Looking Back With Lee – There is Light at the end of the Tunnel!

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84 – February, 2015

By Lee Canalizo

I’m writing this before the holidays set in and just ahead of the huge end of the year dog shows in Orlando. Many come to the celebration at the enormous Orange County Convention Center in Orlando every December. The AKC/Eukanuba National Championship extravaganza always offers much drama, tears of joy, heartbreak, excitement and fun.

This year, as everyone is aware, has been traumatic, in many ways! The world is in upheaval, we are losing so many of our near and dear friends, judges are unhappy, exhibitors are unhappy, kennel clubs are unhappy, even some of the dogs are unhappy! The aura around our dog show world has not been this gloomy in my memory and I find this very depressing. It’s not supposed to be this way!

BUT I SEE A RAY OF SUNSHINE …….this gigantic race for top dog, most points, best this, best that, has taken on the most wonderful completion of a family coming together! There several events within the event which are contributing to this most welcome and warm feeling.

First of all, let’s recognize the enormous undertaking by our own Florida handler, Arvind DeBraganca, who organized a dog show clothing exchange to benefit our junior handlers… the future of our sport! This project has clothing items pouring in from all over the country. I hope this can be continued and expanded to benefit our youth in the same vein as Take the Lead has done over the years. Look at the wonderful results that little idea from twenty-five years ago has produced. Take the Lead has a well-manned, well-stocked, and well-attended booth every year at the AENC. (Happy to share what a “little birdie” told me…seems there is a group forming with a focus on the Juniors to have a source that could be tapped for “assistance” in many areas that a Junior might not otherwise be able to participate. More on this as things develop.)

The most striking thing about the Juniors Clothes Drive is the way so many folks have jumped in to help. I sincerely hope this attitude continues, AND to Arvind, a huge thank you!

Adding to this atmosphere of family was the wedding of Justin Smithey and Cheslie Pickett the Tuesday after the show! I don’t know how they had the energy for their big day right after a big circuit, but it was the perfect time for their nuptials as all of their friends and fellow handlers and exhibitors were in town. We all wish these two wonderful, promising, delightful and talented people all the best this world has to offer.

I look around at the shows lately and see Lenny and Shelby Brown and their daughter, the wonderful Johnson family – Colton, Heather, and their three lovely children, the Suttons with their little blonde glamour girl, and the Garicinis who now have a second one on the way! And all of the other young families that are sharing their family with the dog world….watching each other’s babies when it’s ring time, kids playing together etc. When I first met them, this current crop of youthful competitors, (with so many good dogs) were not much older than their kids are now.

Another added charm to the events is getting to see so many fanciers from around the world gracing our rings. Some I know from past judging assignments abroad, other are breeders I have awareness of, and many are “friends” on some of the social media sites where we all seem to lurk and/or chat. Long before it was fashionable and accessible, our AKC events held an allure for many from around the world to check off their “Bucket List”. The Eukanuba World Challenge did add the “international” element to the festivities, and some may miss it being here…other’s not so much. I do know many foreigners that will be coming, not as a challenge competitor but with some excellent dogs that they hope will be recognized by their peers and our judges. It can’t be ignored that a great number of “important imports” have graced these shores. Some have made a fleeting impact, while others stayed around to inject some new blood into our gene pool. It’s all good!

You will not have seen this article until after the AENC and the holidays, and I expect I will have had some time to see many of you that stopped by the Canine Chronicle VIP Booth at the AENC where I and some other guest hosts spent their time “kissing babies” and “hugging old friends”.

I hope everyone had a New Year filled with new faces, new dogs and new promise in every way! I have to think there is surely hope for us all!

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Posted by ralbee on Feb 10 2015. Filed under Current Articles, Editorial, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.