US Best in Show!

Canine Chronicle, has posted Joe's Best in Show win, with a couple of nice candid photos (the ones shown here).

This is a big milestone for Darwyn Welsh Terriers.

  * I have co-owned a welsh terrier that has received multiple (5) US All-Breed Best in Shows. 
  * I have bred a few that have received this top honour in Canada.
  * Joe is now my first home-bred US All-Breed Best in Show winner. 
Much appreciation to Mrs. Barbara Dempsey Alderman for the Group Win and Mr. Mark Houston-McMillan for this historic Best in Show Award.

This show, while relatively out of the way in Montana, was a very competitive show (just like how some of the smaller shows in Canada can sometimes be the most competitive).  In fact, a number of the top dogs in the US were in attendance at this show - including the #2 dog, all-breeds, the multi BIS winning GWP pictured below.  Also on this weekend, Joe (GCh Am / Can Ch Darwyn's I'm Not Arguing That) won 2 Terrier Group 1st wins - so now he has 8 Group Wins in the US and 138 career Group Wins overall - and now 29 Best in Shows, of which 1 is in the US.  :)

Click here for the Canine Chronicle details of the wins.

As you can see by the photos (and results), Joe is in beautiful condition and happy.  This is because of his dedicated handlers.  Both Milton Lopes (pictures in the ring) and Ash Oldfield (above) work together on him - in fact, I understand that in the last few months, it is Ash that is doing a lot of Joe's coat work, and together they do finishing touches.  That's teamwork! 
Thank you both for keeping Joe looking so good and so happy!

JOE - Best in Show in the US - WOW!

The details are on one of my favorite US Dog Show Blogs:
CLICK HERE to see the exciting details!

It's been close to 2 years since Joe has gone to a regular AKC dog show (other than Westminster Kennel Club in New York) - so far this weekend, he has won both Terrier Groups and today he was awarded BEST IN SHOW, while many of the US's top dogs were there (including the GWP, which is the #2 dog, among all breeds!).

Joe is a pretty darn special dog ... so far 28 Best in Shows in Canada, an AKC all-breeds Best in Show in the, many Group 1st wins in both countries, BOB at a Welsh Terrier Club of America Specialty, multiple Best in Terrier Specialties, Group placements on both Montgomery County (MCKC) and Eukanuba/AKC Invitational weekends (US), Top 10 dog (all-breeds) for 2011 and 2012 and #1 Terrier in Canada (2012) ... and he started out as a puppy to be awarded such things as Best Puppy in Show and Bred By Group placements at the Northern California Terrier Specialty.

This boy has surpassed my wildest dreams as a breeder.  I have owned another US BIS Welsh Terrier, but this win today is just a bit different .... I bred this boy.  He was a singleton and I raised him, trained him and played with him as a puppy and young dog.  Hard to describe - but being awarded a Best in Show at an AKC all-breed show, with such top competition in attendance (Milton is used to that - since in Canada, he seems to always be at the shows that have the top dogs at!) is a living dream.

Record Breaker - Record Maker - Joe!

Joe!
Multi Best in Show & Specialty Winning
American Grand Champion & Canadian Champion
Darwyn's I'm Not Arguing That

Joe is the top winning Welsh Terrier in Canadian history!

He surpassed the previous record holder for the number of Best in Shows a few months ago - he now has received 21 BIS awards!  The previous record holder is a beautiful dog from back east that received 13 Bests quite a number of years ago.  Joe has also surpassed the other record holder for the total number of dogs defeated, with Joe's record currently standing around 10,000 (and the year is only half over).

The bar has definitely been raised (and still rising) for sure!  One day I will try to have another one defeat his records, but for now, we are just enjoying the ride.  Below are 2 of Joe's recent BIS wins - conditioned and presented with perfection by Milton Lopes (who, of course, has been Joe's main handler since Jan 2010).  I think you will agree with me that he and his partner Ash have Joe in top condition, and presented beautifully!  As always.

Currently Joe, with his 21 BISs and 117 career Group 1st wins, is Canada's #4 dog among all breeds for 2012 to date, which follows him being the #10 dog among all breeds in 2011.



