Mr. Meyer, together with France and The Netherlands, Germany (VDH) is organising one of the Special Centenary Shows that qualify for the FCI Centenary World Champion of Champions in Brussels (Belgium), all in order to celebrate the foundation of the FCI 100 years ago. I presume this is very important to you and the VDH. What can we expect from the VDH with regard to celebrating this event?

We feel very honoured that the FCI has asked us to organise an event in the frame of the Centenary celebrations. As a founding member of FCI, VDH identifies very strongly with the world association, seeing itself as a dependable partner where displaying joint commitment to the wellbeing of dogs is concerned.

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary, we will be putting on a double event with the FCI Centenary Winner Show & VDH-Europa Sieger Show. This means that exhibitors can win the CACIB twice as well as other titles over one weekend.

This event will be an international meeting point for the cynological community and we are looking forward to many fascinating encounters and conversations with our fellow dog lovers from all over the world so that we can celebrate the centenary of the FCI with them.

We will also have a pet fair with cats, birds, fish and other animals. We are expecting a total of more than 60,000 visitors and will familiarise this broad public with the work and objectives of the FCI and VDH.

Do you expect a lot more dogs compared to the regular show at Dortmund, which is already one of the biggest shows in Western Europe?

As a rule, we have around 8,000 entries for our show in May; we anticipate having 12,000 dogs for the FCI Centenary Winner Show. Added to this, there will be the numerous dogs brought by visitors, which means we are likely to see a total of about 15,000 dogs coming to Dortmund.

Have you special prizes on offer?

Apart from the trophies for the winners and junior winners, a prize will also be awarded for the best veteran of each breed. The Best of Breed winners will also receive a blue-and-white rosette. Each competitor will be given a high-quality pin as a memento, which can be used to secure his starting number.

Together with our top partner, Eukanuba, we have also come up with a special welcome gift. We are inviting all competitors to join us for a free coffee and they can then keep the coffee cup as a souvenir. An exclusive special edition will only be issued for the FCI Centenary Winner Show.

We will also have a special cynological surprise for guests of honour and judges at the gala evening on 7 May.

Have you invited any special guests?

We have invited all the Presidents of the European Kennel Clubs and will organise a special gala evening, where we anticipate around 400 guests. In addition to the FCI General Committee, the Presidents of the English and American Kennel Clubs are also expected to attend. 176 judges from 24 different countries have also been invited.

Did you bring this event into the spotlights in Germany, like for example on television or radio programmes, commercial spots, etc.?

We have launched an advertising campaign in all the specialist German dog magazines and journals. On top of this, we have initiated billboard posting with 2,000 posters and large placards, radio spots, newspaper ads, distribution of flyers via vets and specialised dealers, as well as extensive PR work. In cooperation with the biggest daily newspaper in Dortmund, we have organised a photo competition in the run-up which has attracted almost 1,400 entries from readers. The dog winning this competition will be pictured on the poster for the pet fair.

What can the exhibitors expect? And what practical advice would you give them?

We will provide generous, fully carpeted rings. As a special service, all exhibitors will receive a detailed time schedule beforehand with reliable judging times for their breed. This means that exhibitors can plan their journey to the show in a relaxed manner. We will organise a bus shuttle for car parks located further away from the arena.

What special arrangements have you made?

We have made special agreements with a large number of hotels, which can be accessed via www.fci-winner.de. Parking spaces will be available for motor caravans in the immediate vicinity of the arena, though capacity is limited. The registration form is also available on our website. We advise exhibitors to book accommodation or a mobile caravan space in good time.

Have you contacted more hotels and have you made any special arrangements other than the usual ones in order to host more exhibitors and visitors?

The hotel capacities should be sufficient because we have made agreements will all the big hotels in the surrounding area.

Any idea of the number of countries that will be represented?

We expect exhibitors from 30 different countries.

Are other competitions to be expected, other than the show?

Apart from the two International Shows, a Dog Dancing championship will also be held. Added to this, there will be an extensive accompanying programme with shows and other activities, such as movie dog workshops, breed presentations and specialised talks.

Who is the BIS judge and what brought you to choose him/her?

The BIS judge for the FCI Centenary Winner Show is Hans Müller, President of FCI. He is a longstanding and close friend of the association and an outstanding cynologycal expert. We are very proud that Mr. Müller has accepted our invitation and will judge the Best in Show final on Sunday.

Horst Kliebenstein will be the BIS judge at the VDH-Europa Sieger. He is an all-round VDH judge and Chairman of the FCI Judges’ Commission; with this selection, the VDH would like to pay tribute to Mr. Kliebenstein’s great services to cynology.

When is the deadline to enter to the show? And how many dogs would you like to have in the end?

The official closing date is 23 March 2011, though entries will be accepted up to 30 March 2011 (received at the VDH office by 12 noon). Entries can also be submitted online at www.fci-winner.de, where the entry documents are also available for downloading. We expect around 12,000 dogs, which would be an outstanding number for the show from 6-8 May 2011. This will also signal the start of the FCI centenary celebrations.

Do you have any special comments or announcements to make?

At the FCI Centenary Winner Show, we will present a book to the general public for the first time which shows the locomotion of dogs in a completely new light. It is based on a study funded by the Society for the Promotion of Kynology Research (gkf ) and VDH member associations and conducted under the leadership of Professor Dr. Martin Fischer in Jena. The dog’s anatomy is illustrated in a fascinating way using innovative pictorial language, showing the correlation of the skeleton, muscular system and locomotion. The most extensive study in the world on over 300 dogs from 32 different breeds produces radically new insights into the movements of dogs. The enclosed DVD with over 400 film clips, X-rays and 3D animations demonstrates the diversity and uniformity of canine locomotion with a precision and vividness never achieved before. We are curious to see what the response will be. The book will appear in both German and English.

Interview by Karl Donvil