ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- GCHP CH
Silverhall Strike Force, an ASCOB Cocker Spaniel known as "Striker"
triumphed over nearly 5,000 dogs to earn a $50,000 cash prize, a paw print pendant arrayed
in sparking round diamonds from KAY® Jewelers' "LOVE is a four
legged word collection" and the title of Best in Show at the AKC
National Championship presented by Royal Canin, held this weekend
in Orlando, Fla. "Striker," owned
by Regina Beinhauer &
Carolee Douglas of Venetia, Pennsylvania and bred by Wilson S. Pike and Bonnie S. Pike was
crowned "National Champion" by Best in Show judge Mr. Roger R. Hartinger after a weekend of intense
canine competition.
Combined with other weekend events including the AKC Agility
Invitational, the AKC Obedience Classic, the inaugural AKC Royal
Canin National All-Breed Puppy and Junior
Stakes and the Junior events, the overall show totals topped
8,600 entries, making this the largest dog event in North America.
The AKC National Championship evening live stream is available
for replay at www.akc.org and live.royalcanin.com alongside
on-demand coverage of the Bred-By Exhibitor groups, Junior
Showmanship Finals, Best Miscellaneous, Agility and Obedience
competitions. The show will be televised on Animal Planet on
January 1, 2018 7PM ET/PT with a re-airing at 11PM ET.
The winners:
Reserve Best in Show and Group Winners
Reserve Best in Show: GCHG CH Le Petit Prince de La
Bete, a French Bulldog known as "Princeton," owned by Alexandra Geremia and Blake Hamman and Peter Photos of Santa Barbara, California and bred by Peter
Photos and Blake Hamman.
After winning Best of Breed competitions the following top dogs
went on to win in their respective groups and compete for Best in
Show:
Sporting: GCHP CH Silverhall Strike Force, an ASCOB
Cocker Spaniel known as "Striker," owned by Regina Beinhauer & Carolee Douglas of Venetia, Pennsylvania and bred by Wilson S. Pike and Bonnie S. Pike.
Hound: GCHB CH Pahlavi Marilyn Merlot, an Afghan Hound
known as "Chelsea," owned by Dr. Patrick
Truman & Jeff Bracken
& Karen Wagner of Damascus, Maryland and bred by Karen Wagner and Ellen
C. Klosson.
Working: GCHG CH Taolanquest Flying Cloud, an Alaskan
Malamute known as "Cloud," owned by Alisa
Syar and Laurie Newburn and
Ron Pohl and Mike Stone of Granite
Bay, California and bred by Laurie
Newburn and Ron Pohl.
Terrier: GCHG CH Absolutely Signature, a Smooth Fox
Terrier known as "Bradley," owned by JW
Smith and Dana Gabel of North Collins, New York and bred by
James W. Smith and Dana Shumacher.
Toy: GCHG CH Pequest Pickwick, a Pekingese known as
"Chuck," owned by David Fitzpatrick
and Nancy H. Shapland of
East Berlin, Pennsylvania and bred
by David Fitzpatrick.
Non-Sporting: GCHG CH Le Petit Prince de La Bete, a
French Bulldog known as "Princeton,"
owned by Alexandra Geremia and
Blake Hamman and Peter Photos of
Santa Barbara, California and bred
by Peter Photos and Blake
Hamman.
Herding: GCHS CH Cordmaker Mister Blue Sky, a Puli known
as "Preston," owned by Ellen Charles
and J. Beaudoin and L. Pitts and S. Huebner of Washington D.C. and bred by Sue Huebner.
Other top dogs awarded during the two-day event included the
following:
Best Bred-By-Exhibitor in Show
GCHS CH Wingfield N Chebaco Just So You Know, an English Setter
known as "Langdon," owned by Don and Pat
Coller and Eileen Hackett of
Bloomington, Indiana was awarded
Best Bred-By-Exhibitor in Show.
