FROMTHE EXECUTIVE EDITOR EMERITUS
JOSEPHNEILM C GINNIS III
For too many years I was stuck in my office seemingly 24/7 making sure each thing got done. Lately I’ve been able to flex my wings and it’s a welcome change. Two recent trips brought me into close contact with friends of long standing and dogs I much admire, in addition to attending events I was unable to hit in the previous year. My first stop was the hallowed Hatboro shows held near enough to Philadelphia to zoom in unim- peded. The second was in sleepy little Arcadia, Florida, which awoke with a start at a joyful dogshow celebration taking place. Luckily I got to town in time to attend Hatboro Show Chair Robert Thomas’ splendid welcome party on the grounds of his stunning 1660s-era home—which actually backs up to the Hatboro site. Multi- level decks gave all a view of the beautiful landscape, which was
PHOTO: JOE DEPETRO
only rivalled by the great food and drinks on offer and the company present. No one left hungry, and nobody got bored. This function set the tone for what was to be a wonderful Montgomery week. But let’s set aside the social aspect of these shows which is legendary in itself; above all else, as with any dog function I attend, I was there to learn. What a luxury it was to have time, lots of time, to spend with and bounce ideas off the likes of Milan Lint, Connie Clark, Tom Parrotti, Pam Davis, Bobby Thomas, Desi Murphy, Edd Bivin, and Karen Wilson who not only displayed her expertise but also showed her extreme effi- ciency and dedication to her job. Through some mixup we won’t dissect here, at the last minute Mrs. Wilson’s entire judging assignment got shoved back by thirty minutes, meaning even before she began she was half an hour behind. While some less level-headed (or more hot-headed) arbiters might’ve eaten up even more of an already-dwindling day by being offended or accusatory, Karen took the situation into her capable hands and not only per- formed the super job of judging we expect and always see, she made up the time and when she was finished she was right on schedule. And from what I could glean—and I glean well—no exhibitor felt slighted and none felt rushed. That’s a trooper. I was raised to face—and fix—a problem first, then worry about its cause later, especially when the public is involved. In this case it’s a very important public; the people who keep these shows alive. Thank you, Karen, for giving us yet another session of a master class in judging purebred dogs. Congratulations to Hatboro DC and its members for two beautiful and very impressive shows. There is speculation about movings and parnerings among the clubs involved in this four-day marathon, but no doubt these groups will con- tinue to please the fancy and keep their legacies intact. As luck or lack thereof would have it, I had to cut my trip short, missing Devon and Montgomery—and this after having my McGinnis Plaid specially packed. Fortunately we had peo- ple in place to cover the festivities for you here, so I’m happy about that but was sad to leave. Jackie Fogel and Dan Sayers
do their usual masterful job in capturing the magic of Montgomery week, as do the rest of our team as they tackle their respective topics as well. As always, I extend my grati- tude and thanks to our editorial staff whose work I’ll rack up against any. I also send a special shout out to our own Arlene Czech, whose fiftieth anniversary of judging did not escape our attention nor our camera’s lens. (See The Unsinkable Arlene Czech in this issue.) Among many other fascinating subjects contained herein, judges’ use of Standards is addressed—and I am reminded of one of my very favorite stories, not only because it involves one of my favorite dog people, but also one of my very favorite all-around awesome people, my friend the Late Ed Jenner. One night at his dinner table he told this tale, and I haven’t stopped laughing since. Ed judged somewhere and I’m sure he did his usual won- derful job. Well, you can never make everybody happy and a few days later he got a package and a note: “Dear Mr. Jenner: Here’s a copy of our Standard. Obviously you haven’t read it.” With his wry sense of humor, Ed wrote back: “Thank you for your generous gift—but you should’ve sent it to me before I judged.” People suggest to me all the time that dog shows aren’t as fun as they used to be, and I always think “Maybe not for you, but they are for me.” I’ve yet to stop getting great enjoyment out of the people, places and canines that make up our sport. Speaking of which, I want to send out a big burst of love to my friend and yours, Luc Boileau, for no other reason than I haven’t told him so in a while. He’s one of the many reasons I’m still smiling after more than forty years of dog shows. And so are you. I trust this month we’ve made you smile, too. We’ll see you at AKC’s super show in Orlando. Until then, I wish you Happy Thanksgiving and remind you: ShowSight Magazine wishes you all the Best!
44 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , N OVEMBER 2017
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