Table Talk · February 19, 2020
Just when I was celebrating the fancy’s overwhelming support of each other, and the sport of purebred dogs in general, John Berman of CNN had to go and mess it all up!! It is sad how an ignorant individual’s idiotic commentary about the winner of the 144th annual Westminster Kennel Club dog show, and show dogs in general, can so quickly propagate through the internet and overshadow our positive support for each other. The fancy, as a whole, has dealt with the negative commentary as best we could by posting positive photographs of show dogs either enjoying their time in the ring with their handler or enjoying their time off. This, in my opinion, is the best possible way to cope with the ill-informed comments made by the obviously ignorant Mr. Berman. The AKC jumped in quickly and countered Mr. Berman’s ridiculous commentary, and many fanciers have sent letters to CNN voicing concern about and disappointment in his lack of respect for our dogs and our sport. Kudos to all for once again joining together to defend the sport of purebred dogs!
Meanwhile, Karen Mammano and Daniel, the Golden Retriever who placed first in the Sporting Group at Westminster, did a spectacular job representing our sport on the Today show. Kudos to the Today show for giving the fancy as a whole the opportunity to demonstrate to the public what the sport of purebred dogs is REALLY all about! Their timing could not have been more appropriate, and Karen and Daniel did not disappoint! Huge congratulations to Karen and Daniel for a job well done!
Elizabeth Salewsky and her dogs Crom and Sandy did their part to demonstrate the true bond between show dog and handler with their appearance on her local Cleveland, Ohio TV station. We should all take every opportunity to demonstrate to the public the truth about our sport, purebred dogs, and the love we show them. Great job, Elizabeth! You made us all proud!
It was heartwarming to see the photographs of Tyler Crady’s twin girls all dressed up in their finest to watch their daddy on TV competing at Westminster. Of course, the first phone call after his big win was to his girls at home! It is moments like this that show the public that dog showing is truly a family sport.
A shout out to Professional Handler Cindy Smith who reached out via social media to suggest that those unsure of the appropriate way to exhibit a Doberman Pinscher ask her and other professionals for help. There were so many comments from others–professionals and owner/handlers–thanking her for her help in the past. The Doberman continues to be one of the large entry breeds; and having folks who are supportive and willing to help new exhibitors certainly plays a part in the breed maintaining its position as one of the leaders! Perhaps we should all work on being the ‘Cindy’ in our own breed.
Condolences to Jay Richardson who lost his mother the day he returned from judging Westminster. Jay’s mother had been in a memory care facility for several years prior to her passing. Our thoughts are with you at this sad time, my friend.
The sport lost another icon this past week with the passing of Cece Ringstrom. Cece was loved by all who had the pleasure of knowing her. She will be missed by all of her friends, and the sport of purebred dogs as a whole. Rest well, my friend.
Jean Austin passed away this past week after a long and valiant fight with cancer. Jean was very active with the Santa Barbara Kennel Club and was also a licensed AKC judge. She will be sorely missed by all who called her a friend, and by her family.
Celebrating anniversaries this week are David Johnson and his wife Janet Whittaker, and Bryan and Nancy Martin. May you all enjoy many more years of wedded bliss, my friends.
Celebrating birthdays this week are: Colette Seror, Erin Olsen, Allison Sunderman, Blair Aguillard, Kate Berry, Jen Baggenstos, Rindi Gaudet, Barry Rose, Anne Regan, Susanna Bjornsson, Hailey Griffith and Heather Buehner. Happy Birthday all! May you all have the best day ever!
Our next stop for Table Talk Live! will be in Louisville, Kentucky. The folks who volunteer for this cluster never disappoint by bringing a great exhibitor experience; and the city features a plethora of fantastic restaurants. If you have not attended this cluster, I truly recommend it.
If you have plans to come to Louisville–and are willing to take 30 minutes at some point during the cluster–I would love to chat with you about doing a Breed Priority segment about your breed. Our Breed Priority segments are a great way to not only reach the general public and educate them about your breed, but it is also a great resource for judges who judge your breed or are considering applying for it. Please reach out to me at deb.cooper@caninechronicle.comto discuss a segment about your breed. If you would like to view some of our Breed Priority segments, they can be found at www.caninechronicle.tv.
Please consider the following in your travels this week: Respect is earned. Honesty is appreciated. Trust is gained. Loyalty is returned. Be safe in your travels, my friends. Until next time…
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