IRISH WOLFHOUNDS AT LOCUST GROVE

by Mary O'Malley - December 2012

Locust Grove. To Irish Wolfhound fanciers, those words conjure up images of beautiful Fall days, stunning Wolfhounds, good times and good friends. For 45 years, the Locust Grove Irish Wolfhound Association has hosted a conformation match that has become known as a breeder's showcase.  This year's was on the 20th of October; LGRA on the 19th and ASFA on the 21st.

The match is the centerpiece of the weekend, but it not the whole of it. The match is held at the home of Bob and Gretchen Bernardi, with ample space for the match and fields for walking hounds. It’s a lovely setting. Generous donors provide lunch for everyone. A string quartet plays music during lunch, sponsored by a couple who were actually married at the match some years ago. And there is a splendid gourmet dinner hosted by the Bernardis after the match, during which people have a chance to relax, catch up, and (of course) talk Wolfhounds. The judge gives an informal talk with his observations from the day’s judging and then everyone returns to talking and enjoying each other’s company for many hours. Many people seem reluctant to end the evening; after all, it will be another year till they can experience all this again.

Judges over the years have included some of the best known sighthound breeder-judges in the world. To name a few: Jill Bregy, Sam Ewing (twice), Donna Elzer, Don Wieden, Sorcha Wilde (twice), Sue Hudson, Ruth Jenkins, Frankie Shaw, Dagmar Pordham, Phillippa Neilson Crowe, Joel Samaha, Goren B?degard, Rosemary Follett, Jacqueline Karpinski, Tim Finney, Sandra Surrell, Bo Bengtson, Pam Paloma, Jay Phinizy, Anthony Killykeen Doyle, Lynn Simon, Rosemary Wortman, Irmgard de Haan, Jurgen Rosner, Eva Sodeqvist, Conny Fernhout, Karen Cartabona, Lloyd Simmons, Emma Ross, Judi Orsi, Pernille Monberg, Lynn Simon, Elizabet Janzon, Laurie Morris, and this year's judge, Greg Shaw of Castlemaine Irish Wolfhounds.

Entries typically run between 100 and 200 dogs, and the quality is unfailingly impressive. Sounds a bit intimidating, doesn't it? And yet ... the theme this year was "Still crazy after all these years." Locust Grove is serious Wolfhound appreciation mixed with a large dose of fun, which makes for a truly memorable weekend.

But what possesses people to flock to a match where no points are awarded and no champions made? The expertise of the judges? The quality of the competition? The relaxed atmosphere? Probably all of the above, plus a deep and abiding love of the breed and a desire to learn more, sometimes in unusual ways.

There have been many innovative aspects to the judging at Locust Grove over the years. Not being run as a pointed AKC show allows for quite a bit of creativity in that area. One judge had a ring secretary taking down her observations and thus was able to hand each and every participant a written critique as they left the ring. Another year there were two judges, each making their own placements in each class and explaining why they picked their class winners after the class ended. For some classes, there were two different winners! Undoubtedly that year was quite a challenge for the trophy people. Another time there were two judges, and a 3rd judge acting as the final authority if and when the two judges picked different winners. There may be more innovations to come as people think of new ways to evaluate Irish Wolfhounds and share their thinking with fellow Wolfhound enthusiasts.

True to form, there were several twists on the standard dog show format at this year’s event. One has been part of the match for several years now, and is called the Best Hunting Type class. People often ask how that differs from Best Type. In a nutshell, the judge is being asked to evaluate more than just the outline of the dog. A dog which is supposed to be able to hunt wolves needs to be physically and mentally equipped to do so. A show ring is obviously not a perfect place to test everything a dog needs to be to accomplish this task, but that doesn’t mean a creative effort can’t be made. Running around the ring a few times might demonstrate stamina, proper musculature can be felt, but how to evaluate the mental aspect? Here’s how it was attempted this time: after the dogs entered the ring, the judge was handed the fuzzy, squawkable lure that is used for Large Gazehound Racing Association (LGRA) coursing meets. Some dogs find it absolutely irresistible! Given the size of the Irish Wolfhounds, the judge was a very brave man to not only show the lure to each dog, but squawk it in front of them and even toss it on the ground to see the dog’s reaction. Kudos also go to the handlers for managing to hang on to lunging Wolfhounds who desperately wanted to chase and grab that lure, using only a thin show collar and lead. A very entertaining class to watch, and the winner was also very successful in the 2012 performance events co-hosted by Locust Grove, so apparently the ring evaluation was quite accurate this year.

There is also a class for Breeder of Excellence, which requires “three to five Irish Wolfhounds, all of which must have been bred by or co-bred by the same breeder or sired by that breeder’s dog. The person owning or handling the dog is of no consequence, nor are the sire and dam, sex or age of the exhibited dogs. However, the dogs must be the result of at least two different combinations of parents.” Needless to say, with dogs the size of Irish Wolfhounds that can make for a crowded ring!

And a special class was held this year in memory of Stannye Musson, Maghera Glass Irish Wolfhounds, who originated the idea of the Locust Grove match. All the Wolfhounds from the parade of champions, all veterans, and the winners of each regular class were eligible to compete. The judge wasn’t announced till just before the class started, when Dot Arn, Arntara Irish Wolfhounds, a longtime Irish Wolfhound breeder/judge, was asked to select what was, in her opinion, the best Irish Wolfhound in the class. Something of a variation on the idea of having two judges but in this class, there were more dogs to choose from (champions of record, for instance, aren’t eligible to compete for Best Adult or Puppy in Match). Her selection (a Champion) was also awarded Best Veteran and Best Brood Bitch, so she did well with both judges.

There are also performance events co-sponsored by Locust Grove and SLASH (St. Louis Area Sighthounds). There is a LGRA meet on Friday afternoon and an ASFA trial on Sunday morning. Both feature the truly impressive sight of Wolfhounds in full gallop, suspended in mid-air again and again as they race to catch the lure. And it's just as impressive to see the happy grins on their faces after they run. There is no question that these hounds are having a great time.

It seems fitting that the weekend begins and ends with the thunder of galloping sighthounds, a glimpse of function bookending an innovative examination of form.

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