Buenos Aires is a magnificent city and the four days of dog shows culminating with the FCI's World Show should have been a magnificent dog gathering. And quite frankly, up to approximately 10:45am on Sunday, July 10, all had been going “according to Hoyle.” Then the proverbial you know what hit the fan. The animosity among owners in the Dogo Argentina ring—which had been going on for at least the three days earlier during dog showing competition, to say nothing of the alleged disputes going on for two or three years within the Club itself—boiled over, affecting us all! Some disgruntled moron of an exhibitor or spectator around Rings, where the Dogos were being shown, tossed what appeared to be a tear gas bomb into the ring. The results, while disastrous to the show, fortunately resulted in deaths to no dogs or people. Minor injuries were sustained, and the show was forced to close down for three-plus hours. It was a horrible, mind-blowing incident reflective of the world we live in today. And what with the horrors of London so fresh in our minds, the incident was terrorist in nature. Those people responsible should be banned from dog shows (to say nothing of life generally) forever.
 Having said that, I must congratulate Miguel Martinez, the Chairman of the FCI 2005 World Dog Show, and David Ojalve, Show Chairman and Director of the Exposition, for an incomparable job of organizing these four days. The close to 3,000 dogs entered from all over the world—of which listings and percentages follows herein—represented what I am told is the largest show ever held in South America.
The first night, which was the FCA International Dog Show, an American-bred Thornapple-prefix dog was awarded BIS. He won one other breed as yet another American-prefixed dog beat him out the other two days. That being a Propwash dog. The second night was awarded to a Russian-bred and owned Black Miniature Schnauzer. And this may be where a lot of the Dogo problems emanated from. I am told that a Dogo with the call name “Bon-Bon” (quite a name for a Dogo) may have been the earmarked exhibit for Best that night. One problem: he got beat in the breed. This may have been the catalyst for the following day's fireworks. Third night, which was the Americas and Caribbean Section Dog show, and was dedicated to "Baronesa Thelma Von Thadem," the Mexican mover and shaker in the dog world there. This show was awarded to a striking French Afghan Hound who moved with startling faultlessness. He looked to have a magnificent head as well as being short backed, too. How breeders would feel about him is another matter, but who ever knows how breeders feel about anything, particularly when they didn't breed the dog! Fourth night was, I believe, a Lhasa from Argentina, which I never did see.
The Group alignments at these FCI run shows is mind-boggling to we Americans. Aside from a plethora of breeds you have never heard of much less seen is getting used to the Affenpinscher in the Working Group and the Silky and the Yorkie in the Terrier group. And of course the Mini Schnauzer came from Group 2—the Working Group! Generally, American-bred and owned dogs seemed to have both been nicely accepted, and they acquitted themselves very nicely. Clean up was a major thorn in everyone's side. Certainly, the grooming areas were totally unacceptable. There were no copies of either DOG NEWS or “D” left. "D" sold out the second day and DOG NEWS on the fourth day, despite the tear gas! It's interesting to see a lot of these FCI judges operate at the shows. Sort of like a delegate's meeting—swapping assignments to beat the band. More cards passing hands than you have hands!
Next year's World Show will be in Poland and then in Mexico on May 24, 2007. Then it's on to Slovenia and Denmark in 2009. The FCI Delegates have nothing on ours but they do it internationally. The FCI Delegates will meet first in Acapulco in 2007, and then the show will be in Mexico City. Imagine the nerve of those people to exclude AKC Delegates from these kinds of trips. Oh well, the next thing you know, AKC Delegates will be demanding international travel as well. And why not, I say—anything for the welfare of the dog! •
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