From July 14 though July 17, Sturdivant Park went to the dogs. 460 dogs converged to compete in the Coos Kennel Club’s 53rd Annual All-Breed Dog Show.
The American Kennel Club only recognizes 195 breeds and over 100 breeds were represented at the Sturdivant event. First, the dogs compete in Best in Breed, then Best in Group and eventually Best in Show. There are seven groups: Toy, Sporting, Non-Sporting, Terrier, Herding, Working and Hound. Dogs are judged on 14 qualities which include size and shape of the dog’s head, general structure of their tail, texture and length of their coat and even length and thickness of whiskers are judged. Then the owner or handler is required to run with the dog to demonstrate their gait. Poodles are expected to run proudly while Doberman dogs are to look fierce and intimidating. Breeds are judged on how close they meet all the characteristics that make up their breed standards.
Throughout the competition dogs were brushed and in some cases their hair braided and plenty of hair spray was used. The dogs were obviously loved and deeply adored demonstrated by all the petting, words of encouragement and plenty of cuddles from their owners/handlers. Fans and canopies were set up to keep their dogs comfortable during the initial hot days of the event. Owners and judges made sure to keep the dogs in the shade as much as possible.
Dog showing is not a cheap hobby as dogs can cost up to $50.00. There is also the cost of training, grooming and the dog’s high quality diet. Nearly all the humans at this event had a huge motor home and plenty of kennels, many on wheels with a grooming station on top.
At this show there were ribbons and additional prizes of brightly colored towels, dog mugs, wind chimes and a folding chair decorated with a dog. At the Best in Show level, $100 cash prizes were given out. Not enough to compensate for the cost of preparing for the show, but there were plenty of smiles and bragging.
The participants, both canine and human, certainly enjoyed the location. Appropriately, there was a hot dog concession truck getting plenty of business.
The largest dog show is the Westminster Dog Club which is the second longest continuous sports event in the nation. Only the Kentucky Derby is older. It is a sport that combines the science of genetics with athletics, style and psychology. Smaller shows allow dogs to collect points and eventually compete at a national level. Even at this “smaller” dog show, there were several dogs ranked in the top ten in the nation for their breed.
The dogs were definitely cute and enjoying the attention, especially the divas.
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