It's our first show tomorrow and I've been going over it all in my mind so I know what I'm doing but I've got a really daft question :)

Do you have to go round in any particular order or can you choose where in the line up you appear? I thought it might be done on numerical order according to the entry numbers but those are assigned alphabetically that would mean that I'd probably be first :( I can't be first, I've never been able to go first in anything and I'm now panicking thinking that I'd have to go first.

I'd be fine about going second or even last but I can't go first.

Please, someone reassure me that I can choose where in the line up I appear.

Fiona (now feeling sick at the thought I migth have to go first)
x x x

Fiona

In our first show (only an exemption I know ..but still) I ended up in first position .....eek! In my next show I was in last ...now Hudson being the easily bored type , I found neither were good for us and I try now to be in the middle ;)

We have our first Open Show tomorrow too , so I will be thinking of you and have my fingers crossed for you both

Best of Luck
Love

Melody

Generally the choice of where you stand is down to the judge
as a steward i would ask where the judge would like the dogs and if in any order,most judges at open shows have no preferrance as to the order the dogs are seen.
Hold back slightly before you get your number and hopefully you wont be 1st,however if you are dont worry
Good luck...

If you are the only one entered in the puppy class then you have no choice but to go first. ;)
But seriously though, once they (steward) call your class you just go in and get your ring number and then if people are milling around not wanting to go first I'd just say I'd rather not go first as this is my first show.
Most exhibitors should be understanding, infact some like to go first :)
If you are in an AVNSC class they normally call for the table dogs to be at the front of the class anyhow. So just hope there are plenty of other table dogs ;)
See You tomorrow, I'll have the tall bouncy b/w Boxer bitch called Abby
aka Trumist Ain't No Saint, I'll look out for you, I normally wear purple or lavender/lilac tops and have long mousy hair in a pony tail & I'm only short 5ft 2. So should be easily spottable, oh and I pull wonderful faces in the ring (god what awful photo's I have, LOL)
Kind Regards
Kirstine

Hiya, when your class is called into the ring, hang back a bit, and try to be the last to collect your ring number from the steward. Some people like to go first, so with a bit of luck, you will not have the honour. Whatever happens, hope you have a really nice day

Cocker people are notorious for not wanting to go first :-) There are also a few exhibitors who have to go last & woe betide you if you come in after them :D Seriously Fiona, just take your time & don't let anyone rush you - unless you're the only entry in the class (unlikely) you should be able to hang back & stand towards the end of the line-up. This way you'll be able to watch what everyone else does & copy what they do.

Good luck & enjoy your day :-)

Jane

I know I wouldn't be so worried if the Cocker Puppy wasn't the first class in the ring. I won't have a chance to watch what other people do and get an idea of the protocol at open shows.

As long as I don't have to go first I think I'll be okay :)

Fiona
x x x

I've been thinking about this all morning and I've pretty much decided I'm not going to go. I feel so ill at the thought of showing her and I'm really not sure I can go through with it. :(

I have a completely irrational fear of new situations and I've not slept properly for ages worrying about tomorrow.

I know that I'm being a total wimp and I'm sure that I'd have fun once I was there but I don't even know if I can bring myself to go :(

If I go and decide that I can't cope with it presumably I can just leave?

Help! I just don't know what to do :(

Fiona (now sitting at the computer crying because I feel like such an idiot)
x x x

Fiona ...instead of going there with the intention of showing ....go tomorrow just to have a look see and a talk with people.

Showing is supposed to be fun ;) If you are not going to enjoy it , then don't do it ....you are letting no one down ...its just fun.

You may even find after getting there and walking around you WANT to carry on ..but don't feel pressured into it.

