[Woodcarver] When should a carving be retired from competion?

[cynda douglas]

Hi Vic,
Your  email sounded so familiar, then I realized that if you had 
substituted the name of a certain dog and handler, it would be the 
same.  Only dogs are shown to build up a record number of best in 
shows,  and also most wins for their breed.   Many of the same dogs and 
handlers are going against each other  show after show.  Those of us, with 
less money, less known, less shows under our belt are competing with these 
(and we hate to admit, maybe  our dogs are a tad less good?  The handling 
not quite as expert.)   There are politics in everything.  However, these 
top dogs have been beaten.  The way to do it is to bring in a better 
one!  Can be hard to do, reputations can follow them.

It brings to mind a few years ago when Jimmie was campaigning  the most 
beautiful and best moving German Shepherd I and most others will ever see 
in their lifetime.  Other handlers were grumbling, complaining, refusing to 
go to shows where they knew he'd be,  whining that the judge showed 
favorites.  Judges are human, that can happen.  But most are honest, do 
their best.  And Jimmie and Manhatten had a wonderful bond, the dog was 
faultless, and is the only one I can still see moving out in my mind's 
eye.  The truth few  of the things the sour grapes handlers were saying 
about the pair were true.  It was simply that they deserved to win.  If I 
remember correctly Manhatten won the biggest show in the USA, beating 
over  5 thousand of the Nation's best dogs. ( Numbers may be off, but that 
is close)
They (the handler and dog) were the absolute best,  they paid their entry 
fees,  they earned the wins. This is my example, I still have carving in 
mind and I feel they are parallel.

I suppose to see the carver not win, one will just have to carve something 
better, if they can.  Like a champion fighter, or whatever,  a better one 
has to come along.  I've never been to a carving show.  But don't they have 
classes according to ones expertise?  like beginners, or 
amateurs,  etc.?  If someone carves something that good, perhaps it 
deserves to be seen by as many as possible.  It would is a great example of 
what to shoot for.  Maybe they should be retired after a year of shows, 
maybe not.  But if there is no rule against it, then they have every right 
to enter.
I don't know if they can be put in several classes per show or just one 
that fits it.  You may have a legitimate complaint, but then it seems one 
would have to go thru show committees, or some such to get rules changed.

As you have done here, it may have to be brought to attention and get 
others considering it.  But I know that even if I have something I've 
carved that I am very proud of,   I still wouldn't expect to win over some 
of the carvers we have here, on this list.   They have carved for years 
learning their craft. I think just maybe they have earned every ribbon they 
get.  But that's only one opinion, since I've never been to a carving 
show.  And know not whereof I speak. (or something like that.  But I think 
it sounds good. LOL)

Well, I decided I wouldn't do this again, but I'm not going to just delete 
all this work.LOL
Cynda http://woodneggs.tripod.com


At 07:10 PM 9/9/04, you wrote:
>To make a DONATION to the Mailing List using PayPal OR regular mail, click 
>this link: http://wwwoodcarver.com/WWWList/WWWList.html
>
>I was reading the new issue of Chip Chats in bed last night and found YET 
>ANOTHER picture of an oft-pictured carving done by a well known 
>carver.  The caption indicated that the carving had won a prize at a show, 
>probably the 3rd or 4th time it had been entered in a large show and the 
>same number of ribbons awarded to it.  It is an excellent carving, no 
>doubt, but the question that came to my mind was, "How often should a 
>carving be entered in a show before being retired from competition?"
>
>This particular carver is a nice guy, a good teacher, and consistantly 
>wins ribbons for his carvings.  I have no problem with that.  I DO have a 
>serious question though about how many ribbons are too many for a carving? 
>If 2-3 carvings show up for a show in the same category, and each has 
>already won a number or ribbons, what happens to the carver who doesn't 
>get to many shows but has put a lot of time and effort into a carving that 
>might well garner a ribbon except that it is now competing against 
>carvings that have already been awarded ribbons at other shows? Very 
>likely the judges recognise the carver's style and maybe even that it has 
>been a previous winner.  I suspect the chances are lessened for the lone 
>carver and he/she may become discouraged that they are always competing 
>against the "circuit" carvers, the ones who continually take their top 
>carvings to a number of shows each year.  To be fair, I expect the judges 
>do not award ribbons solely on who carved the piece, but I still have the 
>uneasy feeling that there may be some bias in the contest.  Chip Chats 
>often has the same carving pictured in several shows each issue, so I am 
>not picking on any one carver here, but the carvers who enter a number of 
>shows each season.
>
>Some carvers don't compete at all, ribbons and competition mean little to 
>them. Some of us compete infrequently, and an occasional ribbon is a nice 
>reminder that someone likes our work besides our spouses. And lastly some 
>folks compete but retire a piece after one or two ribbons, while some seem 
>to enter the piece into every competition that they can.
>
>Do any shows prohibit previous winners (of other shows) from entering the 
>piece in competition?  When is "enough is enough" in your mind?
>
>         Vic H
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>Woodcarver mailing list
>Woodcarver at six.pairlist.net
>http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/woodcarver