A FANCIER ’ S NOTEBOOK
SUSI SZEREMY
The Sentimental Side of Trophies
It was the largest Best in Show trophy I ’ d ever seen . Nearly as tall as I was , the “ hardware ” presented to the ultimate winner of the AKC / Eukanuba National Championship featured statuettes of every Best in Show winner in the show ’ s history . Each dog ’ s form , angles and scale had been calculated from measurements taken by sculptor Jim Gion following the dog ’ s win .
In 2016 , a change in sponsorship from Eukanuba to Royal Canin ushered in a spectacular new trophy , but I was sorry to see the old one retired . Owners and breeders were as proud at seeing a miniature version of their dog placed among other great dogs as they were of the win , itself . The Eukanuba trophy spoke of tradition and legacy by reminding us of the dogs who ’ d won it .
By definition , trophies are prizes that reward success , and , technically speaking , they can also be spoils of war . Admittedly , there are days in the sport when one struggles to tell the difference . Still , one need only witness the joy of an exhibitor receiving that very first show ribbon to be reminded of how special even a scrap of silk can be to a person who worked hard with their dog to place in a class , let alone win it .
Trophies are funny things , however . As exhibitors , we very much want to win one , but sometimes we don ’ t know what to do with it when we have . Their size and fragility seem directly related to whether one is flying or driving ; trophy chairmen can find it challenging to select prizes that please everyone , but let someone else do the job and their sense of taste may be called into question . If we stay in the sport long enough , we are apt to become jaded about the subject , though we can probably agree upon one “ trophy tenet :” A Best in Show prize is never ugly or useless to the person who just won it . Still , some trophies prompt the question : What were they thinking ?
An enormous handcrafted ceramic wind chime was the trophy my dog and I received when we won our very first Group . Actual tree branches had been incorporated into a grand ceramic “ trunk ” striated to resemble bark , and chubby ceramic birds perched upon each branch . The horror was kept in my basement for years where it became a graveyard of hair , torn bits of clothing and skin cells from anyone who ’ d gotten near it before it finally fell apart .
When polling friends and acquaintances who ’ ve been in the sport long enough to have won a few trophies , I ’ ve learned
As fanciers , don ’ t we owe something to the future that says we were here ?
that everyone has their version of my wind chimes : Something they won , didn ’ t love , but kept as a sentimental reminder — a “ cursed ” kachina doll , a dog bowl glazed with lead-based paint , grooming tools inappropriate for the breed , several “ Winged Victory ” loving cups , and this gem : half of a salad serving set won by the Best of Breed winner in the wire-haired variety of the breed ; the other half going to the smooth variety winner .
Given these anecdotes , one would think that “ practical ” wins the day , but for every person who prefers cash , gas cards and folding chairs is someone who appreciates an item they can display with pride or gaze upon with fondness years later as they remember a special dog . Among the latter are those who suspect that the only people who really prefer “ useable ” trophies are exhibitors who routinely win them . Is this true ?
A fancier I know used to peruse eBay for antique dog show trophies . If he could afford them , he purchased what he viewed as items of historical importance to the fancy and offered them back to the clubs that had awarded them . As disheartening as it is to see such an item end up on eBay , one supposes that an engraved loving cup or silver bowl is meaningless to a family that inherited it from someone whose interests they didn ’ t share . Add to this the prospect of realizing a bit of money ( the Antiques Road Show once appraised a 1904 show trophy purchased for $ 35 at a thrift shop at $ 8,000 ), and it ’ s not surprising that some trophies end up on eBay . But shouldn ’ t some things be sacred ? There are rings , and then there is a Super Bowl ring . There are medallions , and then there is an Olympic gold medal . There are practical “ gas card ” prizes , and then there are trophies that mark a moment in time when a great dog was recognized . Of the latter , my friend found a few engraved with the name , Westminster Kennel Club .
The AKC National Championship and breed clubs offer Best in Show prizes never intended to go home with the winner , traditional trophies suitable for posterity and photographs . They usually come with a more “ user-friendly ” item , though few clubs ( okay , none ) can afford the $ 50,000 cash prize that the AKC National Championship offers . Increasingly , clubs seem to be trending toward practical prizes , but isn ’ t a traditional trophy a mark of faith that our sport will endure , and not fade into history ? As fanciers , don ’ t we owe something to the future that says we were here ? DIR
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