Sunday: the Finals
On Sunday, we hurried back to show to grab good seats in the stadium where the finals of each class were held. The finals of the youth classes featured both sexes gaiting simultaneously on their separate halves of the stadium field. In the middle of the field, dogs from each ring often had to gait side by side, going in opposite directions. Surprisingly, most of the young dogs did not seem to be bothered by this. While we watched the dogs, Fred pointed out some of the exceptional ones and answered questions about the strong and weak points of different dogs.
Sieger show gaiting is done over far longer distances than at AKC shows. After the completion of the 12-18 month and 18-24 month classes, the rings were reconfigured into one large ring taking up about ¾ of the soccer field for the Working Class females. The ring further expanded to the full length and width of the field for the Working Class male gaiting. Like their dogs, the handlers need to be in good physical condition.
All of the 80 or so finalists in the class were present for the initial and final evaluations. Dogs were divided into groups of six for their gaiting. They walked on lead, trotted while pulling on lead, and then took a very fast trot around the ring off -lead while their handlers ran besides them. The small group gaiting closed with a short “down and back” pattern so the judge could once more examine the dogs coming and going.
Typically the dog’s schutzhund trainer would replace the primary handler for off-lead fast trot. Many dogs got very excited at the sight of their trainers coming towards them, some with a toy in hand. The off-lead sprint was fascinating since the handlers had to stay in their assigned positions even though dog and handler teams moved at different speeds. Opportunities for gamesmanship abounded. Some trainers helped their dogs with a discreetly held toy, which was the only time I saw any “baiting” going on in the ring. Last year a dog was moved down a few positions after his handler bounced a ball during the free heel. That is a no-no! The free heel can even be too exciting for the human half of the team; the handler of Larus v.Batu, tossed his toy in the air before the rest of the group behind them had a chance to slow down. In another group, a handler fell, at the end of his exercise, and the handlers following behind, tripped over him. Although things often looked dicey for a second or two, that was the only collision that occurred.
There was a bit of stir when the open male class came in lead by Hill, followed by Larus. Larus was widely expected to win Sieger this year. Fred speculated that Hill’s position was recognition of a good showing by his progeny group and Hill’s individual exam. Some discussion ensued about how the breeder of one of the most likely contenders for Sieger could be judging the class. The apparent conflict of interest is less disturbing to the Germans than to Americans and Larus had been placed high at other shows under other judges. The top dogs at Sieger show are so closely matched that any of them could win and strong arguments could be made for all.
As the gaiting progressed, dogs were slightly moved up or down in the rankings as their movement were evaluated. The crowd roared its approval when Larus was moved to the front of the class. Larus held his top position and became this year’s Sieger
The Kennel Groups was the final class of the day. Kennel groups consist of 5 or more dogs bred by the same kennel and judged for uniformity. Unlike the progeny groups, the dogs need not be related in any particular way. Although I find total uniformity to be a bit eerie, I can only admire the dedication and discipline required to achieve it.
The closing ceremonies had an Olympic theme with children carrying the many flags of the nations represented in the show and a symphonic band. At the close of the formal festivities, a large crowd formed down on the field to congratulate the winners at the end of the formal festivities.
On the road: Alsace, France
On Monday, we checked out of the Erbprinzenhof hotel, picked up two diesel powered automobiles: a Volkswagen Transporter van and a Skoda (Czech) station wagon. Heading out of Karlsruhe on the Autobahn, we exited and crossed the Rhine into France. Finding parking in Strasbourg was tough since all the parking garages that were built too low for our van. Fred got the attention of a police car and asked for directions. The French-speaking officers were kind enough to guide us to a parking garage that could accommodate the van. After parking, we set off on foot looking for the great Notre Dame Cathedral of Strasbourg and a college student volunteered to accompany us for a few blocks to get us squared away. Stopping for lunch at a tavern, we got to sample some Alsatian specialties, which seemed very German.
Some memorable sights in Strasbourg were the merry-go-round; the awe-inspiring cathedral, hundreds of years in the making; and the canals that crisscross the old city and its ancient walls. Outside the cathedral, we got a lesson in how to deal with persistent beggars. Heading back to the cars, we got a taste of the Little France neighborhood, an odd name unless you recall that Strasbourg had changed hands between France and Germany several times. The group kept breaking apart as members succumbed to the temptation of proffered free samples from the many delightful bakeries on our route.
