ShowSight - August 2018

Which Came First…: …the Ribbon or the Dog Show? BY DAN SAYERS continued

“EARLY IMAGES OF WINNING SHOW DOGS WERE FREQUENTLY SHOT AT THE DOG’S LEVEL, REQUIRING BOTH HANDLER AND JUDGE TO KNEEL.”

Like a rosette, the win photo has always been a part of showing dogs. But time and technology have changed its significance. Early images of winning show dogs were frequently shot at the dog’s level, requiring both handler and judge to kneel. Gentlemen in those old photos are frequently immortalized on a single bended knee and female adjudicators are sometimes frozen in a distinctive squat with knees bent dis- creetly together and turned toward the dog. Judges in these old photos are gen- erally pictured holding a single ribbon or rosette, and any trophies are placed unceremoniously on the ground. Older photos were usually shot in the ring where spectators were often captured in the background. Later images show the dogs elevated on a platform, allow- ing everyone to stand. This arrange- ment also permitted trophies to be held by a presenter, usually a club member or

the occasional celebrity. In time, show photos became more formal, requir- ing a colorful backdrop large enough to embrace an army of officers and co-owners. This entourage required the photographer to widen his or her frame, resulting in photos where both the winning dog and the rosette seem like supporting players. Today, smart phones and social media have taken the win photo out of the hands of true professionals—show photographers and magazine editors— and into the hands of just about every- one else. The result is that every win can now be captured and promoted without benefit of a photographer’s experienced eye or an editor’s atten- tion to detail. Unlike the official show win photo, these “win posts” can be striking in their attention to anything but the winning dog’s breed type. “So, this just happened…,” reads a typical

post with an image of a grooming table serving double duty as a display coun- ter for all and sundry ribbons, rosettes, trophies and trinkets. This sort of post will sometimes include an informal photo of the winning dog, but it is the symbol of the win—the rosette—that often appears front and center. These posts have become the provenance of professional handler and amateur exhibitor alike, with one distinction: The pros usually include the name of the judge. This courtesy seems the least that should be done in the digital age to honor the legacy of a sport built by purebred dog breeders and the judges whose opinions reward their efforts. A ribbon is certainly an important piece of any dog’s show record, but it’s really just spun satin without the dog show.

The focus of attention in this photo with judge Maxwell Riddle and handler George Alston is crystal clear. (Notice the modest Group First rosette.) Photo courtesy The Book of the English Springer Spaniel by Anna Katherine Nicholas.

48 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , A UGUST 2018

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