Just to update, despite numerous complaints made to KC ( and apparently due to the number of complaints they even refunded everyones £35 complaint fee) about a limping dog being made BOB, they still have not made any decision or taken any action on this despite the video evidence available

WOW! If true that is shocking. I wonder if other in the breed like TT know anymore about what is happening?

Just goes to show how effective, not, the KC can be!!!

Well 10 months later a decision has finally made.... Insufficient evidence despite video footage

Wonder what they would deem 'sufficient evidence' ?

Making decisions like that it is no wonder people dont believe the KC have the welfare of dogs at heart. It is appalling that an unsound dog should have been shown and awarded top honours. The dog should have been removed from the ring as soon as it was discovered to be lame. It is unfair on the dog to make it compete when in pain and the judge should have considered this and asked the dog to leave. Until the KC put the dogs before the judges feelings and show they are serious about protecting dogs then nothing will change.

With the number of poor decisions the KC is making at the moment I might just defect to the Mickey Mouse registry :(

Dill, a couple of years ago a similar incident happened at a champ show whereby a limping dog was awarded the CC. After official complaints were made, the KC banned the judge from awarding CCs for 5 years and there was no video footage in that case!

Lel

This stinks. This really does feel like a coverup. What can be done? Will there be further protest from the
SBT Breed Council? I recall that the breed council health officer was also the other male judge on the day.

The stance that there was not enough evidence is nonsense, people in their droves saw that there was a problem. It sounds as though a tactic of denial is being used in the hope that this will eventually go away and be forgotten. Shame on the Kennel Club, shame on the judges (Jan Hunter and Dr Bryden) and most of all shame on the breeders (the Blackers, breeders of Crossguns Memphis Belle) who are no doubt still basking in the dubious glow of a totally bent win.

Words cannot express my disgust.

I'd suggest naming names isn't a great idea on a public forum like this one?   However bad the situation.....

The details of the breeder and the judges will be available on line so no secret.

What a ridiculous decision :-(

It really does question the KC and what their agenda truely is.

I wonder how many people will show under these judges now though?    I've seen people refuse to enter  ch shows where a judge wasn't 'up to scratch' and the judge had only a couple of classes.   I doubt that judge will be asked again ;-)

Judge already has future appointments, some offered even when all this was still going on

From Dogworld
'Lack of evidence' that Stafford BOB at Crufts was lame, rules KC

Created: 16/01/2014
THE KENNEL Club has ruled that there was 'a lack of sufficient evidence' that the Staffordshire Bull Terrier best of breed at Crufts was lame when she was being shown.

  The KC received complaints that Bill and Jo Blacker's Ch Crossguns Memphis Belle was not sound during the breed judging of bitches by Jan Hunter and when she was made BOB by Mrs Hunter and judge of dogs Archie Bryden.

  This week, ten months later, complainants received this letter recently from the KC: "The General Committee considered the complaints received following the judging of Staffordshire Bull Terriers at Crufts 2013 which suggested that the winning bitch had been lame when exhibited in the open bitch class, the bitch CC and best of breed.

  "The Committee took these complaints very seriously and considered the available evidence over a number of months. "However, it was of the view that there was a lack of sufficient evidence to conclude that the dog had been lame during the breed judging and the case has now been closed with no further action to be taken.

  "All complainants and the judges involved have received correspondence stating the committee's decision."

  Memphis Belle, who was six at the time and is the bitch CC record holder, was brought out of retirement after two and a half years to be shown at Crufts.

The Blackers declined to comment.

Judge already has future appointments, some offered even when all this was still going on

From Dogworld
'Lack of evidence' that Stafford BOB at Crufts was lame, rules KC

Created: 16/01/2014
THE KENNEL Club has ruled that there was 'a lack of sufficient evidence' that the Staffordshire Bull Terrier best of breed at Crufts was lame when she was being shown.

  The KC received complaints that Bill and Jo Blacker's Ch Crossguns Memphis Belle was not sound during the breed judging of bitches by Jan Hunter and when she was made BOB by Mrs Hunter and judge of dogs Archie Bryden.

