Rusty rocks the ring
Cool winners - with the outside temperature soaring to 39 degrees
Caribbean weather conditions, record entry levels for the dogs and a drastic drop
in spectator numbers. The VDH Rhineland-Palatinate kennel club had a lot to cope
with in the context of this year's IRA, the International Dog Show. Nevertheless,
at the end of the day the bottom line was positive
The fact that Rusty, even after a long and exceptionally hot day at the show, was
still full of beans at 6 o'clock in the evening, was a great surprise for Lisbeth
Mach, the Swiss Best in Show judge at the International Dog Show in Ludwigshafen.
“He displayed a strikingly clean and powerful action with lots of charisma in the
ring of honour. His body was perfectly balanced in accordance with the standard
and framed by a not overly long, but well-groomed coat”, said the experienced judge.
Moreover, the endearing and friendly nature of the Australian Shepherd with his
gentle eyes took Lisbeth Mach's heart by storm.
“We BIS judges should never forget the purpose for which the dog we are judging
has been bred”, said the Swiss judge. She could well imagine Rusty II working as
a sheepdog, adding that “being a beautiful dog does not stop it from doing its work
well”.
Best in show
A rare Affenpinscher
Saturday's winner, the Affenpinscher Taonga v. Tani Kazari, was another dog the
Swiss judge won't forget in a hurry. “He was a true show talent, compactly built
with an excellent head and a wealth of charisma for such a small-sized breed”, reported
Lisbeth Mach. One of the things she found somewhat missing was that “clown touch”,
one of the characteristics of this rare breed. She also thought that forequarters
coordination could be better, saying that “the dog was also shown moving somewhat
too fast”. These were the reasons why Rusty was ultimately able to assert himself
against his small, yet impressive opponent.
Dream dogs galore
Lisbeth Mach's overall assessment was that the quality of the dogs appearing in
the ring of honour was very good. “In many FCI groups, excellent representatives
of breeds were to be seen in the ring of honour. I'm sure my colleagues had difficulties
reaching their decisions”. FCI groups 1, 2, 3 and 9 were particularly well represented,
showing “dream dogs galore”, enthused Lisbeth Mach. One positive aspect needing
to be emphasised was the fact that all dogs with short muzzles gave a healthy and
energetic presentation despite the heat. “A lot has been done here by our breeders
to maintain these breeds and their health. And I would like to use this occasion
to thank the event manager, his wife and the whole crew for the very well organised
show with its large rings and excellent support facilities for the judges”, concluded
Lisbeth Mach.
Record entry levels
Herbert Klemann, the IRA Ludwigshafen show manager, will undoubtedly be delighted
to hear such praise. And he can also be happy about the record number of entries
- more than 2,700 dogs. “The usual average is around 2,000”, he said. This somewhat
compensated for the decline in spectator numbers, much lower than usual at this
year's IRA. The reason for this drop was obvious - with outside temperatures soaring
to 39oC, most people preferred to go swimming rather than to sit watching a dog
show. The other side of the coin was that the number of visitor dogs shot up, with
nobody wanting to leave his four-legged friend in the car in such heat.
Gabriele Metz
Interview with Dr Sandra Balkow and Martin Balkow, owners of the Best in Show dog
How would you describe the moment of victory?
It was a great moment, totally overwhelming. I really felt proud being able to present
our Rusty - representing the Australian Shepherd breed - to the spectators. Despite
the long day and the heat, it hopefully became clear that an Aussie is not a couch
potato, but that his will to please makes him a great companion, whether at a sports
event or at a show.
How did your dog feel?
Rusty loves being at the centre of attention. He enjoys the undivided attention,
whether here at the show, or at Obedience or Agility trials. The place he loves
best of all is the grooming table. The moment it gets put up, Rusty jumps up onto
it, knowing that there he will be groomed and cuddled, with nobody interfering.
Being the centre of attention - that's what he loves. At home, Rusty lives together
with two other dogs, bitches, meaning that he is not always the centre of attention,
but sometimes has to wait his turn. So he is all the more happy when he does something
alone with me or my wife. Doesn't matter what it is, the main thing is that he's
part of it.
When Rusty was chosen as Best in Show at the International Dog Show in Ludwigshafen,
I was over the moon. Rusty looked up at me with his classic question-mark face,
as if to say: "What's all the excitement about?" It wasn't until we were up on the
podium that I noticed how thrilled he was. He was so excited he wouldn't react to
any command. Well, Rusty was probably infected by some of my excitement, and just
couldn't understand what I wanted from him now. It was a good thing that my wife
had done the O3 obedience test with Rusty. He finally sat down when she called to
him from a distance to “sit”.
