Pekingese Club of New Jersey Specialty

By Amy Fernandez

At the risk of being redundant, I want to reiterate the fact that we are inclined to take the smooth stuff in this sport for granted. For instance, from the get-go, the Pekingese has been a linchpin of purebred competition, dominating the show ring long before it led any BIS onslaught from the Toy Group, never mind Westminster. Who won the club’s first ever Toy Group…? Jeezz, look it up, but trust me it was a Peke. Anyway, for a good 80 years the breed has drawn record entries at AKC events and, like Dachshunds and Poodles, basically become emblematic of fine purebred quality.

According to veteran breeder, national club officer, and current Pekingese Club of New Jersey VP Frances Tesoriero, Saturday’s specialty entry at the Hotel Pennsylvania was, “A beautiful thing to see. Pekes are making a comeback. We’ve got dogs here from Canada, Mexico, Spain, and all over the country.” Yes, it was a gratifying turnout; the major held in dogs and, thanks to entries from Vermont to sunny Florida and California, the specials class was especially strong.

Quite possibly this robust entry was due to the time honored strategy of hiring a foreign judge. And this one was a dark horse in every sense. Dr. Niksa Lemo from Zagreb, Croatia began his career as an FCI judge in 1992 starting with Dobermans. Dr. Lemo is also a board-certified veterinary dermatologist and educator.  He conducts seminars for breeders and prospective judges and has been a frequent presenter at international breed conferences. He is also a well-known authority on canine hip dysplasia and the co-author of an article on the evolution of Dalmatians and their genetic relationship to other breeds

Currently licensed for all breeds in FCI, Dr. Lemo has judged all breed shows and specialties on six continents. And what did he think about Saturday’s Peke assignment?

He says, “I was quite impressed with the overall quality. Some of the dogs that I judged today were really top quality, they could win anywhere in the world. Coat conditioning and presentation are truly excellent. American dogs are so well prepared for show, it makes judging them a true pleasure.” As far as Dr. Lemo’s background in dogs, he says “I had Dobermans all my life but at this moment I have Miniature Schnauzers. I never owned Pekingese, although I probably will in the future.”

That might explain the unusual technique he employed when hefting the Pekes for closer evaluation. No matter, we got another look at Dr. Lemo in action doing his first Westminster assignment on Monday afternoon at Pier 92.

Getting back to the big topic, this traditionally popular breed has been on the down low for a few years but Saturday’s entry was a good bull market indicator. When the final card was on the table, Winners Dog/Best of Winners went to UK import Yakee Royal Encounter, with Lion Dance Twombly as Reserve.

Winners Bitch went to the 6-9 Canadian bred pup Romich Temle Bell, with Deluna Forever Dunkirk as Reserve.

BOB was the irrepressible David Fitzpatrick’s bitch, Ch. Pequest Primrose, a daughter of the legendary General Tso, and BOS was Canadian Michael Hill’s Ch. Kekehuis Shazam.

Select Dog and Bitch respectively went to another Canadian entry, Ch. Michaelmas YueYue Fen and Ch. Pequest Meiping, and the Award of Merit winners were GCh. Dreamville Jersey Boy and Ch. De Luma Hulk.

Let the Pekingese good times roll!!

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Posted by chesliepickett on Feb 12 2019. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.