AKC Royal Canin National All-Breed Junior of the Year
GCH CH Unity's Maid an Entrance CGC, a Weimaraner known as
"Gali" owned by Michelle Hunter and
Gregory McLogan and Amy L. Tourond of Springfield, Missouri and bred by Gregory McLogan, Vicki
Ruiz and Amy L. Tourand won Junior of the Year.
AKC National Owner-Handled Series Finals Best in Show
GCHS CH Wigglesworth Aberlour's Pyt CGC, a Bearded Collie known
as "Ellee" owned by Sharon Ipser and
Dawn Mieras of Chagrin Falls, Ohio and bred by Dawn Symes Mieras, Shannon Symes and Sharon
Ipser won the AKC National Owner-Handled Series (NOHS)
Finals Best in Show, prevailing over an invitation-only entry of
705 dogs.
Best in Miscellaneous Group
Chucarin Bravoure Blanche, a Dogo
Argentino known as "Ray," owned by Martin Bellavitis and
Carlos Bellavitis of Buenos Aires,
Argentina and bred by Carlos Bellavitis won the
Miscellaneous Breeds competition.
Junior Showmanship
In the Junior Showmanship competition, for handlers from between
9 to 18 years of age, Erin LaPlante
with her Doberman Pinscher GCH CH Fayek I'll Have Another was
awarded the coveted title of Best Junior Handler, along with a
$2,000 scholarship.
Agility and Obedience Competitions
The 2017 AKC Obedience Classic and the AKC Agility Invitational
were held in conjunction with the AKC National Championship. The
two events demonstrate the highest level of training and teamwork
between dog and handler. Obedience and agility competitions for
junior handlers were held for the seventh year, and an AKC
Rally® Junior competition was held for the fourth
year.
AKC Obedience Classic
Four obedience dogs and their owners – one dog/handler team in
each of the four classes – were crowned at the AKC Obedience
Classic, which brought together 235 dogs from across the country
and beyond.
Placing first in their class (Novice, Open, Utility and
Masters respectively) were:
- Novice: Loteki Tropical Heat Wave CD BN RN, a Papillon known as
"Josie," owned by Jeannine Rash of
Red Lion, Pennsylvania.
- Open: MACH Keeva's One More For The Road CDX BN RA MXC MJG XF
T2B, a Border Collie known as "Jax," owned by Judy Ramsey of Spring,
Texas.
- Utility: CH Pin Oak Mar-Gin Orient Star UD BN RA, an
Irish Setter known as "Grisha,"
owned by Nancy Godbey and
Jimmie Godbey of Greer, South Carolina.
- Masters: OTCH Rhumbline's All Or Nothing UDX2 OM4, a Labrador
Retriever known as "Zeal," owned by Petra
Ford of Washington, New
Jersey.
AKC Juniors Obedience/Rally Classic
Juniors who participated in the AKC Juniors Classic competed in
Obedience and/or AKC Rally®.
In Obedience, Juniors competed in the Beginner Novice, Preferred
Novice and Preferred Open classes twice, based on their AKC
obedience accomplishments.
Placing first in their class were:
Obedience
- Beginner Novice: Burlynne Mejeris, "Woody", Australian
Shepherd
- Preferred Novice: David Frasca,
"Bling", Border Collie
- Preferred Open: Avery Adams,
Spark, Border Collie
In AKC Rally®, Juniors competed in Rally Novice,
Rally Advanced or Rally Excellent, based on the dog's class
eligibility (qualifying scores and/or titles earned).
Placing first in their class were:
Rally
- Rally Novice: Jesse Thompson,
"Mabel", Australian Cattle Dog
- Rally Advanced: Abigail Stark,
"Fuji", Shetland Sheepdog
- Rally Excellent: Avery Adams,
"Spark", Border Collie
AKC Agility Invitational
Five agility dogs and their owners – one dog/handler team in
each of the five height categories – were crowned as the 2017
winners of the AKC Agility Invitational, which brought together 716
dogs from across the country and beyond.
Placing first in their height division (8", 12", 16", 20" and
24" respectively) were:
- 8" – NAC MACH9 Aerilee's Like Never Before MXC2 PAD MJC2 XF
T2B2, a Papillon known as "When," handled by Betsey Lynch.
