I heard Jeff Wright had a bit of mishap and twisted his knee last week in Texas. Once again, others at the show stepped up and demonstrated how those within the fancy have each other’s backs. Big kudos to David Williams, Ann Ramsbottom, Matt Hawley, Sergio Espejo and Lois DeMers for stepping up and making sure that Jeff’s dogs got in the ring.
I sincerely believe that the televised shows are great for the sport and, sadly, the number of televised shows has decreased over time. Purina has done a great job maintaining a televised presence for the sport of purebred dogs
I was shocked to read that the Armory Art show scheduled to be held at Pier 92 in New York beginning March 7th has been relocated to alternative Piers as a result of a city inspection revealing the Pier is structurally unsafe. Pier 92 was the site for the 143rd Westminster Kennel Club breed judging just a couple of weeks ago. The parking facility on the roof of Pier 92 was closed during Westminster due to the structure’s instability. It seems now that city officials have declared the entire structure to be unsafe, not just the parking structure. It makes one wonder if this will affect next year’s Westminster breed judging?
We are sad to report the passing of Shiba Inu breeder and fancier Frederick Duane on Sunday, February 17, 2019. Fred’s lifelong commitment to purebred dogs began with his interest in Akitas. However, most of us knew him as a breeder of outstanding Shiba Inus with his partner Diane Murphy. They bred Shibas under the [...]
He knew his craft, which meant recognizing his subject’s faults and knowing how to minimize them on film. He often quoted advice to novices trying to break into the biz; he said a secret was to know every standard by heart and be prepared for endless hours of walking around shows and driving to the next one.
I think everyone will agree that flying dogs is getting more and more difficult and, more importantly, increasingly frightening. It was encouraging to hear all of the positive feedback about Alaska Airlines from those who utilized it to transport dogs to the recent Westminster Kennel Club dog show.
As most of you are aware, “Colton” the Schipperke, who won the Non-Sporting group at Westminster, was removed from competition for the Best In Show judging as a result of a relationship between the co-owners and the judge.
The Metro Specialties are a wonderful prelude to the crescendo of Westminster.
Anyway, the party kicks off bright and early tomorrow at Piers 92 & 94. Apparently there’s still no onsite parking this year since repairs remain ongoing after Carnival Cruise Lines opted to park one of their ships on Pier 92 last August. We never did get much explanation about how the ship managed to smash into the pier in broad daylight on a perfectly clear, calm day. But the NYC Department of Buildings has reassured us that the pier is no danger of collapse. So, thankfully, Westminster is in no danger of sinking into the Hudson.
For that we can thank last year’s Best In Show winner, Flynn aka GCHP Belle Creeks All I Care About Is Love, who was looking fine strutting down the runway alongside another iconic “10” – the ever fabulous Bo Derek. Both were headliners for an event that has been a centerpiece of Fashion Week since 2004.
