1) The WDS and the French Championship were very successful regarding the number of dogs and therefore definitely the biggest canine event ever organised. I assume you are pleased?

: It was not the goal of our organisation to set any records at all, but to attract enough dogs to give the event real value and to try to give them the best possible reception.

We are indeed pleased to have been able to bring this number of dogs together, thanks to the cooperation from outside the SCC and particularly with the national and international press. Of course, the greater the number of dogs, the more difficult the management of the event becomes.

2) The organisation caused quite a few problems, most of which were resolved on the second day. What were the biggest problems?

The biggest problems we encountered were before and during the event.

Before the event, we made certain agreements with our catalogue provider, and we were obliged to observe the deadlines. Dog lovers always have the time, and last-minute entries are always difficult to arrange, whatever form they take, as there is not enough time to check and monitor everything thoroughly.

In addition to the fact that we were still getting into our stride, the first day of the show was very difficult because a very large number of participants wanted to arrive early in case of problems at the entrance and at the veterinary inspections. Although it was very large, the roundabout close to the entrance was blocked solid at 5 a.m.! Following the relative ease of access to the show rings on the first day, this situation would not recur on the other days, with Friday, the busiest day in terms of the number of dogs entered, being the best example.

3) The SCC is part of the Ministry of Agriculture. What are the pros and cons of that arrangement?

Our connection with the Ministry of Agriculture does not cause any problems – in fact, it provides solutions and smoothes the way with regard to the control and monitoring of all dog-related matters in France.

4) Security on the site was often extremely tight. Was there a reason for that? (this area had some serious problems with youth protests a few years ago?)

The levels of security on site and in the area are dictated by the Préfecture and its departments, including the veterinary Department. Although this security is very restrictive, it also provides the organisation with considerable peace of mind, and although the security requirements were not insignificant, they were easy to put into practice.

5) What did the judges think of the dual judging requirements (WDS/Championship), as I imagine that this resulted in some long days for some of them.

Judging for the French Championship took place in the morning from 8.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m., then the World Dog Show judging in the afternoon, as we were rather concerned about a group entry for the two shows, and we were later proved right.

On the other hand, each judge only adjudicated once a day, either in one championship or the other. Juries were put together in this way to comply with the regulations: a judge may not participate in two shows on the same day and, most importantly, so that judges can conserve their time and energy for their duties.

6) Was the event covered by French television? Was there a positive approach to the subject of the “show”?

We have been in contact with various television channels for several months; most of them proved to be fruitful and the TV coverage was very beneficial.

Each channel has its own way of working and we, of course, respected the wishes of each. So “Channel 5” put together a programme on all possible ways to come to Paris with a dog, and “Direct 8” publicised us on its animal programmes (“Animals on 8”). We were also featured on the TV news by TF1 (1 p.m. on 7 July and 8 p.m. on 10 July), France 2 (1 p.m. on 8 July and TELEMATIN on 12 July) and M6 (12.45 p.m. on 7 July). Given the difficulty in getting on to these major national channels, the work carried out by our partners in the media has been very pleasing.

More than 260 accredited journalists and photographers made it possible for all the continents to be represented in Paris.

7) Were there any foreign networks as well?

Yes, some foreign channels were there, such as TV Argentina, RAI from Italy, TV3 from Lithuania, a Swiss TV channel, Dog Channel TV from the Ukraine, Vietnamese TV, etc. Nowadays, we get a lot of requests for pictures for European publications and from several South American countries.

8) Are you generally satisfied, and what, in your opinion, are the things that the SCC could have improved ?

Yes, certainly satisfied, but not on all levels for such an event, and in retrospect there are certain aspects that could have been handled differently.

The condition of the car park, for which we were not responsible as it was handled by external companies, the dubious quality of the transportation company responsible for transporting our jury by bus, the number of seats at the honour ring could have been different... We were undoubtedly victims of our own success.

But let’s not put ourselves down; the huge number of letters of praise and thanks from competitors allows us to feel that we have fulfilled our missions – raising the profile of PUREBRED DOGS.

We were particularly pleased with the final in the main ring, with moments of intense emotion and passion. Placing two great French dog-lovers in the spotlight, Guy Mansencal et Raymond Triquet, was the final touch, the icing on the cake of this great moment.

Interview by Karl Donvil