Best in Show #21 - Ms. Mary White (US)



Best in Show #20 - Mr. Tim Doxtater (Canada)



Joe Wins 2 Terrier Group First's at Canada's Largest Show at LMDF!

Joe! 
MBIS/MBIS GCh & Can Ch Darwyn's I'm Not Arguing That
Handler:  Milton Lopes
Show:  Lower Mainland Dog Fanciers (Canada); Oct 28, 2011
Judge:  Mr. Carl-Gunnar Stafberg (Sweden)

Joe is now the #2 Terrier and #8 Dog (among all-breeds!) in Canada!

I have just returned from a thrilling and fun-filled weekend at Canada's largest show - Lower Mainland Dog Fanciers (LMDF) held at Tradex in Abbotsford, BC.
My dog Joe attended along with 15 of the top 20 dogs (all breeds) in all of Canada, and over 1000 other dogs!  Not only was it the largest show in Canada so far this year, but also hosted the largest Terrier entry so far this year!

Joe was awarded TWO GROUP WINS!  One of whom is a well renowned terrier expert, Mr. Carl-Gunnar Stafberg of Sweden!  Mr. Stafberg is a renowned breeder of Border Terriers since 1963 (bred over 100 champions!), but other terriers he has owned and bred include Airedale, West Highland, Irish and Welsh Terriers!  He has been judging since 1967 and has many international accomplishments.  What an honour for me to have Mr. Carl-Gunnar Stafberg choose my boy Joe as his Terrier Group Winner, especially given his background in terriers and my breed!  WOW!

Joe's second Group Win on the weekend was from the well respected judge from Russia, Mrs. Elena Yerusalimskaya, who qualified as a judge in 1981.

I was so proud to watch Joe in the Best in Show line-up twice this past weekend.  As you can see from these photos he is in excellent condition, coat and trim, works perfectly with Milton and Tracy who present him and he absolutely loves to show! 

Many people at the show were captivated by Joe!  A friend came out to watch the show and took some amazing photos -- in a few days I'll update this blog with a link to some of her photos!

For now - here is a sample of Elaine Hu of SquAire Dog Grooming of Joe showing how Joe won the groups at LMDF 2011!

3rd weekend in a row -- BIS for Joe!

As of today, Joe (GCh and Can Ch Darwyn's I'm Not Arguing That) is Canada's #6 dog all breeds!

2 weekends ago, Joe was awarded his 2nd Best in Show in a line-up that included both the #1 and #2 dogs of all-breeds.  Truly a thrilling experience for us! 

Last weekend Joe won a Terrier Specialty, an all-breed BIS and an all-breed RBIS!  It was the Terrier Breeders Association National Specialty, and NACA, a well known, and well-attended, all-breed show in Canada.

This weekend Joe and Milton flew up to the Yukon to go GOLD prospecting!  You see, it is a tradition for the Yukon Kennel Club (which surprisingly, even though it is far away, sees some of Canada's top dogs in their line-up each year!) gives a Gold Nugget for their BIS and BPIS wins! 

The gold nugget Joe won yesterday isn't enough to retire on, but it could be made into a beautiful piece of jewelry that can be worn with a lot of pride!

Thank you Mr. Rick Fehler for this wonderful award!

Another Best in Show and a Best in Specialty -- Joe is now #7 Dog ALL-BREED!

June 6, 2011
Best in Show
JOE! BISS/MBIS GCh Am and Can Ch Darwyn's I'm Not Arguing That
Judges: Mr. Ralph (Skip) Scoggins (BIS); Mr. James Ham, USA (Group 1)
Handled by Milton Lopes and Tracy Tuff
CLICK HERE FOR RESULTS!

Today was Joe's 31's time in the ring in Canada this year - and every single time he has gone into the ring (except once) he has either won the terrier group or placed!  I am just so darn proud that he has been received so well. Click here for Joe's page

I loved this dog right from when he was 5 weeks old!  Granted, he took a while to mature (so didn't always win or place), but to those with an eye, he showed great promise.  His second time out he got a Best Puppy in Show, his 3rd time out, with me handling him at Northern California Terrier Association at 7 months old he was awarded a Group 2 in Bred-By Exhibitor (adult) Group!  And, shortly after that he was awarded 2 AKC majors (breeder-owner handled :-)

His (short) US career last year was truly amazing, and now back in Canada he certainly has matured into the promissing puppy I had hoped for.

