The way I came to visit this place is a story in itself. I was at the shows in Brooksville, Florida, when I noticed that a half-sister to three of our miniature poodle bitches was being shown (the girls were all born in England). I introduced myself to Janice and Duncan Moran, her owners, and we bonded, having a common poodle familial tie. As they were new to the show ring, I tried to help them with some grooming tips that others had kindly shared with me and gently suggested that perhaps taking their girl home and growing coat might give her a bit more of an advantage in the ring. They took my suggestions to heart, and we agreed to stay in touch.

After a few months, I received a phone call asking if I would consider going to Bermuda to show their poodle for them for her major. I protested that I was not a handler, but they responded that we were all family, so it was just fine. In the months following I would get email updates on how the coat growth was coming, along with photos of Janice holding up the precious neck hair. Finally, in the fall Janice flew to New England so we could tidy up the coat and test a couple of shows to see how their girl would go for me so she would be ready for the November Bermuda shows. During the course of one conversation, Janice noted that it might be fun for one of the poodle sisters to come along to Bermuda to show. I agreed, and there I was with my and my partner’s poodle in tow.

A mere 85-minute flight from Boston, and the plane was circling over a speck of rock-fringed island in an incredible turquoise sea. It is still hard for me to fathom water so clear that you can see the reefs from the air and talcum-powder white or coral pink sand beaches. I walked off the plane and was met by spectacular crisp, clear weather (a far cry from the frost I had just left behind) and Janice’s smiling parents. My hosts live a few minutes walk from the showground in Hamilton, the capitol of Bermuda.

The Bermuda conformation shows are actually 6 shows that run over the course of 5 days. The first day, Wednesday, there is one show, 2 shows on Thursday; Friday is a day off for rest and relaxation (something the Bermudians are very keen on), then 2 shows on Saturday, and the final show on Sunday. Most people, me included, fly in a couple of days early to get situated and acclimated to 80º degree weather. It amazes me how quickly our systems forget what great weather is. The shows are held in the Royal Botanical Gardens, which is home to many species of exotic flora as well as a band of feral chickens and the odd cat. I was repeatedly informed that prior to the hurricane Fabio in 2003, it was an even more spectacular place but was now being replanted. I was still impressed by its beauty.

Hamilton is a bustling city, bustling being a relative term in this rather laid-back atmosphere that is home to the massive corporate reassurance trade and the hub for several cruise lines. Hotels cater to tourists from around the globe. There is much to do if one is based here, great shopping, fabulous restaurants, 9 championship golf courses, and lovely parks. Bermuda boasts an extensive network of public transportation, both busses and ferries. Just being here is an occasion. Since most of the tourists had not yet arrived for the winter season, the island felt cozy and intimate.

On the first day of the show, we took our gear to the Botanical Gardens, used for agricultural shows sometimes, and set up in the building used for chicken shows. Since the gardens sit between two hospitals, patients in wheel chairs were lined up along the fences all 8 days of the shows to watch everything going on. Other spectators were wild chickens that strolled about the grounds unperturbed by the dogs or almost anything else. Feral cats, a significant problem for some island wildlife, appear to have bonded with the chickens and hang out with them, best of pals, putting to rest the notion of natural order in the food chain.

The Bermuda shows were better attended by Americans in the past, but entries have been hurt by restrictions on how many dogs can fly at one time on a plane. Entries of 500 were not uncommon, and American handlers remember planes being loaded with 50 or 60 dogs from the States, up to 180 dogs from the States, but this year’s show was 76 in conformation, which included only a handful of Americans. This did not include the dogs in obedience, agility, and lure coursing (and, yes, poodles can do it and love it). Bermuda regulations require a dog entering the country to be old enough to have had a second rabies shot. This excludes bringing young puppies from the US. As a result, most dogs owned in Bermuda are bred there or in England or Australia, since these are rabies-free countries and do not have to be inoculated for rabies. The only American dogs that can be brought in are at least ten months old. The Bermuda club has therefore modified its rules so that 12 to 18-month olds are still considered puppies.

