CHAPTER VII 



THE BENCH SHOW 



PREPARING hounds for the bench show 

 requires a lot of work and patience on 

 the part of the handler and a hound with 

 good, amiable disposition that does not object 

 to handling. The first thing to be done by 

 the exhibitor is to thoroughly familiarize him- 

 self with the scale of points by which hounds 

 are judged. I was chairman of the committee 

 that formulated this standard, which has been 

 universally adopted by all the foxhunting asso- 

 ciations. (It will be found elsewhere in this 

 book.) 



The hound, being a sporting dog, condition 

 is everything for exhibition purposes, as excel- 

 lence in symmetry and formation will be lost 

 on the judge if condition is bad. A hound is 

 judged on his apparent fitness to do his duty, 

 and if loaded with flesh instead of muscle will 

 surely be set back by the judge if he understands 

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