Time really flies! At the twilight of 2016 we can definitely say that this year was challenging but gratifying. To run a global federation like the Fédération Cynologique Internationale is not an easy task. Cultural, political and vision differences bring conflicts that must be promptly resolved, taking into consideration how the results will affect the cynological community. Thanks to a great team work and efforts we managed to solve the issues we were faced with during this past year.

After months of speculations regarding the ability of the RKF to organise the World Dog Show 2016, the most important dog show in the World was a world-class event with marvelous dogs, incredible hospitality and excellent press. On the other hand we were sad to hear that Ecuador resigned from the organisation of the FCI General Assembly and the World Dog Show 2017. Making history, the VDH, in an unprecedented situation, took a step forward to organise both events in Leipzig, Germany, next November. We are grateful and proud that the VDH took this huge responsibility.

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Rafael de Santiago
FCI President
36th Alicante International Dog Show

It has been four years since the last time I went to the national and international dog shows in Alicante. After such a long gap you really notice the changes – for better and worse - that have taken place over this time. In the case of the Alicante Show, I was pleasantly surprised by what the Sociedad Canina de Alicante have done with their show, which no longer bears any relation to the one we used to know. The excellent work carried out by Salvador Serrano’s team at the Sociedad Canina is obvious.

Our main focus is the event held on Sunday 3rd December, the date of the 36th international dog show in the 2016 Spanish calendar which was now drawing to a close. The number of entries was spectacular, with a total of 1127 dogs registered for the show. As usual, the venue was the IFA, which had been laid out for commercial companies with real vision, creating an island of commerce in the middle of the venue, surrounded by all the rings. This meant that, in order to get around and cross the venue, people had to go via the commercial and catering area.

Everything ran like clockwork and we should also highlight the superb way that the organisation dealt with exhibitors, judges and visitors - real added value which should bring people back year after year.

There was a large panel of judges made up of Ms Julija Aidietiene from Lithuania, Mr Francisco Ruiz, Mr Pablo Pérez Torrano, Mr Francisco J. Aguado, Mr Sergio de Salas, Mr Fernando Clemente, Mr Martín Baskaran, Ms Tatiana Pajares, Mr José Miguel Doval, Mr Francisco Martínez Coloma, Ms Kari Augestad, Mr Antonio Alenda, Mr Pedro López Vega, Mr Antonio Almodovar, Ms Juana Diaz Carmona, Mr Salvador Serrano, Mr Marcelino Pozo, Mr Eduardo González Gibert, Mr Pablo Pérez Torrano, Ms Miriam Villalta Camacho and Mr Antonio Mingot, all from Spain. Then from Italy we had Mr Gianni Guffanti, Mr Rui Oliveira from our neighbours, Portugal, Mr Pettk Csaba from Hungary, Ms Viva Maria Solezckij from Poland, Ms Nancy Liebes from the USA, Ms Janelle Robbins from Australia, Gillian S. Kelly from the England, Orlagh Murray from Ireland and, finally, Mr Igor Vygozov from Montenegro.

There were plenty of dogs we had seen before and also many faces among the exhibitors and handlers familiar from the Spanish competition circuit – this all helps to increase the importance and to revitalise of a show like the one held in Alicante.
The Alicante show is comfortable, attractive and offers good services, making it a worthwhile proposition for exhibitors.

We should point out that the programme of events on Saturday ran to a fairly tight timetable, because of the number of number of competitions, single-breed events and shows held at the same time as the CAC. There was the 2016 ISPU (International Schnauzer and Pinscher Club Show), and also three single-breed events with CACs, for American Staffordshire Terriers, Retrievers and Staffordshire Bull Terriers. There were also B and Territorial single-breed events for the Spanish Bull Terrier Club, the Pyrenean Mastiff, the Gos Rater Valencià, the Weimaraner, the Saint Bernard and finally the Spaniel. In one way or another, all of this means we can celebrate the fact that this whole host of activities has meant a considerable increase in the number of dogs entered for the SCA's shows.

In the sporting arena there were Agility events awarding points for the RSCE championship and various dog shows.

Once past the show’s halfway mark, the finals got underway, with the curtain-raiser being the awarding of the prizes for the best junior handlers, and then the groups.

At the end of the judging for Group X the titles for the best dogs from the provinces were awarded. The winner was the short-haired Fox Terrier Kreek Aldo and in the Spanish breeds section, the best in show was the straight-haired Ibizan Hound Canit.

The final ended with the choice of the overall best-in-show made by the Portuguese judge Mr Rui Oliveira, who awarded the title to the English Bulldog Seehurt Hands of Stone, owned by Jorge Rey Andrea; in second position and RBIS was the pug Diabolbric´s Rumour of War. Third place went to the Australian Cattle Dog, Banna Bender the Governor. The awarding of the BIS was followed by a rather wet departure, at the end of an Alicante show which had managed to offer up a lot of genuine surprises.
Congratulations to the organisers.

1. BIS English Bulldog Seehurt Hands of Stone, owned by Jorge Rey Andrea (Spain)
2. BIS pug Diabolbric´s Rumour of War, owned by Mireia Cabre. (Spain)
3. BIS Australian Cattle Dog Banna Bender the Governor, owned by Simona Capelli and Paolo Coletta (Italy)

Marcelino Pozo Ruiz
www.cynologies.com