I Don’t Go to Dog Shows Just to Win

People think I’m crazy when I say I don’t go to dog shows just to win.

Because really…

Who goes to dog shows not wanting to win?

And don’t get me wrong — I love a good win. I love seeing a dog recognized. I love when a judge understands what they’re looking at. I love when generations of work, vision, sacrifice, and risk all come together in one moment.

But winning has never been the whole reason I show up.

Not for me.

Not for Chris.

Not for our dogs.

And definitely not for this breed. 🦬

For me, dog shows have always been about something bigger than ribbons.

They are about encouraging the breed.

They are about supporting the people brave enough to load up their dogs, spend the money, make the drive, walk into the ring, and give it a shot.

They are about seeing friends, peers, new breeders, old breeders, handlers, families, and the people who continue putting on events for the community.

They are about showing up for the breed — not just showing off for ourselves.

And truthfully?

I want wins dispersed.

I want newer breeders to feel that excitement.

I want people to keep coming back.

I want the community to grow, not shrink around one person, one kennel, or one ego.

This weekend could not have gone more beautifully.

There were seven shows total, and before we ever pulled in, I told myself that even one or two wins would make me feel fulfilled.

Not because I didn’t believe in our dogs.

But because my goal was never to take everything.

My goal was to represent the breed well, support the people around us, and be part of something healthy, exciting, and worth the 18-hour drive one way.

In the end, we won one out of seven shows.

And honestly?

I could not be more elated over how awesome the weekend went. 💜

Because what made the weekend special was never just the ribbons.

It was the atmosphere.

The camaraderie.

The laughter.

The support.

The grace people showed each other when they won and when they lost.

The Olde English Bulldogge people sat together.

Teased each other.

Joked with each other.

Motivated each other.

Elevated each other.

We saw new winners emerge.

We saw breeders encouraged to keep going.

We saw people sit together who may have never experienced that kind of camaraderie before.

And for once, it didn’t feel like every ribbon had to become a war. 🐈‍⬛

More competition is always welcome.

I would love to see more Olde English Bulldogges in the ring. More breeders. More programs. More dogs. More perspectives.

Before I die, maybe I’ll get to see 100 Oldies show up.

And may the best of the best win. 🧬

May the breed flourish.

May the breed be understood.

May people truly see the depth, substance, temperament, history, and purpose behind what this breed has always been. 🦬

But I also have to say…

The peace of this weekend felt good.

The ease felt good.

The lack of bitterness felt good.

People won.

People lost.

People clapped.

People laughed.

People supported one another.

And that matters.

We were happy with the judges’ evaluations.

We thanked them.

We didn’t challenge them.

We didn’t make it ugly.

Because at the end of the day, it is our responsibility to represent our breed well. 👩🏻‍🔬

That responsibility does not stop with the dog on the end of the lead.

It is how we carry ourselves.

How we win.

How we lose.

How we speak about the judges.

How we treat the other exhibitors.

How we make new people feel when they walk into our breed.

The Olde English Bulldogge has been here a long time, and while the ring has helped elevate the breed over the past decade, our breed was never built on ribbons alone.

As a whole, we have never needed the ring to help people love these dogs.

The breed was already successful.

Already loved.

Already valued by the families and breeders who lived with them, built them, and believed in them long before the spotlight got brighter. 🔮

The ring is something on top.

A platform.

A chance to educate.

A chance to elevate.

A chance to help the world better understand what the Olde English Bulldogge truly is.

And I hope the platform continues to grow.

I hope more people show up.

I hope the breed becomes more established and more deeply understood.

But more than anything, I hope we never lose the spirit that weekends like this reminded me of.

The community.

The sportsmanship.

The excitement.

The laughter.

The mutual respect.

The understanding that this should be bigger than any one dog, any one ribbon, or any one kennel.

Because Chris and I are breeders first.

Builders first.

We are not here just to rack up ribbons.

We are here to put amazing dogs in front of people.

To show characteristics judges may not see every weekend.

To remind people what these bulls have always been.

To help preserve the substance, temperament, power, and identity that make the Olde English Bulldogge special. 💜🧬

So no…

I don’t go to dog shows just to win.

I go to represent.

I go to encourage.

I go to support.

I go to educate.

I go to help the breed flourish.

And if we win while doing that?

Beautiful.

But if the breed moved forward that weekend?

That matters too. 💜🧬👩🏻‍🔬🐈‍⬛🦬🔮

The Community deserves people like you!