Sunday, June 28, 2015

Lawton Dog Fanciers, Oklahoma City, OK Sunday June 28, 2015

YAY!!!  Dave ending the Oklahoma City Cluster on a good note!  He sounded very sad and disappointed yesterday.  I know, most of us would be happy to go BOS in a Havanese entry that large, but that's not what we enter for.  
WE WANT THE BIG RIBBONS!!!!  
OK, yeah, who doesn't...whether you admit it or not.  
Most of us don't strive for the minimum.  
(Well I did have that one ATCS trainee who didn't really strive for anything.  But that is another story.)
So today was pretty good.  BEST OF BREED in HAVANESE, BLACK RUSSIAN TERRIERS, and AFGHAN HOUNDS, and a Group Placement on Taffy!!!

HAVANESE
R.E.O. - 1st / Reserve
DELTA - 1st / 
ZEUS - Best of Opposite
TAFFY -  BEST OF BREED & GROUP 4
Thank You Breed Judge  Nikki Riggsbee
Thank You Group Judge Margo Klingler


BLACK RUSSIAN TERRIER
VARIAS - BEST OF BREED
Thank You Breed Judge Virginia Lyne
Thank You Group Judge Bill Shelton


AFGHAN HOUND
TAZI - 1st / Winners Dog / Best of Winners / BEST OF BREED
Thank You Breed Judge Virginia Lyne
Group Judge Bill Shelton

Saturday, June 27, 2015

Lawton Dog Fanciers, Oklahoma City, OK Saturday June 27, 2015

HAVANESE

R.E.O. - 1st
DELTA - 1st / Reserve
ZEUS - Nuttin'    :(   :(    :(
TAFFY - Best of Opposite  :(
Judge Brad Jenkins   :(
Group Judge Brad Jenkins


BLACK RUSSIAN TERRIER
VARIAS - BEST OF BREED
Thank You Judge Polly Smith  :)
Group Judge Nikki Riggsbee


AFGHAN HOUND
TAZI - 1st / Winners Dog / Best of Winners!!!
Thank You Judge Jerry Watson  :)
Group Judge Jerry Watson

Friday, June 26, 2015

Mid-Del-Tinker Kennel Club, Oklahoma City, OK Friday June 26, 2015

HAVANESE

R.E.O. - 1st - First time in the ring for Keisha puppy That's Mendota Don't Let Him Go
DELTA - 2nd
ZEUS - Best of Opposite
TAFFY - Select
Judge Col. Joe Purkhiser
Judge Nicolas Debedout


BLACK RUSSIAN TERRIER
VARIAS - Select
Judge Michael Woods
Group Judge James Reynolds


AFGHAN HOUND
TAZI - 1st / Winners Dog 
Thank You Judge Nikki Riggsbee 
Group Judge Nikki Riggsbee

Losing to a Puppy or Beating a Top Dog - Things that make you go "HMMMMM..."

Many years ago there was a judge who would dump any of the top dogs in the country, especially as the year came to a close, and put up decidedly less deserving dogs.  I was on the winning end of some of those awards.  I had had my hands on the top dogs that I beat, and my grooming (and yes, it's just hair) was not then, what it is now.  At that time, I would have been happy to just take Best of Opposite to them.  After a conversation with this particular judge, never probably thinking that 20 years later I would remember his words, he said "I am so sick of everyone putting these 'top' dogs up all of the time.  Somebody needs to take them down a notch."  When these dogs are in the last weeks of being qualified for Westminster (which used to mean something) that was just WRONG!  Well, I have to admit that I do agree with the first part of his statement.  But the latter is as offensive to me as having a dog win because they 'are a top dog.'  

I remember telling a friend, who was excited about her win over a top handler with a top dog, and came out of the ring saying "My Fluffball beat TopDog!  And I didn't think she showed that well.  I guess I was wrong."  She wasn't.  Her bitch showed badly, as always, skittish, tail down, etc.  Having had my hands on both, and not showing in that breed, that weekend, I had to tell her "Congratulations!  Your win is your win, but the dogs really had nothing to do with it.  The judge dumped TopDog & TopDogHandler.  TopDogHandler lost to you."  Fluffball was shown many times before and after that never winning another Best of Breed.  Actually, it was a miracle she even finished.  TopDog was in great shape (scissored to the 9s, coat that looked like velvet) and deserved every Best in Show he got, which happened to be every day of that circuit, except for that one.  

