The biggest dog show on the world - Crufts: irresistible, megalomaniacal and predictable!

I could say that Crufts is my favourite show since ever. As fifteen years old dog show fan in the eighties, I dreamed about Crufts and waited more then ten years before a dream came true. When I arrived to Crufts for the first time , I never thought that many years later I will show my dogs here.
At Crufts you meet breeders and friends from all over the world and the atmosphere is as relaxed and friendly as no were else. Thank God that at the largest exhibition in the world there is still not so much impact of professionalism and professional dog handling. At least significantly less than in Europe. Of course this is also linked to a friendlier atmosphere without severe intolerance to competition.
This year we have travelled to England from Trieste. We had a very enjoyable flight together with friends Andreja (Ninochka’s borzoi), Vida (Petiit pethouse) and Marina (Bagriana). Flight in the conversation passed on quickly. Then we went each their way. Of course, we sow us again the next day at Crufts and we fly back home together, but without Marina who staid in England for few more days. On the way home we slept tired from the long last days.
The borzoi ring was covered by English long-time borzoi breeder Elisabeth Whitehead (Tazeb borzoi).Whatever the criteria, the fact is that winning dogs were very similar in type. Also in final selection for the BOB in the ring came in a strong phenotypical male and female ( look at the BOB photo) . Obviously, it was that the judge knows what she wants, whether we agree with her decisions or not. The judgement of breeder-judges in England is English speciality, and this can make the exhibition very predictable. In the past I have repeatedly criticized such a judging tradition, but today, at the extreme expansion of judges which judges many, many different dog breeds across the Europe, when in fact you do not know if the judge in the ring ever judged your breed, I support breeder-judges more and more.
I made photos just of my few favourites dogs. Oh, yes Rothesby is my fetish :-) Following a series of bottom-up:

CH SWIFTCROFT BLAZE AWAY - dog veteran , one of my favourites male many , many years
ROTHESBY SHOLWOOD SNOW HAWK - dog best puppy , cute
CH LUPUSHUAN SIBERIAN ASH - not the best photo of very handsome male
ROTHESBY SHOLWOOD PARIS - dog winner of Limit class R.CC
CH INGLEDENE ONCE IN A DREAM AT ARAURA – bitch winner of veteran class
ROTHESBY SHOLWOOD SLEET – bitch , second of Puppy class – my favourite at this show
ROTHESBY SHOLWOOD MUSLIN - bitch third of Limit class , best mover for my opinion (my Miracle’s sister )
ROTHESBY SHOLWOOD MUSLIN - head
CH STARBOROUGH SOLAR ECLIPSE OVER ENDEVOR - bitch second of Open class R.CC
ROTHESBY SHOLWOOD PANDORA – bitch third of Open class , I adore her 
BOB & BOS - DATCHA PAYATZ AT MENIGMA & VASHLA VIATKA



Crufts , največja razstava psov na svetu : cenjen , megalomanski , predvidljiv !

Lahko bi rekel , da je Crufts moja najljubša razstava že od nekdaj. Kot petnajstletni nadobudni kinolog sem v osemdesetih sanjal o Cruftsu vsaj deset let , preden se mi je želja uresničila. Takrat , ko sem poslušal redke entuziaste , ki so si ta izlet lahko privoščili , se mi je zdela želja še povsem neuresničljiva . In ko sem prvič prišel na Crufts , si nikoli nisem mislil , da bom mnogo let kasneje tu razstavljal svoje pse.
Na Cruftsu vedno srečaš vzreditelje in prijatelje iz vsega sveta , vzdušje pa je tako sproščeno in prijateljsko kot nikjer drugje. Hvala bogu se ravno na največji razstavi na svetu še ne čuti tolikšnega vpliva profesionalizma in poklicnega ukvarjanja z razstavljanjem psov. Vsaj bistveno manj kot v Evropi . Seveda je s tem povezano tudi bolj prijateljsko vzdušje brez hude nestrpnosti do konkurence.
V Anglijo smo letos potovali z avijonom iz Trsta . Zelo prijeten let v družbi s prijateljicami Andrejo ( Ninochka borzoi ) , Vido ( Petiit pethouse ) in Marino iz Trsta . Let je ob pogovoru minil hitro . Potem smo odšli vsak svojo pot. Seveda smo se ponovno našli naslednji dan na Cruftsu . Tudi domov smo leteli skupaj , vendar brez Marine ki je ostala še nekaj dni v Angliji . Mi pa smo pot domov prevozili dremajoče , utrujeni od zadnjih napornih dni.
V ringu z borzoji je sodila dolgoletna angleška vzrediteljica Elisabeth Whitehead ( Tazeb borzoi ) . Kakorkoli je že sodila , dejstvo je, da so si bili zmagovalni psi tipsko zelo podobni . Tudi v finalnem izboru za BOB sta v ring vstopila fenotipsko izrazita samec in samica . Očitno je bilo , da je sodnica vedela kaj hoče , ne glede na to ali smo se z njenimi odločitvami strinjali ali ne. Sojenje vzrediteljev - sodnikov skoraj na vseh razstavah je posebnost Anglije , ki naredi razstave lahko precej predvidljive. Sam sem se večkrat v preteklosti opredelil proti takšnemu sojenju. Danes pa ob izjemni ekspanziji sodnikov , ki sodijo vedno več in več pasem psov po vsej Europi , ko dejansko ne veš več ali je sodnik v ringu sploh kdaj sodil tvojo pasmo, sojenje vzrediteljev-sodnikov vedno trdneje podpiram.
S fotografiranjem se nisem ravno trudil . Fotografiral sem v glavnem pse , ki so mi bili všeč . Po vrsti od spodaj navzgor :
CH SWIFTCROFT BLAZE AWAY - pes veteran , dolga leta eden od mojih najljubših borzojev.
ROTHESBY SHOLWOOD SNOW HAWK - pes best puppy
CH LUPUSHUAN SIBERIAN ASH - ne najbolj posrečena fotografija zelo lepega psa
ROTHESBY SHOLWOOD PARIS - pes zmagovalec Limit razreda R.CC
CH INGLEDENE ONCE IN A DREAM AT ARAURA – psica , zmagovalka veteranov
ROTHESBY SHOLWOOD SLEET - psica , drugouvrščena iz Pupy razreda
ROTHESBY SHOLWOOD MUSLIN - psica tretjeuvrščena Limit razreda( sestra mojega Miracla )
ROTHESBY SHOLWOOD MUSLIN - glava
CH STARBOROUGH SOLAR ECLIPSE OVER ENDEVOR - drugouvrčena iz Open razreda R.CC
ROTHESBY SHOLWOOD PANDORA – psica tretjeuvrščena iz Open razreda
BOB & BOS - DATCHA PAYATZ AT MENIGMA & VASHLA VIATKA