Have a listen to this sketch - clipped from the John Finnemore Souvenir Experience show on BBC Radio 4 last night... If I was the Kennel Club, I would be very worried about this. Its graphic evidence of how very uncool dog shows in their current format are seen to be by many people.
Heres hoping the KC think-tanking is all about how to make dog shows more relevant in a world that finds beauty contests in humans distasteful - rather, that is, than try to persuade us that the public are being misled by people whove got it in for pedigree dogs.
Meanwhile, todays Daily Mail carries the story of how former Crufts presenter Ben Fogle believes the BBC was right to ditch Crufts - an interview picked up, in fact, from the November issue of Dogs Today magazine.
Of course they still have Clare Balding who has continued to take the Crufts presenter shilling. I still have hopes, however, that Clare will reconsider. Shes a terrific broadcaster - and smart. And I am not sure its great for her image to continue to support the broadcasting of canine beauty contests. Indeed, her withdrawal would do a lot to quicken the radical re-invention of the dog show that surely must be on its way if the Kennel Club wants to remain relevant.
Apologies for the recent leave of absence, btw... have been otherwise engaged. But keeping tabs and lots to blog..
