two months earlier and I re-watched the AKC Weighing and Measuring video four times. I planned how I would run my ring, the instructions I would give my steward, and exactly how I intended to examine and gait the dogs. If that seems excessive, my job title is literally “controller,” and being prepared is in my DNA. The next morning, as I looked around the lobby restaurant at my hotel, I saw a sea of familiar faces—judges I had shown to or stewarded for over the years were chatting amiably over breakfast. Then I joined some of them on the judges transportation bus to the Polo Grounds. “Wow,” I said to myself. “This is really happening.” Arriving at the show grounds, my nerves were overcome by nostalgia. My foundation bitch had won her first major at this remarkable show with my late mentor. I have 20-year- old photos of the hot-air balloons taken from RV parking. I knew this place, and the sheer beauty and scale of the show was comforting rather than overwhelming. After checking in with the Field Reps, I had two hours until my assignment. Both the working club members and the accommodations in Judges Hos- pitality were remarkable. The judges I sat with were kind and encouraging, particularly upon learning this wasmy first assignment. I even received some wonderful advice from judges I admire on how to proceed from a single breed.
When entries closed for my first as- signment in both varieties at the Kennel Club of Palm Springs, I had 19 Standards and 16 Toys. I was genuinely humbled and grateful to see the trust my fellow fanciers and parent club members put in my judg- ing of the regional specialty. It was my first assignment and a really wonderful experience. THE FIRST ASSIGNMENT On January 7, 2022, I flew to Palm Springs from Knoxville, Tennessee, to judge both varieties of Manchester Terriers for a Designated Specialty. My flights were easy and uneventful— the best kind of trip. As I deplaned, though, I thought to myself, “Ok, tomorrow I judge my first regular assignment as a newly minted judge with Permit status in a single breed with an entry of 35 at a specialty at the Kennel Club of Palm Springs!” I wasn’t worried about actually judg- ing the dogs—this was my breed, after all, but procedure that becomes auto- matic for experienced judges was new to me. Since receiving Permit status in June, 2021, I had judged FSS/ MISC and 4-6 Month Beginner Pup- py at an event as a last-minute substi- tute for a judge who was quarantined in late September, but this was my first “regular” assignment. I studied that night—a lot. I re-read all the procedural materials from the AKC Basic Institute that I had taken
As my ring-time approached, I said to myself, “You can do this.” I did successfully complete the as- signment while being observed. I had a great ring steward in Hans Kabel. (As a frequent steward, I recognized just how good.) What surprised me was that the actual judging of dogs was harder than I’d expected. I had large, competitive entries in both va- rieties, which is a great problem to have, but comparingManchester Ter- riers is second nature to me. While judging, though, I was also conscious- ly thinking about procedure and time. I knew going in that this would be a challenge, but it was harder than I’d expected despite all the preparation. Overall, it was an amazing experience and I heartily thank the members of the Kennel Club of Palm Springs for allowing me to be on the 2022 panel for one day, with just two varieties of a single breed.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Carolyn fell hopelessly in love with Manchester Terriers in the late 1990s and has been breeding under the Rustic Lane prefix ever since. She is also the Global Operations Controller for Dura-line, Inc., responsible for 16manufactur- ing plants on four continents.
“What surprised me was that the actual judging of dogs was harder than I’d expected. I HAD LARGE, COMPETITIVE ENTRIES IN BOTH VARIETIES, WHICH IS A GREAT PROBLEM TO HAVE, BUT COMPARING MANCHESTER TERRIERS IS SECOND NATURE TO ME.”
T op N otch T oys , J anuary 2022 • 29
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