Since this year the Brussels Dog Show is held again in December and this has a positive effect on the number of entries. In my report of last year I was hoping to reach 3000, but it was far over it, 3245. Compared to the number of last year 2649 it is an increase of 23%, and this is in full crisis!!!
The first ever dog show in the world was held in Tervuren on 28 mai 1847 with an entry of 60 pointers. 113 Editions later dogs are entered from 20 different countries. It is indeed again a show Belgium can be proud of and the new style has had its effect. Not only is the main ring again a real pleasure to see, nicely decorated for Christmas, but there was also Father Christmas going around offering sweets for the kids and for the dogs. But the best idea was to offer a breakfast to all exhibitors, a real original and most appreciated idea. That is something that people will remind and talk about and that is all a good show needs, not to become forgotten. This will certainly be discussed in Greece (3 entries), Canada (1), Ireland (8), Russia (21), Spain (6), Ukraine (3) and maybe this idea will be copied one day for Crufts as it was appreciated by the 19 UK exhibitors. If Brussels goes on this way, it will become certainly one of the shows not to be skipped if you take yourself serious as an exhibitor. There were many trade stands, 24 Clubstands, large rings and lots of things to do in the main ring. It starts looking like the Eurodogshow, a total spectacle, with demonstrations of Mushing, Obedience, Flyball, Hunting, Dog Dancing, Cani-Cross and Bike-Joring and Police dogs at work. Here in Brussels it are all demonstrations while Kortrijk has many competitions in these disciplines. A compliment too for the very nice and complete catalogue with all information necessary, including statistics.
The main part of this all will remain the Dog Show itself. In order to bring a show of this size to a good end, you need a good crew and a lot of judges. With regard to the crew I think that the committees realize now the importance of a glamorous national show that puts our country on the Cynological World Map. Less than 3 years ago there was lack of team spirit and negative tension, but this changed and the results are there. With regard to the judges one thing attracts the attention, many names we are less familiar with in our areas. There were only 8 Belgian judges out the 35 invited with 17 nationalities. This can also have contributed to the increased success of the show. A good CACIB show must stimulate the curiosity of the exhibitor and give him the impression that he has a fair chance to win. Foreign judges are often the best ambassadors for a show as they like to talk about their experiences in their homeland and many exhibitors tend to follow them to foreign places. Almost all the judges had good entries, that is why I will only discuss those with over 70 entries in a day. Mr.Robert Kanas was invited from Slovakia and had 75 Terriers on Saturday. Mr.Jacques Le Magnan from France was the day record holder of the show. On Saturday he had only 62 dogs, all Molossoids , ut on Sunday he had more than double with 131entries, most of them Shepherds including 24 White Swiss Shepherds and a few sighthound breeds. Mr.Seamus Oates from Ireland judged the Bullmastiffs (21), Mastiffs (24)and Do-Khyi’s (14) on Saturday. On Sunday he also had but 3 breeds, 9 Schipperke, 19 Lhasa Apso’s and no less than 46 Shih-Tzu’s. Mr.L.Gorjao Henriques from Portugal judged Terriers on Saturday and had 81, on Sunday he was occupied whit only 4 breeds of group 5, 82 dogs all together including an amazing number of 45 Siberian Huskies. Mrs.Rita Kadika-Skadina was invited from Letland and proved to be very popular, especially on Saturday when he had to judge all the Spaniel Breeds and other waterdogs, no less than 127 in total. And with 78 dogs on Sunday (scenthounds), 50 of them being Rhodesian Ridgebacks, she became the overall show record holder with 205 dogs . The Best In Show dog was her choice. Mr.V.Van Raamsdonck from Holland judged the 55 Newfoundlanders on Saturday and had no less than 87 French Bulldogs in his ring on Sunday. Mr.Robert Blümel from Austria did the Dobermanns and Great Danes on Saturday and had 58 in total. On Sunday he was more busy when he judged all the Chihuahuas, 80 in total. Our Belgian judge Mr.Jean Francois Vanaken had 20 Yorkshries on Saturday but 84 Poodles. Remarkable as he judges them regularly in Belgium and Luxemburg and still proves to be very popular and attracts lots of dogs in this breed. Mrs.Peggy Hauck from the United States was a good investment for the show. She was invited for the Bulldogs on Saturday and was very busy with her 82 specimen. On Sunday she judges not only the 14 Boston Terriers, but also all the Pugs, as many as 72. Mr.Istvan Csik from Hungary helped to judge the Terriërs. He took 75 for his account. Mrs.M.Godefroy crossed the channel to judge the 77 Golden Retrievers that were reserved for her on Saturday. Mrs.M.Verrees-Vanhoof from Belgium did the Labradors and ended up with 70. Mrs.Liz Dunhill had 39 Shar Pei, Mrs.J.M.C.Janssen-Van Londen had 48 Staffordshire Bulls while Mr.Ortlieb Lothary from Germany had 63 Amstaffs. These 4 judges were invited for only one breed and on Saturday. On Sunday Mrs.Ruth Wagner from Luxemburg had a nice entry of 73 dogs, 45 of them Border Collies and Mrs.L.Mouchart-Kleingeld who judged the Australian shepherd breeds. She had 62 in total and a very nice entry of 56 Aussies. Both these judges only judged on Sunday.
It was Mrs.Liliane De Ridder-Onghena’s honor to judge BIS. She is allrounder and judges very frequently abroad. All groupwinners were placed but only 9 turned up. The Dachshund didn’t come back. On the 3rd place we found the Afgan Hound “Capucine du Menuel Galopin” from Robin Martial from France. He won the breed under Mr.Rudy Brandt from Denmark from 38 competitors and was made groupwinner by Mr.Heinesche from Luxemburg. Capucine was entered in Champion Class bitches, is 2 years old and bred by Mr.Martial himself.
On the second place a dog that was judged by Mr.L.Gorjao Henriques and made groupwinner by Mr. Blümel from Austria, the Siberian Husky “Tundrafoot’s Bern Baby Bern”. The dog was bred by Paul Knight and is owned by Mrs.Daponte Nancy from Belgium. The dog was entered in Champion class too and is 3 years now. As mentioned before the winning dog was one judged by Mrs.Rita Kadika-Skadina. She also judged the group. It was the American Cocker Spaniel “Very Vigie Century Fox” from Doucet Joelle and born as a male two years ago in the famous kennel of Mr.Laurent Pichard of France. The dog was entered in Champion Class too and can add a BIS title to his palmares and not just a BIS title, no… BIS of the Brussels Dog Show, since recently one of the “TOP SHOWS” in Europe.
Be sure to enter your dog in time for next year as I am very confident now that it will become more and more difficult to win your breed here, let stand your group or BIS in the future as more famous dogs will be entered from all over Europe and even the world to win the Brussels Winner.
Next rendez-vous at the Heizel in Brussels on 18 and 19 december 2010.
