JUDGING CONFORMATION FOR FIELD ABILITY
The German Wirehaired Pointer BY JODI QUESNELL W hen judging GWPs in the show ring, it is unreasonable to ask a judge to determine the field abilities of a dog—that is what Field Trial and Hunt Test judges are for. But, we do ask our Conformation judges to determine which dog is most suited to field work—based on the Breed Standard, our blueprint for the ideal hunting dog. With this in mind, judges need to visualize how each dog might perform in the field, and award placements based on which dogs would be the best to take on an all-day hunting trip in tough brush. A dog that doesn’t move soundly, who has inefficient movement, who “pitter-pats,” would prob- ably not be able to hunt hard all day. That dog will tire out a lot quicker than the dog that has an easy, effortless gait with plenty of reach and drive. A sound-moving, well-built dog must be a top priority for any serious hunter who plans to hunt all day, and possibly a number of days in a row.
210 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, DECEMBER 2022
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