- 12" – Bur-Way Ready Set Go MX MXJ MJB, an American Hairless
Terrier known as "Game," handled by Suzanne
Birdsall.
- 16" – MACH6 PACH Swansong's Pretty Brilliant RN MXG2 MJS2
MXP3 MXPB MJP3 MJPB PAX MXF TQX T2B5,
an Australian Cattle Dog known as "Kylie," handled by Anne Swan.
- 20" – MACH4 Sagehill Spot On MXG PAD MJC PJD MXF TQX T2B3, a
Border Collie known as "Graphite," handled by Paulen-Renee Simpson.
- 24" – MACH2 Pm's Grayquest Wild Blue Yonder CD JH MXG MJC OF
T2B, a Weimaraner known as "Jif," handled by Lori Barbee.
AKC Juniors Agility Competition
Juniors who participated in the AKC Juniors Agility Competition
competed in either the Junior Excellent (at least 14 years old but
under 19 years old) or Superior Classes (under the age of 14).
Placing first in their height division (8", 12", 16", 20" and
24" respectively) in the Junior Excellent class were:
- 8"- Kayangee Wishing Well Excuse My Dust (Zoom), a Cavalier
King Charles Spaniel handled by
Anthony Rotelle
- 12"- MACH Blue Shadow On The Lake MXB MJB NF CGC TKP (Shadow),
a Shetland Sheepdog handled by Morgan
Vance
- 16"- MACH Wyndspell Fireworks MX MXJ CDX RAE TKA (Spark), a
Border Collie handled by Avery
Adams
- 20"- Dahle's TNT Watch Me Explode!! NA OAJ XF (Bama), a Border
Collie handled by Anneka Mikel
Dahle
- 24"- MACH Smokingold Vibrant Spark UD RE VER MX MXJ (Vibrant),
a Golden Retriever handled by Avery
Adams
Placing first in their height division (8", 12", 16", 20" and
24" respectively) in the Junior Superior class were:
- 8"- MACH6 Razi MXS2 MJG2 MFB TQX T2B CGCA (Razi), a Russell
Terrier handled by Briana
Sterling
- 12"- MACH4 Rhapsody's Enchanting Monster MXC MJC (Sulley), a
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
handled by Carly Kreiser
- 16"- Liberty Hill Emit A Spark CGC OA OAJ RN (Flint), a Border
Collie handled by Ryan Ford
- 20"- Rival's Spring Into Action (Tig), a Border Collie handled
by Kai Macauley
- 24"- MACH2 Grandbois' Duke MXG MJG XF T2B2 (Duke), a Boxer handled by Ella Lovasco
North America Diving Dogs/AKC National Championship.
A record entry of more than 630 dogs entered the NADD/AKC
National Championship.
The Championship winners include:
- Open Class Elite Division: Ringo, an Australian Cattle Dog
owned by Ashley Crowden (Score: 28'
10")
- Open Class Master Division: Django, a Belgian Malinois owned by
Maynard Pease (Score: 24' 10")
- Open Class Senior Division: Yeti, a Labrador Retriever owned by
Kara Roth (Score: 21' 3")
- Open Class Junior Division: Ember, a Flat-Coated Retriever
owned by Renee Sainato (Score: 16'
3")
- Open Class Novice Division: Chris, an All-American Dog owned by
Georganna Acord (Score: 9' 9")
- Veteran Class Master Division: Lexie, an All-American Dog owned
by Janice Costa (Score: 21' 6")
- Veteran Class Senior Division: Pyro, a Dutch Shepherd owned by
Ashley Rietfors (Score:19'11")
- Veteran Class Junior Division: Zoe, a Catahoula Leopard Dog
owned by Annie Strobel (Score: 15'
3")
- Veteran Class Novice Division: Diesel, an All-American Dog by
Jessica Edgerly (Score: 8'6")
- Lap Class Elite Division: Gerry, a Jagd Terrier owned by
Christopher Skinner-Bland (Score:
16'0")
- Lap Class Master Division: Kiera, an English Cocker Spaniel
owned by Shana Porter (Score:
17'5")
- Lap Class Senior Division: Woody, a Dachshund owned by
Brian Woodrow (Score: 12'3")
- Lap Class Junior Division: Dottie, a Danish Farm Dog, owned by
Jen Giacchi (Score:8'0")
- Lap Class Novice Division: Pirate, a Smooth Fox Terrier owned
by Elise Wolpert (Score:5'9")
