We arrive at the venue of our next Hungarian exhibition in the illustrated series showcasing the world of shows. We are in the southern part of the Great Plain, on this flat sandy wilderness, which is only occasionally broken by shade-giving trees.
In the Kiskunság region, as far as the eye can see, there is an endless plain dotted with reeds, the sight of heron wells, sand dunes alternating with grassy fields in places, where herds graze here and there. The Kis-Kunság…
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- Kiskunság landscape
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- Kiskunság sand dunes
…Where my heart and soul/Always longed back from everywhere/At last I saw once again the land of my birth/The beautiful Kiskunság! – writes Sándor Petőfi, our greatest Hungarian poet, who was a lover of this region. He always wrote with great affection about this area, the landscape, the people living here, and Kiskunfélegyháza as well, where he spent his childhood. "Here I was born on this land/The beautiful vast plain of the Great Plain/This city is the place of my birth" – he writes in his poem titled "In My Homeland".
Arriving at Petőfi’s homeland, let us take a small detour to Kiskunfélegyháza. Kiskunfélegyháza is the third largest city in the region and not only became known through Petőfi but is also the birthplace of Ferenc Móra, a writer and journalist. Since 1972, a Museum dedicated to the life and work of the writer operates in the birthplace of this classic of Hungarian prose, where we can visit Ferenc Móra’s room with his personal belongings.
Among the sights of Kiskunfélegyháza, we must highlight the Swan House, built in the early 1800s in a classicist style, named after the swan-shaped sign on its pediment. The Swan House currently houses the city library named after Sándor Petőfi, in one of whose rooms we can view an exhibition dedicated to the poet's memory. Kiskunfélegyháza is also an important school town. Its educational institutions offer learning opportunities to many students beyond the city’s region. The oldest and most famous schools bear the names of Sándor Petőfi and Ferenc Móra.
After this small detour, we arrive at Kunszállás, the uniquely designed Somogyi Equestrian and Leisure Center, which plays a significant role in equestrian sports. Kunszállás is located between the cities of Kecskemét and Kiskunfélegyháza. Among its best-known sights are Csőke Park and the Somogyi Equestrian and Leisure Center, which also served as the venue for the dog exhibition on this day.
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- Somogyi Equestrian Center
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- Somogyi Equestrian Center
The Equestrian Center is intertwined with the name of the Somogyi family, who, continuously developing since 1995, created a riding track suitable for both carriage driving and dressage competitions on a 20-hectare area, which today also serves as a venue for riding camps and is recognized as the most uniquely designed Equestrian Center in Bács-Kiskun county.
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- Equestrian Show at the Somogyi Equestrian Center
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- Somogyi Equestrian Center Competition
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- Marathon Driving
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- Competition at the Somogyi Equestrian Center
The dog breeders awaited the dog exhibitors and visitors at the dog show venue, the Equestrian Center, already from 7 o’clock in the morning.
“After the last show, the nickname ‘tick-infested’ stuck to Kiskunfélegyháza, and that quite widely. That’s why we read with relief and interest in the entry announcement that they were waiting at a new venue. Well, to begin with, just that the change worked out brilliantly.” – we learn from Beatrixt Pethő and her husband, Imre, breeders of the “Black Jade Pakony” pug kennel.
Imre tells us about their experiences at the show in the following:
“On the signposted road to Kunszállás we easily arrived and quickly got into a beautiful grassy area, an equestrian leisure park (where after a rainy day the soil was still not deep), where you could park almost next to the rings. One possible shortcoming of the area COULD HAVE BEEN the lack of shade-giving trees, but the organizers sensibly chose the timing so that it was neither cold nor too hot. Well, maybe one negative! In my opinion, the only thing that spoiled the comfort, especially for the ladies, was the mobile restrooms. However, returning to the open air, it quickly dwindled into a fleeting, quickly vanishing and forgettable memory in the siesta atmosphere. (I hope I am not a negligible minority with this impression.)
As is good habit for Chief Judge Vilmos Kardos (as it’s said: God keep it so!) not only the morning judging started on time but also the afternoon BIS program! The latter – unlike us – caught some of his colleagues unexpectedly, as they missed the beginning, after which they received a strong admonition over the loudspeaker from the otherwise very well-announcing boss.
In 9 rings, 461 dogs, or mainly their exhibitors, tried to win.
Being a Pug owner, I can write about the judging of Group IX. Barely anything. No loud complaints or arguments, no stressed dogs pulling dramatically, nothing like that. Judge Ferenc Gröschl audibly shared his observations and explained his decisions during the comparisons for the audience. Well, of course, he also has great experience in public appearances, as he often hosts the afternoon program at MKSZ shows. And there was even time for photos with the winners.
Those leaving the group judging were amazed by the mini-sized, probably made by the main sponsor, but attractive table plaque, some were dissatisfied. But to them, I quote the saying: he who does not appreciate the small…
Hate me for it, but to me, on a Sunday before a Monday workday, far from home, it was extremely pleasant that the BIS program ended after half past three, when at a CACIB only the young handlers are still finishing, and we got home to our children and dogs not during bath time.”
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- Poodle judging
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- Boston Terriers during judging
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- Boston Terriers Breed Winner selection
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- Chihuahua judging
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- Chinese Crested Dog - Young Class Winner
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- Maltese judging with its owner
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- Winning pugs – Breed Winner and BOS
Many thanks to Beatrix Pethő and Imre, on behalf of the Black Jade Pakony pug kennel>> for the interesting and detailed exhibition report and the many beautiful photos that gave us a little insight into the “Colorful and Special World of Exhibitions”.
Congratulations to all exhibitors, and especially to the winners for their great achievements at the exhibition!
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If you are a dog exhibitor or interested in the world of dog shows, I recommend the author’s official website, where you will find the dog show calendars of recent years, the official 2020 MEOESZ dog show calendar, and all the 2020 MEOESZ dog shows’ Hungarian and English language recommendations, available as usual!
Visit the official website of dog article writer and author Ildikó Vámosi:
Http://ildikovamosi.hu/
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