Sat, 02/05/2022 - 11:40am

A Fantastic Way to End the Year

European Dog Show 2021 defied the odds

The 2021 European Dog Show took place in Budapest, Hungary, over the last three days of the year – December 29, 30 and 31. It was definitely an event to remember due to the miserable circumstances we have faced in the past two years. Despite the problems, the well-organized show brought a smile to the faces of thousands of exhibitors, judges, ring staff and others who took part.

The large number of dogs entered totaled around 16,000 entries for several parallel shows, with a total of 50 countries represented. The biggest entries were from Hungary, followed by Russia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Ukraine and Italy. There were three dogs from the United States, Australia and Mexico, and one each from Canada, Lebanon, Peru, Thailand and New Zealand. Of course, due to the global problems, some dogs did not make it. 

 

 

For the final Best in Show round in the main ring, Hungarian Kennel Club president Andras Korozs had a great lineup of 10 group winners from the three days. After he went over them, they were asked to leave the ring, and then the announcer called the four winners back. First was a Bearded Collie, followed by a Dachshund, Welsh Terrier and Brazilian Fila. 

A little before that, prominent Finnish judge Kari Jarvinen judged the finals of the Junior winners (nine to 18 months), awarding Best Junior in Show to an apricot Miniature Poodle.

The ultimate achievement of this show, however, was its very existence. In this day and age, when it's impossible to foresee what will happen tomorrow, it is hard to organize even a small local club show because we never know if someone may be contagious, if the judges and exhibitors can make it, or if the local government will prohibit gatherings and events.

 

 

Taking these facts into consideration, the European Dog Show 2021 was almost a miracle. Even though there had been a World Dog Show in Brno, Czech Republic, two months earlier, the show in Budapest was the icing on the annual show-circuit cake. People came from most European countries as well as a handful from the Americas and the Far East. 

 

 

The judging panel included Jason Hoke from the U.S. (above), although Desmond Murphy couldn't come. "Yesterday morning Germany changed its policy to require all passengers transferring through Germany to have a Covid test. I missed my flight to Budapest," Murphy explained. "I imagine other judges had the same problem. First assignment I have missed in 46 years."

The event began with a one-day all-breed show on December 28, the Budapest Winner, in which winners were awarded a special title. The following day, the three-day EDS began, with several specialty shows in some of the rings going on at the same time. Dogs that won certain classes could get a Hungarian championship along with the European Winner title, making it quite attractive for all those who had come from near and far.

There were several special shows: the Interra Terrier show, an annual event for all Terrier breeds; a specialty for Hungarian breeds, and a show for non-FCI breeds, dogs that could not win titles but were proudly shown by their owners and handlers.

 

 

Breed judging began at 10 a.m., and the main ring started around 4 p.m., ending rather late. The schedule included Best Minor Puppy, Puppy, Veteran, Braces, Breeders' Groups, Progeny Groups, Best Junior in Group and Best in Group. After that, the three or four Junior winners competed for "Junior of the Day," with those winners taking part in the BIS Junior competition on the final day.

The rings were spacious, although the exhibitors were pretty crowded around them. Many people wore masks, as did almost all the judges and stewards. All signs as well as the catalog were in Hungarian and English. 

"It is difficult to describe in words the organizational difficulties we faced so that we could reach the final competition perfectly. But no matter what, it happened. And the result is just the bomb!” reflected Olga Kunizina of BlueIce Kennel, St. Petersburg, the breeder-owner of the Best Junior in Show, an apricot Poodle named Bly Ais Perfect. “As one very smart man said: The universe gives you a chance, and whether you take advantage of it or not is up to you!” 

Leading Italian judge Francesco Cochetti put his feelings this way: "You all put your hearts in it, and this was very visible! A show organized during millions of difficulties and with a lot of risks! You managed to plan so well for the travel for all the judges, which was not an easy task because flights are much fewer and many of us had a lot of restrictions and needed COVID tests, too. Some judges had to cancel, and you managed very well to reschedule their breeds to others.”

Tamas Jakkel, president of the FCI and the person in charge of the judges at the EDS, summed up the event: "It was hard work organizing the largest dog event in the world in 2021, with well over 16,000 participants under the given complicated circumstances. Today many breeders and exhibitors came to me to spontaneously thanking us for our efforts to make this ‘reunion’ and professional ‘get-together’ happen. I also thank them for their support by participating in our monster event!”

Jakkel noted that now the baton has been passed to the French Kennel Club, which will organize the 2022 European Dog Show in Paris in April.

