by Theo KjellstromIt always amazes me when I get a phone call or fax from Europe -- especially Eastern Europe. Many years ago, perhaps 16 or 18, I received a phone call from Russia. The accent was heavy but understandable (I speak no Russian ). The question was “Would I come to Moscow to judge their Specialty of American Staffordshire Terriers?” “Of course”, I replied “When is it?” The answer set me back a little when she asked “When would you like it?”
So now comes another enigmatic phone call. This one from my dearest friend in all of Russia, Vikka Popova. She wants me to come to their September show in Moscow. How strange methought. I had just spent the whole of January judging throughout the country and why would they want me to come and judge again so soon. “No, Theo, not to judge. We would just like you to come and be our guest”.
That was even stranger still. “I will FedEx your air ticket and you can stay at my house”. I of course said yes. It took me a whole week of thinking about this situation.
. Finally it hit me. They are planning a birthday party for me as that would be the celebration of my eightieth year since that sadistic doctor whacked me across the butt in the delivery room and surgically altered my appearance without my permission. Ok, says I, I’ll go along with it if this makes them happy. I also hadn’t been out of the country for months and I was getting stir crazy.
Two young ladies met me at the airport. I remembered years ago when they were barely in their teens and competed in junior handling and begged anyone to allow them to take dogs into the conformation ring. Now they’re old enough to drive and one was recently married. Felt like old family times.
I was taken to Vikka’s home and did all the usual kissing and talking and presented gifts and American dog magazines. Oh yes. Had a vodka or two. The entire town, however, was much more somber than I remember. Vikka explained that this was the celebration of the 858th birthday of Moscow. Normally this is Mardi Gras time. It also celebrated the annual “DOG OF THE CITY”. But this was also the remembrance of the one year anniversary of the terrible day when the entire grade school was attacked by Cheznia Terrorists and the whole populace was in a state of CRAPE (MOURNING). There was to be no public gala gatherings or parties in deference to the lost children. Whether this continues each year I do not know.
At the show (the wonderful venue in which I had judged in January) I wandered around and checking out dogs that looked interesting. Vikka came running up and said that the judge Filipini from Argentina and one from Romania had phoned saying they were not coming. “Please take their assignments”, she pleaded. Luckily that included all of group 10 (sighthounds) plus eight or ten other breeds which I was sure I could muddle through.
Each year the quality of the dogs improves. Now it is to a point that at the annual Euro Shows and the World Shows the CACIB awards are more and more bestowed upon Russian dogs. Why? Mainly because of imports from other countries especially Scandinavia and the expertise of the Russians in breeding these imports. Plus these people exhibit. They somehow appear at all the shows in busloads at a time. It is nothing for these exhibiters to hire a bus or maybe two and load it with dogs and people and find a hotel to house the entourage and drive each day to the shows. Mark my words, the Russia dog show people will take no longer that another five years and be a threat to all the championships at all the Euro-Asian show biggies.
On Saturday I was honored (and scared) to judge the specialty of the Dogo Canario. Formerly the Perro De Presa Canario. The name has been officially changed by the FCI because of unearned reputation of character and an unfortunate incident that happened in California involving cross-bred Canarios and a young lady living in the same condo and met her demise. All my entries were pussy-cats and I was able to place them in order of conformation without worrying about getting attacked. Named for the Canary Islands of Spain. We do periodically see specimens of this breed at some of the the ARBA Rare Breed Shows. The Canary Dog has been in the AKC Foundation Stock for the last ten years.
This breed is closely related to the Perro De Presa Mallorquin from the Spanish Island of Mallorca. Not as large and heavy as the Canary Dog but still of the same general conformation and of course was originally bred for dog fighting when it was still legal.
The greyhound entries were quite uniform, well trained and when the dust had settled I see that my best male was Int. Ch Cyrano’s Red Ryder bred by Dona Kelley from Illinois and picked up at my home when my house guests left for Russia. Many of the entries were offspring of Ryder’s and he certainly is putting his stamp on his “get”. Best of breed to another American import (sired by Red Ryder) and I placed her third in the group. I gave the group to a wonderful conformed Afghan and the Borzoi second. The Borzoi was a daughter of an Oaklara bitch (a gift to Marina Ovstrakaya from Pat Murphy). Out of coat but still has earned two CACIBs and a Russian championship.
By Sunday I was getting a little bored with so few dogs to judge but I did visit with many of the breeds that I don’t see too often. But then on Sunday when the groups were held (II had done group 10 on Saturday) I was asked to judge the Best in Show Veterans. I seem to always get to judge this group and it must be true that the oldest judge is asked to judge the veterans. At any rate I straightened my bow tie and walked out into the Ring of Honor. “Don’t start judging until I tell you”, my steward told me.
If they are going to sing Happy Birthday to me I’ll “toss my cookies” I told myself. But no. Alexandr Inshakov, president of the RKF, walked into the ring with Vikka Popova, Chief of the Show Committee carrying a huge bouquet of flowers. Then my steward read a proclamation in Russian and from the little I speak Russian I knew they were not talking about my birthday. They were presenting me with the GOLDEN PIN AWARD for my fifteen years or so judging, giving seminars and writing about Russia in general. Everyone clapped, or I think they did but this whole thing caught me unawares. Normally I don’t fluster easily and I usually can think of something clever to say -- but not this time.
