Applying for another breed

I've decided to apply for an additional breed to judge: Weimaraners. I don't ever want another breed other than a Labrador, unless maybe it's a lap dog like a French Bulldog. But I also enjoy judging so I've decided that a good ten year goal will be to eventually judge the entire Sporting Group. That means that I can apply for another breed now, and if approved, will then be able to apply for two more breeds the next time. It's basically the "rule of two" in applying for new breeds: if you are approved for two then you can apply for four, etc. At any rate, it's a long process. I may get worn out by the time it's all done but I do think that it will be interesting and a challenge.

I started going to shows a long time ago with Elena Smith Lamberson who has Silversmith Weims. She was an early mentor for me with dog shows. Elena taught me a lot about showing and being involved with dog shows through activities such as stewarding. She encouraged me to join the LRC, Inc. as she felt strongly that everyone should be a member of their national club. This was at a time when there was a lot of controversy about the LRC, Inc. and the revised Labrador standard. I always thought that Elena would be an excellent judge. But she seems to be enjoying her retirement, horses, and travels with Gary so her priorities right now are elsewhere.

I think that we all begin to rethink things after we've done something for a long time. For me, I do enjoy judging and going to shows as a judge. I have gotten a bit tired of exhibiting but know that it's the heat of summer that just puts the notion of dragging crates around at a dog show out of my mind. I'm sure when fall comes, I'll be looking forward to some specialty shows. In the meantime, I'm going to spend as much time as I can on the water!