ON A WORLD TOUR

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 83, 5 October 1931, Page 9

ON A WORLD TOUR

PROMINENT DOG JUDGE

Recognised as the leading all-round dog judge in England, Mr. J.iW.'Marples'was a passenger by the Makura, which arrived at Wellington this morning from Sydney. Mr. Marples's object in visiting New Zealand is to judge the Wellington Kennel Club's show, which, is to be held this week; ' ■ "_■■" Speaking to a "Post"" representative, Mr. Marples said that since leaving England at the end of May he has visited three countries—Africa, Ceylon, and Australia—judging dog shows en route. In Australia he judged the Perth show, Adelaide show, Sydney show, and the Royal show at Melbourne. - The quality-of the stock in Australia, he said, did not compare with that is England, because England was the home: of pedigree stock. Some breeds, such as pomeranians, fox terriers, and alsatians, were of , a high standard, however. The breeders .in Australia, he said/ were in-breeding too much. New blood.was wanted, and he thought that as soon as the. depression, eased off a bit breeders would start to import more pedigree stock than they were doing at the present time. Mr. Marples has been exhibiting and judging for over fifty years. He has judged dogs in practically every country in the woild. and the present tour is the largest ever undertaken by any judge. Some idea of the immensity of the tour may be gathered by the fact that as many as 8000 miles separate one dog show from another. Before he reaches England again he will have covered about 60,000 miles. The day before he left England he judged at the Taunton Championship Show, a show that is described as "The Ascot, of the dog world." Me. Marples has visited Africa four times, and on the occasion of a previous visit he was elected "an honorary life vice-president of the Kennel Union of South Africa, the governing body for the whole of Africa. ■ Mr. Marples is returning to Sydney on Friday, en route for India, where he will judge a show at Rangoon.