door Karl DonvilMouscron 2010, an unbelievable score!
It looks like the success of the show of Mouscron is not to be stopped! While last year was already a success there is no explanation why this year again about 100 more dogs are entered, 1772 in total. Liège had 1774 entries and it will depend on the number of entries for Liège this year if Mouscron becomes the biggest show of Wallony.
Notwithstanding this, the overall impression was much more relaxed compared to last year. The weather was really bad during the weekend with unpredicted snow and traffic problems. And it was really cold outside? I had no idea about how much dogs were absent due to the weather. But Sunday had much more dogs compared to Saturday and the roads were much better and even then inside the halls it was relatively quiet. The reason why usually there are more dogs on Sunday is because the parking’s of the neighboring Supermarkets could be used. The major is a fan of this popular dog show in his town and ordered the police to be tolerant with regard to parking in the streets. Only cars that block houses get a ticket or are pulled away.
I went around the halls on Sunday morning, the busiest day to have a critical look on the capacity of the halls. The exhibitors were almost all in the main hall around the rings, preparing the dogs. With all their tables and seats around passing gets difficult at some places and in case of emergencies could cause serious problems. The hall with the cages was almost empty. With some more discipline the halls can have probably 1100 dogs to 1200 dogs a day. That means up to 2400 for the weekend. But in that case it is absolutely necessary to keep the handlers in the cage halls until they can enter their rings to be judged. If a general steward would call the dogs into the different rings via microphone or perhaps via a scoreboard it could be a solution. Or there could be a strict time schedule. But of course it all depends on the discipline of the exhibitors.
17 Judges were invited, representing 7 nationalities. 8 Judges were Belgians. Most of them were very busy . I will mention them who had over 60 dogs on one day. On Saturday Mr.Sean Delmar, president of the Irish Kennel Club, was invited to judge 81 Terriers. His wife Cathy Delmar, also judged Terriers and had 72. Mr.Oliveira from Portugal had 76 Terriers too, 58 of them were American Staffordshire Terriers. Mr.Dupas from France had 64 dogs to judge, mainly Schnauzers and Mr.Van Hummelen (B) had St.Bernards, Newfoundlanders and Leonbergers, 68 all together. Mr.Verschueren (B) had the Dachshunds and Great Danes, good for 73 dogs in his ring. On Sunday Mrs.Cathy Delmar had 63 dogs, all Companion breeds. Mr.Deschuymere (B) could concentrate on shepherds and had a high score of 90 dogs. Mr.Dupas had again a busy day with 71 dogs to judge, all the Poodles varieties plus the Lhasas, Barzois and the Deerhounds. Mr.Cristian Stefanescu from Roumania had 59 dogs on Saturday including 44 Bulldogs. With another 91 dogs on Sunday, all companion breeds, he ended with the second highest score of the weekend. Mr.Van Hoenacker came very close as he had 57 dogs on Saturday and also 91 on Sunday . He could focus on shepherd breeds. Absolute winner this weekend was Mr.Seymour from as far as Australia. On Saturday he had only 39, but with no less than 132 dogs to judge on Sunday he was day- and weekend record holder. Mr.Czaba Zsolt Lodoki, also from Roumania, also had a busy day as 76 dogs, all out of the Spitz and Primitive breeds, were on term to be judged by him. Mr.J.Decuyper (B) had 60 dogs on Sunday, including a remarkable score of 47 Golden Retrievers, a breed he bred himself and that he knows well.
Mr.Sean Delmar, President of the Irish Kennel Club, was offered the honor to pick out the Best In Show dog. All Group winners were asked to come back and compete on Sunday for the title. Only one dog was placed. As there were several beautiful dogs, picking out only one, is not easy. There is no excuse for the “almost-as-good-as-the-BIS” dogs. The advantage is that all the others can be regarded as ex-aequo to each other . Mr.Delmar took his time to examine each dog carefully and then, suddenly without hesitation, he picked out the American Akita “Ch.Beaufleet’s Dodging Dagger at Melodor” better known in Akita circles as “Dodger”, as his ultimate winner. Dodger is a 6 year old male, an UK/Irish top dog, bred in the UK by Beaumont of the Beaufleet’s Kennel and owned by Chris McLean from Scotland and Nancy Daponte from Belgium. He is now touring in Europe after his many successes and championship in the UK and Ireland. Mr.Delmar must have recognized him, although handled by the Belgian Breeder. But Dodger is not just a American Akita, he is a Champion and behaves like one and that is a quality a good dog must have, catching the eye of the judge. Dodger was judged and made BOB and later BOG by judge Lokodi from Roumania.
Mouscron was splendid this year in many ways. Let us see what brings next edition. More dogs again? It is possible with a little more discipline from the exhibitors. I look forward already for the 2011 show that will happen on 30-31 of January. Be there, it is the coziest hall of Belgium, friendly people and you will feel at ease, I promise!