This is just warped.  


And when a judge puts a puppy up because they have a 'softer coat' when the standard calls for soft, is this right?  No, it doesn't say, "the softest coat in the ring"  it says 'SOFT."  Now that I just returned from the hair salon, my hair is very soft and silky.  It is, and never will be as soft as a young child's hair.  Both are soft and silky, but that kid is always going to be softer than an senior.  

When a judge does this, is this another example of dumping a line-up of top dogs, or is it just a mis-interpretation of the standard?

Who knows? 

I have won with puppies under many judges who thought 'soft' meant 'softest' and while that puppy may have deserved Winners Dog or Winners Bitch, did they really deserve the breed? 

All we can do is take the win and run with it!  
Then hope we can do the same or better the next day.  

Done ranting...til next time!!!  - It's a SHOW, why does the quality of the dog's showmanship count as much as the quality of the dog - especially at the BEST IN SHOW level???  

OK, I am going to keep going....  
7 nice dogs in the BIS ring.
5 Dogs showing very well. 
1 Dog showing exceptionally well.
1 Dog showing poorly.  
(To the point that spectators knew that if this Irish Terrier dog broke the lead, or somehow got away from the handler, he would kill the Corgi.  He had his sight set on the Corgi from the minute it walked into the ring.)

What does the judge do?  You guessed it, and I quote "The Best in Show today will go to the badly misbehaving Irish Terrier."  WFT?!?!?!!  
If that handler has lost his deathgrip on the dog, it would have been a murderous Irish Terrier!"

OK, I am done for now.  I have work to do.  
HAVE A FABULOUS DAY!  
I am off to clean up branches from the storm last night.  At least it isn't supposed to be as hot as the last couple of days. 

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Oklahoma City Kennel Club, Oklahoma City, OK Thursday, June 25, 2015

HAVANESE

DELTA - That's a Designing Woman at Bejewel - 1st / Reserve
ZEUS - Not shown today 
TAFFY - Select
Judge Virginia Lyne 
Judge Polly Smith 


BLACK RUSSIAN TERRIER
VARIAS - Select 
Judge Lorraine Boutwell
Group Judge Col. Joe Purkhiser


AFGHAN HOUND
TAZI - 1st/Winners Dog/Best of Winners & Best of Opposite
Thank You Judge Polly Smith 


Group Judge Lorraine Boutwell

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Oklahoma City Kennel Club, Oklahoma City, OK Wednesday, June 24, 2015

HAVANESE
PATCHES - 1st / WINNERS DOG / BEST OF WINNERS / MAJOR  - NEW CHAMPION !!!! 
CH Bejeweled That's Shabby Chic
Patches
CH Bejeweled That's Shabby Chic

Show with Judge Janice Pardue awarding winners dog at the 
Central Oklahoma Toy Dog Specialty 

DELTA - That's a Designing Woman at Bejewel - 1st 
ZEUS - Select
TAFFY - BEST OF BREED
Thank You Judge Murrell Purkhiser 
Group Judge Lorraine Boutwell 


BLACK RUSSIAN TERRIER
VARIAS - BEST OF BREED 
made the cut in group
Thank You Judge Nikki Riggsbee 
Group Judge Dana Cline 



AFGHAN HOUND
TAZI - 1st/Winners Dog/Best of Winners/BEST OF BREED !!!!
Judge Col. Joe Purkhiser 
Group Judge Polly Smith

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

NEW CHAMPION - ALBERT

Congratulations to Paula Fly, proud owner of Albert & George, and grandmother of Hannah, her handler!
 Hannah finished Albert a couple of weeks ago at the Stillwater shows, going Best of Winners under Judges Eugene Blake and Fred Bassett

GREAT JOB!!!!
We are very proud. 

ALBERT
CH That's Prince Albert Smudge
Hannah 
Judge Fred Bassett

And Beautiful George - yes, she is all girl!!!
George
That's Geminiis Cosmic Enchantment



OK…Scared myself.

Well, OK, sometimes that happens looking in the mirror, but today is was searching for Dave's flight to China.  It said 'diverted to Guam due to mechanical difficulties.  YIKES!  Flashbacks to all of the things that have happened on the other side of the globe to international flights. 

Then I realized that I had fat-finger syndrome, and the bandaid on my pinky didn't help.  I hit the '1' twice so the flight number was incorrect.  Whewww!!!!

