judging Afghans
in Finland - July 2005
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| I was first introduced to pure-bred dogs and dog shows in the early 60's (along with my sister, Penny Inan) in Pasadena, California by my aunt, a Pomeranian breeder. I fell in love with an Irish Wolfhound (I was eight), a breed I still adore. Penny was the real "dog nut", reading everything she could get her hands on and practicing "training" our Dad's Pom puppies. Following her divorce, she moved in with my husband and me, and our two children, bringing along her Basenjis, an "obedience" dog, a show bitch and her puppy. These enchanting creatures totally captivated me! Penny didn't handle, so the next thing I knew, I was co-owning and handling dogs with her. We took our aunt's kennel name in memoriam - JATO, standing for Jet Assisted Take-Off, a rocketry term. Penny and I co-bred in the early years, then she took time out to raise a son and enjoy a retirement overseas. Following her husband's death in 1996, she and my nephew moved back here with my husband and me. As JATO, breeding approximately one litter per year, I have bred or co-bred nearly 50 Basenji Champions, most owner and/or breeder handled to their titles. These include six Top Producers (one is the third all-time Top Producing Basenji Bitch), six Specialty winners, three National Specialty winners, a Top Ten Group winner and the #14 Basenji, (shown just 5 months) in Breed points for 2002 (who was also WB/BOW at the 1999 BCOA National). My children have both grown up and moved away - I have a 17 year old grandson and a ten year old granddaughter now! My daughter, however, now often handle for Penny and me, and my granddaughter will make her formal debut in Junior Showmanship at the 2006 American Chinese Crested Club National Specialty. | ||||||||||||||
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| MRS. SANDRA L. BRIDGES judging Afghans in Finland - July 2005 |
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| Encouraged in early 1980 by a friend to judge a match, I had never planned to judge, simply to handle and breed. When she found her self unable to accept the assignment, my friend recommended they ask me and called to tell me they'd be asking. I exclaimed "I can't judge!" and she replied "YES, you can!" And so I did, and so I do - I was approved to judge Basenjis in 1991, and am now approved for 4 breeds and juniors (and provisional for 4 more). Judging has turned out to be even more addictive than exhibiting. When judging from ringside, it involves extraneous distractions, reading the catalog, listening to snippets of conversation, etc. When actually officiating INSIDE the ring, your total concentration is (or should be) on the dogs, and the dogs only. You get to see every angle of the dog, evaluate head type close up and feel what needs feeling. I have judged Basenji Specialties and supported entries across the country, including the record entry at the Basenji Club of America's National Specialty in 1997, and in 2003 I judged in Australia for the Basenji Club of New South Wales. 2005 brought even more adventure, when I judge Basenjis, Whippets, and Afghans in Finland (their National Basenji Specialty and then at the Hound Show). I presented the interactive critique portion of the Judges' Seminars at the BCOA National Specialties in 1991, '93, '94, '95, and '97 and collaborated on the production of the BCOA 's "Review of the Basenji Standard" brochure. Judging the Basenji: A Breeder's View, which I both wrote and illustrated, debuted at the 1999 BCOA National Specialty Judges' Seminar. The limited First Edition sold out that weekend; a revised and expanded edition is planned for the future. | ||||||||||||||
| I am currently approved to judge Afghans, Basenjis, Irish Wolfhounds, Whippets and Juniors; I am provisional for Borzois, Chinese Cresteds, Rhodesian Ridgebacks and Salukis. I study each breed in great depth, paying special attention to history and function, both so important when judging hounds.� | ||||||||||||||
| Aside from judging, my other abiding interest is dog artwork; I have painted on everything from canvas and agate to petrified wood, and many of these trophies are to be found in the homes of other Basenji fanciers. In studying the rest of the sighthounds, I have found that drawing from many photos is a useful tool in learning to understand the structure of new breeds. We have recently added Chinese Cresteds to the household and are enjoying this new dimension to the world of exhibiting and breeding. In 2003, I published The Chinese Crested - Illustrated, a booklet illustrating the Crested standard with my drawings, which also sold out at the National in 2003. Another edition is currently available and I have plans to revise and expand this work in the future. | ||||||||||||||
| On a sad personal note - the loss of my husband in 2004 has necessitated a move - my sister and I have relocated to the high-desert country of Palmdale, north of Los Angeles. We are planning to continue breeding Chinese Cresteds and enjoying judging. | ||||||||||||||
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