In our fervor to assist a needy Junior Handler we went off half cocked and mislead all of you. We did not research the issue sufficiently. While we did review the premium list for the AKC/Eukanuba we did not go beyond the cash prizes. We just received the following e-mail from AKC.
Hello Bill:We apologize to all the hard working people at AKC and Eukanuba who have worked so hard to make the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship into the marquee event it is. We did not mean to imply that they do not care about Junior Handlers. We want to support Demry’s to go to Crufts. We have made a donation in her behalf and we encourage to do so as well. Now, we are off to a lunch of crow.
I read with great despair your news and reporting on the AKC/Eukanuba national championship awards to Junior showmanship winners. As you can see from the information provided (from the official premium list) that is far from accurate. Your report makes it seem that our event does nothing for the Juniors when in fact in addition to the prizes offered they are provided a free luncheon, meeting opportunities, and free admission for themselves and a chaperone for all events. Are we to infer that a free trip or social incentive should outweigh the huge offer of scholastic advancement and support…I think not! While your intentions to generate a drive to send the winner to Crufts are well founded…it should not be at the expense of our events reputation. I would think an immediate retraction would be in order. Thank you for your rapid response to this request.
Michael
BEST JUNIOR HANDLER
The American Kennel Club offers a walnut plaque listing the Best Junior Handler for Each year, along with the breed and name of the dog shown, to be on permanent display in the AKC Library.
Best Junior Handler will receive a solid 14K yellow gold custom designed lapel pin enhanced with pink synthetic Corundum and genuine green Peridot stones. It will read: “Best Junior 08”. This pin is designed and donated by 14K9.com
Best Junior Handler will receive an 11-inch engraved silverplated tray offered by the AKC.
The 12 finalists will receive an Eukanuba Tack Box offered by Eukanuba Dog Foods.
Rosettes for each of the finalists.
Rosettes for First, Second, Third and Fourth in the Finals class.
Each Junior exhibiting will receive a T-Shirt offered by Take the Lea
SCHOLARSHIPS FROM EUKANUBA DOG FOODS WILL BE AWARDED AS FOLLOWS:
First - $2,000 Second - $1,500 Third - $1,200 Fourth - $1,000
Michael L. Canalizo
Director AKC Event Management
The American Kennel Club
Hi everyone, Demery Paladichuk here. I just wanted to clarify, I did recieve money from Eukanuba for college. I recieved a $2,000 scholarship that can only be used on college, but nothing for a trip to Crufts.
ReplyDeleteI also recieved a pin from 14K9 and some grooming items from Oster as you can see from this post. I have sent a handwritten thank you note to every company I recieved a prize/scholarship from. I am very grateful for everything I have recieved, however I really need the financial help in order to make it to England to represent the States.
Thank you to everyone who has helped out so far!
I just want to bring to the forefront the issue that I brought to Billy's attention - the US Junior Representative to Crufts receives no financial assistance to travel to the UK. I do not discount that the winner receives material awards and a generous scholarship, but this does not help her with the hefty cost of traveling to and staying in Birmingham.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_donations&business=usjunior%2ecrufts%40gmail%2ecom&lc=US&item_name=U%2eS%2e%20Junior%20Representative%20for%20Crufts¤cy_code=USD&bn=PP%2dDonationsBF%3abtn_donateCC_LG%2egif%3aNonHosted
WOW! Lunch and a pin! Yeah thats the same as $50,000.
ReplyDeleteHow about the $50,000 winner donate 10% of that to send Demery to Crufts? Consider it an investment in the future of our Juniors.
ReplyDeleteBilly, Demery & Maggie, You are all first class people and I support your quest to get Demery to England. Now to get off my but and get a donation made. TE
ReplyDeleteBilly, the only thing you need to apologize for is leaving out the word "scholarship" in your remarks--it looks like an honest typo to me. You do mention the $2,000.
ReplyDeleteAKC and Eukanuba's response seems like "the lady doth protest too much." Free lunch, a pin, and rosettes? Very nice, but it won't get the winner to Crufts. Their response made it sound like you had said something awful about them.
AKC's being just a tad overly defensive, IMHO.
Patty H.
Just re-read AKC's response to you.....They sound like they're running scared.
ReplyDeleteHi, Patty,
ReplyDeleteThere’s a Chinese fable that goes something like this. A man repeated gossip about his neighbor only to find to his chagrin that his neighbor was innocent of the charges he had unfairly laid on him. Eager to make it right with his neighbor he went to him and asked what he could do to correct hiis transgression. The neighbor handed him a goose down pillow from his bed and told him, “Take this pillow to the hill behind your house, tear it open and scatter the feathers to the wind.” The man, incredulous that his task should be so easy, asked “Is that all I need do?” His neighbor replied, “No. Retrieve the feathers, put them back in the pillow and return it to me.”
My original post said, “The winning dog got $50,000. The winning dog’s breeder got $15,000. The Best Bred By Exhibitor got $15,000. The winner of the World Challenge got $15,000. The Best Junior Handler In Show $0. That’s right $0, nada, zip.” As you read in my apology, Mike ask me to correct my original post and I did immediately. That you didn’t see the original is of some comfort to me. However, now it has left the impression that I had unfairly be challenged. Not so. Had I read the premium list beyond the cash prizes, I would have known that the Best Junior Handler got several prizes including the $2,000 scholarship. Like the Chinese man too eager to repeat gossip, I rallied to the side of the “wronged” party without getting my facts straight. While I am happy that I was able to do something to help Demry, I wish I had all the facts before I went to press. Not only did I have to eat crow, but I’ll be picking up feathers for a while.
so.. how won the junior handler yellow gold lapel pins? pls tell me..
ReplyDelete