Rattail Days International Making a Point Without Any Points BY DAN SAYERS
G reg Siner k n o w s how to throw a party. For the past 20 years, the breeder of the world-famous Poole’s Ide Irish Water Spaniels has been inviting fanciers of this rare breed to coastal Rhode Island for a gathering of the clan known as Rattail Days. His unique celebration of Ireland’s rat-tailed Spaniel has become as
event was always in the back of Greg’s mind and it is from the lady’s get-togethers that he got the idea to host something similar for breeders and owners of Irish Water Spaniels. Greg called his event Rattail Days. “Because it needed a name,” he asserts. He spread the word the old-fashioned way (by phone and at dog shows) and supporters of the rare breed came out en masse . “The first year I think we had, maybe, 21 Water Spaniels,” he recalls of the number of dogs brought together in 1998. “It turned out to be a party, like a picnic that just grew and grew.” For about six or seven years, Greg hosted the event with a dinner and auction in the evening. Eventually, interest in Rattail Days grew until his property could no longer support either the show or the soirée. “The last year I hosted it up there in Westerly we had 88 Water Spaniels present,” he says with justifiable pride. “There were 78 that year at the National Specialty.” Greg says that the demands of playing host to so many guests soon began to feel as though he was hosting a wedding every year. So, he put the event on hiatus when he moved back to New Jersey. “It was kind of hard doing it from three hours away,” he notes. By this time, however, Rattail Days had become such a fixture on the calendars of so many that he was soon pressured to bring it back. “People were constantly asking me when I was going to do that again,” Greg shares. So, much to the relief of breed devotees, he introduced the second incarnation of his event two years ago. “When I brought it back, I always wanted to do something big,” Greg reports of his decision to expand the scope of the weekend. “I wanted something more than just a match show.” The idea for Rattail Days International came to Greg sur- reptitiously. “I hadn’t really put together any kind of a pro- gram, I just knew what it was going to be called and I had some ideas,” he says. “But then I really started to think that we need to get back-to-basics, and the basics is the standard.” Greg explains that the idea to focus on the breed standard came about through a bit of eavesdropping. “I’d been kind of keeping my ears open under the grooming tent at the national and I’m listening to these new, young people in the breed,” he confides. “I’m happy for them, happy to see them, but they’re already mentoring. I listened to one in particular—a pretty good talker—and she was mentoring a judge!” That particu- lar conversation must have seemed a bit deficient to Greg for it inspired him to put together a program that would give
much anticipated as any National Specialty—and at least as much fun. This year’s event, held on October 12 & 13 at the Matunuck Beach Club in Wakefield, RI, took on global sig- nificance with a schedule of presentations that examined the various standards by which the breed is judged around the world. Without a single championship point on offer, attend- ees gathered from as far away as Great Britain and Scandina- via to experience the kind of camaraderie frequently enjoyed at dog shows in days gone by. “The first Rattail Days started up at Ash Pond Farm [in Westerly, RI] in 1998,” Greg shares of his party’s humble beginnings two decades ago. “There were Irish Water Spaniel people visiting in the area from overseas and I just thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be fun to have a little match show.” Greg got the idea to host his fun match from a similar event hosted by another well-known breeder of the day. “Joan Read of the Chid- ley Norwich/Norfolk Terriers had something called ANTA (American Norfolk Terrier Association),” Greg explains. “It was her own spin on a national club. Back then the Norfolk and Norwich were considered one breed, but Mrs. Read felt that they were two different breeds. So, she started to have her own day.” Greg emphasizes that Mrs. Read’s event wasn’t simply a social gathering of dog fanciers. Its focus was on learning. “In a way, it was educational because you were just looking at Norfolks,” he says. “She asked breeders to come in and judge, so you got the opinion of your peers.” Mrs. Read’s
“Darla,” handled by Emily Pikul, was awarded Best Puppy in Match. Photo by Dan Sayers.
Stacy Duncan presents “Jonny”, winner of the first Rattail Days International competition. Photo by Jeremy Kezer.
Betty Dalke Wathne awards Best Adult in Match to “Lila,” handled by Mark Barker D.V.M. Photo by Dan Sayers.
154 • S how S ight M agazine , N ovember 2018
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