Last weekend we attended the Montgomery County Kennel Club show ( often known as the National Terrier show, since many of the terrier breed clubs use this as their national show where they choose their national winner). It is held every year in rural Pennsylvania, along with a group of dog shows for 5 days in and around the area just outside Philly ( yeah, OK….very Best-In Show, I know it!). It’s not plants, but I thought that some of you might like a break from all of the plant postings. We brought our newest puppy, Lydia and entered her in the puppy class, where she placed second ( out of two bitches), but hey, we told her that it was a very important win. We knew that she would not do well, since it was her first shows ( actually, her first), and she has only spend one week at her handler’s farm. Next year, watch out Irish Terriers! She is going to kick little red Irish Terrier butt.
Since this is the national show for the Irish Terrier Club of America, it is rather fussy and formal, as well as exciting. People arrive early in the morning, around 5:30 am and it is very cold. We brought Margaret ( who won here 5 years ago) and Fergus, since we didn’t want to leave them at home with my 97 year old dad again who will let them go hunt squirrels for days. Here, all of the same breeds stay in the same hotels, so we stay every year at a hotel that is restricted to only Irish Terriers and Airedales ( the two largest terriers). It’s crazy, because all of these dogs really don’t get along with each other ( it’s a breed thing), so just taking the dogs out to go pee requires stealth hall runs and elevator descents. Still, the dogs love it and become very excited every year, in a way, this is the closest we will ever get to being soccer dads.
At the show there are well behaved Irish Terriers in the audience….
And old, un-groomed ones who just wanted to come and see who would win.
There are curious young ones….
and crazy impatient ones….
and some that are rough around the edges ( but just as loved).
This is our good friend’s dog ( Linda Honey) from Long Beach, CA. This dog is winning best of show everywhere.
The one on the left is Lydia’s dad. He came in first in this class.
Lydia was rather unruly. She kept her nose to the ground, almost the entire time! She is a natural hunter, and can sniff for rabbits for hours at home in the garden. ( Later we discovered that deer dropping were everywhere).
After being in the ring, Lydia was more interested in what people were eating for breakfast.
Later, Lydia sat with Joe, and was very tired after being up for 8 hours. She was very pleased with her little trophy vase for second place in puppies, and with her ribbon.
