THOUGHTS ON JUDGING THE LEONBERGER
BY MATTHEW TOWNSEND
P rior to this article, ShowSight Magazine published two articles on judging the Leonberger by Agi Hejja and Alida Greendyk, well-respected breeder judges of Leonbergers. Th ey are wonder- ful stand-alone resources, perpetually available online, and I would encourage anyone with an interest to read those roadmaps in full when studying the breed. Th ough there is value in repeating what has been said before, we are going to focus on the challenges commonly encountered when learning and applying the Leonberger standard. A decade has passed since Leonbergers began to exhibit in AKC rings. Th e number of entries in a typical All-Breed ring is none to few in most of the country on a given show weekend. Don’t let that fool you; behind the scenes are enthusiastic show-goers who travel great distances to attend specialties and sup- ported entries. One weekend there are two Leonbergers in the ring and the next weekend there are seventy! Without consistent, large, quality entries competing from weekend to weekend, getting a sense of the breed can be di ffi cult. If you get a chance to attend one of the twelve or so specialties put on by the Leon- berger Club of America and a ffi liated regional clubs, I highly recommend the opportunity. Mentors will be there to help and, as a bonus, there is always food. Judges new to the breed usually have similar fundamental questions. What are the hallmarks of the breed? How should we value type versus structure? What in the history of the breed should inform our judging? How important is size? When do I penalize or reward for coat quality? Well folks, like a Leon- berger o ff leash beside a smelly pond, let’s dive right in! THE HISTORY MYSTERY Th e history of the breed Leonberger folks are likely to know and judges are likely to hear is the same story that makes for the greatest superhero movies: the origin. But, like a superhero, I think it’s the fi rst tri- als that really set the character of this breed and that could use a little more attention. For the Leonberger, these major hurdles were crossed at the turn of the 20th Century by the International Club for Rottweilers and Leonbergers which formed in the region of Stuttgart, Germany–a little north of Rottweil and east of Leonberg. Th ese fanciers started to give the breed concrete de fi nition and real direction when the president of the Club, Albert Kull, wrote the fi rst standard for both the Leonberger and the Rottweiler. A century ago, the Leonberger and Rottweiler had quite a bit in common for their shared fanciers. In the club at this time, and in the German Rottweiler Club that followed, there was less emphasis on the morphology of the Rottweiler and more emphasis on their working attributes. Like Leonbergers today, Rottweilers came in a variety of sizes and colors. Imagine club members separating the lower-to-the- ground, muscular, short-coated Rottweilers and the taller, coated, mountain-type Leonbergers to clear the path to the breeds we love today. Even now, a hundred years after the club dissolved, black and tan Leonbergers pop up in the whelping box and red, well furnished Rottweilers are walking about! As an exercise, reading the two standards side-by-side can provide some insight into common values that have been retained even as two very distinct breeds have emerged. THE BREED’S NEEDS Details are always important, but we really need to have the big picture foremost in the mind. A good Leonberger in your ring should embody the major characteristics of breed type. You should see a large, powerful, rectangular, working dog. Th e head is in balance with the body, held high above the withers, and adorned with a striking black mask. Th e topline and underline fl ow smoothly to construct a silhouette built for both drive and power. Adults exude a calm, con fi dent, and intelligent presence. Adults will have a well-furnished, double coat that enhances the silhouette. In movement, they are graceful, powerful, e ffi - cient, and surprisingly light on their feet. You can imagine the Leonberger pulling a cart, herding sheep, performing water rescue, or snuggling with a three-year-old child. Th at is the Leonberger you are looking for; always keep the big picture in mind.
334 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , S EPTEMBER 2019
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