For those of us who have had the honor of being on the judging panel for the Westminster Kennel Club during those years when Tom Bradley served as Chairman, you came away remembering Tom’s only rule, which was just three words: “BE ON TIME.” Those three magic words should be a creed to both exhibitors and judges. When you think of the magnitude of shows such as Westminster, which is televised and has a schedule to keep, being on time is paramount.
As both a judge and an exhibitor, I am always amazed at the number of exhibitors who are not ready and make the judge wait while they are outside the ring talking to their friends. Some have multiple entries and no help to allow them to quickly switch dogs so that they don’t hold up the judging. Exhibitors are quick these days to be critical of judges for not spending enough time on their dogs during judging, while not admonishing their peers who routinely keep the judges waiting.
Exhibitors are quick these days to be critical of judges for not spending enough time on their dogs during judging, while not admonishing their peers who routinely keep the judges waiting.
Then there are also those exhibitors who don’t show up until the class has already started being judged, and then want to be admitted to the ring. I know that I do not allow latecomers into my ring once I have examined the last dog. There is a published schedule for a reason. The schedule allows the show to run in a timely fashion while also giving the exhibitors a really clear window when they may be called to the ring. The exhibitor is responsible for keeping track of the ring and taking into consideration that, in some cases, a few dogs (or maybe an entire breed) may be absent and they must be at ringside regardless.
When judges get behind schedule, for any reason, it may affect the Group judging. When this happens, Groups start later or have gaps that keep the show running longer than needed—causing many of today’s shows to rarely finish Best in Show before 6:00 PM.
Those of you who may follow my column know that I occasionally refer to music as a storyteller. I was recently on vacation at Disney World with my entire family. Disney has, over the years, created so many great original songs for its films and characters. While there, I again heard the song from Beauty and the Beast, “Be our Guest.” It is a catchy tune and I found myself thinking about Tom’s famous three words, “Be on Time.” I found myself inserting words into the tune to reflect our sport. Here is my version of the song which I’ve titled, “Be on Time,” sung to the tune of “Be Our Guest.”
BE ON TIME!
Be on Time!
Be on Time!
Keep those rings running right
Get those leads around their necks
And let the judges do the rest
Set them up
Take them around
Your job has just begun
Try to be a team, be exquisite
Don’t believe me? It’s really easy
They can gait and they can pose
After all, it’s a dog show
A win here is never second best
Go on, get that armband ready
Stand ring-ready at the gate.
Be on time
An on-time guest
Be on time
No hold-ups, don’t waste time.
When you are late your peers will be enraged
Be prepared and show with flair.
Become a canine cabaret.
You might be new and even scared.
But you know you have prepared
Don’t be gloomy or complaining
Dog shows can be so entertaining
Tell yourself, “I can do it.”
Your charge is in your grip
And that judge has perfect taste, that you can bet
Go on now and show yourself
You have entered so take your chance
If needed take a Xanax we suggest
Being late is so unnerving for a judge who is standing
He is not on time if he’s waiting
Be on time
Be on time
Be on time
Ah, those good old days when most were seasoned
Suddenly, those good old days are gone.
Cell phones and videos
Used so much to fuel the fires
We need more practice to improve our skills
Most days, we just lay around while our dogs
Become flabby, fat, and lazy.
You walk into the ring and oops-a-daisy
Are you on time?
Are you on time?
Snakes alive, we’ve been blessed!
You were ready thank the lord
All those coats are freshly brushed
With her nails short, she looks great.
And my dears that’s fine with me
While the judges do their thing
It’s up to you to keep them looking
She stands still, super still
For heaven’s sake, it’s spot-on!
Do it well, the judge must be impressed
Down and back
And then around
So fantastic
For you our judge
And
I’m on time
I’m on time
Your commands, I must respect!
And thank God we are all here.
And we’re obsessed with that major
And are at ease
While we aim to please
Our confidence is growing
Let us help you, we’ll keep showing
Dog by Dog, One by One
Until he shouts, “You are number one.”
Winners or even Best of Breed
Maybe even Group One.
But for now, I must remember…
Be on Time!
Be on Time!
Be on Time!
I know the lyrics are a little silly, but I hope you’ve enjoyed them and—from now on—you will always BE ON TIME!