Tri State Kennel Club, Sunday November 4, 2012

Havanese

Boo - Lil Scamps Night On The Town (Desi X Panda)  1st

Chocobeast - That's Eh Sweet Chocolate Seduction (Roché X Meg) 1st

Roché - Totally walked - actually he didn't.  We let a Jr. Handler, Madeline, show him.  She did OK but Roché took total advantage of her and tried to play.  He

did his 'bunny-hop' so bad it had people asking if he was hurt.  What a dufus!  I am so glad that he has his Gold Level Grand Champion now.  He can stay home and make babies and play all he wants. Thank you all for your concern though.   Roché is fine, just a real pain in our you-know-whats sometime. 

Selena- AM GCH CAN CH That's Adorabull's Dreaming of You (Desi X Boo) Best of Opposite

JUDGE BRADLEY JENKINS

Bichons

Gracie - Yoshi's Gracie Show Me Something Special - 1st/W/BW/BOS 1 Point

THANK YOU JUDGE COL. JOE PURKHISER

Tri State Kennel Club - November 3, 2012

Yesterday, Friday, November 2, 2012, was Dave's 50th Birthday and our 8th Anniversary.
Traveling made it very challenging trying to plan a 'surprise' for him since we were together basically 24-7 for the last 3 weeks.  But, I did manage to pull off a little bit, with the help of some dear friends.
Jennifer Stine helped me order, pick up, and deliver the cakes.
My sister, Vicki Dike, and our brother Tim Veseling, drove 2 1/2 hours bringing decorations, flowers, presents, and a party.
Many friends sent presents and cards that were collected at our house while we were in Canada and given to Dave in a big bundle to open on Saturday.
Then there was Vicki Vest, Zen's mom.  She took much time and many photos to make a slide show presentation '50 Shades of Dave.'  It was awesome, and after I videotaped Dave watching it for the first time, I set up the computer and left it on a loop for anyone to watch.  It was quite a hit.  I will try to set up a link to it or embed it in here.
We had a nice dinner, with Vicki, Tim, and Jeanne Woods.  Of course they screwed up Dave & my dinners, but food is secondary, it was the togetherness that was important, and much enjoyed.

50 Shades of Dave

Oh, yeah, the show:

Havanese

Boo - Lil Scamps Night On The Town (Desi X Panda)  1st/W - 3 Point MAJOR!

Ruth's Baby Boy - Boo

Chocobeast - That's Eh Sweet Chocolate Seduction (Roché X Meg) 1st

Roché - MBIS AM GCH CAN CH Adorabull That's Better Than Sex - Select Dog

ROCHÉ IS NOW A GOLD LEVEL GRAND CHAMPION!

Selena - AM GCH CAN CH That's Adorabull's Dreaming of You (Desi X Boo) Best of Breed

THANK YOU JUDGE MURREL PURKHISER

Bichons

Gracie - Yoshi's Gracie Show Me Something Special - 1st/W/BW/BOS 1 Point

THANK YOU JUDGE BRADLEY JENKINS

Not So Special Anymore...

First Westminster, then Eukanuba.  Shows that we all hoped we might be invited to someday.  Then when we got that invitation in the mail...IT WAS SPECIAL!  We called our friends, we made plans.  It meant something to be invited to those shows.  For Westminster, you had to be in the Top 5 of your breed and Eukanuba was the Top 25, then the Bred By Champions, then the Puppy Champions, then the Grand Champions, etc. 

As Eukanuba qualification became easier, more people were still trying to qualify for it.  For the 125th Anniversary of the American Kennel Club, it was turned into a 'regular' all-breed show.  You didn't have to qualify.  OK, we got it, a special year, let's make an exception.  Then when we found out that all of the international exhibitors had portions, if not all, of their expenses covered by the AKC, that was upsetting.  Now, there will be the international exhibitors to deal with and THE AKC/EUKANUBA CLASSIC WILL BE A REGULAR ALL-BREED DOG SHOW.  Mike Canalizo said it was because 'people' wanted it.  NOT ANY PEOPLE THAT I HAVE TALKED TO.  Sounds like AKC thinks they will make more money.  It totally demeans all of the work that those of us have done over the years to qualify.  I, for one, will not be going out of my way to go to Eukanuba as long as it is a regular show.  What's the point in spending all of that money to travel across the country for an all-breed show, that is filled with excess restrictions and has people in charge that are a royal PIA.  That was the majority opinion at the dog show this weekend.  http://classic.akc.org/news/index.cfm?article_id=4633

Those of us that have dogs that have 'qualified' have received our special acknowledgements.  A link to a certificate in which we type our dog's name and print it out.  Yay.   Be still my heart!

At the Joplin show I heard another upsetting, and very disappointing, fact:  You don't have to be a Champion to enter Westminster!  Yep, you heard it right.  THE WESTMINSTER KENNEL CLUB DOG SHOW IS NO LONGER AN ALL-CHAMPION SHOW.  You just have to have a 3 point major or better to enter.  It will not be at the Garden, which is probably a good thing, since that was a disaster waiting to happen.  This year WKC will be held out at Pier 92/94.  Evening groups will still be held at Madison Square Garden.  With the new venue, they have increased the entry limit to 3,200.  They could have increased the entry limit and still kept it an all champion show, still kept it special.  Maybe invite the Top 10 of each breed instead of just the Top 5.  Still make us want to spend thousands of dollars just to attend that one big show.  That invitation makes people want to attend.  With Eukanuba in December, then Christmas, then Westminster, New York was always an expensive trip at a time when many people couldn't afford it.  Now I won't feel guilty for not going.  What is the incentive now?  Many people in the country that watch Westminster on TV won't know the difference, and the bottom line is what this is all coming down to, not the exhibitors or the prestige associated with the only All-Champion Show in the World.  Honestly, it doesn't do anything for me now, except make me sad. 

http://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/2013/show/info.html

I will always be proud of the awards that we won at both of these shows, but I don't feel the same desire to push ourselves to qualify for either one anymore, and come hell or high water make sure that we attend, no matter the breed judge.  Now it's just another show.  Let's just see where our stats end up and enter if we like the judge and if the weather is good.

It is the end of an era.