Best Veteran in Show was quite easy to judge quality-wise. First the standard Poodle, second to a beautiful Terveuren (with a suspect color) and third a nice black mini Poodle.
That evening we were all taken to a famous restaurant -- the entire venue (menu, ambiance and stage show was Georgian). The main act was a story about two men and a lady and the romantic dancing of the three. It was quite sexual actually and it ended in a sword fight between the two suitors with the winner carrying the lady off stage in his arms. All the costumes were traditional Georgian.
As usual, I stayed a few more days to do some kennel hopping and to help judge an American Staffordshire match sponsored by Pedigree Dog Food. This organization rents a venue and provides ribbons, prizes etc. and invites anyone to enter at no fee. Many of the entries were handled by children but it was surprising that the quality was superb. A barbeque followed with choices of chicken, beef or pork and all the beer you wanted.
The next morning I was taken to the kennel of Tatiana (about as common a Russian name as Mary in USA) Yagolkina. She specializes in the Caucasian and Middle Asian Ovtcharkas. Her kennel is quite typical. Built in a huge square with the kennels on the outer perimeter with access to the outside. Normally one male and two bitches in each pen. Each pen then has access to another door which opens up into the huge spacious exercise area in the middle of the square. One by one the dogs were let out into this area to romp and allow us to examine them. One of the Middle Asians we saw was the breed winner at the show (also World Champion). He was the biggest specimen of this breed I have ever seen. Wonderful temperament but larger than a St. Bernard.
Back to Vikka’s for a snack and vodka and to help unpack all the paraphernalia from the show. A little nap in the sun and a sprucing up and then don a clean T-shirt to attend a dinner invitation from Eugene (Genia) Yerusalimsky and wife and see their dogs. Genia is past president of the RKF and almost single handedly organized the club. He computerized all the records and set up all the controls. He had for years tried to get the AKC to accept the Russian studbook and due to his work the RKF was eventually fully accredited with the AKC.
I knew he was a retired opera singer so of course I asked him if he would give us a little concert. So we were taken into a huge room or salon furnished with only chairs and a settee or two plus a wonderful concert grand piano. With “full lid” he began to play various etudes by the masters and even attempted a movement from Rachmaninoff’s 3rd concerto fondly referred to as “Rock Three). Known to be one of the most technically difficult to play even top pianists rarely attempt it. Genia apologized for his ineptness but -- hey, my hands can no longer even span an octave.
Dinner other than ground beef patties included about four or five “sides”. Apparently this is the rule at Russian dinners, Sometimes they even include baked fish along with the meat. After the salad (last course) we checked out the dogs which included five or six breeds and the dilute Shar Pei to which I had given breed to when I judged in Moscow in January.
Then back to Vikka’s and start packing for home. I had one more kennel visit tomorrow but I know it would be late and I must make an early flight the following day.
The dinner invitation was from the famous Black Russian Terrier kennel, Malahovka. I had visited them a few years ago so it was nice to see some of their new champions and interview Mr. Rafailov and have his wife Elena show us the dogs. All the dogs are house dogs and one or two at a time were brought into the living room. Then she brought out a puppy about nine or ten months old. I didn’t want to say anything -- so I didn’t. Both husband and wife were looking at me in a funny way because they knew I was puzzled. Well, this lovely conformed pup was a black and tan. It was about the 3rd or 4th one that they knew of. Not only that but periodically there will be BRTs appear in blue and also he has heard of sables although he had never seen one.
The meeting of the national BRT club was coming up soon and they expect to change the standard height for males to be raised about 2 inches. The bitches will remain the same. I asked “Why?” and his answer was that the males are getting too small and they need the studs to be bigger to increase the size of the breed as a whole. To me the size as we have now is perfect. I never regarded the BRT as a giant breed. However, the country of origin is Russia and they certainly should dictate the standard and the AKC should also abide by that.
He also mentioned that the situation of color will be brought up and there is a possibility that the Black and Tan and the Blue will be considered as acceptable. (What will they call the breed then? The Blue Russian Terrier?) I had asked Yerusalimsky about these aberrant colors and since the BRT is less that 100 years old and a mixture of at least six breeds he said these colors certainly can be attributed to some of these component breeds. He has seen at least 3 blue BRTs.
Someone told me that as the story goes -- the Bouvier was used in the making of the BRT. I had never heard that so I contacted the Red Star Kennel from which the BRT evolved. The man I talked to said “NEVER”. The Bouvier had nothing to offer them in the formation of the BRT. I wanted to visit the Red Star Kennel but had no time. However, I was told that visiting the kennel now would only be for historic reasons as there is no new test breeding going on now.
After a wonderful dinner which I was told was stuffed ground lamb and so many side dishes that were passed around homestyle-like we groaned. We politely accepted their new revised video and a thousand thanks for their hospitality. Hopefully I will see Elena and her dogs in Helsinki for the Euro Show in June and at the Worlds in Poznan, Poland in November.
So hugs all around and Vikka’s daughter and son-in-law drove me to the airport and stayed with me until I was safely through customs without any hassle.
