door Karl DonvilBrabo Dog Show 2010, the UK flirt.
This Brabo Dog Show is certainly a remarkable one. While last edition was already one of the best in many years, this one is beating that record with more than 10%. It was a long time ago since the Brabo dog show had 1777 dogs, 150 more than last year! The good news from last year with regard to the old parking problems that were solved ( a new large parking was created just behind the halls) will certainly have played a major part in this success, but I also think that it is a result of the hard work of the committee to rebuild the former reputation of this show.
This shows certainly in the catalogue that can be called an example for many other shows. It is a very complete one with statistics per day, a legend of the groups with reference to the page where they can be found, etc… a lot of small details that make a lot of difference. The main ring is still in the centre of the main hall with stands around and the buffet and restaurant aside. The tables for the judge are now only on one side and the podium is much more simple, no longer stuffed with trophies, sacs or bottle of food, flowers in glittering paper etc. No simple and clean. Even the spotlights on the winners is gone. It was probably one an expensive gadget. Now the focus was on the overall light in the main ring and for sure it was just excellent and bright. It looks very much like the main ring in Luxemburg now. On the second day an extra exit from the main ring was created on the right side of the podium and this was very convenient as the dogs could leave the ring while the next group could already come in without interfering with each other, simple and clever, although not possible in every hall.
There were dogs from no less than 17 different countries. The majority were Belgians of course, 1005, and because The Netherlands are close there were 468 entries from there. Germany had 119 dogs and France 117 present and then came the United Kingdom with 21 dogs! The rest were one or two representatives from countries as far as Lithuania, Russia, Norway, Romania, Hungary etc. The panel of judges was composed of 8 nationalities, 17 were Belgian judges. Funny enough not a single judge had over 60 dogs to judge on Saturday because there were only 677 entries for groups 1,3, 7, 8 and 10. As the remaining 1100 entries were all on Sunday it was a different situation than. The highest core was for Mr. Dickmann from Germany who had 94 dogs to judge, all companion breeds. He judged on Sunday only. Mr.Piotr Kroll from Poland, regular guest in Belgium, had also a nice entry with 84 Pinchers and Schnauzers, all varieties. Mrs. Kazlautskaité from Lithuania came very close with 79 entries, thanks to the 32 Rhodesians and 30 Pugs. Mrs.Vermeire from Belgium had 66 dogs consisting of 35 Newfoundlanders and 31 Great Danes. Mr.August Dewilde had 64 dogs in his ring. As one of our allround judges he judged many different breeds. Mr.Hastings from Ireland had no less than 40 Bulldogs on Sunday and a total of 57 dogs and Mrs.Nekrosiene from Lithuania had another succesfull breed, the French Bulldogs. From here 55 entries on Sunday, 48 were French Bulldogs. Mr Jean-François Vanaken judged all the varieties and colors of the Poodles and had 52 in total, and Mrs.Van Brempt had 40 Leonbergers, a breed that comes more and more in the spotlights. On Saturday there was only one breed with a very high score, the popular American Staffordshire Terriers. 52 Specimen showed up for Mr.Piet Roosenboom.
It was Mrs.Monique Van Brempt who was chosen to pick out the Best In Show. By tradition, this honor is only granted to a Belgian judge on this show. She was supposed to place all 10 dogs (the 5 winners of Sunday had to come back). I wish that this custom could end and be replaced by a placement of the 3 winners so that all the rest could end on the 4th place ex-aequo. Winning your group and ending the show with a number 10 in front of you is creating mixed feelings. There are very elegant solutions like in Scandinavia and Luxemburg by letting in again only the number 3, two and finally 1. It keeps the tension high for all. Being put on the 10th place is more or less humiliating as by definition the ugliest dog out of the 10 in the ring, at least that is how the public sees it, and this cannot be compensated by an impressive cup or price. This counts for other Belgian shows too, but perhaps Brabo can give it a start next year.
Mrs. Van Brempt picked out the Afgan Hound “Rashid Ebn Hugo Von Haussman at Myhalston” as her 3th BIS. Rashid is a UK dog born in 2006, bred by Podesta Ramon and owned by Greechan Owen. This dog was shown on Saturday and I was surprised that he was laying down on the podium for the photo’s. I suppose he was not at ease on the high podium. Rashid was judged by Mr.Dehaes in Champions class on Saturday morning and made group winner later that day by the very same judge. Mrs.Van Brempt is a big fan of the famous Grey Classic Weimaraners. She made several dogs of Mr. Lenaerst Best In Show in the past , but not this time. “Nobiscrug Playing Allegro” became Reserve Best In Show. Nobiscrug is born in 2005 and a champion already. It was Mrs.Van Brempt too who judged the breed on Saturday morning and the group later that day. Best In Show went to the Chinese Crested Powderpuff “Chmiel Argoel Next Germanika”. This very nice dog, 15 months old, is owned by the famous Lisa Crofft-Elliott from the United Kingdom. Lisa moved from the USA to the UK to become the British Kennel Clubs photographer. She showed all her dogs with success on this show. Not only her Chinese Crested, who won the group already in Luxemburg, but also her Toy Poodle and her Welsh Corgi Cardigan won the ticket. Simon, how he is called, was entered in Champions Class under Mr.Dickmann. Mrs. Degryze not only made him Best of Group, but placed her Toy Poodle on the 3rd place of the podium. Amazing, 21 dogs from the UK were entered and 4 of them were placed in the group, two ended on the BIS podium, and who knows what the Corgi would have done if he would have been in time in the main ring. Lisa will certainly come back to Belgium, she told me later, not only for the shows but she became fond of our Belgian Frites too! I wonder how many British will follow in her footsteps and come to the Brabo Dog Show next year on 16 and 17 of April.
