News

Russian participation to IFR events remains suspended

We refer to our former decision, supported by a very large majority of Member Clubs, that for the IFR World Show and the IFR World Championships, all registrations of dogs and/or the participation as a handler and even the presence as spectators will be refused for all that live in Russia.   Besides this, Russian judges cannot be invited to judge these events.

The situation in Ukraine has since then not improved, to the contrary even.

The Board therefore sees no other possibility but to extend the former decision to all future IFR-events and this until the Meeting of Delegates will decide otherwise.       The decision does not end the membership of the Russian Rottweiler Club.  As its right to participate our events is suspended, we will not insist on its paying the annual membership fee. 

Believe me when I say that this is not meant as a punishment of the Russian Rottweiler Club or of the Russian Rottweiler Friend in general.

Although one might regret if the Russian Rottweiler Club did not openly condemn the war that is so severely hurting the Ukrainian population and our Ukrainian Rottweiler Friends, we are of course aware that the decision to wage war was not taken by them and that not all Russian Rottweiler Friends support that decision.   Our sympathy goes to them also !

But this does not change the fact that they are part of the nation that is waging war on a peaceful member of the international community.   By doing this, the Russian nation itself has placed itself outside of the international community and has itself denied all of its population, including our Rottweiler Friends, the benefits of being a member of that international community.    This is the direct and necessary implication of the decision to wage war and our Russian Rottweilers Friends can only blame their own elected political leadership for this.

Even if the Rottweiler Club of Russia and its members are moral innocent for the terrible situation, it is clear that participants do not just participate the World Show and/or World Championship as individuals, but also as – silent or not - representatives of their country.  For the IFR World Championships this is even formally and by definition the case.   

It is then unthinkable that whereas the Ukrainian Rottweiler Friend would be in hiding or fighting a war that he did not want nor provoke and would be unable to participate our IFR-events, that the representatives of the invading country would be allowed to participate and be honored and cheered under the flag and hymn of the aggressor.    This would be unthinkable in the concept of the Friendship, solidarity and sportsmanship between dog lovers that is proper to our Federation!

In these circumstances, because of moral considerations but also considerations that concern the safety and well-being of all participants, spectators and dogs, the above mentioned decision must stand.