THE OUR DOGS INTERVIEW
WITH BOB GREGORY
CHAIRMAN OF MANCHESTER DOG SHOW


Bob Gregory is the Chairman of Manchester Dog Show Society having served on the committee for 24 years. He is a Utility Group judge who successfully showed and bred both Dalmatians and Tibetan Terriers and is an accredited Kennel Club Trainer for Conformation and Movement. He was previously a member of the police force serving in special branch before starting his own business in 1984. He confesses to working part time for the ‘boss’, his daughter who now runs the company. In his police-days he would often swap shifts to pursue his new hobby of dogs.


Bob Gregory

Real success in the show ring began in 1976 when Bob made up his first Dalmatian champion and things 'hotted up' in 1978 when another champion, Sceptre Snoopy, made the first of six appearances in the Pedigree Veteran finals, always placed in the first five, a record so far unbeaten. To add to this, two of Snoopy's off-spring, both owned by Bob, joined him in the finals in 1981.Quite a feat! He continued to breed many more champions including a brother and sister in his second breed, Tibetan Terriers. The bitch Ch. Spotarton Black Eyed Susy won the Utility group at Driffield Championship Show in 1992.

The conflict of interest of both showing and a developing judging career caused Bob to consider the situation deeply and in 1994 he decided to give up showing his dogs.
Bob began his judging career in 1974 judging Dalmatians at Poynton Open Show and like many of our Group judges gained his knowledge and experience over the years by travelling the length of Great Britain judging at Limited and Open Shows. This experience encompassed a practical "hands on" opportunity of handling many breeds of dog and he feels that the opportunity to talk to knowledgeable owners and breeders gave him a wealth of information that can only be gained in this way. Added to this, the study of breed standards as bedtime reading has built up a body of knowledge that continues to serve him well.

Rewarding

He hopes that the present opportunity for new judges to learn will be as rich and rewarding as he experienced in his early judging career. Bob awarded his first CCs in Dalmatians in 1979, now awarding them in 22 breeds across the Utility, Pastoral and Working Groups.

Checking his records he realised he has judged some 49,000 dogs in 9000 classes and has awarded 140 Best in Shows both in the UK and overseas. He is too terrified to work out the cost!

Bob's philosophy of judging was actually formed by his own experiences of dog showing, and what he had wanted from judges as a competitor.

"It really is quite simple. A judge must have total integrity, and do the job to the best of his ability and making his decisions knowing there isn't a second chance. People spend so much money these days going to shows that everyone needs to know that they will have a fair crack of the whip."

"The best dog on the day should always win and friendship should never get in the way. Thankfully, my real friends understand this so there isn't a problem. My prime concern is that breeds should not suffer as a result of poor judging and I only hope that people take what I do in good faith."

Tension

Never more relaxed than when he is in the ring Bob has an easy rapport both with the dogs and the exhibitors, relaying to them both his enjoyment of judging dogs. He believes in having a pleasant word when necessary to release the tension that both novices and the more experienced handler can feel in the ring. Like most judges he has the occasional funny incident to relate, but one of the most memorable was in 2000 when he was in the ring judging Miniature Schnauzers at an Int. Ch. Show in Sweden.

His wife Norma was sitting at the ringside when she noticed something amiss. She managed to beckon the steward who discreetly conveyed the message to Bob. His trouser rear seam had split. Meanwhile the ringside audience increased and everyone was smiling. Fortunately, for all voyeurs his underwear protected his modesty -just! At the ringside much to the amusement of the crowd Norma managed to do a quick stitching job between classes whilst Bob was still wearing the trousers. And Bob had thought it was his judging in which they were all showing such delight!

Spending a certain amount of time each year judging abroad, to date he has awarded CACs, CACIBs and BIS in some 15 countries over four continents. Bob says, "It gives me an opportunity to focus my mind completely on the dogs. I don't know the handlers, the stewards or even the language. The only things I have to concentrate on are the animals, the standard and my critique. I enjoy the verbal/reporter critique method they use. It helps me to clarify my ideas about the dog and, I think, provides a different relationship between the handler and the judge.

One time in Sweden the puppy judge of the breed I was judging took ill on the day of the show I was asked to do all the exhibits. It was a huge number and in an effort to cut down on time I decided to do the critique as I was actually going over the dogs rather than retiring to the table to talk to the secretary. The handlers really enjoyed it they immediately knew what I thought and understood why I was giving them the appropriate award so whenever possible I've used that method."

Bob, accompanied by his wife, Norma, tries to take time out in the countries whenever business allows. "The hospitality we are shown is wonderful and we have made some great friends who we try to keep in touch with through e-mails and ‘phone calls. You get a different perspective on a country when you are involved and visit with the people who reside there but it's strange that wherever you go the worries, ideas and aspirations of the exhibitors and breed clubs are very similar to ours in the UK. And certainly the show officials have problems just like ours.

