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Less than three minutes. That is all the time that dog show judge Fred Bassett is allowed to decide who stays and who goes in a dog show competition.
Within these few moments, he must take into consideration conditioning, bone structure, muscle tone and soundness.
“It’s basically a beauty contest,” says Bassett, a Broken Arrow resident.
However, after more than 30 years of judging, this short time is more than enough for Bassett to make these critical decisions.
Bassett has been showing dogs since 1961, and judging dog shows since 1977. Approved by the American Kennel Club (AKC) to judge a wide variety of breeds, Bassett has traveled all over the world and judged in prestigious shows, such as the Eukanuba and Westminster Kennel Club dog shows.
Recently retired from an information technology career, Bassett has all but slowed down. What many would consider a part-time job Bassett considers an exciting retirement hobby.
“Retirement has allowed me to judge more shows and stay busy,” Bassett says. “I’m judging a show or speaking at a seminar about half the weekends out of the year.”
On any one day of competition, Bassett may judge up to 175 dogs, allowing only 2 1/2 minutes of interaction per dog. With so little time to impress, dog owners and handlers try to make the best of it.
“There is a lot of preparation for the dogs before a show, although most of it is done at home from a very early age,” Bassett says.
After the confirmation competition, or the “beauty contest,” the dogs are judged on obedience and showmanship, or “what makes them stand out,” Bassett says.
The judges have an “ideal dog” standard to which each breed is compared.
“I’ve never seen a ‘perfect’ dog,” Bassett says, though “some have come very close.”
Bassett admits that his favorite part of the competition is his interaction with the dogs and those few times when he feels as if he has found something special.
“When you find a new dog that you’ve never judged before, it’s like you’ve made a discovery, and you feel really good about it,” he says.
Bassett’s career highlights include judging the Toy Group at the 2009 Westminster show in New York City and the Best in Show at a dog show in Beijing, China, where he received a standing ovation when he walked into the ring.
“It was the most surprising reception I’d ever received,” Bassett says. “I found out later that the standing ovation was because the crowd was so pleased with the organization of the first dog show structured by AKC rules.”
Bassett says he is thankful for the opportunities he has been given.
“I would’ve never gone all the places I’ve been, or met all the people I’ve been able to meet, if I weren’t a dog show judge,” he says. “It’s been very enriching for my life.”