Melody

Dear Fiona,
Please do come, I'm normally always there at shows early. (I hate being late and having to rush everywhere and not being calm myself)
If you want to calm your nerves take the Bachs Rescue Remedy.
I bought a bottle for the dog when we got to Crufts I had most of it myself as I was so nervous :))
(I still get nervous at times and I've been showing 13 years!!)
We'll have a little practise before you go in the ring and you'll be fine honest :)
You can also have a laugh and see me show Abby. The faces I pull are very funny to the ringside, not so funny when you see them in photos :))
If Misty wasn't inseason you could see her do her thing ;)
Trust me even that would bring a smile to your face, she's 4 yrs
old and still wants to go round the ring at 150mph, even though her mum
only wants to go 10mph :)
Even if you go and decide you can't face going into the ring you don't have to. Just watch what goes on and hear all the gossip ringside ;).
If you need some moral support at the show I'll be there as we are third in the ring.
Kindest Regards
Kirstine and Abby

Dear Fiona, Please have a go - I had my first attempt at showing last weekend with my G.B.G.V. at the clubs fun day and I was terrified of making a fool of myself (I have never attended Ringcraft either). it was the puppy class and there were quite a lot in the class. We found ourselves first in the line and I am thinking oh crumbs, what do I do?, the judge was incredibly nice and went over her very gently, Phoebe even kissed her. Then I was asked to walk her up and back. I was terrified of falling over, I can't run and can only just manage a pathetic little trot- I have very weak ankles due to breaking them both and any uneven ground can have me over. I just kept chatting to Phoebe and made it up and back in one piece. Guess what!!! we got a second, I was so excited when the judge pulled us out I cried Me!!! really!!!! the crowd laughed and it sort of broke the ice. I am definately going to have another go.

Fiona, do as Melody & Kirstine suggest - just go along with the idea of watching, no pressure. If you feel like having a go when you get there, then fine, but if not, don't worry about it - nobody will think any the less of you. We all felt terrified at our first proper shows - you wouldn't be human if you weren't nervous :-)

Jane

Hi Fiona, anyone & everyone showed my dog but me! No way was I going in that ring. Ihad my first litter pups in open before I started showing proper, & if I say till then I had only been in the ring 5/6 times I might be exagerating.At one show my litter won the progeny class & I couldn`t even go forward to take the cup. Another time the judge spoke to me & I couldn`t reply cos my mouth had dried up. Then one day at a show & I was watching my dog being shown by a friend & found myself saying to myself "no don`t do that, no that`s not right & feeling an urge to do it myself. So next time it was me showing them & yes terrified & yes have been sick before & after. Ha! sleepless nights & up before the crack of dawn cos couldn`t sleep due to nerves, yes all of that. And do you know what, I`m so glad I didn`t give in. I love it now. And through it all I had some good pals who would encourage me & tell me to show my own dogs myself. They would tell me what they were like when they first started & now we can look back & have a good laugh.
So get a grip & tell yourself YOU CAN DO IT! Remember people won`t be watching you they will be looking at their own dogs. If you still can`t do it just go & watch but.. GO anyway. :)
By the way I still get nervous but excited nervous now.

Christine2

Fiona

Take the pressure off yourself - no show is worth it:) Go along without Holly if that helps to have a good look at how the others do it. You could take her along and see how you feel when you get there - but showing is not for everybody. My best friend bought her second black cocker with the intention of showing but she worried so much it made her feel ill - just like you are doing now. She decided it wasn't worth it and just comes along with me for the fun and to hopefully see my boys do well - wishful thinking lol:D

Everyone gets nervous but we are also all very different. It's not worth making yourself upset over - but if you do think it is what you want to do - give it a go - maybe not tomorrow - but sometime and then see how you feel. But rememebr - it is for fun - and it aint no fun if you can't enjoy it. No-one would think any different of you whichever way you decided to go.

hth

Pam n the boys - all waiting to go in the bath for tomorrow;)

Fi

Christine dragged me (kicking and screaming :p) to a "fun" show (get confused as to what is what !!) but it had "serious" groups first and we entered in AV puppy. Well talk about being humiliated as everyone else got their dogs to stand and held tails up etc and all the Mock would do was sit !!!!!!!! :D I thought it couldn't get any worse, until I found out we had to "trot" up and down. WEll, you can guess how prepared I was for that and how much we'd practised (NOT !!!) and the second I tried to get him to trot he started to bite my ankles. Well, I don't think the judge was very amused and several people were taking it very seriously but others thought it was hysterical and whilst being embarrassing I thought it was fairly amusing too !!!!! (Not though, as amusing as when caught out by the ice cream van, I thought we were missing the most handsome dog class and ran into the ring to find we had actually joined the German Shephard parade !!!!! A lovely lady suggested I should get a prize for being a different breed :) )

I'm not tooooo keen on repeating the performance, as I thought that for a fun show there were a few too many people taking it far too seriously and let's face it, I don't think that the Mock is a show dog !!!!!!! But it had to be done at least once, and at least I know now that if we ever did it again, it couldn't be worse.

