Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-15
DECLARES
ROVER is
BEST DOG
EXPERT UPH0LDS DECISION
OF JUDGE
CORRESPONDENT MAKES BLUM
DER IN CIR. rIcIsM
Man of Wide Experience Unable to
Understand unsportsmanlike At
titude of Owners of Beaten
Animals at Show
by GEORGE b. KIRKpArRIcK


During the fifth annual dog show,
held under the auspices of the South
western Kennel club last month, much
unsportsmanlike criticism was heard
around the English setter benches by
several disgruntled exhibitors of this
breed.
The criticism and knocking" were
occasloned by the award of prizes to the
English setter Rover" entered by
c. j. Morrison. This dog was awarded
first in the limit class, the first in
winners class and received the special
cup for best setter in the show.
"Rover" was entered according to
the American Kennel club rules. Mr..
Morrison, the owner, at the time of
entry did not have "Rover's" pedigree
at hand and stated particulars un-
known"
Several exhibitors. who openly mani
tested their i'll feeling while in con-
versation with English setter enthu-
siasts. who are always to be found
around the settlers at any bench show,
asked on several occasions: what
good does ii do the breed to enter pedi-
greed dogs at a show and exhibit
against a dog without a pedigree and
be beaten?"
One exhibitor said: "The club should
not allow judge to place an unpedi-
greed dog over our, dogs, who have
pedigrees yard long"
Two exhibitors were heard to say
they would never come to Los Angeles
with dogs again.
1t was thought by many who heard
the unsportsmanlike criticisms thar
the disgruntled exhibitors would soon
forget their defeat, but subsequent
events. seem to indicate that their
chagrin found a responsive chord in a
certain special correspondent to lead
ing kennel magazine. published in San
Francisco. This gentleman, by his
criticism of the dog Rover. also places
the southwestern Kennel clubs Off
cials in a bad light by stating that
Judge Arthur Bennett of Oakland was
considered by the setter exhibitors as
n joke. The Southwestern Kennel
club certainly considered Mr.. Bennett
competent to judge the breeds assigned
him else he would not have been em-
ployed, for the club can Ill afford to
take chances with an Incompetent
judge.
Judges on Form
1 am of the opinion that some of the
exhibitors of English settlers at the last
show are woefully ignorant of the
American Kennel club rules, under
which they showed their dogs. The A.
X. c. rules allow dog to be entered
without a pedigree If he be of an es-
tablished and recognized breed. After
the dog has won a certain number of
firsts the A. X. c. stud books are open
TO him for registration.
The dogs pedigree does not 'enter
into the judging, and judge at
bench show has no time to look up
pedigrees in order to make his awards.
He bases his opinions on the dog be-
fore him.
Rover was entered with the notation
Particulars unknown" Perhaps these
words were ill chosen. Pedigree not
available" would sound better.
Any competent setter judge who Is
familiar with the standards of the
English Setter Club of America and the
new English Setter club New York;
would have instantly picked out Rover
in the ring as being an excellent speci-
men of the English setter.
The story printed in the northern
magazine does an injustice to the
Southwestern Kennel club by its criti-
cism of Judge Bennett
In the special correspondents story
he says:
Mr. Benefits judging was taken in
some breeds as a joke by the exhib-
itors. How he got this dog
Rover on top nobody seems to know.
He (Bennett) claimed he was looking
for short coupled dog, but Rover was
the longest setter in the show He also
said Bean was too fat, but Rover was
fatter."
"English setters-Seventeen in num-
ber--were nice, even lot with the ex-
ception of Rover, which won out for
best English setter in the show over
Mallwyd Beau and Champion Sue
Gladstone.
Mr. Bennett did not judge type here,
but looked for a work dog. Either
Beau or Sue can beat Rover about for
ty points. He is bad in head, coat.
color, shoulders and bit too long in
body.
Closely Analyses Rover's Points
"Mallwyd Beau should have gone
over him, as he is we'll marked, has a
better coat, better head, shoulders, bet
ter spring of ribs"
If~"Special Correspondent" when he
was making hi. notes, saw Rover, his
knowledge of setter character is indeed
small.
The accompanying photograph of
Rover, taken the day after the show,
will give a fair idea of the dogs con-
formation.
Rover has an excellent head, well de-
fined stop. good skull, showing plenty
of brain room, his muzzle moderately
deep and square and has intelligent
eyes, full IF expression. ears set low
and cling to cheek; neck is of good
length, clean-cut and set we'll in the
shoulders. His body is of moderate
length, shoulders fairly we'll set back,
well sprung in the rib, is trifie high !
el at shoulders than at hips, strong.
short loin. well bent stifle, good feet.
stern carried straight, feathered nicely.
Coat exceptionally good. fiat and full
OF gloss. Marking very good, but on
the dark order. (color and markings
only count five points,. This dog Is
symmetrical, does not show any par
ticular coarseness or clumsiness in any
form and has lots of setter character.
He has a few faults, but not glaring,
and, in my opinion, the best English
setter in the show.
To be sure higher colored dog is
more pleasing TO the eye, but color and