The AKC 2008 highest scoring dog in conformation is CH Galilee's Pure Of Spirit, a four year old Giant Schnauzer bitch bred by Maryann Bisceglia & Mary Hayes, owned by Mary Hayes & Joe & Carla Sanchez, and handled by Taffee McFadden. Spirit started the year winning the 3000 plus Dog Fanciers Association of Oregon show and never looked back, amassing 71 Best In Shows and nearly 120,000 points, 25,000 more than 2007 top dog, the Toy Poodle, CH Smash JP Win A Victory.
CH Galilee's Pure Of Spirit and Handler Taffe McFaddenThe win was assured today at the Oakland Kennel Club show in San Mateo CA when Sporting Group Judge Honey Glendinning placed the number two dog, a three year old Pointer bitch, CH Cookieland Seasyde Hollyberry, Group Three. Holly, as she is known, was bred by Cheryl S. Laduc, A Cantor, A Walker, is owned by Sean & Tammy McCarthy & Helyne Medeiros, and is handled by Michael E. Scott, PHA. Holly capped the year with a win at the 2008 Eukanuba National Championship over an all champion field. She finishes the year with 96 Best in Shows and almost 120,000 points, just a few hundred shy of the top spot.
CH Cookieland Seasyde HollyberryOur congratulations to Taffe McFadden and the entire Spirit team. They have completed a courageous and exhausting 2008 campaign and have given all of us in the dog fancy a thrilling year. We also extend our congratulations and thanks to Michael Scott and Holly’s owners and breeders. They engineered one of the most electrifying finishes in our lengthy memory.
We will have more details as more results come in.
you have got to be kidding, Group 4???
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Taffe and Spirit. You have made this an exciting year. I am so happy that you held on to the end. You and Spirt are an amazingly beautiful team. Way to Go!
ReplyDeleteOf course the Sporting judge would dump the Pointer, her sister is Taffee!
ReplyDeleteTaffe and Spirit go Best in Show to finish the year off!!!
ReplyDeleteHOORAY for the entire Team Spirit!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great end to a very exciting year.
We love you guys!
I hear that it was a group 3rd and remember any dog can be beaten ,none of them are perfect!
ReplyDeleteAny word on what Spirit did?
I Hear Spirit went BEST
ReplyDeleteThanks Billy for your posts they are most enjoyable! Congrats to Team Spirit!
ReplyDeleteThank you for this amazing rendition of this photo finish in dogdom! Congratulations to all the Top 10 dogs who have certainly proven their spots. I had the joy of watching Carly the Pembroke Welsh Corgi in the breed ring, and with a decent entry, I had her picked out almost as soon as she walked in the ring. Sure there is a lot of money and a lot of politics that go into making these top dogs, but they are all excellent show dogs who really make themselves known in the ring.
ReplyDeleteHere's a case where the sporting judge should have "recused" herself and let someone else take over. This just doesn't smell quite right.
ReplyDeleteThe Sporting judge should NOT have "recused" herself today, because there were other people through out the year, involved in the outcomes of other dog shows, that had a realtion with the dogs involved, this is just a case where it is easy for almost anyone to see the relationship, as it may not be as easy in another situation. And in the end, no dog is perfect.
ReplyDeleteI have to disagree ...the pointer's people asked for an opinion and got it. They don't have to show to every judge and every judge doesn't have to choose the pointer as the best sporting dog every time it is shown; just as all the other top dogs are not always the best dog in their respective groups every time.
ReplyDeleteHolly got a Group 3 the other day, too, as headlined in this blog under "Flying Fickle Finger of Fate." Maybe just not Holly's weekend?
ReplyDeleteHolly won the National Championship show. I think it's nice the honors are spread around a bit. And, also recalling a recent blog entry, Holly fans, be content. The Nat'l Champ BIS winner tends to get remembered a lot more readily than the #1 ranked dog.
I'd sure take either one!
How nice of Honey to give her sister a belated Christmas gift by assuring that her biggest competition would be absent from the BIS ring. Too bad she couldn't have given us all the gift of watching the Holly, Charmin & Spirit compete one final time. Oh well, Merry Christmas to all.
ReplyDeleteTeam Holly choose to go to the AKC/Eukanuba National show and won the show and all of it's glory along with a little cash. This tied the dog up for 2 big days of showing. I have also been told that these points do not count for AKC dogs defeated points. I would love to know this for sure,
ReplyDeleteTeam Spirit choose to go another direction in hope of getting points in other parts of the country. This worked well for them. These shows have looked good for them all along. These shows are also in Spirits back yard.
I have to agree that there should not have been a judge change as I am sure that this was accepted long on advance.
Win some lose some that is what dog shows are all about and as we head into the New Year it will be fun to see who will be number 1 for 2009.
Anyone care to venture a guess???
I am curious with the last poster's comment that points from the AKC/Eukanuba National show don't count towards the rankings. If that's the case I believe Spirit would have already wrapped up the #1 ranking with her BIS win on Sunday. That would also impact placements fourth through sixth since the Yes, Charmin, and Lincoln are all tightly bunched.
ReplyDeleteI've watched both dogs and both dogs are wonderful examples of their breed and both teams have worked really hard this year. It just leaves one thinking what would have happened if the sporting group was judged by someone other than a family member of the opposing team.
ReplyDeleteWhat an exciting way to end the year! A GIANT congratulations to Spirit and Taffee!!
ReplyDeleteI've been watching the 'chase for #1' and keeping up with the point tallies. AKC has the points posted through 12/26 and it looks to me like Spirit had it wrapped up after Monday's judging...and prior to the 'Sporting Group Scandal' (or NOT!) from Tuesday!
Now that we have the final count, I think you are right about it being over on Monday. However, until we got the absentees on Tuesday, we couldn't be certain.
ReplyDeleteIt really does not matter if it was over on Monday or not because no one knew that going into Tuesday's judging. (if that is the case)I too agree that the sporting group judge should have recused herself.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know why Tuesday's orginal Best in Show judge was replace but remained on the panel?
ReplyDeleteKim Meredith was the original BIS judge. She was not at the show, her breed assignment was given to Christina Hubble.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to Spirit and Taffe. An amazing team to watch.
Way to go Team Spirit! Giant congrats for this history making year for our wonderful breed! This is the first time ever for a Giant to be in this position and we like it!
ReplyDeleteThese comments entertain me. Do you really think that it comes down to a judge being related to a handler? Last time I checked it was an entire year of judges, who obviously agreed both dogs were fine and nearly perfectly balanced as not only the top dogs of their breed, but nearly 50/50 the best dogs of the year. How about this, the show itself was run be a group who has the ability that if they thought "family members" was an issue, they should have handled it. Not like Honey Glendinning and Taffe McFadden are not household names, and have not been for a few decades. In the end the show made the call, the judge prefered the dog, and one dog took the year, with a second dog coming in an extremely close second.
ReplyDeleteMost exciting thing to happen in the dog world for some time, great to see and read.