Ireland Whippets For Qualifiers In The 5 Nations At Birr 2014 ???

[appleblossom 691]

Albert,

It would be nice if you could include the Whippet fraternity in the 5 Nations at Birr Castle in 2014. There are excellent Whippets and Whippet owners all around the country and further afield all rearing to go and to be part of the run up to the 5 Nations. Its time the Whippet community can take their place along side all the good Terrier and Lurcher folk of this country and further afield.

 

I would appreciate if you could give this request some serious thought and consideration, and offer qualifiers for Whippets on an equal par for the 5 Nations 2014.

 

Look forward to your reply.

 

 

Margaret Mc Stay

 

[AlbertJ 569]

Albert,

It would be nice if you could include the Whippet fraternity in the 5 Nations at Birr Castle in 2014. There are excellent Whippets and Whippet owners all around the country and further afield all rearing to go and to be part of the run up to the 5 Nations. Its time the Whippet community can take their place along side all the good Terrier and Lurcher folk of this country and further afield.

 

I would appreciate if you could give this request some serious thought and consideration, and offer qualifiers for Whippets on an equal par for the 5 Nations 2014.

 

Look forward to your reply.

 

 

Margaret Mc Stay

Well firstly let me dispel any concerns ( or perhaps disappoint some people) about rumours that have been circulating about me not running the 2014 Fairs as I was intending to drift off into retirement. We have set dates for Shanes for 2014 - of 28 & 29 June 2014 and are currently working on dates for 2014 for Birr subject to plans afoot for a third event! Having brought back the Terrier Event this year we had a lot of suggestions about a whippet championship but there are a number of considerations including the thorny question of what 'whippets' are eligible and of course there are many opportunities in KC whippet events for owners. We are making no commitment just yet but it is under consideration.

[Mingdiddles 4]

To include whippets in the 5 nations at Birr, would be a nice asset to the Birr gamefair. However, even though my whippet is kc, I am glad you have pointed out that there are many opportunities in KC whippet events for owners throughout the whole calender year and i think it would be inappropriate to start bringing kc criteria into the equation of the summer gamefair.

 

If I choose to go to kc events, I go. However, if I choose to go to a gamefair during the summer months, such as Birr, I go and enjoy the show, as a country fair, warts and all.

 

Part of the mission statement of the great gamefairs is ' to conserve the Irish countryside and the rural way of life".

 

Include whippets by all means, but leave the kc papers out. It would be a shame to see a dogs kennel name become more important than its physical appearance on the day, at a gamefair.

Edited August 14, 2013 by Mingdiddles

[AlbertJ 569]

 

 

 

Love the 'warts and all' bit!

 

You have 'hit the nail on the head' with one of my concerns about having a whippet championships NOT under KC rules but using KC registration as a qualification.

 

If we don't go down the KC route - I can see real problems and the whole what is a whippet debate especially if a non KC reg whippet beats a well regarded KC reg whippet.

 

Our judging system for the Five Nations is based on three judges scoring each dog on the following criteria:

 

Conformation

Movement

Condition

Fit For Purpose

Total For Dog

 

 

As you can see breed type does not come into it except possibly in conformation. To play devils advocate - one of the dogs I have seen at our working shows /racing that I would most like to 'have taken home' was Ernie. A dog of superb physical conformation ; very sweet movement , superb conditioning and totally fit for purpose as a 'running machine' . In addition he had, as many great dogs do, real physical presence. Had I been judging him in a field of KC whippets it would have taken a very good one to beat him based on the aforementioned criteria.

[Mingdiddles 4]

 

If we don't go down the KC route - I can see real problems and the whole what is a whippet debate especially if a non KC reg whippet beats a well regarded KC reg whippet.

 

 

I don't see a problem with this at all. If a non kc beats a 'well regarded' kc on the day in the ring, so be it. It's the judges decision.It's a shame that the kc aspect has crept in and is overtaking. It's becoming apparent that the kennel name is more important than the dog itself.

 

I hope that the push from some to make this gamefair more of a kc event to suit themselves, is not going to have a knock on effect for the terrier aspect of the gamefair either.

 

Ultimately I would hate to see the local country people, who live in the vicinity of Birr and surrounding counties, and have this gamefair as a highlight of the summer months, aswell as the local agricultural shows, being pushed out and ostracised because their dogs do not have papers.

 

Last year a local man parked beside me at Birr. He'd left his farm to come to the gamefair for the day, as he had in previous years, but this year actually brought his whippet. He went to register the dog for the whippet race and, as he didn't have papers was turned away. His dog was a fine specimen, actually in better nick than mine and I felt sorry that he couldn't enjoy this aspect of the gamefair.

 

Like I said I have a kc dog. When i was looking for a whippet pup, i liked what i saw, he was one of the last 2 of the litter, he happened to have papers, and didn't think any more of it. I have raced him and he hasn't won, I have shown him the odd time and likewise he hasn't taken a trophy home.

 

There are a lot of pedigree type dogs on the circuit without papers, that cannot be registered, as unplanned/accidental matings can occur outside of the numbers specified a bitch can have by KC, and also litters that were never registered after birth and cannot be retrospectively registered by new owners.

[Guest ladyjane]

I agree wholeheartedly with you Mingdiddles.........and to be honest I dont think there has ever been any problems in the showing end of whippets. At the end of the day its the judges decision, whether you agree with that decision or not. The problem has arisen in the racing end because of people racing dogs that are not pure bred, and a pure bred whippet does not have to be KC registered, I think thats where some get confused. As long as there are people hell bent on cheating it will never improve unfortunately.

[AlbertJ 569]

 

 

If we don't go down the KC route - I can see real problems and the whole what is a whippet debate especially if a non KC reg whippet beats a well regarded KC reg whippet.

 

I don't see a problem with this at all. If a non kc beats a 'well regarded' kc on the day in the ring, so be it. It's the judges decision.It's a shame that the kc aspect has crept in and is overtaking. It's becoming apparent that the kennel name is more important than the dog itself.

 

I hope that the push from some to make this gamefair more of a kc event to suit themselves, is not going to have a knock on effect for the terrier aspect of the gamefair either.

 

Ultimately I would hate to see the local country people, who live in the vicinity of Birr and surrounding counties, and have this gamefair as a highlight of the summer months, aswell as the local agricultural shows, being pushed out and ostracised because their dogs do not have papers.

 

Last year a local man parked beside me at Birr. He'd left his farm to come to the gamefair for the day, as he had in previous years, but this year actually brought his whippet. He went to register the dog for the whippet race and, as he didn't have papers was turned away. His dog was a fine specimen, actually in better nick than mine and I felt sorry that he couldn't enjoy this aspect of the gamefair.

 

Like I said I have a kc dog. When i was looking for a whippet pup, i liked what i saw, he was one of the last 2 of the litter, he happened to have papers, and didn't think any more of it. I have raced him and he hasn't won, I have shown him the odd time and likewise he hasn't taken a trophy home.

 

There are a lot of pedigree type dogs on the circuit without papers, that cannot be registered, as unplanned/accidental matings can occur outside of the numbers specified a bitch can have by KC, and also litters that were never registered after birth and cannot be retrospectively registered by new owners.

 

 

I am not promoting that it should be a KC event - or even that there should be any FN whippet championship I was highlighting potential problems if it wasn't. These matters have to be ironed our before we launch a FN championship.