Is anyone going to the Bedford open show tomorrow? Cause it is the first time that I am stewarding so if you are there with a border or in the handling I will be your steward! lol :D So if anyone has any stewarding tips they would be really helpful ;)

Sarah xxxxx

Ooooh Sarah wanna steward aussies! ;)  I'm there judging.  Stewarding tips is shout loud and keep yourself organised.  I'm assuming you will be put with an experianced steward who will be there to help and guide you.  I got lessons from a steward called Roger Bathurst (sp) who gave me LOADS of tips when I was stewarding with him! :)

Will see you tomorrow and will cheer you on! :)

Good luck and have fun! Keep an eye out for unbeaten puppies in Junior or Graduate classes, and make sure their handlers know to keep them handy for the puppy challenge. I usually go through and make them with a P in my catalogue. Check where the judge wants the class to stand at the beginning and when placed. If they have the ring numbers in numerical order sort them by class, and make sure you have a pile of rosettes and cards ready for each class too. Let us know how it goes! :-)

Well im back and I had a great time :) We have no puppies in the borders so I had no problem there! But the worst one was the adult handling!! Im sorry to say that the adult handlers are a lot harder work that the children! But it was all find they just had lots of questions and I had loads of people telling me that they hand been in the ring yet so they had no number or that they might have to leave the ring to go and show their dog ect ect... But it was fine and I managed to do everything right. I didn't have an older steward there but I know the judge as she is a member of our breed club and was the one that asked me to steward for her so if I had any problem I could just ask.

The handling was the worst as it was a Richmond qualifier and I had o fill 1st 2nd and 3rd names and addresses in and we also have a trophy for every class and one for Best junior handler and I have to bring the junior handler in and compete against the adult but they could have one trophy and someone else couldn't have another ect! but once I had it sorted I was fine.

And I already have another stewarding job! At one of our club open shows but only as the assistant steward but I can't wait.

Sarah xxxxx

You looked like you were having fun!!!! :D  Glad you enjoyed it!  Adults are worse the juniors....to judge aswell IME :(

And don't worry one steward at Bedford did make a little mistake which was exactly what I think Lucy said about....   she should have read this!!!!! ;)

Good luck at the club show!  They are much easier as classes bigger and being 2 stewards makes it easy!!!!  I have done 2/3 open/champ club shows with my mum.  (not assistant, we just worked together!!!!)

Good luck in stewarding :)

Gosh, sounds like a baptism of fire, but you did really well! Well done! I've done my quota of open shows and would love to try a champ show one day, though I think I would stick mainly to open show stewarding. :-)

Just out of interest (as I used to live there - much of my family still do!) I know it is called the Bedford Show, but was it actually in Bedford, and if so where was it held?

Yeah it certainly was a baptism of fire! But it was really good. Club show should be really good as well as I will know all the people that I am dealing with, and I will have someone to help me and give me tips. I have also been asked to do another stewarding job but it's for Aussie Terriers, Bedlingtons, Dandies, Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, a Stakes class, don't know which yet and 4 handling classes! So I don't know whether I am going to do that as it will be a loooong day! If anyone has any more tips they would be really useful.

Sarah xxxxx  

Hi Sarah, well done with stewarding!!! :)
by the way how many open shows do you have to steward in the UK before you can steward a champ show?
Carol :)

Natalie.  Beford show is held in Bedford and the addison centre?

Carol, there is no amount of stewarding you have to do before going to champ shows.  Infact champshows are easier as it's normally bigger classes and two of you.  At open shows it's normally one person, small classes and lots of paperwork!!!! 

When I have done the clubshows one of us has sat down to do paperwork (filling in stewards sheets, judges slips if they ask, making sure judge signs slips after each class etc etc) while the other calls the class, keeps the class in order, generally keeps an eye to make sure corners/side are clear if judge asks! then swap half way though!

Thanks Rox, :D

Thanks from me too Rox! :)
Carol

At my stewarding course I was told we had to steward 12 open shows before we could do a champ show.

I've never heard of that one Lucy!  Maybe I'm wrong, has been ages since I have done a stewarding seminar (4 years) and I have never been interested in stewarding lots, just do it here and there!