This past weekend in Edmonton Alberta, at NACA, was a very competitive weekend with the Terrier Breeders Assocation of Canada National Specialty, and 4 All- Breed shows.  Joe (GCh and Can Ch Darwyn's I'm Not Arguing That) WON the Terrier Specialty plus Group 1st at 3 out of the 4 all-breed shows, one Reserve Best in Show and Best in Show!  He placed in the other group, while it was won by a beautiful Bull Terrier (one who also won a US National Breed Specialty) ... like I said, a very competitive terrier group (and the largest one in Canada so far this year!).

We are very thankful to the judges that found the quality in Joe to give him these awards this weekend - and so far in his career.  We are very happy.
Our appreciation from this past weekends awards are to:
Elaine Mathis (Florida, USA) for Group 1st and Reserve Best in Show
James Ham (MI, USA) for Group 1st
Fred Dewsbury (Ontario) for Group 1st
Ralph "Skip" Scoggins (Texas) for Group 1st, Best in Specialty and Best in Show!

Joe rocks! G1 and RBIS at the largest terrier entry in Canada so far this year!

June 3, 2011
Group 1 and Reserve Best in Show
JOE!  BISS/MBIS GCh Am and Can Ch Darwyn's I'm Not Arguing That
Judge:  Mrs. Elaine Mathis (Florida, USA)
Handled by Milton Lopes and Tracy Tuff
CLICK HERE FOR RESULTS!

I am bursting with pride today! 
First off, a beautiful 11 week old puppy bitch went to her new home (a very knowledgeable Welsh Terrier breeder who has been involved for over 25 years).  She's on the other side of the continent from me and I have a lot of trust with my new co-owner (and am very excited about this).  Jessie's safe, happy and her new co-owner is thrilled!  Stay tuned on this one, more will be said about Jessie in future posts...
The other reason that I am so proud tonight is that my boy Joe (MBIS/BISS GCh and Can Ch Darwyn's I'm Not Arguing That) won the Group and was awarded Reserve Best in Show today at NACA!  Click here for results.  I believe this weekend has the largest terrier entry in the country so far this year, and it was a very competitive line-up in both the group and BIS level!
Today's Group and BIS judge is the well known, and respected Mrs. Elaine Mathis from Florida USA.  From the personal notes I have received tonight, Joe showed his heart out and looked amazing even though the weather could have been a tad bit warmer!

As you can see by the photos above, Milton Lopes and Tracy Tuff have Joe looking AWESOME!  Thank you to everyone for your support of this wonderful team!

I finally updated Joe's web page with his Canadian show wins!

I finally updated Joe's web page with some "fast facts" for Joe's career to date, his Canadian show wins, and a link to the 2 videos I did of him at dog shows - one in the US on Montgomery weekend and one in Canada (first weekend out with Milton and Tracy).  It was neat to re-live these 2 days.  I enjoyed it - if you watch them, I hope you do also.

Click here to go to Joe's updated web page.

Click here for the video of Joe and Woody on Montgomery 2010 weekend.

Click here for the video of Joe on the first weekend out with Milton Lopes and Tracy Tuff.

A few facts:

* 6 Group WINS in the US! (California and Montgomery weekend)

* 39 Group Placements in the US!
* Many BOB wins in the US with other top Welsh Terriers in competition
* 2 BIS (in top competition)!
* 27 times in the ring in Canada in '11 - 26 Group Placements
* 12 Group WINS in Canada

I still have more to update.  I haven't put in any (except one) of his US photos - and they are good!

Best in Show! Joe! WOW!

Joe - BISS/MBIS Darwyn's I'm Not Arguing That
Handled by: Milton Lopes; Tracy Tuff
Judge: Mr. Walter Pinsker
Show: Regina Kenn Club, May 20 2011 (Best in Show!) - click here for results

When I looked at my iPhone as Michael and I were out doing errands today, I was not expecting to see a text message, let alone a message telling us that JOE went BEST IN SHOW today!

