I thought it might be interesting to share show ring disasters I know you,v all had them I'v certainly had mine especially in the early days at my very first champ show which I think was at Windsor I arrived late and only just made it to the ring in the nick of time I then realized every one had A number but me so I asked the lady next to me where did i get my number from she looked at me as if I was A complete moron off your bench I had no idea even what A bench was And the next worse one was when my dog decided to cough up some white frothy stuff like all dogs do occasionly, in the ring Afew of my fellow competitors stated to chuntter amongst themselves then the steward was called and they chun tered to him and he went to speak to someone else then he came over and told me I would have to leave the ring in case my dog had kennel cough which he did'nt I just walked sheepishly from the ring with my perfectly fit dog in tow I'v certainly learned alot since those days PAWLA

Not so much a ring disaster, but turning up at a show a day late!! Plus my car broke down on the way.

Did once know someone who travelled from the north to the south for a show, packed everything she needed, arrived at the show, unf. she had forgotten her dog!!

I posted one a month or so ago - search on 'the incredible purple whippet'. Puppy ended up sliding through a bust pen 2 minutes before entering the ring! Had a great purple strip up the white part of her leg on the SHOWING side.

WEndy

Standing in the BIS ring with my 14 month dog firmly clamped to the back of an inseason Lab next to me and being unable to remove him, because I had an injury, and no one helping because they were all too busy laughing. Except the owner of the Lab that is.

PS We did'nt win. JH

many years ago I went to manchester Show when it was at Belle Vue
and had brought two un entered pups and left the right ones at home

My very first ch show xxxxxx years ago, I took my puppy into the ring, walked round as you do, put pup on the table when it was her turn, did the rest of the walking. when the judge was finished with everyone, he turned back to the table and I thought he was finished with us all, and I walked out of the ring. Red Face or what !"!!!!! I was too embaressed to go back into the ring, and I just got my things together and went home!!!!!! . I could not understand why everyone was looking at me, I know now though, was not funny at the time but can laugh about it now.

Hi Pawla,
You think you were bad. I have a very good friend who has been showng her dogs for 15 years. At a champ show recently, her dog had been in the ring and was back on the bench, while she was waiting for the bitches' class she was standing at the ringside 'spectating' quite amused that the steward was getting quite upset at the non-arrival of a certain bitch......you might have guessed by now...yes it was her bitch!!! needless to say, she missed the class, but the good news is at the next champ show her 13month old bitch got her 1st C.C. [and that was a clue as to her identity]

Rio

Not a disaster, but embarrassing.

In the Stakes ring at Mdland counties I am instructed to do a triangle then up and down. I am not exactly sylph like, and as I bounce down the ring, all my bait comes bouncing out of the bumbag pocket that I had neglected to zip shut in my nervousness. My bitch is a real foody, and I still had to run through all this on my up and down!

When I got back to the judge I appologised and told her I would pick up all the bait on my way back to the line!

On my way back I noticed on the bright green carpet only 3 pieces, which I picked up.

It seems that spectators in my breed, not wanting our breed to get a name for unsportsmanlike behaviour, lol, had nipped in and cleared nearly all of it!!!!

Missed seeing you in the Open stakes class at Midland Counties
6 Pharaohs were in the class, as judge used to own one years ago
(more than representing any other breeds ! Hound/Terrier)
one was placed 4th - not mine !

Pam

The Open Stakes clashed with the bitch judging, I came and left my number, but arrived just as they had finished, but I managed to get in the Champ Stakes :) I didn't get placed, but my friends ringside maintained she got a good hard looking at :) Oh I was third in Open bitch, with CC and RCC going to the first and second.

I saw you Brainless! Just happened to be sitting there watching the champ stakes, and Thought you did very well to keep her going! Don't know anything about Elkhounds, but thought she was a lovely bitch.
Liz

Thanks for saying so. Considering what a pig she is i am surprised I managed to keep her going through all the food :)

One of my show ring disaster was at Gundog Society of Wales, some years ago. I was stewarding and my daughter was across the show ground handling my bitch Lucinda in the breed classes. Anyway Lucinda could be an angel when it suited her and the most difficult stubborn creature on earth when it suited her. On this day the sun was shining and it was hot, Lu loved the sunshine and would go out and "sunbathe".
As she was being shown we spent all day keeping her cool, so when she finally got into the sun and in the ring, she laid out full stretch and wouldn't get up onto her feet. Ringsiders and other exhibitors started saying to my daughter "Your dog has sun stroke" adding ,"you get the vet". When it was Lu's turn to be examined by the judge, she reluctantly got to her feet, and went "slug like" up the ring and back, finally going back into line and laying full out again. The ring siders and other exhibitors were now getting very vociferous and saying they would get the show officials and RSPCA to us. John who was there kept telling them Lu was just being difficult, but they wouldn't even believe him!
So John being the clever chap he is said he would go and get the owner. I returned to the ring with John and explained that this was infact Lu being her difficult self and was definately not suffering sunstroke. To prove my point I told my daughter to drop Lu's lead and I said "Well now that class is over would you like an ice cream?" Lu was on her feet and running as fast as possible to the nearby ice cream stall!!!! Point proved and the people kept saying if they hadn't heard and seen it themselves they would never have believed it!