Madison Square Gar- den this year, did the night “feel” different to you in any way? As a first-time Group judge, this is hard to answer. I can tell you from this year’s experience that once you get in the ring, you really tune out to what is going on around you. 4. What about the lack of spectators; did you miss the raucous New York crowd? See the answer to Question 3.
204 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, JULY 2021
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