Table Talk · June 16, 2021
The history-making 145th Annual Westminster Kennel Club dog show is in the books! The herculean effort on the part of the Westminster organization is to be commended, and the fancy owes great appreciation to all of those who had a part in making this iconic show happen. Every aspect of this show was addressed with great attention to detail. I don’t think they could have done a better job making the venue as beautiful as possible and making the event very special. The only concern that I heard consistently was not one unique to this year’s show; that is, the carpet in the group ring is tough on the dog’s paws and human knees! Given the amount of work that was required to make this show so beautiful and special, I choose to focus on the success of the show and continue to hope we see new group ring carpet in the future. Job well done, Westminster members! Thank you for an amazing outdoor summer event! You thought of everything by making the weather about as perfect as it could be!
In my opinion, the ReelHealth organization did a very efficient job handling access to the show. More importantly, every ReelHealth individual I encountered was kind, knowledgeable, and welcoming.
The live stream commentary was well-received once again! It is an absolute pleasure to have the commentary done by knowledgeable dog people. Congratulations to Kim Meredith and Jason Hoke for their outstanding daytime commentary and Gail Miller Bisher and Don Sturz Jr. for the group coverage. Job well done, my friends!
If you have not had the chance to see our Table Talk Live! coverage from Westminster, be sure to hop over to CanineChronicle.TV and see interviews with participants, winners, and a tour of the grounds!
While going through the airport, waiting for my flight, I was a bit dismayed at the beautiful service dogs in the airport, a few of which boarded my plane. In my opinion, this is not something that should be taken lightly. It’s important to have access for true service dogs on these flights. We shouldn’t be selfish by using false credentials to access the cabin in order to make the journey to a show easier.
One thing that was different about the weekend was that there were dog shows happening around the country at the same time as Westminster. We can take comfort that our sport is thriving! If we want to see our dog shows continue in this upward trajectory, we all need to find ways to help dog clubs as possible. Clubs need to recruit volunteers, and fanciers need to look for clubs in their general area. There may be some individuals who are not local and need to travel to shows to help. If clubs have funding available, perhaps it would make sense to cover some travel expenses for individuals who are willing to travel to shows to volunteer.
I am pleased to report that Bill McFadden made it home safely after their terrible car wreck, and he is recovering. It was extremely difficult for the two-time Westminster winner to watch the show from home on TV! Heal soon, my friend. You will be back in the ring in no time!
Clint Livingston is back home recovering after his surgery. Clint and Karen’s son, Landon, qualified for his first time to compete in Junior Showmanship at Westminster. Colton and Heather Johnson brought Landon with them to the show so he could compete. What a brave young man he is to travel to his first Westminster Junior Showmanship competition without his parents! http://www.caninechronicle.tv/table-talk-live-wishes-langdon-livingston-luck/
I am sorry to report the passing of Richard Smith of Richlene Kennels. Dick was a long-time Miniature Schnauzer breeder who bred more than 200 Champions. Dick was also very active in his local kennel clubs, serving as Show Chair of the Fort Wayne Cluster for many years. Our thoughts are with Dick’s family and friends at this most difficult time.
Happy Anniversary to Gail and Matt Miller!! Gail and Matt celebrated their wedding anniversary by attending the judge’s dinner for Westminster Kennel Club! I hope you guys have the opportunity to celebrate in a more conventional way when you return from Westminster!
Celebrating birthdays this week are: John Miller, Tim Ball, DeeDee Wells, Erin Kerfoot, Susan Bradshaw MacLyman, Patty Haines, Ray Stevens, Vicki Cushman and Kellie Miller. I hope everyone can celebrate with friends and family!
It was GREAT to be back at the shows and see so many friends that I have not seen for a very lonnnnng time! Thanks to everyone that participated in our Table Talk Live! coverage. I look forward to seeing you soon at another show.
As Pat Trotter so eloquently said after judging Best In Show at Westminster: Not all Pets are Show Dogs, but I can assure you all Show Dogs are Pets!! (Take THAT PETA!)
Be safe in your travels, my friends! Until next time…
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