 

The Best in Show lineup:

 

Bearded Collie, Ch. Ovation De Chester, owned by Audrey Garcia, France

Miniature Smooth Dachshund, Minidogland Take After Sun, Churakova Daria, Russia

Welsh Terrier, Monaline Unit, Lea Bartos, Croatia

Fila Brasileiro, Pontos V Do Rincao Violento, Giulia Manzoni, Italy

 

 

European Dog Show Group Winners

 

Group 1: Sheepdogs and Cattle Dogs

 

1.     Bearded Collie, Ch. Ovation De Chester, owned by Audrey Garcia, France

 

2.     Old English Sheepdog, Ch. Bottom Shaker The Greatest Picture, Koroknai Jozsef, Hungary

 

3.     German Shepherd long coat, Blitseinghlag Yars, Julia Shepeleva, Russia

 

4.     Hungarian Mudi, Mecseki Bundas Aranyos, Jakab Szilard, Hungary

 

 

Group 2, Pinscher and Schnauzer, Molossoid and Swiss Mountain and Cattle Dogs

 

1.     Fila Brasileiro, Pontos V Do Rincao Violento, Giulia Manzoni, Italy

 

2. Pyrenean Mountain Dog, Echo Dechien Escuda Pour Garcon, Susanna Virtanen, Croatia

 

3. Dogo Argentino, Alcano De Santa Isabel, Duilio Dante Romero, Spain

 

4. Standard Schnauzer Salt and Pepper

 

Group 3: Terriers

 

1.     Welsh Terrier, Monaline Unit, Lea Bartos, Croatia

 

2.     Bedlington Terrier, L'end Show Metti Surprise at Glare, Elena Pykhtar, Russia

 

3.     Lakeland Terrier, Ars Viva Tramontana, Olga Aleksashina, Russia

 

 

Group 4: Dachshunds

 

 

1.     Miniature smooth-haired, Minidogland Take After Sun, Churakova Daria, Russia

 

2.     Miniature Wire-Haired, Lux Del Palatino Chacco Blue, Meier Philippe, Netherlands

 

3.     Miniature Long-Haired, Toklarama's Quo Vadis, Klara Miketova, Czech Republic

 

4.     Standard Wire-Haired, Treis Pinheiros Eyesonl Yforyou, Ivan Duc Ducly, Italy

 

Group 5: Spitz and Primitives Types

 

1.     Siberian Huskey, Kristari's Mischief At Winter Melody, Ewa Gorska, Poland

 

2.     Samoyed, Samspring Carry On My Secret With Joy, Pedro Miguel Da Silva Brito, Portugal

 

3.     Akita, Amber Yule Naruhito, Kristine Neimane, Latvia

 

4.     Pomeranian, Ch. Of Poms Forever Typhon, Claudio Masi, Italy

 

Group 6: Scent Hounds and Related Breeds

 

1.     Basset, Miracle Mary Van Grunsven, Francesca Ghezzi, Italy

 

2.     Rhodesian Ridgeback, Ridge's Star Halvard, Gutor Evgenia, Russia

 

3.     Bloodhound, Ch. California Poppy, Lovac Ferenc, Hungary

 

4.     Porcelain, Jasmine Nova Espera, Ewa Pilich, Poland

 

Group 7: Pointing Dogs

 

1.     English Pointer, Pawprint Honeybeast, Dr. Pataki Julia, Hungary

 

2.     Wire Haired Vizsla, Dolgos-Nimrod Csasar, Nagy Roland, Hungary

 

3.     German Short Haired Pointer, Ch. Avaline Talisman, Zlatko Jojkic, Serbia

 

4.     Gordon Setter, Mila Grandset Michelangelo David, Lyudmila Porotikova, Russia

 

 

Group 8: Retrievers, Flushing Dogs, Water Dogs

 

1.     Labrador, Bravo Messi, Meier Philippe, Netherlands

 

2.     English Springer Spaniel, Timanka's Expensive Money, Vibe Borregaard Madsen, Denmark

 

3.     American Cocker Spaniel, Ch. Galaksi All Rights Reserved, Michael Kristensen, Denmark

 

4.     Golden Retriever, Lozung Absolute Legend Fernflower, Mironova Ekaterina, Russia

 

Group 9: Companion and Toy Dogs

 

1.     Shih Tzu, Ch. Shen De Lux Hummer, Ludmila Sautina, Russia

 

2.     Maltese, Ch. WW Cinecitta Victor Arnold, Franco Prosperi, Italy

 

3.     Toy Poodle, Ch. Love Me Tsvetochnoi Poljany, Olga Arkhipova, Russia

 

4.     Papillon, Ch. Planet Waves Forever Young Daydream Believers, Kathleen Roosens, Belgium

 

Group 10: Sighthounds

 

1.     Irish Wolfhound, Sarabi Della Bassa Pavese, Salamon Ludovica, Italy

2.     Hungarian Greyhound, Illa-Berek Dafke, Jakkel Ferencne, Hungary

3.     Saluki, Ch. Elamir Gypsy Power, Nocklas Ericsson, Sweden

4.     Afghan Hound, Mansur Ebn Jaysito von Haussman, Elisabet Leven, Sweden

 

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