The Italian (greyhound) and the Irish (setter) looked strong, but in the end, it was (the mastiff) Ulysses S. Grant who stood victorious on the fields of Ryon Park Sunday, claiming the Best in Show award at the 49th Lompoc Valley Dog Show.
Grant's handler, Taffe McFadden, laughed in celebration as she tried to wipe drool from the jowls of her 4-year-old champion, and then dry her hand before commencing with the post-victory hand shaking.
"He's wonderful, he's just little heavier than I am," McFadden said after the win, when asked about how it was to show Grant, who is owned by Danielle, Joe and Carla Sanchez.
"It's like showing a horse," McFadden said of the dog, who weighs about 240 pounds.
It had been a good weekend for Grant, who lives with McFadden near Sacramento. He was named the best mastiff, and best working breed dog for both dog shows.
"He's the top mastiff in the country," McFadden said.
Still, going into the Best in Show ring, McFadden said she did not think Grant would emerge victorious.
There were no fox holes on the field, but there was a smooth fox terrier, who entered the Best in Show ring highly favored. His name was Warfox Double Exposure, and he hoped to live up to the name, having won the Best in Show award at the 48th annual show that was held the day before.
Where Grant had size, and drool, Warfox had spunk, with a tiny white body, and a striking splash of black over half her face. Her tail wagged slowly back and forth as she was inspected by the ring judge, as if trying to hypnotize with cuteness.
Other group winners Sunday: Majestic, the border collie for the herding group; Durandel Fashionista, the miniature poodle for the non-sporting breeds; KC's Shake Your Groove Thing, the Italian greyhound for the toy breeds; Pupukearidge Ikaika O Springlvly, the Rhodesian Ridgeback, for the hounds; and Windrose I've Got a Secret, the Irish setter, for the sporting breeds.
Of course, some of the spectators had their own ideas about who was the best.
Three-year-old Dylan said she thought poodles were the best dogs.
"I like their fur," she said.
Dylan's aunt, Victoria Lamping, said she wasn't picky about the breed.
"I come every year, I'm a dog freak," Lamping said.
Owner, breeder and handler Eric Brandt, from Los Angeles, certainly would have liked slightly different judging, with his 15-inch and his 13-inch beagles coming in second place in the breed competition. Still, he said he always enjoyed coming to the Lompoc shows.
"Every year, it's one of the best shows we do all year, and you'll hear that from a lot of people," Brandt said.
The weekend of dog show events offered dog trainer and pet accessory retailer Paul Miller a return to his roots.
In 1992, his future wife and he adopted a border collie from the Lompoc animal shelter.
"It was his last day. He was going to be put to sleep," Miller said.
Miller spent some time with the energetic dog, and says the canine went from a basket case to a model companion. Friends and family commented on his dog-training skills, and a new career was born.
Miller and his wife now live in Novato, Calif., but have come back to Lompoc for the past 10 years for the friends, family, and dog shows.
July 27, 2009