A number of people who were at the show told me that Joe was looking really great (perhaps the best that he has looked since he has been with Milton and Tracy ... while that is hard to believe!). 
Tracy also told me last night that he was in excellent spirits, focused, eating well (as always) and happy!  He should be - he got the chance to breed a really beautiful Welsh Terrier bitch (MBIS bitch!) over the last 3 days!  ;-)

This weekends show was relatively small in numbers, but a LOT of the top dogs from across Canada are all there and very competitive!  As you'll see from the link below, in the Best in Show line-up, Joe competed with other Group Winners that are multi Best in Show dogs, the #1 dog all breeds, the #2 dog all breeds and another one that is in the top 10 dog all breeds.  Click here for the results.

I am very honoured that the judge, Mr. Walter Pinsker, chose Joe for his Best in Show!  Walter and his wife Monika have been in "dogs" for many decades, are known all over the world for not only judging, their very prestigious and well run dog shows, but their absolutely wonderful (and respected world-wide) Mephisto Boxers.  From what I have learned, they have been involved since 1968, bred well over 100 champions, 150 best in shows and produced the dog that was the #1 dog (all-breeds) in 1975.  They have also been terrier breeders.

I am so darn proud that Mr. Pinsker found the quality in my boy Joe to give him the top honours at this show, in such strong competition.  Thank you.

2 Group Wins & Reserve Best in Show at one of Canada's toughest shows!

Joe!
BISS / BIS / GCh Am & Can Ch Darwyn's I'm Not Arguing That
BIS Judge:  Cec Ringstrom (AB)
Group Judge#2:  Jeannine Dowell (US)
Group Judge#1:  John Ross (ON)
Handler:  Milton Lopes & Tracy Tuff
Show:  Renaissance Dog Association (April 2011)
CLICK HERE FOR THE RESULTS OF DAY 4 (RBIS) and HERE FOR  RESULTS OF DAY 1 (G1)

Canada's #1, #2 and #3 Terriers arrived in Chilliwack BC from 3 different provinces in Apr/11 for the Renaissance Dog Association show - an event that is starting to rival the October BC show for the top show in Canada in both quality and numbers.

I was both nervous and excited about this weekend!

The #1 terrier, a locally handled Westi, is currently the #1 dog (all-breeds, of all-breeds) in Canada.  The #2 terrier, a Skye from Eastern Canada is also one of the top 10 dogs, all-breeds.  And, the #3 terrier, is my boy Joe!  Joe is currently living in Alberta!

With all three of these dogs being Canadian Best in Show winners, and the Skye and Welsh already proven US winners, many people stood ringside and it proved to be a very exciting 4 days!  These 3 dogs, conditioned and handled to perfection by experts, met about 60 other terriers, many of whom were also group winners.

I am very honoured that my boy Joe (BISS/BIS GCh Am & Can Ch Darwyn's I'm Not Arguing That) WON the Terrier Group on the 2 days that Terrier Breeder judges judged. 
I was very honoured by these placements, and will never forget this weekend.

One was Mr. John Ross from Ontario.  It turns out that not only was he and his wife a professional handling team for many years, but he also was a professional dog show photographer for about 15 years (so saw a lot of great dogs!), but they also have had many decades of breeding terriers - Miniature Schnauzers and Airedales (so not only do they know a good dog, they know what to look for in trimming tricks from pro handlers, but also can recognize the work that goes into preparing a hard coated terrier).  Again, I am very honoured by this placement. 

The other Group 1st Win for Joe was awarded by Jeannine Dowell, up from the US, and again someone that has been a terrier breeder herself for many years.
The other 2 shows had the beautiful Skye Terrier represent terriers in the Best in Show ring - a beautiful example of the breed, and one that I did not mind losing to (of course, I would want Joe to win the group, but I also recognize that there are other good dogs out there).

The final day was icing on the cake for me.  Joe was awarded the Reserve Best in Show by very well respected judge, Cec Rinsgstrom who has seen many of the top dogs - everywhere - for many years.  Watching ringside, supporters of Joe in the Group and and BIS ring (many of whom I did not recognize) made me feel these wins were even that much more special.  And, to watch him work with Milton in the ring was a true joy!  Tracy also does an unbelievable job, however, on the first day, she was occupied herself with her own dog in the Best in Show line-up - a beautiful Shelti!

