Table Talk • March 4, 2026

Flight attendants tell me that aircraft that play music while passengers are boarding have far fewer confrontations and boarding issues than planes that do not. The same goes for dog shows. At this year’s Renaissance Cluster in Madison, Wisconsin, music played during show hours, and it was so pleasant and relaxing. Background music adds a positive dimension for those of us who attend dog shows week in and week out. It creates a welcoming ambiance and allows everyone at the show to find common ground through music. I don’t see a downside to it.

If you are a show or cluster chair, consider adding music to your show. You will have smiling faces all around!

Last week in Humble, Texas, fanciers gathered to honor their friend and colleague Sergio Espejo. After Best In Show, everyone who attended enjoyed cupcakes and shared stories about Sergio. Once again, the sport bands together to support each other during tough times.

The American Kennel Club introduced the Junior Regional Events for 2026. Regional Junior Showmanship events are structured and judged in the same manner as the Junior Showmanship Limited Class. The goal is to provide Juniors with an opportunity to participate in a unique event that is more easily available to participants—in terms of their time and travel. Applications to hold events for 2027 are due to the AKC Juniors Department by June 15, 2026. Questions about the program should be directed to the AKC Juniors Department.

Heads up to those who reserved an RV Spot for Louisville and will not be attending: Please let Nina Fetter-Galarneau know (Louisvillegrooming@yahoo.com). Grooming reservations will be accepted until today (March 4^th) at noon! Any questions should be directed to the email address listed here.

While in Madison a couple weeks back, I had the opportunity to catch up with Lori Baumann, an AKC licensed Judge and certified ring steward. She did a great job of describing the importance of the role of our ring stewards:

“As we all know, there are many components necessary to make a dog show run well. One of the most underappreciated yet important cogs in the hub of the shows is the ring steward. Part traffic cop, part secretary, and agile multitasker are the things that a ring steward needs to be. It is their job to make the ring run smoothly, on time, and assist the judge in whatever they need to complete their judging assignment.”

Lori and a large group of her ring stewarding friends created a group, not for the purpose of hiring ring stewards, but to offer a platform for camaraderie and sharing of knowledge between ring stewards and fanciers interested in becoming ring stewards. This group has been formed to help people who wish to go to shows and reap the satisfaction of being an integral part of the event.

The intent of the group is to get together at shows to socialize, exchange ideas, and learn from each other. Ring Stewards of the Midwest will meet at shows and be available during ring times to help teach people by example. They also intend to hold short workshops in advance of the shows to help people learn how to be a good steward. The group, already boasting more than 20 members, includes individuals in the Midwest from Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, and Illinois. If you are interested in hearing what this wonderful group has to offer, reach out to Lori at Knightwoodgold@aol.com.

Condolences to Marietta Singleton on the recent passing of her mother. We are thinking about you at this very sad time.

Lovebirds Rob and Diana Skibinski are celebrating their 48^th wedding anniversary! We wish the happiest anniversary to you two! May you enjoy many more amazing years together.

Fanciers celebrating birthdays this week include Lesley Potts, Wendy Adelman, Ines Medina, Krista Beal, Tuni Conti, Judy Cooper, Andrew Evans, Diana Hadsall, Sarah Murphy, Keith Bailey, Lois DeMers, and Elizabeth Edgerton. Best wishes to all for the greatest year yet!

Be safe out there, my friends. If your travels bring you to the Tar Heel Circuit in Raleigh, stop by the Purina Booth and see me! Until next time…

Short URL: https://caninechronicle.com/?p=351827

Posted by Liz on Mar 4 2026. Filed under Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.