ALL AMERICAN GROOMING SHOW
INCIDENT/COMPLAINT
REPORT FORM
(Please check appropriate box)
( x ) Competition Related ( ) Speaker Related ( ) Registration Related ( ) Other
| SHOW: ALLAMERICAN GROOMING SHOW | DATE AUGUST, 2010 |
Competition issues dealt with Spectators:
1. Rowdy behavior ringside by children, verbal complaint from Competitor
Staff responded by requesting parent to control children or remove them from the ring area.
2. Photography while competition was in progress, verbal complaint from Competitor
Staff responded by requesting spectators to refrain from taking photos or remove themselves from the ring area.
3. Intimidating Presence By Spectators
Sarah Hawks and Irina Pinkusevich were the subject of a verbal complaint from two Judges with assignments at the AA Grmg Show.
These Judges had received verbal complaints from more than one Competitor that the ringside discussions that Sarah Hawks and Irina Pinkusevich were having with some of the USA Judges with assignments that weekend were disturbing/distracting.
Staff response:
Sarah Hawks was not attending the show in an official capacity. In fact, she was attending as a guest of Show Management. Irina, also a Spectator, was working for an Exhibitor.
Contest Mgr., Ann Stafford, privately asked Irina to excuse herself from the ring area while the GroomTeam competition was in progress.
Show Mgr., Jerry Schinberg, and Contest Mgr., Ann Stafford, jointly and privately asked Sarah to do the same
It was explained to both that their presence and social activity was presenting a distraction for more
than one Competitor.
Jerry Schinberg was later approached by Sarah Hawks, who exhibited a loud, belligerent attitude in front of other Show Attendees. Jerry refused to debate the issue in anything but a private discussion.
No one was banned from the Competition arena; however, Show Management was surprised that anyone would be offended by the request. If the same request had been made of Jerry Schinberg or myself at another show by Show Management, we would have immediately complied.
Both Sarah and Irina were treated the same as the other Spectators who were causing a disturbance/distraction to our Competitors.
We had an obligation to our Competitors and Judging Panel, not Spectators.
The United ShowManagers Alliance was the first to establish a formal Grievance Procedure to be followed at participating shows. None exists, however, wherein a Competitor can file a grievance against a Spectator!
The USA Board has not aired these issues in a public forum.
Thus far, only Sarah and Irina have publicly "criticized" the manner in which it was handled with posts to at least one social networking site
Had Sarah and Irina handled themselves in a professional manner, respectful of show management, this would have been a non-issue.
Should the situation arise again, the Competition Staff would follow the same procedure.
An official resignation has been received from Sarah Hawks as a USA Sanctioned Judge.
Other USA Sanctioned Judges who desire to resign after hearing “the other side of the story” should do so by submitting USA Form 16, Judge’s Request For Status Change. Form may be submitted on-line at United ShowManagers Alliance website: www.unitedshowmanagersalliance.com.
Report filed by: Ann Stafford, Contest Manager & Sr. USA Board Member, 8/23/10