  This week, ten months later, complainants received this letter recently from the KC: "The General Committee considered the complaints received following the judging of Staffordshire Bull Terriers at Crufts 2013 which suggested that the winning bitch had been lame when exhibited in the open bitch class, the bitch CC and best of breed.

  "The Committee took these complaints very seriously and considered the available evidence over a number of months. "However, it was of the view that there was a lack of sufficient evidence to conclude that the dog had been lame during the breed judging and the case has now been closed with no further action to be taken.

  "All complainants and the judges involved have received correspondence stating the committee's decision."

  Memphis Belle, who was six at the time and is the bitch CC record holder, was brought out of retirement after two and a half years to be shown at Crufts.

The Blackers declined to comment.

Such a shame, clearly she must have been a great dog to have the bitch CC record, but now loads of people will just think of her as 'the lame bitch at Crufts'. :-(

. Shame on the Kennel Club, shame on the judges (Jan Hunter and Dr Bryden) and most of all shame on the breeders (the Blackers, breeders of Crossguns Memphis Belle) who are no doubt still basking in the dubious glow of a totally bent win.

Come on -how can anyone but the JUDGE be to blame? Unless you know of a way to ensure a judge gives your dog the BOB at Crufts! And if the judge does give you BOB and you then take the dog to a vet at Crufts for a check (after people have pointed out the dog was lame) and the vet says it's okay, will you really say "No I don't want this award?"!!

Marianne, as I understand it, the owner said the bitch had been suffering cramp on and off all day. Cramp on and off is both painful and possibly an indication that all is not well. It could be that every single time the bitch was lame in the ring the owner failed to notice, but I rather doubt that, don't you?

I would not feel happy to take an award knowing my dog was not sound on the day- what then does that award represent? Now, perhaps it would have been difficult or embarrassing for the owner to withdraw, but surely a quiet word in a stewards ear could have sorted matters and relayed a message to the judge? Again, as I understand it she had appeared lame in the earlier classes not just the lineup etc..

Even if every other dog she beat had a wry mouth or some other issue that was not visible you still cannot place a lame dog- even if that lameness is temporary.

If this is not the case then I would agree with you that the owner may genuinely have been unaware and, as you say, the fault lies squarely with the judges.

To me it just looks like another case of chasing breed records etc.. at the expense of everything else, including any moral/ethical compass. If I were a novice to showing and watching ringside I would have left feeling mighty confused.

BTW do we know that the bitch was vet checked on the day? Not that it makes a difference really because she may not have had cramp while being checked but I understand the point you are making. Bottom line, everyone can see the bitch is lame on videos...what more proof do you need? As I have said before it really is an example of the Emperor's New Clothes.

Yep - it's all on this week's DW Newsletter.  Names.  

I have to say I was in the ring years back now, at Crufts and the bitch who had been 'ear marked' to take the BCC (popular expectation) started out round the ring clearly limping, to the point that the exhibitor standing next to me looked at me and we both said, to each other, 'she's lame!!!'     Trouble is after a few circuits of the ring she stopped limping - and took the BCC!!!   Was she stiff coming off the bench - dunno.   Had the pain killer taken a little time to kick in - dunno.   Clearly the judge hadn't seen her in the first go around ......!

Oh sure, a judge can miss stuff...but this bitch was apparently lame both in earlier classes and in the final judging, where of course there were two judges watching just two dogs. Those at the ringside saw she was lame, those watching TV saw she was lame, the chances of both judges missing it....slim, I would think.

Of course, by the time we got to the group the obvious problem could no longer be denied and Jessica Homes stated on TV that she was lame.

I meant Jessica Holm

Even worse I have seen on another forum that this has been reported by a person from overseas to a programme maker- guess who? I do hope this is not so :(

I wish you hadn't mentioned that as haven't looked at the blog for a while ( don't want to raise my blood pressure) but have just had a look and she is so full of contradictions it is quite frightening and quite rude with it.