Unfortunately I forgot my good camera on this final day, and no professional candid photographer was working this day - so all I have to share with is what I took with my iPhone! 

Cleraly, as evidenced by the photo above, Milton and Joe work very well as a team!

Joe goes Best in Show! He's now BISS/BIS GCh Am & Can Ch Darwyn's I'm Not Arguing That

Joe!  BISS/BIS GCh Am & Can Ch Darwyn's I'm Not Arguing That
Judge:  Marilyn Mincey
Handlers:  Tracy Tuff (BIS); Milton Lopes (Group)
Assisted by Michelle Gaudet
April 3, 2011
Red Deer, Alberta

Michael and I stayed home this weekend to play with and socialize puppies since we expected to see them next weekend at a show close to our home.  The first 2 days of this past weekend's show were very good  for us since Joe won the Terrier Group each day.  By Sunday, we were thinking that one of the other nice terriers might win the group (a 'hat trick' is not the easiest thing to do) ... but, it's not impossible, Joe has done it before!  The last 2 times were in California - mid October 2010 and in July 2010 in Carmel California (Del Monte KC).  But, you never want to get your hopes too high, and we simply spent Sunday 'out and about with puppies' and doing errands.
Of course I kept checking the canuckdogs website to see if results were posted (see the results now here).
As Michael and I walked into Starbucks we got a text message from Milton...

"Tracy and Joe just went BEST IN SHOW!!!"

And, you can just imagine how large of a grin instantly appeared!

Joe has won at some really prestigious shows before (like the BOB and Group 2 at Devon, the day before Montogmery 2010, at a WTCA Specialty, etc.), but this was Joe's first Best in Show!  And it was a spectacular feeling!   A real honour.

Once I saw the results, I saw that the BIS line-up was beautiful - a line-up that could rival any in the world!  And, it was a real honour to be a terrier and to get the nod from this judge.  Marilynn Mincey has been an all-breed judge for a very long time, judged all over the world, bred close to 100 champion Airedales, and has bred and owned the #1 Terrier in Canada before!  She knows a good terrier, and I am just thrilled that she thinks so highly of one of mine. 

I am very honoured to have BIS now be listed on Joe's many titles and accomplishments.  Tracy and Milton did an outstanding job, as usual, and Michelle Gaudet provided wonderful support and assistance.  This is truly a wonderful team - and I am very happy that they have my boy Joe in their line-up of beautiful dogs this year.

I can't wait to see them next weekend!

Keep on being happy Joe and showing your heart out!  We are all watching and rooting for you!

Joe is now #12 dog - ALL BREEDS in Canada! 

*Apr 5, 2011*

WOW!

Westminster KC (Feb 2011) photos keep arriving for JOE!

Joe with Milton at Westminster KC 2011
Photo courtesy of Todd Foley

I was remiss in my duties to report on my wonderful experience with Joe (BISS Grand Am Ch & Can Ch. Darwyn's I'm Not Arguing That) and Milton Lopes showing at Madison Square Garden in Feb/11.

So here is a little bit from that experience...

Milton had Joe looking awesome!  So good, in fact, I almost cried because I was so proud to watch how great he looked in the line-up!

I am very grateful for all of the ringside support.  There was so much support and positive words about how beautiful Joe looked, how well he moved, how well he represented the breed and how wonderfully Milton Lopes (Joe's new handler - extraordinaire!) had him conditioned and presented.  The really exciting part for me is that this support came from not only people that I knew well, but acquaintances as well as people that I did not know at all -- including judges that were standing ringside watching!

I was very happy for the owners of the dog that won - what an honor it was for them to represent our breed in the big group ring!  However, I was also very happy to learn that my boy Joe made an impact on people watching around him.

Today I opened up facebook and found that Joe was featured in a wonderful collection of photos from the event, by a photographer that lives on the other side of the continent from me.  This photo above from Todd Foley, in addition to the other stunning ones that I received from Carol Beuchat and Beth Hilborn, help transform a wonderful experience to be an unforgettable one!

Remember, you don't always show to the person in the middle of the ring that has the power to point. 

