bestinshowdaily.com
1
2
Best In Show Daily
bestinshowdaily.com
3
Welcome This month, we bring you part two of Elizabeth Turner Brinkley’s excellent coverage of the NAIA conference. If you’ve been sitting on the sidelines, it’s now time to take back the conversation, start lobbying your electeds before legislation is on Agendas. That’s when you have the most opportunity to influence decision makers.We are under attack as never before. Laura Reeves’ article is an epic, personal journey in horseback pointing field trials. If you love the combination of horses and dogs, the great outdoors, hard work, this is the column for you. New York, New York! Are you counting the days to the Garden? We sure are. This year, we are bringing you insider coverage of the Agility event from a special California-based team. Let’s root on Ricki-Roo and all the high flying, high performance athletes. Lastly, we celebrate 27 years of David Frei’s career as the “Voice” of the Westminster Kennel Club and say farewell. David’s contributions to our sport and to the community at large are legend. He makes magic happen. As you may know, I was one of the breeders of Uno, and my friendship with David began with a beagle, “a point,” and a very loud “woowoowwoo!” The group photo with Uno, our President and First Lady, in the Rose Garden of the White House is some of David’s magic. A memory that will last forever. Thank you, David for all that you’ve done. We won’t have long to wait until it’s time to see you in your usual place at the National presented by Purina. We’re looking forward to seeing everyone at the Specialities leading to the Garden and of course, ringside. As always, we want to hear from you. Sincerely, Leah Bertagnolli Editor
4
Best In Show Daily
In this issue
WHO’S WHO
Editor’s Welcome
4
In this issue
5
Rates and Upcoming Issues
5
The Mayor of Westminster Closes out 27 Years by Kayla Kurucz
8
RAT-Tastic by Deborah Davidson-Harpur Dogs and Horses and Cowboys… Oh My! by Laura Reeves NAIA Conference - Day 2 by Elizabeth Brinkley
18
Publisher Kayla L. Kurucz Associate Publisher Richard F. Goldman Editor-in-Chief Leah Bertagnolli Associate editors Laura Reeves, Elizabeth Turner-Brinkley, Deborah Davidson-Harpur Art & Photography Director Megan Cloudman Sales Jess Pearson Website Editor Ruben Alanakyan
28 36
Prepress Nicki Dobson Social Media Maven Jen Smith Intern Karissa Groves Founder Kayla L. Kurucz
Next Issue
March -- Westminster Winners
This month’s Cover Dogs
Rates Regular Page...........................................................$200 Regular Spread.......................................................$400 Front Cover (includes a 2 pg spread......................$800 Inside Front Cover Spread.....................................$750 Preferred pages (pg 3-10)......................................$350 Inside Back Cover...................................................$400 Inside Back Cover Spread......................................$800
GCH Eclipse’s One and Only GCH Eclipse’s Busy Being Fabulous bestinshowdaily.com
5
6
Best In Show Daily
bestinshowdaily.com
7
8
Best In Show Daily
bestinshowdaily.com
9
10
Best In Show Daily
bestinshowdaily.com
11
12
Best In Show Daily
bestinshowdaily.com
13
14
Best In Show Daily
bestinshowdaily.com
15
16
Best In Show Daily
bestinshowdaily.com
17
RAT-Tastic
by Deborah Davidson-Harpur Bur-way It’s Like This MX MXJ MJS OF T2B CGC CGC-A “Rickie Roo” and Gigi” MACH4 Harpurs Giddy Upp MXB2 MJG2 OAP OJP XF NFP T2B CGC CGCA are owned by Deborah Davidson Harpur of Harbor City, CA. Photo by Eliot Hanna
Ricki Roo & Gigi Set for Westminster Kennel Club Agility Harbor Area Rat Terriers Rickie Roo and Gigi are feeling “RAT-Tastic” about the upcoming Westminster Kennel Club Dog show. These sisters are entered in the Masters Agility Challenge at Westminster Saturday February 13, 2016 in New York City.