The night before the shows begin, the Bermuda All Breed Kennel Club hosts a cocktail party for judges and exhibitors to meet each other. Everyone has a great time munching on a selection of wonderful hors d’oeuvres and enjoying the open bar. I got to meet a number of people I’d passed in the airport and seen at shows in the States but hadn’t ever met. The next morning, everyone was ready to rock.

Bermuda’s dog shows, for the most part, follow a blend of Canadian Kennel Club and AKC regulations. A dog needs to earn 10 points to become a champion, which must include one major win. To get a point, the dog must defeat one other; 2 dogs for 2 points, and 3 dogs for 3. But in the group, defeating a dog whose breed had a major entry will also win a major. It need not be a group first to get major points. Tosca, the Bermudian poodle who’d gained her single points at earlier shows, defeated the Bichon (three bichons had been shown, which was a major) in the group and secured her title on the first day.

The second day it was our girl’s turn to take the ring, and although there were no other miniature poodles competing, she got her first major by placing higher than the Bichon in the group. Days three and four would accomplish the task of finishing her Bermuda title as well. So, two new miniature poodle champions resulted from four days of showing in paradise. Does it get any better?

The weather cooperated in not raining any of the show days, but it was rather warmer and more humid than I am used to (not to mention our poodle). We were both panting as we went around the ring, although white tents had been erected for shade. But thinking about the cold, rainy weather I’d left back in the Northeast, I decided not to complain.

Majors in some breeds and groups can be extremely hard to find. One woman from Kentucky has been bringing her Papillon for the last five years to finish its Bermudian Championship. One thing and another happened, as when she tried to bring her own major and one of the dogs broke its leg. But this year again, she had the only toy dog. When she walked through the grooming area, we all smiled and said, there goes the toy group. As fate would have it, however, she went Best in Show on the first day to finish the dog’s Bermuda title.

Everyone works together to help get dogs here and there, helping with grooming or whatever else anyone needs. One story from the old days, when many dogs used to arrive from other countries, concerns the man who used to meet planes with his dump truck to ferry dogs and owners to the hotels. There are no rental cars on the island, so people arriving and leaving have to rely on friends, taxis, or public transportation.

What I loved about the shows was the relaxed, congenial atmosphere. Those visitors who’d been showing before immediately got into the groove, but first-timers took a few days to adjust to no stress and just have fun. How can you have a dog show without stress? It is amazing but true. Many people show in conformation, then go off to run their dogs in obedience and performance events. The point is to enjoy an activity with the dogs, and indeed they do.

After the final show on Sunday night, the club holds an awards banquet to hand out trophies and plaques for just about any category one can imagine: Best Bermuda-Owned, Best Schipperke (etc.), Best Puppy, Best Visitor’s Dog, Best in each Group, Best Locally Owned, Best Veteran, Best Bermuda Bred, and on an on. Best Overall Dog, in breed and obedience, was a three year-old Lab bitch named Allie, bred, owned and shown by Jane Taylor, who won four Groups, two Best In Shows, and earned the highest overall obedience scores, as well as her CD. The Bermuda Tourist Board also presents a trophy, which went to the newly crowned Papillon.

Over the course of the week I managed to get from one end of the island to the other, impressed by its cleanliness, the friendliness of the people, the bright pastel houses, and the colonial architecture of the city, the pink beaches, and azure water. Colorful little lizards and exotic birds appear in trees; people ride by on horses waving and smiling, and mopeds (the preferred mode of transportation) roared past me. The entire island is charming, inviting, and fascinating. I took a trip around the island on the back of a motorcycle, sailed on a boat in local waters, visited the aquarium to see a wondrous collection of regional fishes and turtles, went underground to ooh and ah at the subterranean Crystal Cave, and wandered after a few days with familiarity as if I’d been in Bermuda for months. The day of my departure I was going to take a horseback ride on the beach but decided to forgo that in order to take in a bit of lure coursing with my poodle, I will admit that she and I are now hooked on that sport.

Two sets of shows take place in Bermuda, the next being in March. This is a great vacation for a family to enjoy both showing their dogs and being tourists, as there are plenty of things for the non-dog members of the family to do along with the potential of earning conformation, agility and obedience titles. That ought to be just about the right time to take a break from Rhode Island’s ice and snow, so I think I’ll pack up another poodle and return to paradise.