Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-18
RECENT SHOW OF
BOSTON TERRIERS
Largest Exhibition of the Kind
That Has Ever Been Held
in America.
By James Watson.

was by far the largest speciality club show
which has been held in this country The
total of the Boston terriers was 296 and
there were two other classes for toy Bos-
tons. which Initiated the show as a four
point exhibition The Boston Terrier Club
will not allow toy Boston terriers TO COM
pete for the honors in winners class and
the American Kennel Club passes the entry
of toy Bostons when put in the miscel-
laneous class at shows where no class is
provided for those under twelve pounds
These facts point to the toy Boston as not
recognized as of the breed and the rule al
lowing four points for winners classes at
specially club shows distinctly states that
such shows must be confined to the breed
which the club giving the shows is the
promoter of. 1t would be perfectly
proper for the Boston Terrier Club to mako
that toy class for all toy terriers as for
Boston terriers. or quite as improper II
that is the better way of putting 1t.
Some the classes were unwieldy in size
and as the old-fashioned three judges
method was resurrected for this occasion
there was more delay. for the three have
to enter into lengthy discussions and with
one man In command that is avoided. The
divisions by weight were the recognized
ones or twelve pounds to seventeen, then
to twenty-five and from that to twenty
eight pounds as high limit In the classes
for dogs the severe competition began
with the limit classes and I'm the light
weights first went to Cracksman's Billy
Boy, who beat the well-llnown Oakmont
Gent. In the middlewe.ght division Little
Bilee was the winner and Bay Boy came
next. while in the heavy weights Starr Boy
Ii and Revelo Tomah were the placed dogs.
In the open dog classes the changes were
that Champion Oarsman beat Little Bilee
In middleweight dogs and Champion Junior
and Marksman scored In heavyweghts
Then came the winners class and the light
weights were successful. Cracksmans Lit
tie Billee and Oakmont Gent being first and
second
This final award sufficiently indicates the
tendency In this breed to advance the
smaller dogs: and break away altogether
from the original type and cater to the
better selling ladies' pet 1t is not at all
improbable that ere another two years
have passed we will have the low limit
pounds and perhaps even to eight pounds,
for there was just as much objection to
anything below fifteen pounds three years
ago as there is now to those under twelve
pounds. They sell better and the Boston
fancy is decidedly a pecuniary one
At the annual dinner of the Boston Ter
rier Club Thursday evening il was an
nounced that the New England Kennel
Cup would put In competition at its show
to be held next February trophy val
ued at $3.50 for Boston terriers conditions
to be announced in the premium list.
There is In England what Is called the
Kennel Club Council of Representatives
which is made up Of delegates from spe-
cialty clubs and a few kennel clubs, and
is permitted by its parent body, the Ken
mel Club, to suggest rules or alterations
to rules in force Some OF these sugges-
tons have been very good. but others are
somewhat quixotic, and while excellent in
theory are hardly practical however, they
almost always call attention to some weak
ness in the rules or In the management of
shows and the council is undoubtedly use
full. A Mr.. Walbrook is much exercised
over judges, their method Of appointment
and their position as amateurs, or pro-
essionals. He had the council adopt
resolution asking the Kennel Club to ap-
point judges where the club offered cham
pionships,- but the Kennel Club would have
none of that. saying that 1t would In
way interfere with show-giying clubs max
ing their own selections. 1t was one of
the quixotic rules or suggestions that the
council is apt to make. Mr.. Walbrook,
nothing daunted has come to the front
again. and this time with resolution
which the council adopted unanimously to
the effect tho any judge accepting more
than out-of-pocket expenses should be
classed as professional. and as such
should be licensed by the Kennel Club. In
his speech advocating the resolution, Mr..
Walbrook said: Judges. as We all know,
consist, broadly speaking, of two classes.
amateur and professional. and the differ
ence, 1t seems to me. in many cases, ID
that the amateur gets twice as much as
the professional for doing half the work.
The scope of the resolution Is that when
a person who did not have Kennel Club
license asked and consents to judge. the
committee of the show will know within
reasonable amount about what the
pense would be. railway fare and hotel be-
ing all the judge could charge in place of
sending In a bill for from seven to ten
guineas, as many of the so-called amateurs
do in England.
There is a rule in force here that not
even expenses can be taken by a person
who poses as an amateur. but that is an
absurdity. and the only thing the rule en-
courages is the growth of men who have
bought dog and Immediately want
to pose judge The story is told that
a Pittsburg show invited full-blooded
amateur judge to act, and with him some
three who were paid for their services.
By the time the club got through paying
the bills of the amateur he had been more
costly than the rest of the judges. The
English councils suggestion is not a bad
one, viewed in the light in which the pro-
poser placed 1t. but what should be tacHed
onto II Is that no amateur. or no unlicensed
judge should act an all-rounder. Let
these amateurs confine themselves to the
one or two breeds they have a right to
judge in by their knowledge of these breeds
and restrict them from guessing where
they have no knowledge.
Another proposition that came before the
council and was adopted was to the effect
that in competitions for such specials as
best dog in the show there should be no
going behind the awards made by the breed
judges, but that every dog coming in for
such a special should be an unbeaten dog.
This rule IL adopted by the Kennel Cluv.
would be in direct opposition to the ruling
which 1t quite recently made that a dog
beaten In his class and which was later on
awarded by another judge the special for
the best dog In the show was entitled to
that award.
There are two sides to this question. 1t
does look like slap at the breed judge
for another person to reverse his decisions.
but that is of frequent occurrence at shows
where there are variety classes, such
for best open class dog. or limit. or novice
class. Two dogs may come In under an
other Judge from the breed Judge and have
their positions changed. and no one thinks
it any reflection upon the breed judge any
more than 1t is a reflection upon the va
riety class judge that the breed judge put
the dogs the other way. Carrying the pro-
posed rule out to It's logical conclusion we
will suppose that there are four judges
and an all-rounder for the unclassified spe-
cials or those not awarded by the breed
x..I