Crufts and Westminster probably compete for the title as the
worlds most
important dog show. I suspect the FCI would take issue
with that and I would
place the French National along side these two.
So it would be like
canceling Westminster due to some threat of
what? Foot and mouth disease? Is
this anything like Hoof and Mouth
disease? I am probably just ignorant of
the threat.
Cufts usually has an entry of between 20 and 25 thousand dogs spread
over four days now. Every dog must have qualified at a lower classed show in
order to compete. It usually considered the "peke" of a judges career to be
asked to judge @ this event. A judge is usually asked to work @ the show two
years in advance and does not judge that breed during this time. The
event takes place at the Birmingham Exhibition Centre this is the same centre
where the LKA show takes place which is numerically the largest show in the
UK.
For Crufts to be postponed must be a logistical nightmare not considering
the cost to the KC. The cost to the exhibiter is in the region of $50
per class. Not only has Cufts been postponed but also the Cheltenham
Gold Cup race meeting which is one of the richest and most prodigious meetings
in the world has been put off. It is really heartbreaking to see
the cloven hoofed stock being slaughtered to prevent the spread of the
disease. There is a danger that it may spread to the wildlife and that
the deer and hedgehogs and most of the rest of the animals will have to be
mass slaughtered.
These events have been cancelled because of the coming together of people
and animals from many different parts of the country and then passing on the
problems by contact, returning and spreading foot and mouth to other
areas. Thousands and thousands of farm animals have been slaughtered and
burned. Foot and mouth mostly affects cloven hoofed animals as in pigs,
sheep,cattle, and goats. When the problem is detected in one beast on a
farm every beast has to be slaughtered ASAP with no exceptions. I am afraid
this this may carry on for a few weeks more yet. Many farm workers have
already been let go and farmers are not allowed to move or sell their stock,
or move them to slaughter. Transport firms have already gone
broke. The French have already slaughtered 20,000 sheep imported from UK
two weeks ago although there were no cases three of the sheep were found to
have Foot and mouth antibodies in their systems! Would
be exhibiters for Crufts from Europe have been told that their dogs may not be
allowed back into their country of origin if they come to England. Of course
all this has meant a meat price hike!
We all hope that this does not last too long.
Ian
L