Crufts - GSD best of breed controversy

This has been a hot topic everywhere, with everybody 'passing the buck'.

My own view is that the bitch wasn't good enough to get best if breed - far too exaggerated and nervous. NO GSD SHOULD BE NERVOUS!

The best & most rounded comment I have seen so far is this...

http://www.louisdonald.com/blog/my-summation-of-the-crufts-mattert

I agree Caryll - her nerves were shot to pieces, whatever the reason. The GSD standard particularly mentions temperament, so in my opinion, she didn't fit the standard - which is what she should be judged against. The arguments about her physique are secondary to me, but she didn't move particularly well, or look particularly good, to my (uneducated) eyes. A dog in that much distress should have been removed from the thing that was causing the distress - i.e. the ring!

Absolutely - what used to be the norm was that a dog that was stressed or lame going into the group judging would be taken to the judge & the handler would explain & withdraw! Doesn't seem to happen now.

Louis Donald seems to have withdrawn his article

I can't see the article either, and I didn't watch Crufts at all this year.

But I saw a photo of the dog - it looked dreadfully roach-backed with no hindquarters to speak off, but I can imagine how the poor thing moved. The fact that it was nervous and distressed as well I didn't know.

Disgraceful.

I'll have to see if I can find another one - I wonder if pressure has been laid to bear?

I've see photos of the bitch at other shows (and a couple with her at home, playing) and although she's too exaggerated for my liking, she doesn't look as bad. However, something at Crufts really spooked her & that played havoc with her movement and, obviously, with her temperament.

I have to say that if I had been Frank Kane (the group judge) and I had seen the state she was in, I would have asked the handler to leave the ring. Sod the controversy, she was terribly unhappy & it was cruel to put her through it.

Dear me, Frank Kane was the judge - he's very well respected isn't he? (If I remember correctly)

Yes, Lynda. To be honest he didn't do anything wrong. If anything it was the breed judge who was at fault.

However, they're saying that she was okay in the breed ring (although I didn't think much of her during best of breed judging, but I'm certainly no expert) but was scared & lame in the group judging.