I read a few weeks ago in Dog World about the possibility of a companion show being held in conjunction with Southern Counties Champ show.  Does anyone know any more about this?  Is it only for dogs entered.  There was word it was for any dogs and those dogs would be allowed in.  I've just received my passes and there's no mention, so I'm just curious if anyone out there knows anything further?  I'm interested in taking our mix, but it was sooo hot there last year that if it's like that this year and we have to bench her with the unentered dogs I'd be worried about her, and hubby would be running back and forth all day!

Anyway, just wondering if anyone knows anything further.

Thanks in advance.

Wendy

There was a discussion on another site about this, which David Cavill joined in (he's from Southern Counties committee). ANY dog can enter the CD show, which will be held every day of the show. They will be given passes to enter the main showground. The owners will be signing an entry form to say their dogs have not been in contact with any diseases etc, like the normal entry forms for Open and Champ. Shows, They will be issued with numbers and removal orders, following on from the main show numbers. So you won't need to leave your dog in the NFC tent outside.

Kay (Kayanarra)
Bearded Collies

thanks soo much for the info.  YAY!!  That will be a great day out for her as well.  I do hate leaving her behind all the time.

Wendy

Does this mean that the dogs entered in the Championship show will have to be benched but that any other dog can be brought in and walked around and sat at any ringside as the owner wishes. How much is being charged for this, and will the facilities be increased to accommodate the extra numbers may be some toilets near the benching area would be nice and what arrangements for car parking are being made, or is the CDS only open to dogs already entered? Would be interested to know where I can find details of the arrangements as I had intended going and have 2 dogs entered but have received not information on this.

From what David Cavill has said, the CDS dogs can come from anywhere, not just pre-entered dogs at the champ show. I don't believe they will need to be benched. People have had concerns about removal orders etc???. Don't know about the other facilities?
There was a big discussion about this on the Our Dogs On Line site, concerns about security, unfairness of champ show dogs having to be benched and others not, health, etc, etc. There have been some very mixed opinions on the CDS.
I'm not entered this year, but would be interested to see how it all works out, so anyoe who does get there, please let us all know?

Kay

Have E-mailed the Cavills and been told that the CD show will not be within the Championshow area. The wording was it will be within the grounds but not within the Ch. show grounds, it was not made clear if the dogs would be allowed in or not, I will mail again.

Have e-mailed again asking if the dogs entered in the CD show will be allowed into the Champ show ground, and what arrangements have been made with regard to car parks, toilets and what security arrangements are being made for removal.

Let us know the answer please? I'm just being nosey, as I'm not going. I'm all for CDS (Exemption shows), as it's where I started out, and I have organised 4 myself, as well as helping out at plenty of others. I would like to know how it goes, "attached" to a champ show?

love Kay

Ooh - please let us know as I'm back to wondering if I should take Chelsea along or not :-(

Wendy

Well, to date I have not had an answer, they answered the first one quickly enough but now I am asking for details - no answer, well not yet. Think they may think if the CDS exhibits are to be allowed to mix in with the Champ Show dogs and use the same car parks and toilets etc. there may be problems and if the true facts are made clear there may be people asking for their money back.

Think it unfair that the fact of the CD show was not made clear at the time the schedule came out and I do feel that I have been allowed to enter not knowing the true facts. Now don't get me wrong I am not against CD shows, am considering attending one to day, but I have paid out over £30 to attend this show and people who's breed have CC's will have paid even more, plus travel expenses and dog sitting fees, if when we get there we are parked miles away from the benching and have to queue for an age for the toilet we are not going to be best pleased, I am reconsidering if I should go now and don't suppose I am the only one and I will not be entering next year.

Hi Jackie
The letter in this weeks dog paper said that the people/dogs would be allowed in to the main show ground, and given removal orders when they enter on the day. Seems to me, they will not be parked seperately, or be given seperate / additional toilets!

love Kay

Have enough problems as it is getting to and from the car park and if I have to queue for the toilet too I will be in real trouble, I am rapidly going off the idea of attending this show I have to say, but what a waste of money, really think the matter should have been made clear from the start. Also annoyed that I have been told that the dogs and exhibitors who are entering the CDS will not be allowed in the main Champ show area. And I am still waiting for a reply to my second e-mail.

