Can anyone tell me what goes to making a show champion.

Alot of hard work, alot of gambling and alot luck! :)

Also handled well, groomed well and exercised correctly :)

Then you need 3 CC's under 3 different judges.

handled by a welll known person often helps.... LOL :-) sorry couldnt resist that one but sometimes it is true....

But all well known people are excellent handlers! :)

Hah, not in my breed! :-D

not in my breed either :-)

Very true Lisa!

I'm not very well known - except to the people in my breed - and I have a Show Champion, it's been said before but if you have a truly wonderful dog and are unknown the dog will get there.   The couple who bought a bitch pup from my first litter were unknowns to everyone (Infact this was their first pedigree dog!!!) and the dog won her title too!

Hi Chrsitine,

Yes I do think it can happen but not as often as a 'face' my first show bitch got her JW, ShCM a RCC and a few RBPIS and a BIS at open shows but then had a litter and isnt due back in the ring until next year so I doubt she will get her title.  If I am honest I have seen bitches get CC's from their friends and I have seen blatent ticket swapping.  I am  not saying it is all bent, maybe 50%.  I have found there are only a few judges that like to do their own thing while the rest play follow the leader.  ooohhh the politics eh? :-)  Someone should write a book about it or contact the BBC to do an undercover report -that would be interesting.... LOL

Liisa, how many times have you seen a "face" show or handle a poor quality dog!

I will admit there are days when a face will maybe not deserve to win or beat another dog on the day however the dog they are handling still deserves it's title!  They won't be seen with anything below standard!

And also Faces DO get beaten!!! 

I've not seen a 'face' handling a really poor quality dog, but even I can see they haven't always got the best dog. But yes, faces can be thrown out. And non-faces can win too - my boy only just missed his JW, has a CC, a ShCM, a BIS at a club show, and 2 Firsts at Crufts - and he's my first ever dog, so I'm definitely no face!! :-D You just have to learn which judges are fair.

Hi Ice Queen,

Sorry missed your reply.  Depends how you define 'poor quality'. 

I have seen faces handle dogs that would not win if handled by someone else.  I think we have all seen this.  Why should the dog a face is handling deserve it's title over another? - just because they bred or handled it? surely not!  Faces do get beatedn I have beaten faces quite a few times but i have also been told to get a handler on my bitch to ge her made up.  No thanks I would rather do it off my dogs merits. :-)

There are judges out there who wont put a dog up unless it is handled by a well known person, so imho these judges should not be judging. Only last year a very well known all rounder said to someone I know after he had judged and binned their dog (normally handled by a face), where was your dog?  it would have had the CC!  This person said "it was in the ring".  The dog was handled by someone else that day - same dog - different face - and it got binned.  The mind boggles. 

Liisa, did the dog your talking about get chucked because it wasn't handled well?  A "face" who is normally a good handler will make the dog look it's best, an average handler can't do that!  I don't know the situation fully so I might be wrong.

My mum was talking about a show, the 7 group winners and the BIS judged.  Mum was told oh 2 of the 3 faces in the ring would have got top honors and Mum had great delight in saying I had won BIS with the dog I was handling :) RBIS also went to a non face.  So much for this facey judge!  I think they are wonderful ;)

By poor quality I mean having obvious major faults that are not disguised when in the ring.

Hiya Ice Queen

I see where you are coming from. But trust me this was a good handler having previously won CC's with the dog but just not known to this judge. :-)

Over the many years I've been showing, I can honestly say most judges, in my experience are not 'facey.'  The ones who are, tend to be allrounders who know little about the breed, so go for the safe bet, the well known exhibitor or pro handler....or, as very rarely happens, ticket swapping among breed judges.

In my experience in rare breeds, allrounders tend to have less experience or interest in the breed and poor quality dogs are more likey to be put up because of who is handling.  I don't agree that these dogs win because they are better handled.  If anything, pro handlers tend to overhandle but a good judged shouldn't be fooled by handling techniques anyway.  :-) JMHO

Julie

also alot of money.... shows arent cheap

Depends how you spend your dosh Liisa- its no more expensive than going out to the pub every night, or 20 cigarettes a day!

If you look on it as a day out, then costs don't seem so high - unless you enter champ shows with bitches that come into season after entering - or who take their coats off the day after you#ve sent off the Crufts entry form :D

It costs no more to rear a good-quality pup than it does a poor quality pup!

Margot

The reason I say expensive is this -

I show 2 dogs at open and champ shows throughout the year, I live on my own, have a mortgage and car to pay for, four dogs to feed and 2 cats plus vets bills etc.  I dont smoke but do like the odd drink but certainly dont go to the pub every night.  I am on above average salary and my show fees, petrol etc come from my wages so I have to say there are not cheap.  1 champ show can cost me in excess of £100 depending on where in the UK it is.  So if you have 4 champ shows a month (which can happen) yes it is a fair chunk out of my wage.  :-)  Saying that I would rather show then spend a night on the town and then wake up with a stinking hangover - getting too old for that now .

So you're like the rest of us Liisa :D

Margot