The Gossip Column, October 8, 2021
All the biographies and photographs of the nominees for the Breeder, Owner Handler, Judge and Professional Handler of the Year will be revealed in next week’s October 15 issue of DOG NEWS, as well as on social media. The voting for your favorite individual nominee ends on December 1, and the winners will be announced at the Sunday, January 23, black-tie PURINA PRO PLAN SHOW DOGS OF THE YEAR AWARDS DINNER partnered with DOG NEWS. As of this writing it is the law in New York that anyone attending the theater, sporting events or event venues like GOTHAM HALL must provide proof of Covid-19 vaccination and a photo ID to be admitted. Last week, the WORLD DOG SHOW was held at the Brno Exhibition Centre in Brno, the Czech Republic. So, if you missed it, there were no judges from the United States or cropped-eared dogs, as they are not allowed on the show grounds, nor can they be judged. You would have also missed seeing several of their national breeds like the Czech Fousek, Czech Terrier, Bohemian Shepherd Dog, Prague Ratter, Bohemian Mountain Dog and – my favorite – the Bohemian Spotted Dog. Who knows? One or more of those breeds could be coming to a ring near you in the future. Got to spend a few days in London and Spain with four good friends and two KENNEL CLUB vice presidents, JOHN & GWYNETH SPURLING and GRAHAM & PAULINE KIRKHAM, whom I hadn’t seen in more than a year and a half. As a member of the KENNEL CLUB, I was able to dine there with friends that included a musical bunch: former Skye Terrier owner and songstress AOIBHEANN GREEN, music maestro FIZ SHAPUR and the world-famous classical guitar player MILOS KARADAGLIC. It was nice to be back in the Kennel Club, but it was exceptionally quiet on that Friday. With Covid-19 still a concern, the entry and visitors are not what they would normally be. One of the real gems of our sport and the first lady of Basenjis DAMARA BOLTE is celebrating her 90th birthday. All of us at DOG NEWS send our very best wishes on this very special occasion. JOE PURKHISER has not retired from judging; he just canceled all his upcoming assignments.
AS a reminder, following the Best in Show judging at the MONTGOMERY COUNTY KENNEL CLUB there will be a celebration of life for the late BOBBY PAUST, organized and hosted by PETER GREEN & BETH SWEIGART of Greenfield Kennels, where BOBBY worked for many years. He was part of the extended GREENFIELD FAMILY. It’s only fitting, as BOBBY was a member of the Montgomery County Kennel Club.