BOTH CANINES ARE LONG SHOTS TO TAKE THE WIN AT THE EVENT, BOTH FOR DIFFERENT REASONS. Rickie Roo has overcome many obstacles to be able to compete in the sport of dog agility. She is affected by a genetic disorder that causes the lenses in the eyes to detach and without prompt medical intervention blindness or loss of the eye is the end result.
Westminster is known as the dog show of all dog shows and is one of the longest running sporting events in the USA, their first event was held 127 years ago. While Westminster has been holding Conformation events since Primary Lens Luxation (PLL) affects many that time, it’s only recently they added agility breeds of dogs and Rickie Roo’s breed, the Rat Terrier is on the list of breeds at risk for to their show. PLL. 2016 will be the 140th annual Westminster Although Rickie Roo was bred before the Kennel Club Dog show and the 3rd annual dna test for PLL was available, when it did Masters Agility Challenge at Westminster. become available, her breeder and her own2016 will also add Obedience this year.” er had her tested and found out that she was at risk for PLL. Because of this information Rickie Roo competed at Westminster last year with Davidson Harpur and will be com- Davidson Harpur and Rickie Roo were able peting with her again this year. Robert Moray to establish a great relationship with a board certified canine eye specialist. When the first of Torrance CA will be running Gigi at this event. It is the first time for both Moray and sign of an issue arose, Rickie Roo had emergency surgery and her vision and her eyes Gigi to compete at Westminster. 18
Best In Show Daily
Gigi running through a tunnel. Photo by Lisa Hill of Rocket Doc Photography
Rickie Roo nails his weaves.
Photo by Robert Moray
were saved. Although she is now far sighted and has no depth perception, she is back to competing in the fast paced sport of dog agility with the blessings of her vet, who is likely to be in the audience at Westminster.
BOTH GIGI AND RICKIE ROO ARE DOGGIE MODELS, ACTRESSES AND SPOKES DOGGIES.
She too overcame an injury that should have ended her career, a torn hock at age 2. However with months in a cast and rehab she came back to compete in 2006 she became the first rat terrier to earn a title in AKC agility and made the AKC history books.She followed that up with multiple AKC ACE award nominations and just keeps going.
Davidson Harpur teaches in the Port of Los Angeles area. Moray teaches in Torrance and in Long Beach.
In addition to national ads and commercials, they both are featured in many breed calenRickie Roo is an AKC ACE award honoree in dars and in ads for products ranging from 3 the Companion Dog category and is passion- million dollar dog collars to tunnels for dog ate about sharing info on genetic testing for agility. They are proud canine ambassadors for By Nature Pet Foods, Paw Print Genetics canines of all types. and Canine Healthcheck. Gigi is likely to be the oldest dog competThey both are very active in fundraisers for ing at Westminster this year. She will be local and national rescue groups and one 13 years and 8 months the day the event is run. Competing against dogs up to 11 years year earned 32 TONS of food for the spyounger than her doesn’t worry Gigi. She’s cala Long Beach and followed that up with 10,000 meals for Animals Rule Rescue in there to have fun and fun she will have. San Pedro. Gigi is a former pound puppy from the HarBOTH DAVIDSON HARPUR AND MObor Animal Shelter in San Pedro, CA. This makes her the only rescue rat terrier at West- RAY ARE DOG AGILITY INSTRUCTORS. minster this year.
Ricky Roo jumping.
Photo by Robert Moray
Moray is also a certified dog fitness trainer. This is his first year competing at Westminster and he is doing so with Gigi, his favorite loaner dog. Davidson Harpur is also a writer for manybestinshowdaily.com
19
Rickie Roo and the tunnel.
Photo by Lisa Hill of Rocket Doc Photography
publications. They have been friends for at least 15 years and train together weekly. Both Moray and Davidson Harpur are going into the event with their long shot dogs with a great “RAT-ittude� knowing that while
they may not bring home the overall winner of the event, they have dogs that are healthy, happy and still competing in agility despite near career ending injurie
140th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show Televised events
Master Agility Challenge FOX Sports1
Saturday, 2/13/16
Gigi in the grass.
