$5000 to Race???

[Crofab]

Unfortunately, the world is also ripe with people who have don't have the sense /class to pick up when it's clear that it needs to be done and is the right thing to do ... which is a far greater crime to the sport than a guy picking up a bit too early.

There will be no disagreement from me here.

Yeah well, many people over the years fancy "themselves" as having stones, just because they wantonly put their dogs in bad situations, when the truth is such people wouldn't have the stones to handle anything like that kind of situation "themselves."

That is true, but I think this may be where we have the same view but with different terminology. A person that wantonly puts their dogs in those unnecessary situations isn't showing they have any stones. They are showing a lack of understanding of what it takes to be worthy to handle and/or care for such an animal. Any total and complete idiot can do that without giving it a second thought as we've all seen for years on end with individuals.

This is true in some cases, not so true in others. Sometimes the actual owner is "too close to the tree" to see the whole forest clearly. This is what his second is for also: adding to the perspective.

At times, you're exactly right. At times, I'm exactly right. There have been times when I've been "too close to the tree", so to speak; I think we all have if we've done this type of thing with any longevity. As time and the world moved on, I learned how to find, most of the time, a middle ground where I can see the tree and the forest equally. Hopefully people are willing to grow and develop some objectivity to this dear old sport and develop the same mental compass as many others.