All the enthusiasts, breeders, handlers, viewers have a negative view about the judging personnel in the ring. The negativity escalates to a different level especially when your dog, horse, bovine, etc isn’t rewarded. Many times a worthy animal is taken over by a lesser specimen. It’s got bad legs, over angulated, irrelevant features, wrong coat, hasn’t got the drive, walks bad, too long, too tall, albino! Many other reasons for the animal to fail, yet is rewarded. To be true, I was dejected to see dogs win multiple shows but they don’t even show enough features to be called of the specific breed it was been shown as. Similarly when the TB mix won for being a tall Marwari mare. Cussing doesn’t improve the situation. I decide to analyze it from a neutral point of view.
It’s difficult to summarize the exact number of breeds recognized at the kennel clubs, let alone the ones unaccounted for. Each breed has a specific phenotype, genotype and temperamental dies. All of it occurring in varying measures in each specimen. Variation of a specific feature in some extent may be appreciated or disregarded by the breeders. Any breed is constantly in the process of change as every litter is born with a specific vision of its breeder .Out of this litter, not every pup comes up to the breeders’ standard or specialist specification. A specific feature/type which appeals to one, may not appeal to another. One person’s trash may appear to be another one’s treasure.
Said that, one person’s ceiling is also another one’s floor…Someone feels his dog is the pinnacle of the breed by what he understood from his mentor and his understanding of the breed. The case of the indigenous animals here is they are very selectively bred up to minute features like the thinness of the coat, tail, head, ear leather. Extremely specific features like the pigmentation not just limited the skin color but that of the nails, iris and so on. So specific and particular that a slight deviation will significantly reduce the score card, in most cases fail to be counted as a Karvani or Khillar bull or a Kathiawari horse. These breeds are not so thoroughly documented on the World Wide Web or any literature written upon them. Albeit the breed standard is yet so specifically maintained and the knowledge is passed down from the elders with mandatory field practical and testing to back up the theories leaving no unfurnished chapters in the learning of a novice in pursuit. To summarize, the native breed standards are stringent and resolute despite any significant records maintained. Keeping animals for money or ego massage and have a pseudo fulfillment from the education received off a handful people ruins you, eventually the breed you keep. Studying specimens constantly with an unbiased eye and field trials are necessary. Charlatans will take their simply perfect breed specimen to the shows and breed the heck out resting on their too much knowledge .Neglecting the doyens from the natives who are with these animals for their lifetimes but promoting whatever is bred and pushing it down everyone’s’ mind.
Concluding on the matter of framing the ones who ruin the indigenous fauna, it’s every single one of us in the following order.
1]The ‘Natives’ who didn’t take enough interest to document in eternal format, blindfold trust upon the next group of enthusiasts to propagate the breed. Not taking the animals to shows for everyone to see the aboriginal type. Cross bred for improved performance but lost the phenotype all together.
2]The ‘Show Breeders’ who didn’t collect sufficient knowledge but collected sufficient under-performing rejects from the natives and brandishing them as ideal specimens [Since they being cheap or free and easily available].
3]The ‘Buyers’ who didn’t pay the breeder enough, which could inspire breeder to acquire a better specimen and allow further exploration. The buyers expect it to be cheap and easy since its local or since it’s from a farmer. Good stock comes only at a good price, no exception. The inflow of moolah reduces, the quality deteriorates.
4]The ‘Clubs’ to be blamed for relying only upon a handful of favored breeders but not venturing out for a field study for the right breed recognition. Awarding the participated dogs irrespective of the native breed confirmation which promoted the dogs which don’t adhere to the phenotype[read not caravans at all!]. After such pervasive showing all these years, the newcomer has to consider the show dog as a ‘ pattern’ of Caravan which actually is a smooth Saluki phenotype ,mostly bred out of a Saluki but isn’t a Karvani at all.
5]The Judges are to be the least blamed for the ruckus. They are provided with favorably tampered documentation to study from, hardly explaining a breed which is so thoroughly examined. The lid blows when a specimen which would be disqualified from the breed is not just included in the breed but also wins multiple best in shows. Not the Judges’ fault when they have lack sufficient input about the breed specifications but compelled to make a decision. It’s obvious to bank their reputation upon the frequent winner or trust the elder handler/breeder/kennel prefix and award their dog. If nothing works, the best handled dog with the best handler or simply the favored owner/handler/breeder may be awarded. It’s totally fine, at least with me. It’s enough that the judges be consciously unbiased. There is a margin for the judges for deciding upon a poorly documented breed. Otherwise they have to deliver a bulletproof judgment in the matters of well documented breeds. Their judgment is the measure of their knowledge and it is a difficult job to live up to their reputation with a thousand eyes upon them.
The breeds represent long hauls of sweat, blood, determination, patience, emotion, stress. More importance to the indigenous fauna as this was meant for a purpose and looks beautiful as well. These breeds can’t propagate by themselves and the rigors of the men and women working for them and with them for hundreds of years will be lost. Set the egos aside, be open to the knowledge and most importantly to work together to contribute worthwhile by propagating and promoting these animals in the format they were meant to be.
P.S. : I might sound like objectifying animals .But it is only limited to this matter to clarify the intricacy of the subject. By no means have I considered Animals to be lesser than us Homo sapiens. Animals are way better and humane than the existing humans I’ve encountered lately. I adore them all.