Seriously, if you don't believe HOW much, I wasn't looking forward to it, ask Chris, I just ran out of excuses LOL :D :D

Beth xxxxxxx

P.s PLEASE don't cry.............. :( Just be brave but don't put too much pressure on yourself.

Oh dear - poor you :( Still, at least you'll know for next time :)

We are going to go tomorrow - Chris is going to take the kids off to have an ice-cream during Holly's first class so at least I won't have to worry about him standing there putting me off.

The daft thing is that I know what to do once the class has started it's just the bit between getting there and the class starting that's got me worried. :(

Holly is quite good at ringcraft - very good for a puppy and she moves really well, I'm just hoping she behaves herself tomorrow. She hasn't been out for a couple of weeks as she's been in season so tomorrow is her first outing as well :D

Thank you all for your kind words - you're all right of course, I put far too much pressure on myself and worry far too much what other people will think :(

I'll post tomorrow evening to let you know how well we did, and how much whisky I needed to get myself in the ring :D

Fiona
x x x

Fiona ...listen to the Judge and watch what all the others do ...you will be fine :)

The judges tell you what to do (as in trot them there , trot them here etc)

Have fun , don't worry and remember ....ENJOY

:)

Melody - who is bricking it too :D

Just to wish everyone who is just entering the show world, the very best of luck. Just remember it dosnt matter at all, its of no great importance, go and enjoy yourselves and as always, win or loose, you will take the best dog home with you. xxx

Remember my first show well, I was not at all worried before, but when I got to the side of the ring I stood rooted to the spot, could not move my feet not even to go to the loo, which was urgent too. In my ignorance I chose a champ show as my first show, well I did not know did I, anyway there were only 3 in the class and I found myself in the middle. When it was my turn I walked up to the judge and my puppy sat down and started to attend to her private parts, I must have look at the judge for help because he said "it's alright leave her I'm not in a hurry are you". Felt better after that and when the pup stood up she behaved not too bad and we won a second. When I left the ring I was told "OH well done you have qualified", I thought it meant I would be allowed to show her again. Still get nervious just as I go to enter the ring expect I always will, wonder why I do it? Ja:)kie

Good luck Fiona, just don`t do what I did my first time when told to do a "triangle" & start looking for a painted one on the floor somewhere!! :) It`s a social event as well as a good laugh & you should have a good time.
Christine2

Hi Fi - I know what you mean about nerves (see my post in idle chat). I don't think I've got it quite as bad as you but understand how you feel. Been reading the replies to you and they've helped me feel better as well.
After the first time we'll be wondering what we were worried about !
Enjoy the day - as you say you and Holly know what to do coz of ringcraft :) Go get 'em girl :D
Sara x

Thanks Sara - Good luck with Phoebe, if I can do so can you :D

Fiona
x x x

Good luck to Fiona and little Holly. I'm sure you will do excellent and be relieved when it's over and you actually had the guts to stick it out. I think you will feel very good about yourself when you get it over with. I bet you will even end up having fun.

Carissa

Well Berry is ready all shiny and bright .
she has a new lead and away we go.
Good luck Fiona did not realise Holly was out tomorrow as well
Wouldent it be nice if we all got some sort of placing .
Drinks all round tomorrow night .
whats that john make yours a double oh ok .:)
Well good luck to everyone else on the board showing this weekend . Lol Mari

Mari, hope you have a great day, enjoy yourself, and dont worry about it :) xxx

Just go and enjoy yourself Fiona, and don't bother about the ring unless you feel like it. I'm sure the other people there will help you but whatever you do, have a good time.

Best wishes
Joan
Take the rough with the smooth