Animaltalk magazine hosted another spectacular celebration of top show dogs bred by local breeders. Held at the The World of Dogs and Cats and Pets Exhibition at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand on 17 and 19 July, the contest is billed as the Animaltalk South African-bred Invitational Challenge. This exciting clash of South African-born pedigreed dogs carries the richest prize in South African dogdom – a whopping R16,200 in cash.
On invitation only
So, how did dogs get to be invited to compete in this thrilling competition? The 32 highest placedSouth African-bred dogs in the Animaltalk Top 100 ratings for 2014 were eligible to enter by a given date. If one or more failed to enter, eligibility was extended to the next dogs in line in strict order of their ranking, ensuring that a full complement of 32 dogs competes.
Knock-out
The competition follows an exciting knock-out tournament format, and three judges officiate throughout. This year’s judges were Philip John (India), Karen Furk (SA) and Jackie Browining (SA). Dogs compete in pairs, and a random draw determines which dogs compete against each other in the first round. The three presiding judges secretly select a winner from each pair and, since three votes cannot result in a tie, a simple majority vote determines the winner to move forward to the next round.
The next round of competitors (eight pairs) is judged in the same way to reduce the field to eight winners. These eight dogs are again paired off and judged for the selection of four winners. The potential winner and runner-up are chosen from the final two pairs – and the two dogs then compete for the grand prize of R12,000 (the rest of the prize money is divided among the other winners).
Text: Carol Immelman
Photography: Johann Theron
