STARTING FROM SCRATCH
“THE ONLY GENUINE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TODAY’S ROOKIE EXHIBITORS AND NOVICES FROM THE PAST IS THE PERIOD OF TIME IN WHICH THEIR INTRODUCTION TO THE SHOW RING WAS MADE.”
and new. For the owner handler who’s just starting out, the happenings of the 20th century can seem like ancient history, and the ability to instantly gather information on a smart phone can make the need to sit around after a show to “talk dogs” as unlikely as it can seem unnecessary. How- ever, the most effective way for everyone to come together is to acknowledge our dif- ferent approaches to participating in the sport and to respect the old ways even as we embrace unconventional new ideas. After all, there’s no need to throw away the things that have worked in the past, and there’s no cause to “scratch” every new idea just because it’s never been tried before. The sport of dogs, and every recog- nized breed, will survive—and indeed, thrive—so long as today’s novice exhibi- tors seek guidance from experienced mentors, and veteran fanciers encourage newcomers by being open to new infor- mation and new technologies. Nobody in the sport functions in a vacuum. Everyone participates at the same events and every- one begins at the beginning.
mall. Times do change, of course, and every novice exhibitor is a direct reflec- tion of the (changing) times. For exhibi- tors who are today’s newly-minted owner handlers, the sport has likely been intro- duced through online searches or a post on social media. SCRATCH THAT? Among the many qualities that make being involved in the sport so reward- ing are the sustained connections that are maintained to breeders, handlers, judges, venues, and dogs of the past. The very action of researching a pedigree or plan- ning a litter helps to keep current exhibi- tors connected to those influential prede- cessors who worked tirelessly on behalf of their breeds and for the betterment of the sport. The only genuine difference between today’s rookie exhibitors and novices from the past is the period of time in which their introduction to the show ring was made. For those who have “been around” awhile, there’s often a temptation to cling to the way things used to be and to deride anything and everything that’s novel
THE DOGGONE DECADES Yet, for all the similarities that exhibi- tors share as part of their personal genesis in dogs, there’s one obvious distinction that determines the course of every own- er handler’s journey and their ability to participate—and succeed—for years to come. Each and every exhibitor is strongly influenced by the period of time in which they began their involvement in the sport. Those who grew up in the ring during the 1940s and ‘50s have a direct connection to the all-breed judges of yore as well as to many of the breeders who helped to estab- lish their breeds in this country. Exhibi- tors who entered the ring in ‘60s, ‘70s & ‘80s remember the days of stand-alone dog shows with big entries that were built largely with the hope of finishing champi- onships rather than breaking records. And those exhibitors with ten, twenty or thirty years of experience might admit that their introduction to the world of purebred dogs began by responding to a classified ad in the Sunday paper or by peering through a pet shop window at the local shopping
BIO Dan Sayers has been an Owner Handler since 1985 when he showed his first Irish Water Spaniel (IWS) in Conformation. He’s shown a variety of breeds, and has handled IWS, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, and Sussex Spaniels to many Specialty and Group wins. Dan is a member of the Dog Writers Association of America and has contributed to a variety of print and digital publications, including the AKC Gazette, Dogs in Review, Sighthound Review, and Best in Show Daily. He is currently on Showsight’s editorial staff and is the co-host of Ring-Ready Live! with Lee Whittier. Dan attended Drexel University in Philadelphia where he earned a BS in Design, and he later received a Certificate in Graphic Design from the University of the Arts. As a designer and artist, Dan has produced dog-related works in a variety of media. He provided the artwork, editorial content, and digital page layout for the Irish Water Spaniel Club of America (IWSCA) Illustrated Standard, and his illustrations bring to life the words of the award-winning Encyclopedia of K-9 Terminology by Ed and Pat Gilbert. Dan has also judged at a variety of shows, including Sweepstakes at the Westbury Kennel Association, Morris & Essex Kennel Club, and two IWSCA National Specialties.
SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, FEBRUARY 2022 | 137
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