Concord, NC

Show Information

We stayed at home since the show is 20 miles away so no hotel report and after the last one I am pretty happy!

Thursday – Day 1

Hamilton was the only Tibbie entered the first two days so it was not much of a stretch to win breed. BaRay was the superintendent and they did not post group ring times / order until 30 minutes before they were to start. SO I almost missed the Non Sporting Owner Handler group. I was walking by to get to Pekes (early) and thought wow thats a big juniors class, then hm they look a bit old – yeah it was the OH Sporting!

Hami and I were basically right on time and he got a very nice Group 3. Then it was off to Pekingese and Angelica was WInners Bitch and Best of WInners for a point over Eliza. Then it was on to the Non Sporting group where Hami and I made the cut down to 6! The show was not large but the groups were soooo deep and I was the only non professional to make the cut and that was seriously the highlight of my day.

Friday – Day 2

Today was one of those magical days that you dream about. Hamilton of course won against himself for breed and then got a NOHS Non Sporting Group 2. No love in the regular group but he showed wonderful! The truth is he just turned a year old so there is no need to really push him but he is a showy little thing!

Next up was Pekes and Eliza won Winners Bitch and we went into Best of Breed and…..I won breed. I about fell over, not because Eliza is not a good Peke, but that our competition was really tough, my friend Kay and her absolutely lovely dog Ramsey (the all time NOHS Peke combo and a tough Toy group competitor) as well as Chris M and the lovely Bella (BOS at Westminster this year). Just to be able to compete with people and dogs I respected was an incredible dream.

We were in the Toy Group and the judge that gave us breed, Carol Jean Nelson was judging the group so I was hoping to at least make the cut which I did and was so ecstatic but she was still looking at as and she first pointed to the Chin, then the Chihuahua (with my friend Erika showing!) and then she said “Peke is third” and I walked in a daze and started bawling.

Erika looked at me and said “I used to show for you and now look at you showing for yourself” I was bawling, she started tearing up and the really nice man who won the group looked over and Erika told him it was my first group placement showing my own dog and HE hugged me. I will say this – all of the handlers were so very happy for me and it was a great feeling.

To win breed over Specials in Peke does happen but not usually in this level of competition – how tough did you ask? Well Bella, Ramsey and Eliza all took a turn winning breed and they all got Group placements – tell me when you have ever seen something like that. I had met Bella’s owner Susan the day before and she was one of the first people to congratulate me! I have to say I was over the moon!

We did go in to the Toy NOHS group but Eliza was tired and she walked out without a ribbon and I did not care one bit – my girl got her first major and a group placement to boot!

Saturday Day 3

Hamilton had a class bitch as competition today and went breed but he was in a mood. How bad of a mood? Oh glad you asked. He was turning his feet out at a 45 degree angle – not even sure how he did that and would not LOOK at the judge at all in the Groups. He was so bad that for some reason (we were late in the order) only 5 NOHS entries showed up and we walked out without a ribbon. That bad ha ha ha.

In Pekingese we got looked at pretty hard for breed but Eliza ended up with Winners Bitch and Best of Winners to officially minor out!

Sunday Day 4

Hamilton won breed again for one GCH point – Tibbies are so tough to actually get points on because the entries are usually really low – but we keep working on it. He was okay in the regular group but really good in the NOHS Non Sporting – I honestly thought we might win it but we ended up with a lovely Group 2. We will get that Group win soon I think!

I was hoping I could squeeza a Best of Opposite or Breed to finish Eliza but the judge Tim Catterson had given Bella a few breed wins so I knew it would be an uphill climb. I was correct and Bella won the breed (and Susan was there which made it SO AMAZING) and got a Group 3 too which made me so happy for her!

So that is our last show before the biggest show of the year Royal Canin! There are three days of regular shows, the puppy stakes, a tibbie specialty and then the AKC National Championships. I am not showing on the Thursday show in Pekingese nor the Tibbie Puppy Stakes as David is judging which makes me ineligible but I actually do like that it will make the show have some breaks in it for the kids.