After six appearances in the show ring on one day, even Rusty had had enough. While
the judges were congratulating us, he just lay down on the podium, let his legs
dangle down and enjoyed the peace and quiet - as if to say, that's enough for today.
And he was quite right. I myself felt very hot and sticky in my black suit and tie,
and I was very well able to empathise with him, knowing what a sensational performance
Rusty had put in with his black coat on such a hot and sultry summer's day.
How do you motivate your successful dog to always present himself with such enthusiasm
and joy?
Rusty displays great eagerness to work and doesn't need any additional motivation.
Basically, all you have to do is to say to him: “Shall we do something?” - and you've
got his attention. Even as a puppy, he loved to present himself, all quite naturally.
He just loves being the centre of attention, and he thinks it great when we do something
together. Rusty is of course also happy to be together with his two “ladyfriends”,
Kim and Bliss, but when we are out together alone, he doesn't have to keep an eye
on his women, meaning that he can relax and enjoy everything we do together.
For him, the show ring is work, just like an Obedience or aAgility test. This is
the reason why we work all the time in the ring. When we for instance tell him to
“stand”, we expect him to stay standing exactly in the position he has just taken.
He does this very well and waits for us to tell him what to do next. We also have
a command “teeth” (German: “Zähne”) so that a judge can inspect his teeth, or a
command “keep still” (German: “Stellen”), so that he knows that I will be touching
and adjusting the position of each of his legs in case he has adopted the wrong
position. When there are a large number of dogs starting in our group, I try to
get him to relax in the ring. But Rusty gets bored very quickly, and then he starts
to bark quietly but distinctly. As if he wants to say: “Hey, can't we do something?
It's boring just standing around doing nothing!”.
By the way, when Rusty’s concentration is not too good, all we have to say to him
is a quiet “wag-wag” (German: “Wedel-Wedel”). Then his tail wags from left to right
and the whole dog is happy. How did we manage this? I haven't got a clue, but I
find it sweet!
What have been Rusty's three greatest show successes up to now?
Rusty has already notched up a lot of show successes. It's not always the size of
the prize which defines success. Very special judges, for instance from South Africa,
America or from another European country, who have awarded Rusty prizes, have a
very special appeal. Though we all take our guidance from the same breed standard,
focus and interpretation can differ. We are therefore particularly happy that judges
from different continents have chosen Rusty as their Best Male Dog and BOB. And
of course it is even greater when Rusty is awarded a prize by judges who have been
breeding Australian Shepherds for decades.
Any dream still to be fulfilled?
Breeding a Rusty Junior.
What was your overall impression of the show?
Very, very good - quite independently of our sensational success. Everything was
well organised, the helpers, parking attendants and people on the door were friendly,
willing to help and well-informed. I would like to highlight the ring of honour
speaker who was responsible for presenting the individual breeds, providing lots
of information. It's the first time I have been provided with such a wealth of information.
Taking into account that there are a lot of spectators possibly wanting to find
out which breed is the most suitable for them, all this information is very important
and valuable. And as one needed a bit more time for a round in the ring of honour,
the speaker had enough time to present the breed.
Any suggestions for improvements?
- More waste-bins in the car-park, especially in the area reserved for caravans and
motorhomes.
- It would also be good to have more waste-bins in the outer rings and possibly more
dog waste bag dispensers. There's always the chance of a mishap happening, and if
there's a dispenser near at hand it's much easier to clear up the mess.
What's the key to your dog's personality?
His personality is characterised by his confident and friendly nature. He himself
is an XXL smoocher, and every member of the family must always be ready to face
up to one of his intensive smooch attacks. He is initially somewhat more reticent
with strangers, but he quickly opens up.
He likes most of all undivided attention, long walks and swimming. He just loves
walks in the shallow North Sea waters - the Watt - and especially the wonderful
dog beach at Schillig, of course only when the birds are not breeding. There he
can wallow in the mud, race around with Kim and Bliss on the beach and in the shallow
water, and go swimming in the North Sea. And there are always fish to eat there.
For Rusty, the highlight of the day is when we drive to the local dog sport club
(Agility Hundesportgruppe Rhein-Sieg 1993 e.V.). He always has lots of fun there
doing his Agility or Obedience training. And that's where he can meet up with his
beloved Brigitte, a dog-sitter who always has a treat ready for him.
Rusty's favourite meals? All types of fish, green tripe, chicken hearts and liver,
and any dog biscuits personally baked by his master.
Thank you for the interview.
Interview conducted by Gabriele Metz.