On Saturday morning at the stadium in the sugar factory microdistrict in Zhabinka, a flood of barking, the sharp yelping of German Shepherds, and a deep, rumbling race could be heard. The green, perfectly mowed meadow became the arena for the 48th Brest Regional Hunting Dog Exhibition. From sixteen districts of Brestchina, the best four-legged hunters and their loyal farms came — a total of 183 pets.

Participants unanimously assessed the location. "The place is simply awesome!" they shared in the judges' college. "The grass is cut short, the rings are spacious, and nearby there's a shady grove where dogs can rest in coolness after the examination." While homemade tea kettles bubbled from open car trunks and sandwiches were being prepared, lively competition raged in the rings.

On the opening ceremony, participants greeted the organizers and district authority representatives.

• "Today Zhabinka is hosting two landmark sporting events simultaneously: an international boxing tournament and the regional hunting dog exhibition," noted Larysa Snezhko, head of the economy department of Zhabinovsky Raya. "For our city this is great honor. Such events are not just exterior assessment, but living hunting traditions and the culture of proper dog breeding. Our topic is very close to us: the Zhabinovsky compound feed plant was the first in the country to start producing dry pet food, and the brand 'Belkorm' gladly prepared prizes for our winners."

Chairman of the Brest Regional Structure of NGO "BOOR" Vladimir Yurgel reminded that since 2014 the organization has been registering strictly breed-specific animals:

• "A dog on the hunt — the main partner and helper. We started these regional shows with 160 participants, and today on the rings there are 183 dogs. 16 full district teams plus more than thirty 'individuals.' Here the exterior, type, condition, correct bite and stride are evaluated. And working diplomas are compiled in Bonnierovka — a comprehensive assessment of breeding value."

At the ring, the night breeds catch the eye with an energetic, compact dog with a thick beard. He sits slightly apart from the others, intently scrutinizing his competitors with his gaze.

"This is a German Jagdterrier, his name is Odi," proudly introduces his partner from Brest, Alexander. "He's three years old, wire-haired. You see, most Jagds are smooth-haired, mine is a 'hairy one,' there aren't many like him. But his character is like flint! A real fighter, that's why we're sitting off to the side."

According to Alexander, in his three incomplete years, Odi already has an impressive service record:

"He already has three field diplomas: two third-class for fox and one first-class. Two medals to his credit! In general, the breed is a universal hunting dog, but his element is the earthwork."

True, the badger is on the Red List, hunting for it is closed, but Odi works brilliantly on foxes. "We just love hunting old straw ricks: you let him inside, and the fox shoots out like a bullet!"

When asked what the strict judges will be looking for in the ring, the knowledgeable owner explains:

"They look at the chest cavity volume, height, jaw strength, and tooth integrity. For a earth dog, a proper skeleton is a matter of survival underground. They also check the nervous system: there should be no cowards among the Jagdterriers!"

Nearby, a motley Laika named Pula impatiently shifts from paw to paw. She glances at the other dogs and loudly protests that her owner is not in a hurry to take her to the fence. Gently stroking the impatient dog's neck, he tells of her "combat exploits."

"Our Pula is a smart one—she's hunted elk, chased a wolf, but in a fight with a boar, we almost lost her—the boar ripped her shoulder, the hole was big enough to fit two of my fists... They put 30 stitches in! But she handled it, and now she's back in service!"

After several hours of intense work in the rings—with Russian and Anglo-Russian hounds, Laikas, Kurzhaars, Drahthaars, Spaniels, and Dachshunds—the judging panel withdrew to tally the scores. The intrigue lasted until the very end.

In the team competition, the Poleshiye celebrated a victory:

1. The Gantsevichy year team;
2. The Berezovsky year team;
3. The Brest year team.

(The top five also included teams from the Stolin and Luninets districts.)

In the individual standings, the exhibition champion was a West Siberian Laika (male) named Talash (owner – S. Kondratovich, Gantsevichy), who scored 133 points in the Bonnie grading and won the title of Exhibition Champion! The best among the Laikas was another West Siberian Laika, Alya (owner – P. Shadura, Gantsevichy), with 126 points.

Among the females, the highest score (88) was achieved by the Kurzhaar bitch Derra (owned by M. Pyatyuk), and among the males, the best was the Drahthaar Egermeister-Poltergeist II (owned by P. Omelyanets, Brest, 102 points). In the terrier ring, the Jagdterrier Bert (owned by I. Petruchenya, Bereza, 152 points) had no equals; among the males, the best was the Jagdtherrier Ares, who scored 118 points in bonitiruvannya (owned by V. Berchuk, Brest). Among the classic hounds, the best were the Stolpin puppies: a Russian Hound bitch V-Zador (owned by I. Adamchuk, Kamensk), and among the pointers, the Estonian Hound "Bagira" (85 points, owned by N. Marchuk, Stolpin). Dogs from the youngest age group of all breeds were also awarded tasty prizes.

...Tired but happy dogs with new medals and diplomas jumped into cars, carrying home well-deserved bags of balanced feed from the Zhabinka Compound Feed Plant. Another exam for breed and quality was passed with "excellent" - the next...