8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Photo by Robert Moray
xxx
Breed rings
Livestreaming video on Monday, 2/15/16 westminsterkennelclub.com Tuesday, 2/16/16
xxx
Group Competition
CNBC
Hound, Toy, Non-Sporting and Herding
Monday, 2/15/16 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm
xxx
Group Competition Sporting, Working and Terrier
USA
Tuesday, 2/16/16 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Gigi running. 20
Best In Show Daily
Photo by Lisa Hill of Rocket Doc Photography
bestinshowdaily.com
21
22
Best In Show Daily
bestinshowdaily.com
23
24
Best In Show Daily
bestinshowdaily.com
25
26
Best In Show Daily
bestinshowdaily.com
27
Dogs and Horses and Cowboys… Oh My!
By Laura Reeves The list of major “dog people” who also are or have been involved with horses at a serious level is impressive, although not shocking. Folks like Perry Payson, Tracy Szaras, Valerie Atkinson, Mary Dukes and Peggy Splawn just start the list. What about the folks who are actively competing with both dogs AND horses — in the same venue? While there are still a few folks “riding to the hounds,” the most active community today (although, in some cases, dwindling as the space required for the events gradually fades into the mists of time) is the group competing in horseback field trials for pointing breeds. These events harken to the foundation of the sport, hunting quail on the Southern plantations.
Since this version of dog competition predates even the Garden in this country, it is worthwhile to investigate the allure of horses, dogs and cowboys (and cowgirls!). “Field Trials in recorded history began in Britain in 1866. America's first recorded field trial was held in 1874 near Memphis, Tenn. It was an event that started a trend that grows ever stronger. The winner of that first U.S. Field Trial was a solid black native Setter by the name of Knight, who was owned by H.C. Pritchard.” — AKC
WKC (The first dog show in England was held in 1859.)“1877 - The First Annual New York Bench Show of Dogs, given under the auspices of the Westminster Kennel Club, is held in the Hippodrome at Gilmore's Garden (the forerunner to Madison Square Garden) in New York City, drawing an entry of 1,201 dogs.” — WKC (The first dog show in England was held in 1859.) For those unfamiliar, we’ll start with some definitions of terms. Bird hunting — Generally, an activity in which an individual or small group of people, and hopefully their dogs, whether pointing dog, flushing spaniel, retriever, or all of the above, seek feathered game. This pursuit most often is conducted on foot in the marsh,
meadow, prairie, timber or mountains found in the area being hunted. There are a few “gentleman’s rules” which historically apply, but no one’s keeping score. It’s just, if you will, a guy and his dog. The game ranges from upland birds such as pheasant, chukar, grouse of many varieties, quail and so on, to waterfowl hunting for various types of ducks and geese. AKC Hunt Test — This is a sport, available in different formats for pointing, flushing and retrieving breeds, operated under the auspices of the AKC. It is basically a non-competitive test of the dog’s natural and developed hunting ability, with levels including junior, senior and master. Dogs are scored from 1 to 10 against a defined standard of performance and receive pass/fail results, most comparable to obedience trials.
“1877 - The First Annual New York Bench Show of Dogs, given under the auspices of the Westminster Kennel Club, is held in the Hippodrome at Gilmore's Garden (the forerunner to Madison Square Garden) in New York City, drawing an entry of 1,201 dogs.” — WKC (The first dog show in England was held in 1859.) AKC Field Trial — This venue also is available to pointing, flushGarden) in New York City, drawing an entry of 1,201 dogs.” — ing and retrieving breeds and monitored by the AKC. The prima28
Best In Show Daily
ry difference between a “hunt test” and a “field trial” is the trial, much like a dog show, is judged on a standard of “best dog of the day” and is (highly!) competitive in nature. Dogs are placed 1-4 in order of the judges’ opinions of the best performances of the day.
