nieuws - 23/02/2008 GENT 2008 Flanders Dog Show 42 th edit. - België
door Karl DonvilGent 2008- Belgian bred UK dog wins BOB at Flanders Dog Show 2008
Every two years the Flanders Dog Show is held in Gent in Flanders Expo halls, certainly one of the biggest halls in Belgium. It can easily hold the 2070 dogs on one day and still has extra halls available. The Brussels Expo halls are perhaps bigger, but not as comfortable and modern and the palaces there are further apart. In Gent you enter the central hall and all the other halls are directly connected. Usually this Dog Show attracts a lot of visitors too.
Many exhibitors know about this show as being organized every two years and happening on Sunday only. This is a good thing for the public as they can see all the breeds in one day, no need to come back the second day to see the other half. The same applies to the main ring and the Best In Show. It offers a unique opportunity to see how a dog show works.
On the other hand, for the stand holders it is less good. Then only have one day to cover their expenses and making any profit. Some of the bigger ones, need extra help to serve all the clients, while this increases their expenses again and their chances to make profit. “It is the most honest show towards the public” the show President Mr.A. De Groote told me once, and I can hardly disagree.
One thing is for sure, more then on any other show, a good smoothly working team and show office is necessary. And as far as my memory goes, this has always been the case. That is perhaps one of the reasons why this show has a good reputation far over the Belgian borders. Compared to 2006 there was an increase of 83 dogs. Dogs came from 14 different countries, the majority (1259) from Belgium, 345 from Holland and France 301. A remarkable high score was made by the Czechs, who had 31 dogs in competition, compared to Germany, who had only 75 and is a neighboring country to Belgium. It is no longer a surprise that the British like try their luck over here and this time not without success!
Usually Gent has always some kind of specialty, a focus on breed groups. This year it was the case for the British Sheepdogs. Another specialty was for the Barzois, the Gustave Beernaerts Award, named after a pioneer, propagator and symbol for the breed. You can read much more about this man on http://www.kbwc.be/activiteiten/beernaerts/ and see photos of his tomb, ornamented with a very romantic Barzoi statue. By his contacts with the Russian nobles he was able to import stoc from the famous "Perchino" kennels and creating his own “du Zwaenhoek” kennel.
No wonder that a lot of judges need to be invited in order to bring this show to a good end. No less then 38 judges were invited, another thing that rizes the expenses.Mrs.Wenche Eikeseth from Norway had 95 dogs, 46 Amstaffs and 26 Staffordshires made up the majority. The very same number of entries applied to Mr. A.Hilverda from the Netherlands who judged Companion Dogs. The dogs entered for the specialty of the British Sheepdogs, 4 judges were invited. Mr.Dave Lambert from England had a nice entry of 49 Shelties, his only breed. Mr.S.W.Hall and Mr.Derek Smith, his compatriots, were given the other breeds with one exception, Mr.Ingrid Hectors from Belgium, who judges the Corgies. The Barzois were not very numerous, notwithstanding the special trophy to win here. I think one had expected much more entries as they were divided between two judges, Mr.Brixhe from Belgium and Mr.Pierre Renard from France, very unusual for a total entry of 29.
I was surprised by the relatively very high number of German Shepherds. As we hardly see 10 of then at a regular show over here, Mrs. Marion ten Cate from the Netherlands, managed to attract 29 specimen. Mrs. Nadja Klirova from the Czech Republic had only Poodles to judge, but could collect 62 specimen, all varieties and colors. Although Poodles are still very popular they are surpassed nowadays in Belgium by the Chihuahuas, the most wanted and popular breed in Flanders, as I read today in the newspapers. No wonder that Mrs.Caroline Roe from England had a good entry with 47. She also judges the Papillons who were represented by 21 specimen. Mr.M.E. Hathaway from England had 35 Labradors to judge, not bad at all compared to other shows. But as we all know that the Golden Retriever is more in love by the public, they were also here more numerous. Mr.Liam Moran came over from his homeland Ireland to judge here the 91 dogs together with 24 Flat Coated Retrievers and 1 Curly Coated. With his total score of 116 dogs he was beaten by the charming Mrs.Anne Marie Class from France who had a total entry of 117 dogs. Her passion for Mastiffs, Bull Mastiffs and related breeds made her a real expert. This was proved again as it was her winning Bordeaux Dog who was chosen Best In Show by Mr. M.van de Weyer from Holland, who had this honor. “Enferno van de Paterhoek” was bred by De Croo from Belgium and is now co-owned by Burmikkel Bart and NIK from the United Kingdom, which means that the British won the Flanders Trophy , the first British BIS in Belgium!
But Mr.Liam Moran’s opinion was also much appreciated as his Flat Coated Retriever went res. BIS, “Colona Ben Navis” is his name and he was bred by F.McKinlay and owned by Danny De Backer from Belgium. Third place went to the already 8 year old Siberian Husky “Ch.StarThat Travel’s Zanouk” a bitch, bred by L.Luxen-Hanquet and owned by Mrs.Gwenaëlle Guillaume from Belgium.
Although two years ahead, the next edition of this show is already scheduled on 28-02-2010.
What if you would all enter for this show and force the committee to have the show in two days? I don’t know what the committee would be more happy with? One thing is for sure, they can easily handle it!
Text and photos: Karl DONVIL
Results: www.dogshowonline.be , Karl DONVIL and committee
