This was our first trip to Kentucky (national specialties) USA. We had heard a lot about it, had planned it for years but always something came in between. We flew into Washington Dulles.
I had rented space wagon was waiting for us to visit Bunting kennels (Boarding, Grooming, and breeding) owned by Mrs. L. Bunting. She as a matter of fact is listed as one of the top ten breeders in the USA. They have imported three of our litter sired by Ch. EL Ubaid's Bellophor. It was a good four our drive from the airport up to her in Delaware. We had an almost nine our flight from Amsterdam and another four hours drive, we suffered of the time difference and tired of the tense flying and the drive to Delaware with our ch. El Ubaid's Dignity and puppy El Ubaid's Empress. It was nice to meet our Bellophor, who had travelled by himself to the USA to sire the Buntings up coming litter. Too Tired to sleep, too much to talk about and early in the morning we packed and left for Kentucky, another eleven hours drive.
The difference in the landscape from Delaware to Kentucky was from flat to mountain like, but than the temperature started to change, first we had sweaters on and had to change into short pants because the temperature went up in the southern parts to 40 degrees. The wideness of the landscape was simply breathtaking. I had preferred to rent a motorhome which was placed for us at the campground of the Kentucky Arabian Horse festival. This way we were told to be just in the middle of the happening. I was very surprised to see the many enormous luxurious motorhomes. Living rooms with most comfortable sofa's open modern kitchens with every thing in there, bath-rooms, bedrooms! Real houses! I was told that the prizes of these motorhomes could easily go up to 500.000 USA dollars. People had build little fencings around their motor homes for their dogs. The campground was so large that we had rented golf cars, driving from the one side to the other. A long the way overlooking hilly sides, passing the many Arabian horse farms, where one could see them running free on the private large properties or getting trained. Visiting the different campground shops, the Arabian horse museum where one can find many great sculpture works in the garden. At this time there was an exposition connected to it concerning Old China. The campground also offered a cool swimming pool where one could go and cool down from the enormous burning sun. Yes, indeed the Kentucky specialty had lots to offer apart from Salukis.
It is forbidden by the law in the USA to have your dog running free in any public ground, as dogs are not allowed in shops, stores, restaurants, busses, trains, taxis. in Kentucky the horse people will not take the chance of ones dog damaging their horses and will just shoot a free running dog down. It made it hard for me, since my dogs are a costume to run free and just listen when I call them. I start using the golf cars to train my dogs running next to the car on leach so they could still have their Dailey exercise. This surprised many breeders and we have been asked to be photographed doing this. Indeed it has been a good decision, renting the motorhome as now we could really be in it all. Have nightlong talks and drinks with many breeders, having marshmallows and fried chicken wings and food made by several breeders on the outdoors barbecue which was standard on each parking spot for motor-homes. People were very friendly and very interested in my breeding, many knew my site on the internet. There were interesting talks and friendships were made. We had arrived few days before the show started as many others, just to have the break of a holiday People just got together not in competition but just happy to see each other again! Once a year at Kentucky since they lived so far apart. Distances are enormous and a four or six hours drive is considered nothing in the USA!
Many were not so enthusiastic about the following show since they considered it to become a SMOOTH SHOW. Best of breed judge was Mrs. Joan van Aersdale, breeder of smooths/Chu-basco. Some had just come to meet on another, some travelled long distances with their dogs but had them not entered, some just came for the not official match left after that and some had entered to the show, not caring about the result and considered any way as just a matter of luck at such high entry. Even if this year the entry was very low, ONLY 487 were entered.
Staying at the campground gave me an impression of an item we o not know so much over here in Europe. The professional handlers arrived in their great motorhomes and had special cabins attached to it. In these cabins many dogs were stored in crates above each other. Quickly fences were put up the dogs were un crated went in the fans, got their food while some-one walked around with a shuffle picking up their faces. Trained, leaches were held short to hide faults, some dogs should move fast , some fast to hide faults. In the night back in their cabins and in the day the same story. I felt really sad for these poor dogs, where was the love for the individual creature, the owner lost it, in the egotrip for a title. Each dog will give an income of 200 to 500dollars on the national specialties, regardless if the dog won yes or no. Some handlers had up to 20 dogs in their cabins. They were full booked, all year.
Showing every weekend. I was told that I would need a handler, a familiar face to the judges formy Bellophor and Dignity. Costs 400 USA dollars. Indeed I was very impressed with the handling but most pleased that none of the handlers won because quality was in general so good that it would have been that showmanship had the last words.
The match was held hold for the second year, it is not official but very important somehow, three judges all breeders and handlers give your dogs point on every aspect of the total package which made it to a saluki. The points could be very contra verse since every judge has again his own idea. It was amazing that even with the competition feeling many breeders were concerned about the fact that our dogs refused to eat for days, not a costume to the heat and stressed by the flight and travel. They came up with all kind of nice food for them but as salukis have their own will they simply refused, salmon,beef,T-bone steaks and all. I saw them dropping weight but knew that as soon as we would be back home, they would eat again. The Match was nice, meeting other breeders and saluki people that stayed in hotels.