Take in a quality dog, in great condition and present them well.

Sometimes the people around the ring are just as important as the one in the middle.

PS.  I can't let this blog post finish without mentioning that I am proud to say that both yesterday (Fri) and today (Sat), Joe and Milton won the Terrier Group in Red Deer!  Both judges are terrier breeder judges also!  Click here for results (Fri) and here for (Sat).

I am very grateful to the judges Marilyn Mincey (a previous, and well known, Airedale Terrier breeder) and Lynda Berar (a breeder of quality Miniature Schnauzers of over 40 years!).

1 Weekend - 2 dogs in 2 Provinces - 4 Group Wins! Part 2 (Joe!)



Joe with Milton Lopes! (Mar/11)
Photo by Lisa Wysminity

JOE!
BISS Am Grand Ch & Can Ch Darwyn's I'm Not Arguing That

*3rd weekend in Canada in 2011

*2nd Group Win in Canada (6 in California, US)
(click here for the results)

* #3 Terrier in Canada (3/31/11)
(click here for top terrier results)

Terriers in western Canada continue to be very competitive.  A number of top quality dogs, in excellent form and presented very well.  Joe, now with Milton Lopes and Tracy Tuff, clearly are one of them!

This was Joe's 3rd weekend in the ring in Canada this year (last time he was in Canada, was in 2009 as a puppy).  In the 9 times he has been in the ring he has had a group placement 100% of the time - including 2 group wins!


Judge:  Mr. Bruce Fraser
Handler:  Milton Lopes

This Group 1st award was very special for me since the judge is a long-time terrier breeder (Advocate Miniature Schnauzers).

Lisa Wysminity took many terrific candids of many dogs shown this past weekend.  Click here for her website, then go to Camrose 2011 to see her photos.
I am so happy that she got a number of really terrific ones of Joe.  I was not at this show since I was at a different show myself, with Monty (see the other blog post from this past weekend :-) so Lisa's photos helped make these wins a bit more special for me - almost like I was there.

I have included a few of Lisa's photos here.  I just love this dog, and Milton and Tracy (and Michelle Gaudet who helps in so many ways!) make a wonderful team with him!

Hope you like these photos also (the moving one below is amazing - it just goes to show that even a very compact dog can do a flying trot - and doesn't he look so happy!). 

And, thank you for following us.




Even a compact dog can do a flying trot!
JOE!  BISS GCh Am & Can Ch Darwyn's I'm Not Arguing That
(click here for Joe's page)

Joe's first Group Win in Canada!

Joe (BISS GCh Am & Can Ch Darwyn's I'm Not Arguing That) was awarded 6 Group 1st Wins in California last year.

Today is a very proud day for me - Joe's first Group Win in his home country, Canada! (click here for link to the show results)

Thank you Mr. Thomas Nesbitt for this wonderful award, Milton Lopes and Tracy Tuff for your superb care, conditioning and presentation, and Michelle Gaudet for all of the help and support you provide. 

Bringing Joe home to Canada was a very difficult decision.  He was doing so well (BOB/G2 at Devon, Welsh Terrier Club of America Specialty, defeating 1000 terriers that day, 6 Group 1st in California, 3 BOB on Eukanuba weekend, just to name a few win in his short period in the US).  But since his US handler, Wood Wornall, was committed to campaigning a Welsh Terrier for his long term client, the only choice would have been to have a different US handler show him.  I considered this option, but given that I have never properly campaigned a dog in Canada before, I thought that this would be nice to bring a bit of focus on my breed in my home country (since so few get shown here, it would be nice to campaign a quality dog that enjoyed the show ring). 
This was Joe's second weekend out this year here.  Clearly this new team is working very well.  Milton, Tracy and Michelle are keeping him in awesome coat condition, and to watch him in the ring (and outside of the ring) shows just how happy he is.
We are happy.
You never know, Joe may be back to the US at some point - he's a good looking welsh terrier, and clearly by his US results, he is very competitive with the top terriers around the US.  But, for now we are looking foward to having a lot of fun with him back at home in Canada.

Judge:  Mr. Thomas Nesbitt
Handler:  Tracy Tuff
CKOC; March 2011