I know some of our summer shows have problems with rain but a couple of years ago I was judging in Bandung in Indonesia. The day began with beautiful sunshine and by 11 o'clock it was close to 100 degrees. I was under a long canopy to protect the dogs from the heat and I thanked my lucky stars for at around 2 o'clock the sky went black and rain like I had never experienced began to fall. By 6 o'clock everyone was up to their knees in water."

"They presented the small dogs on folding chairs, the large ones just got wet! It became a carnival. The electricity failed so the cars were brought to light the scene and the people stayed to enjoy the fun. The show officials kept smiling 'It's the monsoon' and shrugged! I've been asked which is my favourite country to visit and I usually answer whichever I have just judged in. Although I have a particular soft spot for South Africa and Australia, because it's warm and the dog scene is great. They are lovely people - but of course they are in all the countries I've judged in. The great benefit is they speak English and I don't speak anything else and it certainly makes the translation of critiques much easier!"

" The subject of critiques is one that often creates a wealth of discussion and one that is addressed by some breed training programmes in preparation for breed examinations. I am aware it would take a change in exhibitors perceptions to accept adverse criticism as overseas handlers do, as written critiques in the UK tend, in general, to stress the favourable points of the dogs and be non-committal on faults. I appreciate that the greater numbers in the UK would make a wholesale verbal critique totally impractical but an interesting thought - perhaps a ring secretary writing on the first two in a class - would ensure, at least, that all championship shows would be reported on. A debating point?"

One of only 24 Kennel Club accredited trainers for Conformation and Movement, Bob, who cites education as being very important, has also recently joined the board of the Animal Care College. " When I was at school a teacher once told me that knowledge was power.

Why that particular statement stuck with me down the years I don't know but I was pleased when the Kennel Club began the initiatives for more education in dogs. When I started in dogs, (and I can hear lots of younger exhibitors groaning!) there were lots of large kennels still in existence and just looking at the dogs and talking with the owners provided an learning opportunity. If you had a particular problem with your line the large kennels had a stud dog that could solve it. You could see the results of line breeding at every show."

Wealth

"As the economic climate changed, the large kennels slowly diminished and the era of the single dog owner began. Few breed clubs recognised the need for education and the wealth of knowledge that had to some extent been taken for granted disappeared. Exhibitors often turned to the current top champion in their breed without looking at the pedigree and the dogs behind it. They also did not appreciate that if everyone jumped on the bandwagon they were narrowing their breed's gene pool. Hopefully the educational programme that is being developed now will not only educate our future judges but will give breeders a greater insight into the development of their breeds.

I truly believe that the breeders and breed clubs are the custodians of their breeds' future and that judges are there to encourage and assess at any one moment in time, how close they are to achieving the standard they have laid down for their breed. Perhaps if some breeds look at their breed standard in this light, as a blue print for future breeders and a learning document for judges, they might re-examine them and so make sure they really give out the correct message. I enjoy presenting the conformation seminars and each one provides a platform for discussion and allows individuals the opportunity to share their ideas and queries."

"The open shows also provide a necessary training ground for judges, as well as an opportunity to ease young stock into the show world so it is important that in our efforts to gain our next champion this important part of our dog scene is not allowed to disappear. I know we only have so much cash and so much time but they provide such a richness of learning experience and an opportunity for socialising both human and doggy. Since exhibitors appear to be motivated by champion status perhaps an open show title might draw them back thus enabling aspiring judges to go over more dogs in a formal " title" set- up.

Requisite

I realise the paperwork could be difficult but a book could be devised (like that of the Junior handlers) where the exhibitor would keep a record of the requisite awards and send them to the Kennel Club when they have qualified for the award. Perhaps 10 BOBs where 12 dogs or more are present plus a BIS might be an appropriate number. Ah well, it's amazing what can come from a long evening of dog judges chatting with a nice bottle to fuel it!"

Bob has a passion for judging dogs. A passion so strong that he put off an immediate cancer operation to fulfil a judging appointment in France that weekend and it gave him the determination to recover to judge Dalmatians at Birmingham National some six weeks later. The surgeon was sure that part of his complete recovery was due to his desire to get back in the ring.

So, what does the future hold for Bob Gregory? He has more Conformation and Movement seminars to present, judging appointments both home and abroad already booked as far ahead as 2005. Does he have any ambitions to fulfil? "I am sure most judges have a secret desire to judge BIS at Crufts apart from that, I am happy to accept what comes long and I am pleased that exhibitors seem, by their entries, to want my opinion," he says.

There is only one ambition in life outside of judging that he has not fulfilled. In his younger days he had a desire to be a racing driver - another passion. However he has contented himself with being an advanced driver for over 30 years. He was the lead pursuit driver for the police at one stage in his career and has been trained in saloon car and formula three cars at Donington Park. Advancing years tell him that's enough and, in any case he stuck in the car on the last occasion!

A man who likes to live life in the fast lane? No, not really. He just likes to enjoy himself with the dogs and the people around him, taking each day as it comes. A real character with a great sense of humour, he is someone who has to be admired and respected for his genuine honesty and integrity.

That is Bob Gregory.



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