Ch. El Ubaid's Bellophor scored high, as Ch.ElUbaid's Dignity and El Ubaid's Empress scored high but they were not the ones to win their class. However the litter brother to Empress, exported to Lisa bunting, Explorer did win a star (meaning having the highest point score possible). As price he won a painting made by judge breeder Mr.Grunheid/France. It was fun the winning bitch was bred by Elesian field.
The show:
A big tent was set up on top of the hill. The sun was burning hot and the judging was mainly done in the shades of the tent, which made it very hard to photograph the dogs well.The ring was to my disappointed not as large as I had expected. The large classes had to been cut up by three parts.
The judging was done by three different judges (American breeders/judges), this is once every three years, the coming two years it would be foreign judges (English) again. To me any placement at such a large entry should be considered as a great factor of luck.
Indeed the number of smooths was very high and I saw some marvellous smooth salukis. Close to perfect is the word I use for salukis which I can not fault because I am sure that the objective owner of such a dog will always be able to show me a point they had preferred different in their own beloved dog, temperament or something genetic. If a smooth would win of that Quality, to my idea it would be time even if I personal till now only have bred and owned feathered. The smooth type has never won the National yet in the USA.
The first day we had the sweepstakes of which the winners of different classes mentioned below, the entries were large compared to European shows. my Empress was number two in the sweepstakes and won about 18 dollars.
The second day the bitches were judged and Empress was third best bitch in her class. The winners mentioned below. Unfortunately I missed interviewing this judge. We spent the evening listening on a distance to the Blue Grass campers.
It had a flower power vibe. Some artists preformed and all campers to this festival made their own music as well in front of their campers/motorhomes. I wanted to go up and take part and photograph but got warned that they used too much alcohol and were very prejudges against blacks and gays and called by others the Red Necks. Till early morning hours you could here them making their music for days. It gave the whole an extra good celebration feeling.
The third day the dogs were judged by Mrs. Marry Ellen Gorske, she preferred the very light weight, heavily feathered type. I asked her what she was looking for in a saluki and she answered that she just looked for a total balance package with elegance. She had judges Skokloster and some shows in Europe and asked here where she thought quality was better. She thought in Europe, she had been so impressed about the quality in Scandinavia. The main fault she found in the breed in the USA was bad shoulders, straight front even if there was already a lot improved and often a lack of underjaws. Her judging had been hard to follow for many.
In the evening we visited the Egyptian event and the Arabian horses class again and it was spectacular. Something one can simply not miss!
On the fourth day Mrs. Joanne van Aersdale judged the veteran and champions and best of breed. She was easy to follow. I set on the ring site and saw her time by time picking and selecting dogs, I thought she would pick, knowing that she was very much involved with coursing and racing, hunting with the functional saluki. Not caring a lot about the handlers.
In my interview later on she answered that on both continents she found great salukis. She cared for the functional salukis and loved the smooths. She had been very impressed about the quality in Germany as she had judged. A certain young bitch she had judged in Germany, a racing type out of desert breeding had taken all her attention and she had regretted mostly that by FCI rules that bitch had not been allowed in the end competition for best of breed because that had been her absolute choice. I asked her: You surprised us all because we all had thought this would have been the year that a smooth would win the national, why have you given best of breed to the feathered dog and not to the smooth bitch? Answer: I just felt like putting the dog up! I must tell you I breed smooths and really love the smooths! You in Europe made a fault as the smooths were brought in the past and for whatever reason, they were called Sloughi's! As a European I felt different because of learned different but felt that I should just interview and not discus opinions about the breed. I interrupted since this was burning to ask; Did you chose for the dog because everybody expected you to put up a smooth? To my respect and I had to laugh recognizing myself in her answer: I do not care what people think, if I felt like I would have put only smooths up. I still wanted to know: So, tell me what was wrong with the bitch that you preferred the dog? There was nothing wrong with the bitch, she had it all! So, and the male dog? He was lovely in every way but lacked a bit dept of briskest! So, why did you put him up if the bitch had it all? I felt like! This left me wondering! Do you mind me putting this in my report or shall I leave it out? No, you can mention it! I said Goodby and thanked her for her time. This judged impressed me a lot and left strong feeling of sympathy behind.
Went back to the show scene, where most people seemed in a hurry of packing and leaving straight home. Many came from even more hours drive than we had done and had some had also flown in. Kentucky had been worth it, experiencing this great show, meeting other breeders and see different stock from the extreme types of which many of us think is typical American to the desert type, racing types and our European show type. The Egyptian event, The Arabian horses, the art and Craft works, the Landscape, the motorhomes, the mentality, the show, the campground, the Blue Grass Festival.
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