rie chickens; from throwing dead maggoty ducks (ACK!) for retriever training in my little white coat in the pouring rain (starting at maybe 9 years old) to my high school “job” training “baseball” blind retrieve drills for Dad’s Labs; from planting pheasants for spaniel hunt tests to wading in scummy cow ponds to teach Mom’s ClumTo learn more about the rules, requirebers how to swim; from training and runments and possibilities in either sport, for ning my own GWPs in hunt tests, NAVHany applicable breed, visit http://www.akc. DA tests and (eek!) horseback field trials org/events/field-events/ to planting birds and marshaling trials from horseback.
ed horses. Tennessee Walking Horses are the predominant breed, although Missouri Foxtrotters, Rocky Mountain Horses and even the occasional Icelandic Horse or gaited mule break ranks. The average weekend field trial runs no fewer than a dozen 30-minute “broke dog” braces (two dogs) each day, with handlers, scouts, judges and gallery all mounted. These are competitions in which the dogs are mature and expected to point and stand steady on game until released. For most of the trial dogs, a five-minute mile is standard operating pro-
All of these events have corollaries operated by other organizations, most popularly North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association (NAVHDA), North American Hunting Retriever Association (NAHRA) and National Shoot to Retrieve Association (NSTRA) and American Field Sporting Dog Association.
cedure. Typically, dogs are running 300 to 500 yards ahead of the handlers, ideally working objectives between the positions of 10 and 2 on the horizon.
I have participated in most of the activities noted above at one point or another and on some level or another for nearly 40 years. From tagging along with Dad and carrying back a fistful of quail (age maybe 4 years old) to tromping all over the Nebraska and Kansas countryside following big-going Wirehairs working wild pheasant or prai-
.Meanwhile, back to our topic — dogs and horses! For me, and many friends in the game, it is the perfect sport, combining a passion for horses, dogs, the outdoors and competition in one wild ride. Walking Field Trials are making a surge in popularity, as grounds diminish and incomes and acreage shrink. But, to this day, horseback pointing breed field trials are pretty much the Best In Show ring every day. High pressure, huge performances and crushing blows (sometimes literally for folks who don’t land well). It is to adrenaline junkies in the dog world what maybe only rugby compares to in the sports world. Field trialers ride almost exclusively gait-
A percentage of the dogs are faster, range more widely and are often out of sight a good part of the brace. That’s where the scout comes in to play. While the handler “sings” (more often, bellows yoooooooooooooo, aiyooooooooooooooo, off key), providing the dog with location and direction of movement, he (or she) may send the “scout” off to the sides or to search heavy cover in case the dog is buried on point and not visible from where the handler must ride to stay on course. bestinshowdaily.com
29
The breathtaking moment when a snappy, hard-driving dog slams onto a point at the horizon, just barely in sight, will give even the calmest handler goosebumps. The dog (hopefully!) stands frozen, mesmerized by the scent of their quarry (and many, many hours of training), while also keeping the bird pinned in place.
