Thu, 02/06/2020 - 12:40pm

The Gossip Column, February 6, 2020

Anticipating Westminster, two MIA delegate questionnaires and much more

Welcome to New York, the home of DOG NEWS, THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB and the real reason you are here, THE WESTMINSTER KENNEL CLUB dog show. Due to circumstances not under their control WESTMINSTER had to do some quick and creative thinking as half of the daytime breed judging venue was unavailable. So this year it’s a three-day event and some patience and understanding will go a long way. ...

Friday starts a long weekend of activity that starts with the THEATRE BENEFIT benefiting the DOG MUSEUM. Supporters will attend a performance of the Tony Award winning musical HADESTOWN. Saturday evening the black-tie PURINA SHOW DOGS OF THE YEAR AWARDS DINNER partnered with DOG NEWS takes center stage at GOTHAM HALL, where the top seven Group winners, Junior Showmanship winner and Obedience dog will be honored, as well as the favorite judge, professional handler, breeder, owner handler, all breed dog show and specialty show will be announced. They were nominated by their peers and voted on nationally by those of you who participated. Of course the highlight of the evening is the newest inductee into the Hall of Fame. ...

Monday evening is the annual TAKE THE LEAD APRES GROUP PARTY. This year it will be held at the popular Garden steakhouse NICK & STEF’S. Then several days of specialties calumniating with three days of WESTMINSTER. You might be seeing people wearing Westminster purple ribbons this weekend. Purina and Red Rover Leash with the Westminster Kennel Club are joining forces to raise awareness for the need to have pet-friendly domestic violence shelters, where survivors can go with their pets. Judge BOBBY PAUST, who suffered from a stroke during the Golden Gate dog show weekend, is still in the hospital. As he stabilizes he will be starting rehabilitation. All of us at DOG NEWS send our very best wishes for a speedy and complete recovery. ...

Unfortunately, the very successful dog breeding duo WADE BURNS and JON WOODRING will miss being in New York, where they are nominated for Breeders of the Year at the Purina/Dog News dinner. WADE is recovering from knee replacement surgery. Also missing the festivities in New York is CONNIE GERSTNER MILLER who is recuperating from recent hip-replacement surgery. ...

Most sad is the passing of my friend for almost forty years, CHERYL ROBBINS. CHERYL passed away last Saturday, just one week before the Purina/Dog News dinner that will honor for the second year in a row, her top winning Working dog. Successful  Boxer breeder under the Cherokee prefix, CHERYL and her husband KEITH have had many top-winning dogs and a long-lasting relationship with their handler MICHAEL SHEPHERD. All of us at DOG NEWS especially MATT STANDER and me send our deepest condolences to KEITH and family. The family will be holding a Celebration of Life for CHERYL ROBBINS before the start of the American Boxer Club Nationals Specialty, Saturday May 2nd at the Library Restaurant, 2610 Southerner's Lynhurst Drive, Indianapolis.

Finally, the annual DELEGATES QUESTIONNAIRE is printed in this week’s issue of DOG NEWS. Four of the six delegates running for board of director seats graciously accepted and answered the questions. So we thank CARL ASHBY, JEFFREY BALL, CARMEN BATTAGLIA and MICHAEL KNIGHT for their participation. The two delegates that chose not to answer, TOM DAVIES who couldn’t get elected last year for a four-year term, is running unopposed for a one year term. KAROLYNNE  MCATEER is running for a second term, so in not answering maybe she and TOM DAVIES just don’t have any new thoughts or ideas, or just don’t want us to know what their plans are for the kennel club. I would say it’s too hard to vote for anyone without knowing their positions of the many problems that face us in today’s world. Have great weekend and travel safely.

 

© Dog News. This article may not be reposted, reprinted, rewritten, excerpted or otherwise duplicated in any medium without the express written permission of the publisher.

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