I too will be annoyed if they are parked with the champ show exhibitors and we have even further to walk.  I will not be pleased if we have to queue with them for the toilets either.

I have nothing against a CDS being alongside the show, but it is understood that unentered dogs are not allowed into the showground, that is why my unentered dog goes into the tent at five pounds a time.  Looks like it will be cheaper to enter him in one class at the CDS and bring him in.

I agree with you Jackie, full details should have been stated in the schedule, not announced after they have your money.

Sandra

Jackie and Sandra, I can only suggest trying to contact David Cavill again, to see if he can answer your questions, or allay any fears??? Keep us all informed!

Kay

Will give them today to answer my last E-mail as they may have had a long weekend off, but if I get no reply I may try asking my money back because I am not getting what I expected nor what was offered. Very cross that we who have entered are being used in this experiment without our permission, if the CDS is successful will those who paid the full price be offered a part refund, bet your life we wont, will it be used to improve facilities, do pigs fly.

I asked a couple of questions saying that I had entered one dog for the champ show and wanted to bring another one to be entered at the companion show, how do I get her in without a pass and how do I get her out without a pass. The answer I got was, yes I can bring the dog to enter in the companion show but that one would not be allowed to come in to the main showground until 10.00am, and I would be issued with a pass to get her out again. I am assuming all exhibitors whether entering the Champ show or Companion show will be parked together.
Carolyne

I don't know if anyone who was there today will add to this thread, but in reading through getting ready for tomorrow it says 'please ensure your parking tickets are displayed clearly so we can filter off spectators who will be charged £5 for parking'  So they won't be parking with us AND they'll have to pay a fiver to come before entering the CDS.

We're taking a chance and bringing Chelsea along too.  If it means hubby runs back and forth to the unentered tent or stays with her in the car all day, well then so be it:(  At least it gives her a day out as well.  I can stay in the main grounds with Savannah.

Wendy

Well I did not get a satisfactory answer to my question, so not wanting to drive all that way only to find I was not able to cope, I will not be going.

I was at SC today and no one checked my passes going in or out.!!
Carolyne

Our passes were checked leaving the parking area for both our entered dog and Chelsea (our CDS entered dog).  No one checked them coming in at all.

Overall I thought it was well handled.  Didn't see any problem with the CDS dogs.  We benched Cheslea in the non-entered dogs tent and then walked her through to the show when it was her turn.  The parking for the public and hte CDS was at a completely different end of the showground from the entered dogs, and the toilets, though busy weren't as busy as last year.

So from our point of view it was a fun day, and Chelsea didn't have to stay at home and got to be part of it, and a Charity made a bit of money.

Wendy

Same with us Carolyne.

We merrily drove our car out of the exit, they took our passes but no-one checked in the back as to how many dogs we had in there.

Some security system.

Having bred the Border Terrier that was stolen at Birmingham a few years ago, it made my heart sink, particularly as our benching was miles away from our ring. 

Jayne

We were in the Yellow carpark, and had four dogs with us in the van - ours on the yellow exit pass, our friends on a red exit pass (our turn to pay for carpark, therefore nearer our benching :) )

When we came to leave, the young lad looked at our van, and said "I can see two dogs, but I can't see the other two - can you show them to me please - we are supposed to check".   We were only too delighted to open the back doors so that he could see the Leos as well.

Margot

I am completely disgusted at this show. We were in the red car park, and it has to be said parking was perfect, right behind our tent, but there was no-one there to check passes in or out, including at the gate. This is appaling in view of the CDS situation where security should have been paramount. Anyone could have strolled out with my dogs! I also had no metal ring on one of my benches to attach my dog to, as did other people around me. It meant I had to remove a partition and attach two dogs to one ring. I wonder if this was a factor in the dog that got loose on the a34? We pay a lot of money for these shows and the service we get sometimes is simply dreadful.