Best of Breed at Eukanuba / AKC National!

It's been a nail biting week with a number of top Welsh Terriers competing here in Long Beach California. It has been the run-up to "Eukanuba - AKC National Championship". It's not as large of a terrier entry as Montgomery had, but the dogs that are here are all of top quality! So far, Parker has won best of breed some of the days and his sire, Spyder, won the breed the other days.

However today, the main show day, PARKER did it - Best of Breed!

With a record breed entry for this prestigious show (competition from across the US, Canada, England and Australia), Mr. Walter Goodman's Best of Breed dog was chosen to be Parker - Ch Darwyn's Webslinger!

My bad habit (biting my nails) was my drug of choice this afternoon while we all watched the beautiful dogs go around, individually judged and then waited until the winner was pointed to! It was such an intense time period for me. Truly wonderful. And, watching Parker and Jenny Wornall in the Group ring tonight brought tears to my eyes. When Mrs. Robert Forsyth pulled Parker in her 'cut', I gasped for breath! He showed SO beautifully, I cannot wait to see the televised version of tonight show!

I was also very happy to watch my friends Lakeland Terrier, Ch. Manoirs Match Point, from Ontario win the breed and watch him in the group.

Thank you everyone for your wonderful words and encouragement about this young dog.

I can't wait to go home tomorrow, see Michael (who has so kindly stayed home to take care of our puppies) and just cuddle with potential future Best in Show dogs!

What a Birthday!

It's my birthday today and I received some really terrific news!

Parker (Ch Darwyn's Webslinger) got his first Group Placement TODAY - a Group 2 in Arizona (Judge; Linda C. More) - WOW! Next goal ... compete at Eukanuba - the AKC National Championship!

And, Athena (Am Ch Darwyn's Heroic Endeavour), got 2 more AKC majors this weekend and is also now officially finished her American Championship! What a good girl she is :-) Next goal for her is to come back to Canada and get her Canadian title ....

Woo Hoo!

THANK YOU WOOD & JENNY WORNALL AND ANDREW PEEL! Yippee!

WOW! This birthday, which was going to be fairly low key ... I think will have to be one where we go out for dinner!

Parker and Athena BOTH won the Welsh Terrier Club of America Specialty today!

I woke up to some amazing news today! When it first sunk in I screamed so loudly Michael thought something was wrong with one of the puppies or dogs ... but thankfully that wasn't the case. This was good news - VERY good news!

Today is the Welsh Terrier Club of America National Specialty, held at Montgomery County Kennel Club (the most prestigious terrier show in the world!). We have 2 welsh entered, both a non-champion dog and a non-champion bitch (Parker and Athena). Our goal? Well, at this prestigious breeder show, our main goal was to have our kennel represented well with dogs that were competitive, and be seriously considered for one of the winners classes (ideally Winners Dog (male) and/or Winners Bitch (female) and if they did, to be competitive for Best of Winners once the champions came in to compete for Best of Breed).

Well - they both were certainly competitive! And, Wood and Jenny Wornall and Andrew Peel, as they do with all of their terriers, conditioned them and presented them beautifully! This is definitely something that has to be done for this level - there are many professional handlers in the Welsh Terrier ring, and all do a marvelous job!

PARKER (Darwyn's Webslinger) won WINNERS DOG & BEST OF BREED!

ATHENA (Darwyn's Herioc Endeavour) won WINNERS BITCH!

I have been told that this is the FIRST time in the Welsh Terrier Club of America history that the BOB, WD AND WB were all owned and bred by the same person! WOW!






Whew!

I am somewhat disappointed that I was not there in person to witness this myself. For the first time in 11 years I missed going to Montgomery. But, I had a very good reason. Haley (Parker AND Athena's mom from 2 different litters) had a litter of 3 healthy boys just over a week ago, and Paisa (Am/Can Ch. Sanherpinc Paisa), my (US) multiple Best in Show bitch had a litter of SIX healthy puppies a couple of days ago.

Well, I guess as I let this all sink in, I will go and cuddle with the puppies and celebrate with Michael tonight!

Go hug your dogs - we will!