Well it would be unfortunate if that person chose to make something of it after the horse has bolted. It is clear that objections to what happened have come from within the showing community, from those who breed and show and most of all from those within the breed. I don't think sudden interest by that individual should deter any of us from continuing to object to something that is clearly wrong.

Terrier Group judging about 32 minutes in & oops yes she is unsound :-(

Clearly lame. :-( She should have been withdrawn by the owner or 'excused' by the judge.

The complaints put in by numerous eye witnesses were also backed up by the breed clubs, but basically the KC is saying everyone is lying

Wow, anyone watching her in the group judging video can see she is not right. Any kind of dog owner can see that.

She is a lovely dog though.

With so much video evidence to  support the case, this decision makes the KC look very bad.   

What about all those exhibitors who entered Crufts, many travelling from other countries, to be beaten by a lame dog ! !  !

This isn't some 'fun' show where it can be brushed aside, this is supposed to be the top dog show, the one to aim for.

NOT any more :-(

I see that there are a heap of reader replies to the short report in DW. There is also something on Terrier World. Don't know if anything appears in Our Dogs.

I for one now feel quite shaky about the KC. Reports indicate that the problem lies with the judges sub-committee who sound to be intractable on the issue, despite being urged/told by another committee (including Frank Kane who was at the ring on the day) that the bitch was lame. Given the winning bitch owner, Bill Blacker, is also a championship judge, I am afraid this really does look like corruption of the most disgusting kind, with KC ranks closing to protect those on the inside.

How can any of us have faith in an organisation that shows, in this matter at least, that it is not impartial and does not adhere to its own standards?

Something has to be done, it really does. Does anyone know of further developments. Are there going to be more letters of objection?

Someone within the breed has posted on another forum that I'm on that some within the breed are taking legal advice. They don't seem to be taking this lying down and I support them in this stance. It doesn't look good, sbt get enough bad press without this.

I think it a shame that the bitch in question will be remembered for this rather than being the record holder.

Karen, thanks for that. I wonder if any of the staff people on this forum are involved and whether they would like the support of others here?

The thing is, even after the event, the wrong could have been rectified. There was a way for the judges and owner to end the affair with honour intact; had they said that although they were unaware on the day they could now see that the bitch was lame and would a accept any KC decision I feel that would have stemmed the criticism and restored a degree of faith. As matters stand it feels that all integrity is gone.

I wonder if some are scared about video being used to constantly override decisions, but we live in a video age and if that means the judges have to be even more careful I cannot see that is a bad thing.

Freelancer we would love support from anybody who agrees the KC decision is wrong. We sbt exhibitors will not let this rest. How can the KC expect people not to jump to the conclusion of corruption and closing ranks? One judge is a KC field officer and the other the breed health co ordinator both who were judging the biggest UK KC show with judges chosen by KC. No wonder they dont want to pursue the complaints. If anyone has any suggestions or advice or who can support in anyway it would be most gratefully accepted. After all this could happen in any breed and even with people paying to make official compliants and with the backing of breed clubs it has not been dealt with via the proper channels. Complainants didnt even get to see the full reasoning behind the decision other than a two paragraph email saying no action and thankyou for reporting it!!!

> Freelancer we would love support from anybody who agrees the KC decision is wrong.

The problem is, many people saw the dog was lame on TV  in the group (I did) ... but would it make any difference to the KC if hundreds or thousands of people said they saw the same, when a vet had passed the dog as sound?

I guess you could start a petition with video footage as proof...?

Poor little soul looked pretty unhappy in the ring, tense with her tail tucked under, and I think I saw some lip licking too :(

If you look at the various bits of footage of her stacked one of her back legs is shaking. We all know how stoical staffs are too.

I just feel that the protests should keep coming at the KC, thick and fast. Of course they will do everything they can to ignore it, but to let it go seems to me disastrous. This has to be a point of principal or we will see more of the same. I can have no faith in an organisation that is so transparently playing fast and loose with the very rule book it has written.

It was good to see last year's dog cc, beaten by the lame bitch, finally getting what should have been his at Crufts 2013. Congratulations on BOB and TG 3.

That's brilliant, he got his deserved award at last!