LES MONTAGNES SERBES

OD SRPSKIH PLANINA

Report

"Memorial Prof. Pavlovic"

I was delighted to receive the invitation to judge one of the special exhibitions of Sarplaninac dogs among the most important in Serbia and Montenegro. The Memorial of Prof Pavlovic was at its 12th and the special exhibition in the town of Smedervska Palanka at its 14th edition. The exhibition took place in the Park of Kiseljak, thermal spa, on April 8. Like each year the son of Prof Pavlovic honoured the demonstration by his presence and was there to handover the cup for the best Sarplaninac of the exhibition.
I had to judge the females in the following categories: from 12 to 18 months, from 18 to 24 months and above 24 months, as well as the champions.
The judge from Macedonia, Mr. Slobodan Milosevski, had as categories to judge the males from 12 to 18 months, from 18 to 24 months, above 24 months and the champions and Mr. Milosav Babic had the classes from 3 to 6 months, 6 to 9 months and 9 to 12 months, males and females, dogs without pedigree and the veterans.
98 Sarplaninac were registered in the catalogue. However, the 13 dogs of the military breeding of Nis were absent, as well as some Sarplaninac belonging to private people. The day was sunny; the rings were very space full, and on the concrete. And the secretaries did their work well.

I would like to say a few words regarding the quality of the females presented. All were in the type and had a good size, there were no Sarplaninac female “toy”. The majority of the females had pleasant heads, 5 had a heavy head, including the champion, I sanctioned 3 of them having this problem by giving them a mark VG, and 2 among them had a very lymphatic expression, with open lips and eyelids and sometimes presence of Pennon. The majority of VG marks wer given because of limping of the back legs, sometimes this one was very important and in 2 cases seemed to come from both legs. One bitch obtained the mark VG because of the chest insufficiently developed and another one for the depigmentation of the visible mucous membranes of the lips.

Class from 12-18 month, males
1st Zmaj od Piksija,

2nd Aron,

3rd Babakaj



Class from 12-18 month, females
1st Zone od Piksija,

2nd Marnie Martimberg born to win,

3rd Skila

not classified: Sonia Delijska od Bobana,

Mandi-Barka,

Dona


Class from 18-24 month, males
1st Princ Ste-Kot North,

2nd Vito,

3rd Aga,

4th Knez

not classified: Murko II


Class from 18-24 month, females
Only one presented and not classified: Dila od Sace,

Class above 24 months, males
1st Buca,

2nd Murko,

3rd Kiko od Bjelica,

4th Apis Strikan


Class above 24 months, females
1st Maxi Goldi Ste-Kot North,

2nd Biba

not classified: Mima Zabljacka,

Luna,

Beta,

Para


Class champions, males
1st Max-Bak,

2nd Vir,

3rd Mita Zabljacki


Class female champions
1st Fifa od Drndarskog


Of course I have not been able to follow the judgement of the other judges. The category of the males seems to me of better quality than the one of the females. I have only noticed one dog with a very discrete limping. There were, in any case some dogs of great quality, which I cannot say for the females, such as for example: Sapo, Kiko od Bjelica, Vito, Princ Ste-Kot North. The classification was done in a collegial way in the large ring. I did not have difficulties to impose my vision with regard to the females. As to the males, the things were not as simple. In the class from 12 to 18 months, the classification was done correctly, from my point of view. In the class from 18 to 24 months, I did not like at all the dog classified third and I would have seen well appearing in his place the dog Murko II. I absolutely agreed for the first 2 places and I must say that I very much liked the dog classified 2nd, Vito coming from Bijelo Polje and for his appearance and for his excellent character shown during the tests of behaviour to the attack. I could not prevent to think about our Arap, something was common for them, the proud behaviour, the silhouette, though Vito seems to me stronger and with a more imposing head.
My disappointment of classification was the biggest in the class above 24 months. I saw very well the dog Sapo in 1st or the 2nd place. For me it was the Sarplaninac by excellence, the most typical representative of the breed, even if not very big and strong. However, the judge Mr. Milosevski had only one idea in the head: to make him leave the 1st under pretext of an atypical colour, which is completely false. The dog classified 2nd I did not like at all, it had a very heavy head, with an unpleasant expression, eyelids which were gaping. The discussion lasted very long, I succeeded in making them to be examined once again, one by one, when walking diagonal, they clearly saw the defaults when slow running, in particular the 2nd classified. The 3rd classified deserved better: 1st or 2nd place and I can only once again regret that Sapo was not among the first 2 or 3. The decision was not unanimous, I stayed one against two and moreover, I did not have opportunity to examine these dogs in detail. The class of the champions did not impress me at all, these dogs were not of the type which I like. They were attractive for the eye of amateur, without more, and the classification was probably correct. The champion classified 2nd had a colour definitely less common for the breed than the dog Sapo!
So for the future for the things to develop better in this kind of exhibitions, or the judgement should not be collegial and each one decides the classification of the classes which he judged, or the judgement should be done by vote, the judges raising the small boards with the points from 1 to 5 or 5 to 10. So each judge would take his responsibility and the exhibitors will not come to protest to another judge who has nothing to do with it. Otherwise, in this kind of judgement the one who is loudest or the one who is fastest to tell the result to the ring animator, and who is deaf on the remarks and arguments of his colleagues, is deciding in their place.
Also I was very sorry that verbal comments and explanation of the ranking were not given for the exhibitors and the public, as it is practice worldwide in all specialised exhibition.