My senses were overtaken recently by all things dog show! As a ring steward for the Newtown Kennel Club, the Elm City Kennel Club, and the Northwestern Connecticut Dog Club dog shows at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, Mass, I ring stewarded over four days for the judging of nearly 600 dogs. Ring stewards have been called the “office managers” of the dog show ring. The reality is that  it’s more like the ultimate test of multitasking, efficiency, and endurance. 

Ring Steward 101

Thirty minutes before the start of the show is the Zen moment for a steward. We are given a big bag of goodies from the superintendent containing the judge’s books to mark winners, the steward’s book, also to mark the winners (as a backup), a walkie-talkie to reach the superintendent, numbered armbands by breed and class for exhibitors, a bag of rubber bands, and the ribbons!

An empty table near the ring entrance awaits my set-up. I pile the armbands, in order of breeds and classes, on the left near the ring gate, where exhibitors will ask me for their armbands for the next eight hours. I place the judge’s books to the right, the steward’s book, which the judge cannot see since it contains the identity of the dogs, to the left. In between rests the blue leather case where I arrange fanciful-colored slim ribbons of blues, reds, yellows, purples for classes to the right and multicolored Best of Breed class ribbons in purples, golds, reds, blues, and whites to the left. The walkie-talkie is close at hand.

Let the Show Begin

Minutes before the playing of the national anthem to start this traditional sporting event, exhibitors are clamoring for their armbands. “Whippet number 12, please.” “I need Afghan Hound 17, 21 and 32.” “Puppy dog Golden Retriever 37.” Each one bends down to pluck a thin rubber band or two from a plastic bag hung on the side of the ring, to secure the armband on their left arm, easy for the judge to see. One after another, I find their armband, mark my book as present and move on to the next. As this continues I pause to call the first class into the ring promptly at 8 am, “Irish Wolfhounds Bred-By Exhibitor Bitches, number 16, 22, and 24, in the ring please.”

I turn and set up the ribbons for the judge to award after her examinations. While she is marking her book with winners’ numbers, I mark mine quickly, then hold it close to my chest, like a schoolgirl’s notebook where I have just written a love note I want nobody to read. I call the next class, hand out more armbands on the left, turn to set out ribbons on the right. The class is judged, I mark my book, I call the next class. I make sure there is a table in the ring for the whippets who are examined on the table, hand out more armbands, set out more ribbons, mark my book. Wait — I have to remove the table and bring in a ramp for the Chow Chow class, I hand out more armbands, set out more ribbons, mark my book. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

Ribbons

A big Best of Breed class enters the ring. Let’s see, there are six champions in the ring, five bitches and one dog, joined by two nonchampions, Winners Dog and Winners Bitch. I want to set out the right ribbons and begin to think in my head:

“We need a purple and gold Best of Breed (BOB) and a red and white Best of Opposite Sex (BOS) ribbon. Are both Winners Dog (WD) and Winners Bitch (WB) present in the ring? Yes, okay, add a blue and white Best of Winners (BOW). But wait, there’s also Grand Championship points to award for Select Dog (SD) and Select Bitch (SB). Um, that’s a light blue and white ribbon. How many do I need? One or two? Hmm, let’s run the scenarios. If the BOB winner is the champion dog, then the BOS winner is one of the champion bitches, maybe, unless the judge likes WB for BOS. In either case, I need one Select ribbon, maybe, if the judge feels the entrant is worthy of the GCH points, so I put one Select ribbon next to the BOB, BOW, and BOS ribbons. But, wait, if the judge decides that WD should win BOB, and then one of the champion bitches wins BOS, then I will need two Select ribbons, one for SD and one for SB. But, if the judge decides that WB wins BOB and BOW, and BOS is the one champion dog, then I only need one Select ribbon for SB.” Did you follow that?

As I’m shuffling ribbons, a puppy lets go a flood of pee on the mat in the ring. I drop my ribbons, grab the walkie-talkie, “Clean-up to Ring 5. Clean-up to Ring 5.” Drop the walkie-talkie, grab the paper towels, soak up the pee so the judging can continue until the guy with the mop and bucket show up. I finish setting out ribbons. The judge hands them out, I’ve nailed the scenario. The judge has a few minutes before the next section of scheduled judging. A new winner wants a photo with the judge. I grab the walkie-talkie, “Photographer to Ring 5.” A moment of Zen descends on my stewarding duties. A moment later a tap on my shoulder, “Can I have Beagle number 22?”

Lisa Peterson, lifelong horse lover, equestrian and owner/breeder/handler of Norwegian Elkhounds, has worn many hats as journalist, columnist, blogger and podcast host. She lives in Newtown with her husband and three dogs. Contact Lisa via lisa@lisaunleashed.com or at her blog lisaunleashed.com.