The New York herald., 1921-02-20
CHANGE IS NEEDED
IN AWARD AT DOG
SHOW EXHIBITIONS
Only Entries Winning Best
of Their Breed Should
Qualify.
FOR ALL BREED PRIZE
Adaptability and General In
stinctiveness of Cocker Span
iel Arouses Interest.
FOR ALL BREED PRIZE
BY FRANK +. DOLE.


The history Of sport has demonstrated
clearly that all big fixtures have been
improved in the managerial line as they
20 along. and in the majority of cases
the suggestions for improvement have
come from mistakes OF the past. As a
general rule those at the head of big
events take note of the shortcomings
and take the proper steps for the remedy
ere the event shows in sight for the
next time.
The recent exhibit OF the westmin-
ster Kennel Club at Madison Square
Garden furnished a spectacle which in
my opinion needs some reformation, and
which should come in for the attention
OF the Board of Governors or the Dog
SHOW Committee before the season of
1922. / allude to the method of judg-
ing the best Of all breeds and the in
consistent proceeding of seeing dogs pa
rading around on the sawdust which had
TO earthly right or license TO try for
the title.
For instance. there were Ave shep-
herd dogs in the ring and nobody could
for moment tell why they were there
It is true that Joselle's Dolf Won Dus-
ternbrook. owned by Mr.. Joe Widener
OF Philadelphia. had every right there,
as he won the best Of his breed in the
show. but 1t needs an explanation from
II Q Dog Show Committee as to what
brought in the other contenders. Much
the same condition applied to other
breeds. and especially to some OF the
cracks which took fliers in the unclassi-
fed specials. For instance, Midkiff Se-
ductive. the rare little cocker spaniel
Ditch which won the best OF all breeds.
bav- -
and then beat the best of the opposite
rex. thereby establishing her unaues-
t'oned right to enter the final tilt for
the highest honors of the show
On account of being exhibited in the
ring there is no doubt that the little
dog was tagged out, yet she was asked
10 compete against Phantom Of Ash
croft. Peke that had been tuning for
the event for three years and which a
short time previously had been given
only a sort Of preliminary canter in one
of the unclassified specials The Peke
was as clipper as II he had been taken
out for his morning constitutional.
Had the Yankibourne candidate been
put through the same gruelling as the
cocker his tail may have hung a little
lower and he may not have shown so
well.
In Interest OF Fair Play.
What I would suggest. and II is In
the interest Of fair play to all genuine
exhibitors. is that only dogs which have
Won the best in their respective breeds
should be allowed TO show for the best
in the show. Unclassified specials and
other events should not count with dogs
whose owners have only an eye % the
big Item of the show. A short glance
AT other high class sports will show how
ridiculous II is for an exhibitor to think
he has right 10 make n bid for the
highest prize without properly qualify
ing for IL. In lawn tennis and golf
the champion has to play through as
we'll as the least meritorious competitor.
and in racquets, court tennis and
squash II Is the same. In the horse show
the champions OF this year cannot go
in for next years championship on the
strength of this years showing. Neither
can the athlete in the track and field
sports go into the final OF the sprints
without qualifying in the trial heats
and semi-finals. and 1t is the same rule
down the line. Why then should not
the same rule apply to the dog show
Make the dog earn his right to qualify
for the final and there will be no fur
their criticism. 1t will be fair deal
for all.
Since the cocker spaniel won the orize
for the best or all breeds ut Madison
square Garden I have been asked all
manner OF questions about the adaptable
ity and general instinctiveness OF this
class OF dog. To answer all the ques-
tions and 70 enumerate all the best
qualities or the different varieties OF
spaniels would fill good sized book for
there are nearly as many varieties of the
dog as there are shres in England
Only four different breeds were exhibited
at the Garden and they we're the sport
ing spaniels. Clumbcr. Irish water span
ieis and the modern cocker. to which
class MidkiG Seductive. a parti-colored
specimen belonged. out of doors the
cocker Is the maid OF all work for a
shooter and the little dog may be trained
70 do anything that a pointer or re-
triever will do, while he is ten times
handler and easier handled and
altogether a more desirable companion
to the man afeld
Opinion Contra dictcd.
The Pathe educational films have been
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