MONDAY MORNING MOP UP

We start our Monday Morning Mop Up in Chicago where the prestigious International Kennel Club of Chicago closed the four day set in the Windy City.  Though entries were down a bit this year, the competition was as fierce as ever as no one dog dominated the stop.  You can read about  Thursday’s  Park Shore Kennel Club here.

GCH CH Goldsands Columbus

(Photo  by Michelle Steigmeyer)

On Friday the Blackhawk Kennel Club had the hall and they asked  Norm Patton to choose his two best from the Golden Retriever, GCH CH Summits Emery It's In The Bag, the Rhodesian Ridgeback, CH Raquel Welch Of Malabo APD, the Portuguese Water Dog, GCH CH Claircreek Impression de Matisse, the Russell Terrier, GCH CH Goldsands Columbus, the Japanese Chin, GCH CH Pem We-Syng Lucky Mi, the Bichon Frise, GCH CH Vogelflight’s “Honor” to Pillowtalk, and the Shetland Sheepdog, GCH CH GrandgableS The Frat Boy.

Finishing one/two were the Russell, Bosse, and the PWD, Matisse.  Bosse, the only Russell to win a BIS in the US, had to get past the country’s Number One Dog, the Wire Fox Terrier, GCH CH AfterAll Painting the Sky,  in the Terrier Group, to take his third BIS of the year.

GCH CH Claircreek Impression de Matisse

The IKCC put Douglass Holloway in the final ring on Saturday with the Cheasapeake Bay Retriever, GCH CH Chesatgar Hudson Bay RN, the Longhaired Dachshund, GCH CH Hundeleben Queens Amada SL, the PWD, Matisse, the Russell, Bosse, the above named Chin, the American Eskimo Dog, GCH CH Nuuktok's Atka Inukshuk,, and the Pembroke Welsh Corgi, GCH CH Coventry Allure at Wyndstar.

He would like the same two as his predecessor, but would give the Portie, Matisse, the big rosette, and the Russell, Bosse, the Reserve ribbon.  It’s the fourth this year for Matisse and his first since his final appearance at the Westminster Kennel Club show.

GCH CH AfterAll Painiting the Sky

(Photo by Infocusbymiguel)

Lorraine Boutwell would bring it home on Sunday for the IKCC gathering up the aforementioned Ridgeback, Wire Fox, Chin, & Corgi, the German Shorthaired Pointer, CH   Country Creeks Smooth Moves, the Standard Schnauzer, GCH CH Blackhawk Finnegan’s Wake, and the Standard Poodle, GCH CH Jaset’s Satisfaction,.

GCH CH Blackhawk Finnegan’s Wake

Picking up the BIS was the Wire Fox, Sky, while the Schnauzer, Finn, collected the RBIS.  Sky started the year like a house on fire with 18 straight Terrier Groups before finishing Group Two at Westminster.  She still leads the field by better than 5,000 points with seven BIS and 24 Terrier Groups.