He is still in the air.  Probably another 12 or 13 hours before he reaches his destination. 

Safe travels my love!

Monday, June 8, 2015

RYAN'S FIRST SHOW.

Formerly 'Rain' - a Keisha x Bugs puppy, now living in Poland.  Ryan was Best Puppy at his first show in Kaunas Lithuiania.  Under Judge Bruno Nodali from Italy.

He looks so good!  We are proud grandparents!

Ryan
That's Sun Ray at Pilosus

Wheaton Kennel Club, Wheaton, IL Sunday June 7, 2015

HAVANESE
PATCHES - 1st / WINNERS DOG / BEST OF WINNERS / 
DELTA - That's a Designing Woman at Bejewel - 1st / Reserve Winners Bitch
ZEUS - BEST OF BREED
Zeus
BISS AM GCH CAN GCH Mendota's Adorabull Greek Legend
Zeus
BISS AM GCH CAN GCH Mendota's Adorabull Greek Legend


TAFFY - BEST OF OPPOSITE
Thank You Judge Hank Williams 
Group Judge Jacqui Weekes 


BLACK RUSSIAN TERRIER
VARIAS - BEST OF BREED 
made the cut in group
Thank You Judge Hank Williams 
Group Judge Hank Williams 
Varias 
GCH That's What's In A Name



AFGHAN HOUND
TAZI - 2nd 
(Not what we wanted but not bad for a specialty show weekend with tough competition!)
Judge David Peat 
Group Judge David Peat


BICHONS
LEILANI - 1st / WINNERS BITCH 
NURPLE - Not Shown today
Thank You Judge Jan Paulk
Group Judge Jan Paulk


Sunday, June 7, 2015

Wheaton Kennel Club, Wheaton, IL Saturday June 6, 2015

HAVANESE
ANOTHER BEST OF EVERYTHING DAY!!!!

PATCHES - 1st / WINNERS DOG / BEST OF WINNERS / BEST OF BREED
Patches
Bejewel That's Shabby Chic
Pictured with
Judge Janice Pardue as Best of Winners
Central Oklahoma Toy Dog Specialty, Sunday May 17, 2015
DELTA - That's a Designing Woman at Bejewel - 1st / WINNERS BITCH




I hope they got a picture, because this is the last one that I have of Delta before she went to live with Carolyn Knuth! 


ZEUS - SELECT
TAFFY - BEST OF OPPOSITE
Thank You Judge Jason Hoke 
Group Judge Jason Hoke


While we are always appreciative of our wins, this is another example of a judge awarding baby puppy coat over more deserving adults.  There is another judge who has awarded Havanese puppies Best of Breed over specials over 96% of the time.  Yes, I did the math.  She never uses them in group.   We no longer enter specials or adults under her.  The standard calls for 'soft & silky' coat NOT the softest coat in the ring.  As I have always said, it's like comparing a 5 year old child's hair to a supermodel's beautiful long silky hair.  Both may be soft & silky, but that supermodel's hair is never going to feel like that 5 year old, and it shouldn't, but that doesn't make it any less beautiful.  If a judge has the ability to judge different breed 'against' each other in a group, why can't they understand that adults are different than puppies?



BICHONS
LEILANI - 1st / WINNERS BITCH 
NURPLE - SELECT
Thank You Judge George Milutinovich
Group Judge Jacqui Weekes


BLACK RUSSIAN TERRIER
VARIAS - BEST OF BREED 
Thank You Judge Jacqui Weekes
Group Judge Jacqui Weekes


AFGHAN HOUND
TAZI - 2nd 
(Not what we wanted but not bad for a specialty show weekend with tough competition!)
Judge Donald Martin 
Group Judge Edna Martin

Saturday, June 6, 2015

Afghan Hound Club of Greater Chicago, Friday June 5, 2015

AFGHAN HOUND
Two Shows and a Sweepstakes today.  Tazi and Dave were busy!

Show 1 - Judge C. Gill Ullom
TAZI -  3rd

SWEEPSTAKES - Judge Sandy Nelson
TAZI - 2nd 

Show 2 - Judge Patricia Franklin
TAZI -  2nd 

 Overall, not what we wanted, but still not bad for a large entry and only his 2nd weekend showing.  He was also the youngest in his class.  - OK, no more excuses!!!  

(No promises about the whining though!)