Hi everyone
I have just started ring craft classes with my 12 week old puppy, I have not had any showing experience before so a little anxious about it all. I need to know whether it would be too ambitious to enter a championship show in the puupy class as a first show experience? The reason i am thinking about doing this is because the show at New Park Manor Brockenhurst (august) is literally just up the road from me and also the first one that she would be able to enter as not 6mths until mid july. Dont think any CC's are awarded to my breed at this show so was hoping the competition might not be too daunting for both of us!

Also would like advice on what to take, I was planning to walk to it but didnt know whether i need a trolley/cage for her and to take the car or whether just to have her on lead by our allocated area. Will obviously take some grooming euipment and food and water in a bag. Is it also ok to strike up conversations and get advice there from other exhibitors in my breed or is that seen as getting other peoples inside knowledge that dont want to share? I want to make friends so that at future shows I'm not mrs new comer billy no mates!!!

Very anxious to get the basics right and not to look too much of the complete novice where then we may be 'talked' about not in a pleasant way - have heard this sort of thing does go on as with any type of competition where everyone obviously wants to do well.

thanks for advice
Lorri

Hiya,

Exactly how far are you from the showground, we live very close by too, and what kind of breed is she? large or toy or medium?

If she is good enough for Champ shows, then why not take her? I hope to be there as my 1st champ show too......gundog day :)

>whether just to have her on lead by our allocated area

Won't she be benched as it is a Champ show?

which ringcraft are you attending?

I live in Brockenhurst, my pup is terrier group so medium i suppose. Not sure what you mean by benched still learning all these things. I am attending the Tiptoe ring craft, how about you?

have you done other shows already if so do you know anymore local shows that i could do for practise? how good is good enough for champ show???

What breed do you have?

Lorri

Hi again,

We were going to Tiptoe 'til Izzy tore her cruciate ligament :( so we've had to take a back seat for a few months, but hopefully, we'll start going again soon.

I think nearly all Champ Shows are benched, Bournemouth certainly is( do terriers get benched ?)I would say you're best to drive to the Show as it is quite tiring, especially for a puppy, and you'll need to take several things with you, a bench chain, towel/bedding for bench, grooming bits and bobs, whatever else you'd need for a show really.

Have you met the St Bernard at Tiptoe ringcraft yet? (he will know who I am!!)

I'll see what shows I can russle up for you locally, but not too sure on the terrier side of things :)

(p.s. I live in Sway....so not far from you )

I have a Gundog......very popular one of the group ;) We have done a few open shows but not recently.

Not met the St Bernard, wasn't there on wednesday when i started.

did you find your first show as nerve racking as i think its gonna be?

thanks for the info, might bump into you on our dogs walks sometime!

>did you find your first show as nerve racking as i think its gonna be?

Definitely :D I was pooing my pants nearly with nerves :D

We hope to be back at Ringcraft in a few weeks, I need to get Izzy fit 1st....see you there!

Look on

www.fossedata.co.uk

there are details of a couple of shows that you might like to go and watch.......Southampton(Netley) and Poole(Ferndown)

Hi Lorri
Is your dogs breeder going to the show? At least you would know someone there. If you have a friend or family member who is interested, take them along for company (and to let you go to the loo!!) Maybe someone from your ringcraft will be there too. Remember its meant to be fun (you wouldn't think so sometimes :D) and that she is only a puppy so don't expect too much from her. Everybody has to start somewhere and although we don't show now we met some really nice people as well as some really bitchy, twofaced ones :D . Just like real life really.

Don't know about Terriers but at every benched Champ show we went to (with the exception of Crufts) very few people benched their dogs, most sat with them around the ring. Remember to take a folding chair or blanket so you have somewhere to sit , and lots of cash for all the 'necessities' you will need to buy at the stands :D :D . Remember you will need something to hold your number when you are in the ring, either a clip or just a safety pin if you don't have a clip(your ringcraft might sell them or you can pick one up at the show). Also check if your breed is first in the ring - if not you might have a long wait on the day.

Hope you enjoy it.

Marion

thank you Marion
Dont think breeder will be there as no CC's available. My sister said she would come and support me, not a real doggy person but at least soneone will be there for me, husband will probably be working as its a weekend.

Hope I'm not throwing my self in the deep end too quickly! always have been a fairly good swimmer though.

When there are no CC's on offer it is considered to be basically an Open show for the breed, so you get the big show atmosphere..

Lorri,
Our first real show was last year in Bournemouth.....a terrier too. We were benched, our breeder wasn't there but some folk from the breed club were. (I had met these people several months earlier when at a breed show, no dog though). We just wanted to go along and see all the same breed as ours and get a feel for it.
I still felt quite like the outsider, but it did improve.
They were benched, most of the people there were using these benches.
Do go along it was so lovely to join in and start to get a feel for things.
Go and have a light hearted approach and you cant go wrong.
Karen ;-)

In my breed it would not be unusual for a first show to be a championship show as we don't have huge entries.

For instance today in Scotland the Best Puppy was at his first show, there were four puppy dogs and three puppy bitches.

It might not be such a great idea in a breed like Golden Retrievers where the classes are large, but no reason you should not.

Thanks you are all so encouraging but here for a silly question maybe as i dont know, what do you mean by 'benched'? is that where you are given little compartments to put your dog in? if so am i better taking a cage to keep her in? she wont be huge as is of the black terrier type

Scottie?
Yep it's a space on a long bench, which are divided into cage sized areas, you slide in your cage and in she goes.
Karen ;-)

you got it!

ok so that means i will drive to the show instead of walking if i need to take a cage.

thanks

You don't have to have a crate, you can attach her by a chain, if your in walking distance then you won't need to take much gear.

There is a lurcher/terrier/companion show at brockenhurst new park this weekend if you wanted to come along and have a look (your pup would be too young to enter but you can bring her along) I will be there with my Irish Setters, feel free to say hello and bend my ear about any showing questions :)

11:30 kick off

do you mean tomorrow 15th? if so am working 8am-8pm if next weekend i can def do the sunday as off. what are companion shows please?

its tomorrow, the 15th.  Next weekend there is one in Denmead near portsmouth.  Companion shows are fun shows that anyone can enter they usually have classes broken down into puppy, sporting, non-sporting and open for the pedigrees and then fun classes such as most handsome dog, prettiest bitch, waggiest tail etc.  They are good practice I would defintely recommend entering some, you can enter on the day, they are usually advertised in Dog World.