Leaving Strasbourg, we drove through the countryside of Alsace and saw vineyards on the hillsides and the occasional castle. Stopping in charming Colmar we wandered through the old town and found the picturesque retail store for one of the local wineries. Some of us almost never made it past the parking lot because we discovered a high-tech public pay toilet that begged to be explored.
Next stop was Freiburg in the Black Forest. We walked through the historic old town of Freiburg with cobblestone streets and open gutters filled with running mountain-spring water. There was some quick souvenir shopping and sight seeing. At the back of the Freiburg cathedral we saw a startling photograph: the cathedral surrounded by rubble! The quaint old town district had been lovingly rebuilt after the war.
We gathered the group together and headed off to Bollenbach, a Black Forest village. We spent the next two nights at the Kreuz guesthouse attached to a working farm. We enjoyed one of the best meals of the trip that night in their dining room and their homemade ice cream sundaes were an unexpected treat.
The Black Forest:
Early risers got to explore the village of Bollenbach that could serve as a location for a remake of the movie “Heidi”. The houses were a mixture of traditional homes and newer houses that still maintained the Black Forest character of the village. There was a simple fountain in the village center for thirsty travelers and their animals. The village’s simple war memorial reminded me of my own town’s Vietnam memorial.
Our first stop was the Freilicht Black Forest Museum, a “living” museum of traditional German homes and workshops; some dating from the year 1190 and moved to this location from all over the Black Forest. There I investigated a thatched roof close-up and found the carved stone shrines that once marked the roadsides of the Black Forest fascinating. We enjoyed some of the plums picked for visitors and then it was off to the kennels!
A warm welcome, complete with wine and refreshments awaited us at the home of Hermann and Giselle Biel and their home-based Schornfelsen kennel. Herman showed us his handsome young male, Diego and then we went to their immaculate kennel to see puppies! Hermann had a litter of little fuzz-balls sired by VA3 Erasamus and everyone’s heart melted. Those who hadn’t even thought of finding for a dog on this trip found themselves suddenly reconsidering! Four of the puppies were purchased by members of the tour.
Hermann and Gisele volunteered to guide us to the next kennel high in the hills and then to our luncheon at a resort tucked away down a long winding mountain road. It was hard to tear ourselves away from such kind hosts. The final stop of the day was the Von der Ernetranch kennel of Klaus and Frank Kubczak, a very professional, modern, family operation with about 15 kennel runs and a small, well lighted training field. We got back to the guesthouse around 11 PM and enjoyed some German beer before going to bed.
The Arkanum and Trienzbachtal Kennels:
On our final day of the tour, we stopped to say auf wiedersahn to the Biels and headed off to Robert Lang’s Arkanum kennel, a clean, professional establishment in an agricultural area away from the Lang home. Robert explained in English how he and his father got into breeding. As a young lad, he finally was given a long awaited GSD and then took the dog to the local training club. The members of the club sent Robert home to get his father because he was still a bit too small to handle the dog. He and his father enjoyed dogs together as a hobby then Robert struck off on his own. Two young teens, Robert’s son and the son of his trainer, handled several dogs for us. We then drove to the home of Robert’s trainer partner to see his V13 Zello. I enjoyed meeting Zello and the opportunity to see what a modern German subdivision looks like.
Our last kennel visit was to the famed Trienzbachtal kennel of Leopold Bucher, breeder of five Siegerins and several VA dogs. The kennel was in an outbuilding next to the Bucher home and the property felt like it was or had been a farm. Leopold released some of his females for us to see including the splendid V73 Wende. The gals ran free in the yard under Leopold’s voice command and stayed in the half of the yard away from the road. Frau Bucher served us tea and cake while Leopold let us study at some his pedigrees and answered questions about his kennel.
We set off for the Frankfurt area through the Neckar river valley and caught a glimpse of Heidelberg. After a final dinner together, we said farewell to Fred and the folks leaving from Stuttgart. In the morning, we shared cabs to the airport, said one last farewell and returned home. As fitting for a tour organized by email on the Internet, after we got home everyone swapped photos via email or Internet photo websites!
Fred Lanting will be leading more non-profit, expertly guided tours of the Sieger Show and surrounding Europe in 2005 and 2006. The 2005 tour will feature Bavaria and Austria; the 2006 tour will include the northern Rhine and Holland. Fred may consider a trip to the Bundessiegerprufung, the SV Schutzhund and Agility Championship if there is enough interest. For more information, contact Fred at mrgsd@hiwaay.net or www.MrGSD.com
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