EXCUSED AT WESTMINSTER DOG SHOW

The Cairn and the Airedale were not excused because Ernesto used to work for Peter Green.  The judge told the Airedale handler he should have known "I can't judge your dog."  The handler seemed to expect it and promptly gaited the dog down the length of the ring and out the gate.  When he turned to the Cairn on the table, Peter Green told the handler he couldn't judge the dog due to conflict of interest and also invited him to gait the Cairn to the exit gate. 

Mr. Green did not disqualify or excuse either dog for reasons being reported on the internet.

Disqualify: A judge will disqualify a dog when, in the judge's opinion, the dog has a specific fault listed in the breed standard, for biting the judge or anyone else in the ring, for having been artificially changed in appearance, etc.  

Excused: A dog can be excused if it is unmanageable, ill, lame, ineligible due to weight or age, or the judge is unable to examine it.  The reason for excusal must be clearly stated in the judge's book. 

Regarding conflict of interest, which was Mr. Green's reason for excusal, some things, of necessity, are not specifically spelled out in the AKC rules and must therefore be a matter of common sense and (no pun intended) good judgment.  I’ve known Peter for 30 years and he is always the gentleman, always proper in and out of the ring. 

At a show the size and scope of Westminster, there are many dogs shown to judges with whom an owner or handler has been close over the years, including having at some time been employed by that judge.  There are time limitations specified by AKC in order to avoid any appearance of impropriety, such as showing a dog to the person you bought it from a few months ago.  Ernesto was indeed one of his assistant handlers but Peter has been judging longer than the employer-association limit.  Although that was the most cited reason on the internet, it isn't so.

It could be very difficult for a Judge to know who owns an exhibit.  Dogs are often bought, sold, or co-owners added. To be absolutely bullet-proof, judges would have to spend more time studying magazine ads than expanding their knowledge of dogs. 

Such situations place a great burden on judges.  Struggling to remember how long ago someone worked for you or who could be said is your good friend, could detract from the judge’s job which is to sort out the virtues and faults of the dogs and place them in that order.  Perhaps the British system of "just judge the dog" and do it well is the best system.  Granted, England is a much smaller country, everyone knows everyone, and they could also be expected to have more extraneous information about the dog itself.  But British judges show to someone they may be judging the next month, friends show to friends, and The Kennel Club (England) system is one of the most respected in the world.

If however, an AKC judge perceives a potential conflict, it is up to the judge’s discretion whether or not to excuse the dog or judge it according to its merits, as he or she will judge every other dog in the ring.  The least likely way out of a difficult situation but one which does occur, is to withhold an award from the dog.

But here are the facts relating to the Airedale and the Cairn, direct from Peter Green.  Those who have been in the sport long enough will remember when many professional handlers (the real ones, not the 10,000 "agents" superintendents have to put up with now) owned large kennels. Bob and Jane Forsyth come easily to mind.  Such handlers had to make a hard decision about moving on to judging because in order to do so, they had to sell the kennels which for many, represented a lifetime of work and a good income.  But sell they did until as Peter explained, AKC came up with a fair solution.

The handler was allowed to maintain property ownership in order to sell at a later date or pass on to their heirs.  They couldn't be involved in the kennel business but they could lease the kennel operation to someone else.  And who better to lease it to than a man who had learned the boarding, grooming, training business from the inside out? 

Peter told us that Ernesto leased the business and resides in the house on the next property.  There is a big sign which states "any dog boarded here can not be shown to Peter Green for one year" or something close to that.  (I don't take shorthand.)

Peter said the owners simply wanted their dogs shown at Westminster and were therefore entered under the breed judge.  He said this question is not new to judges or owners.  For some, it isn't worth the risk of getting excused but for others, if a dog makes that great Breed Win at the Garden or some other prestigious show, it's worth it even if it can not be judged by the Group judge. 

So when the Airedale and the Cairn won their respective breeds, all involved knew that Mr. Green would not judge the dogs in the Group ring.  But the owners had the honor of seeing their dog in the Westminster Kennel Club Group ring and millions of viewers got to see those two breeds well represented, if only for a few minutes.  It would have been nice for home viewers if the announcer could have explained that in maintaining the highest standards of ethics, the judge excused the dogs due to a conflict of interest under the AKC rules. 

We thank Mr. Green for his time.  I wish the recorder had been ready as we chatted a bit about mutual friends and judges, some of whom are no longer with us or are physically unable to put in those long hours standing, bending, stooping, and walking the lineup. 

Of Ric Chashoudian, Peter said he was a great judge but more than that, "Ricky is a great teacher. He could be grooming one dog, an assistant on another and Ricky could tell you what he was doing and why and at the same time, tell his assistant exactly what to do next.  He could explain things and he knew his craft so well, it's too bad he became unable to stand well enough to continue."

We hope Ric can continue to teach the next generation of terrier men.  (see below) and that the presentation package will be maintained by true terrier people.  Peter, who by the way, will be judging Best In Show at Crufts would insist on it!