TOP DOGS GATHER IN ATLANTA

GCH CH AfterAll Painting the Sky 

(Photo by Infocusbymiguel)

We start our Monday Morning Mop Up in Atlanta GA where attendees were treated to head to head match ups of 18 of our Top 100 Dogs All Breeds.  The fun began Friday with the Douglasville Kennel Club Of Georgia.  The day ended with judge Karen Wilson in the final ring with the English Springer Spaniel, GCH CH Cerise Sentinel, the Wirehaired Dachshund, GCH CH Rivendells Hotwire SW, the Boxer, GCH CH Hi-Tech’s King of Sherryshot, the Wirehaired Fox Terrier, GCH CH AfterAll Painting the Sky, the Miniature Pinscher, GCH CH Marlex Classic Red Glare, the American Eskimo Dog, GCH CH Nuutok’s The Fire Within, and the Shetland Sheepdog, GCH CH Grandgables The Frat Boy.

GCH CH Marlex Classic Red Glare 

(Photo by Lisa Uhacz)

The opener went to the nation’s Number One Dog All Breeds, the Wire Fox, Sky.  The Reserve award went to the country’s Number Three Dog, the MinPin, Classie.  Sky’s 66^th BIS of the year, worth about 1200 points, gave Sky an almost 17,000 lead over the Number Two Dog, the Portuguese Water Dog, GCH CH Claircreek’s Impression de Matisse…for the day.

GCH CH Claircreek’s Impression de Matisse 

(Photo by Lynda Beam)

You may remember we told you that Matisse started the week in Springfield IL where he took the top prizes at Thursday’s Illinois Capitol Kennel Club show and Friday’s Mattoon Kennel Club show.  However on Saturday he would surface in Atlanta for the hometown Atlanta Kennel Club show.  His arrival would give BIS judge Randy Garren the opportunity to choose his top two from a seven that included the Top Three Dogs All Breeds and the Welsh Springer Spaniel, GCH CH Trystyn Statesman Cactus Blue, the aforementioned Dachshund, the Dalmatian, GCH CH  Spotted Bliss Oreo Delight, and the German Shepherd Dog, GCH CH Wolf Creek Galaxy of Merivern.  Judge Garren would go with Matisse as his Best In Show and Classie as his Reserve.

Judge Kimberly Meredith-Cavanna had the closer for the Newnan Kennel Club and her pick of the Chesapeake Bay Retriever, GCH CH Chesastar Hudson Bay, the Saluki, GCH CH Aurora’s The Song and Dance Man, AKC’s Top Three, and the same Dalmatian & GSD.  She would give Matisse the big rosette and give Sky the Reserve ribbon.  Matisse has now compiled a remarkable 19 BIS in his last 20 shows (the one loss was to Sky at the October 3^rd Hatboro Dog Club show).  He ends this week with 74 BIS this year, ten more than Sky, but 15,000 points behind the Number One Dog.  Once again we will have a very interesting end to the show season.