light colored horse that’s easy to see, and look good out front. The best handlers I’ve talked to advised me, “You’re ‘showing’ your dog to the judge. Make the picture. Paint the scene. Focus on the positive aspects of the race.” (Wow! Sounds a lot like the advice we give conformation handlers…) The scout’s horse is usually little, zippy, independent and smart. Some of the places I rode when Handlers, scouts, judges and gallery come flying up (speed inscouting, and the speed at which I did it, never mind what I’ve seen versely proportionate to the handler’s trust in his dog’s willingness from the topnotch full-time scouts, would make a mountain goat to stand indefinitely). Judges watch from the side. Handler disgag. Judges run the gamut on equine style, but across the board a mounts, scout holds the horse, handler walks to the pointing dog judge’s horse is solid, quiet and steady. Nothing’s worse than tryand (prayerfully) kicks the brush until a bird pops up and flies away, ing to watch a dog work while fighting with a troublesome horse. at which point the handler fires a blank gun. Meanwhile, the dog must stay in place until released and heeled away by the handler. Starting at the 1997 GWPCA National when I rode a couple braces just to watch and learn, I have grown to tremendously enjoy the Assuming big going dogs, along with a desire to ride and watch sport. or participate in each brace, a rider at a regular weekend trial can rack up 40 miles in the saddle over a couple days without much I’ve learned a lot, had some amazing mentors and mostly had a ton effort. In big country, long days, at a national or when running hour of fun. For many years, the GWPCA national field trial was the only stakes, my Pro Handler friends estimate 35 miles a day or more. vacation I took. I’d ride out the wrangler’s young horses to save Most folks run two horses each and switch gear at lunch so as to not money on my bill. Since the GWP has the highest percentage of wear out their mounts. dual champions of any pointing breed, I watched a lot of dogs that were also participating in the National Specialty shows. Over the That much time in the saddle is well-served by a smooth walking years, nearly every stud dog I’ve incorporated in my breeding prohorse. A good gaited horse is nearly impossible to beat for a comgram has been a dog I was able to watch at a national field trial. And fortable ride at all speeds. No trotting, posting, clunking or batter- in most cases, many of his progeny and predecessors. ing of the body, which, for someone like me who doesn’t ride on a daily basis, with a bad back and knees, is imperative. For six years (we refer to these as the “lost years”…) in Nebraska, I spent a huge percentage of my time training and trialing Wirehairs. Speaking of saddles, this is generally a Western tack event. I ride My scout horse, Jimmy, and I shared many adventures. and prefer what they call a Trooper saddle (based on the Cavalry version), or an Aussie saddle, because they are lighter, ride better He was a horse that if you pointed him at a tree, he’d climb it. Literon the horse and are narrower through the tree. Stirrups are ridden ally. I aimed him uphill one time without a careful enough appraisal long by most for ease of upping and downing on tall horses when of the distance between two oak trees…. Fortunately, the one my haste is more important than decorum. I once saw a rider wearing knee crashed into, as Jimmy characteristically went up the hill full a helmet. While very sensible, it was not the fashion. Head gear tilt, was dead and it broke instead of my leg… Still, if I needed to runs long on cowboy hats and ball caps with brims to shade the sun. get somewhere fast, or find a dog, he was legendary. I had a field Attire is extremely casual, very much working cowboy, not rodeo trial judge try to buy him after watching that horse go all day, every flash. Jeans, chaps, boots. Layers of tshirt, sweatshirt, vest and day at a national in the mountains of California. It was one of the heavy coat often peel away during the course of a day. years I estimated we covered every bit of 40 miles a day, most at a flying walk or a gallop. Every horse there was leaned down, bloodTop notch field trial horses are amongst the best socialized and ied by sharp rocks, barely making it half a day. Jimmy was still fit steadiest horses you will ever encounter. They have to be able to and, after a week, still galloping up hill with not even a chipped stand ground tied, be quiet around guns and dogs (often running hoof. The definition of tough. literally under their feet), go out front, go to the side or stay in the pack; cross water, rocks, steep inclines, bridges, gates, mud and And, in a way, the definition of the sport. Gritty, fast paced, hard sand; tolerate running coyotes, flushing deer and birds; and, dodge working, exciting, with an edge of danger, an unbreakable spirit gopher holes, all without incident. and crystalline moments of untouchable beauty. The handler’s horse tends to be “high chrome,” often a spotted or 30
Best In Show Daily
Let ‘em roll, boys, let ‘em roll……
bestinshowdaily.com
31
32
Best In Show Daily
bestinshowdaily.com
33
34
Best In Show Daily
bestinshowdaily.com
35
36
Best In Show Daily
bestinshowdaily.com
37
38
Best In Show Daily
bestinshowdaily.com
39
40
Best In Show Daily
bestinshowdaily.com
41
42
Best In Show Daily
bestinshowdaily.com
43
44
Best In Show Daily
bestinshowdaily.com
45
46
Best In Show Daily
bestinshowdaily.com
47
48
Best In Show Daily
bestinshowdaily.com
49
50
Best In Show Daily
bestinshowdaily.com
51
52
Best In Show Daily