AKC National Championship

Dog	Angelica	Dog	Eliza	Dog	Hami
Class	Puppy	Class	Puppy	Class	Best of Breed
Points	3 Point Major	Points	5 pts/8 GCH points	Points	5 GCH
Notes		Notes	FINISHED	Notes	OMFG BOB

This is the end of the show season and it is a show I always look forward to as well as dread. The Death March known as the AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin is on! We stayed at the Marriott Grande Vista which is one of my favorite hotels.

We need to back up a bit. Two days after the Concord show I broke my leg and it was not even saving puppies from a burning building. Nope I literally tripped on my own feet. I ended up with a spiral Class C Weber fracture of my fibula. Basically no showing for me. Believe me I tried to get them convinced to put me in a boot or walking cast but it did not work.

I Am so lucky that I was able to get some amazing friends to help me out. Forget all of those St John suits – hello scooter and People of WalMart clothes. I looked like a homeless person but luckily that did not cause the dogs too much embarrassment.

Monday – Set up Day

Luckily I had my husband to help me set up because one leg and an SUV crammed full of stuff is not a great combination. My first ind was my scooter – OMFG I could actually move aster than a snail on a salted track!

I was able to meet up with Christian Manelopoulos for him to make sure Eliza would walk for him and she did not seem to even care about me which was a relief. He also groomed her a bit for me because for the last three weeks I have been unable to do much. My friend Kay was going to show Angelica for me so I felt a ton of relief to have the girls covered.

Tuesday – Day 1

Pekes and Tibbies were at the same time so I was not able to watch Hamilton show but my friend Kim reported that he was semi good and semi naughty – exactly what you would assume to happen with a 13 month puppy. The whole point o showing him was for him to get used to these huge shows for later on and Arvind deBraganca had showed him a couple times when I had COVID and he was able to squeeze him in and he was happy with him so I was happy for the experience and hoped to see him get better as the week goes.

Pekes were being judged by Susan Shephard who is a Pekingese breeder and judge and I was hoping that she would like the girls. Angelica is usually handed off so I was shocked when all of a sudden she wanted “mommy.” Poor Kay – there is nothing like showing a Peke who does not want to show LOL.

Christian and Eliza walked in the ring like she had shown for him for years – she marched in the ring like she owned it and then walked out with Winner’s Bitch! The bitch classes were only two points so we needed the crossover. Unfortunately Christian had to run to Poodles so my friend Sarah was able to take her back in for breed. I got too close and she saw mommy and then SHE started staring at me so I had to scurry back.

In the end she not only got the crossover to finish BUT went Best of Opposite over the Specials to take a 5 point major! I was so happy not only for her to finish but for her to shine and be recognized by a breeder judge at the biggest show of the year!

Wednesday – Day 2

I was still on Cloud 9 which was good because Pekes were at 8 am which is about as criminal as you can get. My friend Kim (Dynasty Mini American) was really excited to drive me in at the crack of dawn as her Mini Americans did not show until the afternoon.

With Eliza finishing I needed to find a handler as Christian had two Peke specials that he was showing and so David Stout was able to assist – can I just say how nice it is to have wonderful top winning handler squeeze me and my dogs in? Today’s Peke judge was Gene Sisneros who is a PCA member so he knows the breed very well.

Angelica decided that Aunt Kay was a good substitute and took Winners Bitch and a crossover for a major! Good girl Angelica! Eliza was named Best of Opposite for a Grand Champion major and Champion defeat! I was so thrilled with the girls and then out of the blue Kim comes walking up with Hamilton – I was kind of wondering why he was being hated to me. Well it seemed that he was unhappy in the set up and decided to do his patented Tibetan scream (and it can be really LOUD).

An AKC rep came to the setup as they thought a dog was in distress – nope just a Tibbie that wanted his feelings to be known – and this folks is why no handler will attempt to take him ha ha. So Hami is with me and then we were afraid Arvind would not make the ring so I asked my friend Mark Stephens (Aslan Pekingese) he could show him. Mark is from SoCal and he asked if Hami was good (this is important for later) and I said something like yes he is really nice he might get a cut but he was really too young to win.

Mark was practicing with him and Arvind came running and grabbed Hami right before he would have to go in the ring. Mark was a bit relieved and bummed I think but he and most of the Peke people stayed to watch. The judge was Charlotte Patterson who is such a really amazing judge so I was really hoping he would make a cut (there were I think 15-20 dogs showing) and Hamilton was the first dog then Speaker the #2 dog then Daddy William who is #1 plus probably most of the top 10 behind them.

I could see the judge give him a good look, but I was thinking she may have been looking at Speaker or William – then she pulls Hamilton out and I am thinking oh great she is making a cut but then she motioned to Winner’s Bitch and I am thinking WTF is happening. Kim starts going OMG you are getting breed but I am still in denial until the judge pulls William out that I realized MY PUPPY IS WINNING BREED OVER THE TOP TIBBIES IN THE COUNTRY.

I was completely in shock – my friend sJulie and Mike who own Merit the Brittany were there (Diego shows their dog as well as William) and I was sitting there on my scooter like shock. Kim ran over to help get the photo taken and I called Hami’s breeders as I told them how William did every day. I told them William went Select and they said who won and I started crying and said “Hamilton” and Marcia said – HAMILTON? And I said YES and then it was she, myself and Jim screaming to each other!

Charlotte Patterson said lovely things about my puppy and to be honest it took a judge that had that much street cred to put up a puppy that looked like a puppy. I was so proud of my little nugget for going out there and showing his heart out. He did a great job in group but the group was way too stacked and it was a different judge so I was so not shocked that he did not get anything – lets be honest – who cares we won the breed!

Thursday – Day 3

Note: the Pekes were not entered today as David is judging and well I cannot show to him so it was an all Tibbie day!

Hami showed fine but it was the judge from Group and he was not into him in Group so we did not get much of a look in the breed – not complaining whatsoever just that most judges are not going to get a puppy much of a look. The point of this show was to acclimate him to the ring and sounds and he never missed a beat!

Friday – Day 4 Puppy Stakes and Tibbie Specialty

Note: Hamilton was not entered today as David is judging the Tibetan Spaniel entry in the Puppy Stakes and I cannot show to him.

I decided not to show the girls in Puppy Stakes – it was way too hard to try and juggle and to be honest it just made sense to try. I did get a great photoshoot on all three kids. I cannot wait to see the pictures!

Saturday – Day 5

Last day for us! We had a judge change so I was not really sure how it would go as the judge was a permit judge meaning she did not have a lot of experience. Angelica ended up Reserve Winner’s Bitch (do not be too excited there were only two girl LOL) but she showed AMAZING and I was thrilled at how she did.

Eliza made the cut but it seemed that the judge was not really into her – she asked multiple times if she was a male or female. Luckily Eliza did not seem to care. It was a wonderful win for our friend Christian as his two Specials (and our buddies) went Breed (Buddha) and Best of Opposite (our friend Susan’s Bella!!!). I was so very happy for Susan – she is such a nice person and loves Bella so much I knew I was not in contention so I wanted her to win – but Opposite is definitely a wonderful win!

Eliza was Select Bitch over gosh I think a ton of specials so we got another GCH major and champion defeats. I cannot be sad at all that Eliza came in a class animal and left 1/3 of the way to a Grand Championship.

We ended up pulling Hamilton as Arvind was not going to make the ring and to be honest – we may have gotten an AOE but Hamilton had shown so much and done so well I wanted to just get on the road and head home!!