Walter Sommerfelt compares the Olympics to dog shows, sharing lessons on teamwork, preparation, and why enjoying the journey really matters.
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As we all know, sports are a worldwide pastime, and every two years the Olympics alternate between the Summer and Winter Games. I watched the Winter Games that ended recently and could not help but see many parallels between them and our sport of purebred dogs.
As in our sport, there were multiple venues and areas where athletes could compete. Many were like our Conformation arena, where the judges evaluated and scored the athletes. Some were timed events in which the fastest contestant won, and others combined a variety of elements to determine the medal winners. And just like in our world of canine competitions, the athletes came from all walks of life, in all age groups, and all with the desire to fulfill their dreams of Olympic gold.
Most of the athletes have been training for years, and some for decades, to achieve their elusive dream of becoming an Olympic Champion. As in all forms of competition, there were favorites based on past performance and also newcomers who would emerge from obscurity to capture those medals.
One distinct similarity that stood out to me was that, even on the world stage, with coverage broadcast worldwide on TV, controversy was apparent in several instances.
The Figure Skating events were of particular interest, as several of the predicted winners did not finish on the podium. In Ice Dancing, after the Free Skate, most judges and expert commentators believed the American team should have won gold. But it was the French pair that were declared champions, as one of the judges from their home country of France scored them eight points higher than any of the other judges. After the scores were totaled, the French pair won by less than two points, sparking one of the first controversies. One must wonder whether it was “politics” or an honest evaluation by the French judge.
In the Men’s Figure Skating, the skater from Kazakhstan was an upset winner, as the heavy favorite American “Quad King” collapsed under the pressure and failed to medal.
On the women’s side, American skater Alysa Liu, a past champion who had retired at age 16 after winning several US and World titles because she was not enjoying the sport. Alysa took that break from the intense training so that she could enjoy being a normal teenager. At age 18, while on a ski trip, she said she was having so much fun and wondered whether she could compete again on the world stage by changing her training and approach to competition. She wanted to return to competition, to skate just for the pure joy she found in it. She created her own costumes, choreography, and music, and at the end of the competition found herself with two gold medals around her neck. Anyone who watched her could see the “pure joy” she’d experienced.
My key takeaway from Alysa was that she was now doing it simply for her own personal satisfaction, not for the trainers or any outside interests.
Is that not a lesson we should learn? Showing our dogs should be more about the joy we get from competing with our four-legged friends than satisfying our egos. Life is so short that we need to just enjoy the opportunities that each day brings to us.
In Ice Hockey, teamwork was the key as the US women’s and men’s teams both brought home the gold. For the men, it was only the third time in history, while the women’s team has been to the top on several occasions. I was able to watch both gold medal games in their entirety and was so proud to be an American. When the medal ceremonies came and our flag was raised, not only did the team sing our National Anthem, but the entire arena seemed to join right in. It was a special moment for me. No signs of “right” or “left” or any other issue than just being proud to represent our country.
There were so many other events in Skiing, Curling, Cross-Country Skiing, and more where there were upsets along with favorites making it to the podium.
So, how does the dog world compare with the Olympic arena?
For those of us who compete in the world of purebred dogs, achieving our goals is much the same.
First, as breeders, we are dedicated to working toward producing the perfect specimen in accordance with the Breed Standard. It is a true challenge, as there are so many variables involved in planning and executing high-quality exhibits. And yet, almost everyone agrees that the perfect specimen has yet to be born.
In step two of the process, after producing what all breeders hope are high-quality dogs, the desire is to place them in homes where they will have the opportunity to succeed in one or more competitive areas of our sport.
And just like those Olympic athletes, we must become a “team,” with a human and our dog working toward the goals we’ve set out to achieve. It does not matter if we compete in Conformation or Performance events; we train with visions of success, as we are also competing with many others who share our same goals.
Achieving our goals also comes with obstacles.
Those obstacles can be the judges, the venue, the weather, the competitors, the course design, and, of course, our performance on that day at that moment.
Each variable may affect the outcome. There might be a better example of the breed in the eyes of the Conformation judge. The team may be acting up and not performing at their best. The weather could be so bad that neither humans nor canines can perform. Some dogs are not comfortable in certain venues and situations, which can affect their performance. These are all things beyond one’s control.
We are all pursuing perfection. To achieve the correct outcome, most judges study and prepare to do a quality evaluation. Yes, just like in the Olympics, some judges probably don’t play fair, but hopefully they are a super-minority. Exhibitors and handlers want to present their charges as close to perfect as they can. Yet when all is said and done, we can only do our best and hope for the outcomes we desire.
Judges must remember to leave any personal feelings about the individuals exhibiting under them out of the equation. Religion, politics, sexual orientation, or any other outside factors have no place in the evaluation process.
So many times, while watching the Olympics, I was impressed by the overall sportsmanship displayed by and between the athletes. Think about it. The opportunity to become an Olympic champion only comes around once every four years, and when it’s over, there are only three medal winners in each event. It is easy to be disappointed when our goals are not achieved, but knowing you put in the effort is what matters.
Most of the people in our sport try to display good sportsmanship, but we still have a long way to go in this area. It is okay to feel bad after any loss, or jubilation with any victory, but we must all learn to appreciate, respect, and enjoy our sport. Win with humility, lose with grace. Congratulate the winner and look forward to the next opportunity.
The Olympic Motto reads: “Faster, Higher, Stronger—Together.” When we all compete with this in mind, we can make it our mission statement to make the world a better place for all of us… for our dogs and our sport.
All About Judging
