Table Talk • May 28, 2025
I hope everyone enjoyed their Memorial Day Weekend! There were so many shows to choose from this past week with LOTS of two-, three-, four- and five-day circuits.
I heard that Doug and Kay Belter had an altercation with a deer on the way to the ECSCA National Specialty in Massachusetts. Fortunately, Doug and Kay won the battle: A little duct tape and they were on their way!
At the shows in Bloomington, Illinois an exhibitor was oblivious to the security cameras and decided to help herself to some merchandise from the vendors. The individual was caught on camera, and later arrested for theft.
It was great to hear that Brad Jenkins and Lynn Bearden were out and about while spending time with friends at the shows in Conway, Arkansas.
I looked at most shows held over the Memorial Day weekend, and I was saddened to see that my breed did not draw majors at any of the shows! I have had many discussions with fanciers over the past several months about this topic, and Tom talked about this issue in his recent publisher’s column. Most of the breed competition these days is primarily in the Best of Breed class. There are regularly more than twice the number of specials compared to class animals. Most people attribute this to the lack of breeding with individuals focusing on showing their Champion dogs to Grand Champion Titles, in NOHS, etc.
For the sport of purebred dogs to survive and thrive, we need to encourage breeding and participation of exhibiting that stock at the class dog level in pursuit of a championship title. This means mentoring those we place puppies with and allowing them to have dogs that are worthy of finishing their championship. Long-time fanciers are getting older, and some cannot handle the work involved in breeding and raising puppies. Once again, to ensure our sport continues to prosper, we need to mentor younger people who are passionate about a breed. We should teach them how to do things the right way. The blood, sweat and tears that have gone into building established bloodlines that produce quality dogs should not be lost. Finding younger, passionate individuals who want to learn and are willing to put in the work and carry on our lines is critical to the survival of your breed and our sport.
The entry counts for Woofstock are up, and I am pleased to report that the two days of all breed shows have an entry of over 3,500 dogs! With specialties on Friday and all-breed shows on Saturday and Sunday, I am looking forward to another great weekend of peace, love, and dogs! To clear up any misunderstanding, the volunteers of Woofstock plan on having the same vibe at this year’s event with costumes, music and a great celebration of the sport and the dogs we love so much. There is no plan to change the format of these great shows.
The dates and judging panel for the 150th Westminster Kennel Club dog show have been announced! Please note that the 2026 show is a week earlier than usual with agility on Saturday, January 31st and breed and group judging on Monday and Tuesday February 2nd and 3rd! Congratulations to David Fitzpatrick on the Best In Show assignment! The rest of the judging panel can be found at https://caninechronicle.com/breaking-news/the-westminster-kennel-club-announces-judging-panel-for-its-milestone-150th-anniversary-show/. I look forward once again to being back in the city for the greatest show on earth!
Hannah Ralston has completed her first round of chemotherapy and is now waiting for baby number two to arrive. After the baby’s birth, she will continue with her cancer treatment protocol. Hannah is a fighter, and I am sure she will prevail and enjoy watching her kids grow. Hannah, we are all looking forward to having you back with us. You are missed by so many.
There are several fanciers celebrating wedding anniversaries (present company included – Happy 39thAnniversary to my hubby!) this week: Christian Manelopoulos and Rachel Corbin, Erin Kerfoot and Ryan McGlothlin, Betty-Anne Stenmark and Ben Thum, and Bill and Taffe McFadden. Best wishes to everyone for many more happy years ahead.
I was saddened to read in the May AKC Secretary’s Pages that Paula Hartinger has retired from judging, but it is understandable as Paula will be 90 years old on June 10th. Paula has a huge family of children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, and she’ll most likely celebrate her 90th birthday surrounded by her wonderful family. We miss you terribly, Paula, and wish you the best as you enter your ninth decade of an amazing life!
Fanciers celebrating birthdays this week include Guy Fisher, Jody Paquette, Lisa Croft-Elliott, Pam Laperruque, Christina Freitag, Amanda Giles, Olivia Hodgkinson, Jen McClintock-Shirley, Kim Booth, Lori Wilson-Paust, Alexis Jones, Kat Moyer, Jake Haycock, Chris Keith, and Greg Smith. Enjoy your special day, my friends!
Everyone should remember this saying: “You only fail when you stop trying.”
Be safe out there, my friends. I look forward to seeing you down the road. Until next time…
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