- Air Retrieve Open Class Elite Division: Spitfire, a Whippet
owned by Sydney Mackey (Score:
26'0")
- Air Retrieve Open Class Master Division: Bullitt, a Belgian
Malinois owned by Raymond Mobilia
(Score:22'0")
- Air Retrieve Open Class Senior Division: Saffron, an All
American Dog owned by Lorinda
Siegrist (Score: 20'0")
- Air Retrieve Lap Class Elite Division: Gerry, a Jagd Terrier
owned by Christopher Skinner-Bland
(Score: 16'0")
- Air retrieve Lap Class Master Division: Rufus, a Jagd Terrier
owned by William Burns (Score:
13'0")'
- Air Retrieve Lap Class Senior Division: Kiera, an English
Cocker Spaniel owned by Shana Porter
(Score:13'0")
- Air Retrieve Lap Class Junior Division: Chrome, a Cardigan
Welsh Corgi owned by Melissa
LaMere-Dragovich (Score:9'0")
- Junior (under 17 years old) Handler: Rufus, a Jagd Terrier
owned by Alex Burns
AKC Breeder of the Year
Helyne Medeiros was presented
with the 2017 AKC Breeder of the Year Award for Seasyde Pointers at
the AKC National Championship on Saturday,
December 16, 2017. The annual award honors breeders
who have made an impact on their breed and dedicated their lives to
improving the health, temperament and quality of purebred dogs.
AKC Meet the Breeds®
The Mastiff booth
won AKC Meet the Breeds® Best Booth in Show.
Click here to download images and video from the AKC National
Championship.
ABOUT THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB
Founded in 1884, the American Kennel Club is a not-for-profit
organization which maintains the largest registry of purebred dogs
in the world and oversees the sport of purebred dogs in
the United States. The AKC is
dedicated to upholding the integrity of its registry, promoting the
sport of purebred dogs and breeding for type and function.
Along with its more than 5,000 licensed and member clubs and its
affiliated organizations, the AKC advocates for the purebred dog as
a family companion, advances canine health and well-being, works to
protect the rights of all dog owners and promotes responsible dog
ownership. More than 22,000 competitions for AKC-registered
purebred dogs are held under AKC rules and regulations each year
including conformation, agility, obedience, rally, tracking,
herding, lure coursing, coonhound events, hunt tests, field and
earthdog tests. Affiliate AKC organizations include the AKC Humane
Fund, AKC Canine Health Foundation, AKC Reunite and the AKC Museum
of the Dog. For more information, visit www.akc.org.
AKC, American Kennel Club, the American Kennel Club seal and
design, and all associated marks and logos are trademarks,
registered trademarks and service marks of The American Kennel
Club, Inc.
Become a fan of the American Kennel Club on Facebook, and follow
us on Twitter @AKCDogLovers.
ABOUT ROYAL CANIN USA
Royal Canin USA is a leader in
science-based cat and dog health nutrition. Founded by a
veterinarian in 1968, Royal Canin has more than 40 years of
experience in delivering individualized nutritional solutions. In
collaboration with an expert team of nutritionists, breeders and
veterinarians from around the world, Royal Canin places cats and
dogs at the central point of the innovation process. The Royal
Canin product line offers a range of diets based on size, age,
breed, lifestyle and therapeutic requirements. Royal Canin diets
are available at veterinary hospitals and pet specialty stores
nationwide. Royal Canin is a subsidiary of Mars, Incorporated. To
learn more about Royal Canin, visit www.royalcanin.com and "LIKE"
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SOURCE American Kennel Club