There really are ugly people no matter what you do, from performance, to shows, to you next door neighbor. They always have crap to say about somebody else and what they do. Sometimes you gotta learn when to realize some people really just don't ****ing matter.
I think it has more to do with how established something is, rather than the venue itself. Showing has been popular for a long long time, and has an established heirarchy and set of rules, especially compared to something like flyball or something,
Give those other sports long enough to have regular winners and establish an identity and get some money involved, then watch the egos go to work.
I personally do not like confo shows at all. I think they prove very little and do NOT steer the breeds involved in a good direction.
I used to be a part of GSD only confo shows, only because I was part of club that did them. I coped by setting up early, drinking all day and cooking food
, then tear down when it was done. it was more SV type stuff, not American AKC shows, i have no idea how those go. But the majority of the people were at least nice, though there were a few that were nice to people's faces, and would berate them as soon as they left.
There was certainly politics involved at all levels, but if you just enjoy the people and your dogs, who cares? The majority of people were competetive and were good sports, like it should be. But there are always some that take it a bit further. One show I was involved in had a new young dog over from Germany, just imported. Very highly regarded, considered to be one of the top dogs in this country. He got beat by another dog in his class at the small confo show. The owner was ok with it, but the people behind him were just pissed beyond belief and trashing everyone involved.
That day, I think the right dog won from what I saw and know. The other dog had more intensity, just in gaiting as strange as that sounds, you could see more power. I don't care how they really look, but he had power. It was hot and the judge made them run a lot. That dog was in much better shape, much better muscle everything. I also had the opportunity to do protection work with both dogs. While the one from Germany did decent work, the other dog was much stronger, and I liked that.
The lesser known dog was also owned by someone that was putting on the confo show and maybe he was placed first in that show because the judge liked the person putting on the show? maybe, that's what everyone said and in my opinion the right dog won. He was stronger, and it was obvious, he had better stamina and really the only difference i could see physically was the one everybody thought should win had much blacker blacks and was very red in color where the other didn't have as rich of pigment. BFD is what I say, the dog worked better outside of the show and buried that dog in terms of stamina and strength in the show.
Anyway, that dog never beat the German import again. I know because i'm friends with both owners and both owners are friends. In fact the one guy does almost all the helper work for the other guys dogs. They compete for the right reasons. But one has more money, buys the right handlers for the shows and his dogs win a lot
. Politics ?? I'm sure there are some.
I just watched some video from the lates national seiger show here in the states, a dog that placed very highly was absolutely pathetic, bred by an sv judge who was there, and co-owned by some money players in the game, and shown by a well known german handler. Another dog that showed very well, placed much lower, but was obviously a much stronger dog but owned by a little guy in the sport bought as a puppy and trained by her and shown by her and shown very well, but was not going to win anything other than appreciation from those that know what to look for.
There's politics to a degree in the sports I do, and it bothers me to a degree, but really, the only reason I do it is because i love spending time with my dogs and the people I train with. I love the progress and things we do. So in the end it those people all caught up in that really don't amount to **** to me. Others might hold them in a different light, i find it a bit sad sometimes, but mostly i just let them do their own thing, it doesn't change what I do.
Find what you like, do it, and have fun. Let those that don't matter talk all they want.