Carriage or station refers to the way in which the Jacobin presents itself. In my stud of Jacobins, station is the most important feature of the bird. I select for this characteristic before anything else and it will make a Jacobin stand out above all others. There are many other very important attributes to an outstanding Jacobin but without proper station the Jacobin cannot exhibit these features and will not, and should not, win a show.
To have proper station the Jacobin must have the correct leg setting. The ball of the foot should be in a direct line below the center of the rose. This allows for a very upright posture and lets the Jacobin freely stretch upwards. A long slender boby and a long neck further enhance the Jacobin with proper leg setting giving it even more height or reach and thus a more impressive figure in the judging pen.
The standard allows 15 points for carriage however without correct carriage your Jacobin cannot win a show. In my oppinion carriage is far more important than the 15 points would indicate. I am not suggesting that the standard be changed, but you must understand the dinamics of the entire Jacobin and thus make decisions in your culling and breeding programs based on what is going to allow your Jacobins to win. Trust me proper station will be your biggest step in the right direction.
Written by Clint Robertson <barj@mts.net>
