news - 21/03/2008
ReMARKable Show - Israel
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by Yossi Guy
On 22 March 2008, Mark Wibier (Germany) made his judging debut in Israel. He judged Rough Collies and Old English Sheepdogs on an extremely hot day. Although everybody else was suffering from the heat, the new judge seemed to be enjoying himself and the exhibitors were quite happy.
Mark Wibier’s relations with the Israeli dog scene go back several years, when he came with his wife Roosmarie to dog shows, after making the acquaintance of the writer of this article. In his many trips to Israel, Mark has taught dog behavior classes at Wingate College and many of his former students are currently successful dog trainers in Israel.
As a breeder and trainer, Mark has made a name for himself among Old English Sheepdog lovers on both sides of the Atlantic. It was quite natural for the Israeli Herding Dog Club to invite Mark to judge their show for his debut judging, even before he did so in Germany.
In token of their respect for Mark, Israeli Collie and Old English Sheepdog owners mustered force and got a larger than usual entry for his first judging appointment. Over 20 Collies and 8 Old English Sheepdogs were included in the catalog. The usual entry in Collies in Israel is around 20, but if we see more than one Old English Sheepdog we are extremely pleased, so the above entry was particularly pleasing. It did take some doing, though. I had to plead, cajole and sweet talk the owners into entering their dogs and the judge had to make do with some dogs in coat condition that was far from optimal.
However, the show was characterized by the relaxed atmosphere prevalent at the Israeli Herding Dog Club shows. Although it was late March, the outdoor venue, a school on a Kibbutz in the center of Israel, was pleasant. The weather was quite hot, reaching 30 degrees Centigrade, and some of the exhibitors and dogs suffered from the burning sun.
Our intrepid judge, on the other hand, basked in the sun, although he was give permission to leave his jacket hanging on the back of his chair. He exhibited great patience and courtesy towards each and every handler, including a young 8 year old girl, Avigail, who was dragged along by her boisterous Bobtail.
The entry began with the Collies - only Rough this time although we sometimes have a few Smooth Collies too.
Says the judge:
”The Collies shown that day showed a diversity of breed types. I was very pleased that the leading breeders in Israel showed their dogs under me. In general, the Israeli Collies can compete very well in the breed ring in Western Europe. A couple of very promising youngsters were presented. Overall the quality in the bitches was higher than in the other sex. Especially in head types, the males have to improve. Some of them were lacking the required sweet expression. The winning male was from a bigger size with a nice head and expression, sound construction and movement. The BOB came from the champion bitches. She was a very appealing bitch, who caught my eyes as soon as she entered the ring. She has the desired sweet expression, the correct body proportion and sound movement.
“I would like to compliment the Israeli Collie exhibitors for showing their dogs in beautiful coat condition. I also compliment for the nice temperaments. Except of one male all dogs were steady and showed themselves off very nicely with self-confidence.
“Seven entries for Old English Sheepdogs doesn’t sound too much at all. Though, comparing to the lower average entry at other shows I was very happy to see them in the ring. Especially a junior bitch class of four entries gives hope for the near future. In general, the quality of the OES shown was very good. The CAC winning male was 8 years old but still in a physical top condition. He has a strong rear and a very good topline; two specific breed points often lacking in many dogs. Despite the heat that day he moved energetically. The CAC winning bitch showed lovely type and honest construction with a powerful, sound movement. The BOB came from the champion class. She is a typical, blooming bitch with a sound construction, a very good topline, harsh coat and a efficient movement till the end of the day and shown and groomed very well. She finished this show winning BIS over the Collie.”
After judging the Collie and OES specialty, Mark was invited to judge the junior handling “league” – a year-long competition that determines the Israeli representative to the international junior handling competitions at Cruft’s, World and European shows.
“After finishing the breed ring I was honored to judge the Junior Handling League,” says Mark. “15 Junior Handler in the age classes 8–12 and 13–17 years compete for points to qualify for the Junior Handling Finals at Cruft’s. The Junior Handling League is a very serious competition that demands a lot from the juniors. All of them are judged individually on about 20 aspects by a point scale. The final 4 handlers of the day had to show their talents in exercises that I improvised for them. I was really impressed by the professional handling of many of competitors. The more experienced handlers in both age classes are very talented, all the time in full interaction with the dogs and the judge. They were able to show off the best out of their dog and the swapped dog. They are a part of the bright future of Israeli dog handling.”
The junior handlers, too, enjoyed Mark’s judging and some even asked why he hadn’t been invited to judge them on his previous trips.
The show, by the way, took place on the Jewish festival of Purim. In this framework, the club held a costume competition for people and their dogs. There were several very original and creative entries, helping to create a wonderful atmosphere despite the harsh weather.
“I would like to thank the board of the Israeli Herding Dog Club for their kind invitation to judge Collies and Old English Sheepdogs at the show. Thanks to the experienced organization and the stewards this show ran smoothly.”
Mark’s BOB Collie was Ch. Hand to Hand Eretz HaZvi, bred and owned by Rami Herschman and handled by Hilit Carmel.
BOB Old English Sheepdog was Ch. Avril du Moulin du Pont, imported from France by Zili and Michel Granek.
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