Post by Die Fledermaus on Feb 14, 2007 23:23:24 GMT -4
>> English Springer Spaniel Becomes Top Dog
Published: February 14, 2007
Filed at 7:51 a.m. ET
NEW YORK (AP) -- An English springer spaniel with a preference for chicken-and-garlic treats prevented America's top dog event from turning into ''The Cosby Show.''
Diamond Jim jumped into handler Kellie Fitzgerald's arms after being picked for best in show Tuesday night at the Westminster Kennel Club.
Dressed in a glittering copper top that perfectly matched her brown-and-white pet, Fitzgerald cuddled the 6-year-old certified therapy dog.
''I'm over the moon,'' she said.
Diamond Jim beat out a Dandie Dinmont terrier co-owned by Bill Cosby, as he did at the big AKC/Eukanuba event in December. The springer was the nation's No. 2 show dog last year behind Cosby's entry -- Fitzgerald also repeated, having gone best in show at Westminster in 2000.
''Bill Cosby and I are good friends,'' she said. ''We're both competitive. We both wanted to win.''
Cosby's run of bad luck on the green carpet of Madison Square Garden continued. He'd lost with several top dogs in the past, and avoided coming this time to stave off the jinx.
Judge Robert Indeglia said he wished he had ribbons to give to all seven final contenders. Yet with only a purple-and-gold prize, he pointed to Diamond Jim.
Diamond Jim beat out the Dandie Dinmont, a pair of white poodles and a petit basset griffon vendeen, plus an Akita and a Bouviers des Flandres that pitted a husband and wife against each other. Larry Fenner handled the Bouviers and Laurie Jordan-Fenner guided the Akita.
With a few dogs barking and baying backstage, Diamond Jim was chosen out of the overall 2,628 entries in 165 breeds and varieties.
''I wanted him to go out with a bang,'' Fitzgerald said. ''He shows 110 percent all the time. Fabulous, fabulous dog. He really excels in the big ring.''
The dog commonly called James earned more than the silver bowl trophy -- he also got to chow down. Fitzgerald said he did not eat before the show. Once it was over, he snacked on goodies that fell on the floor.
On Wednesday, he'll make a tour of the morning TV shows and enjoy a big meal at famed New York restaurant Sardi's.
This was his 51st best in show victory, and his last. He's retiring from the show world to live the life of a therapy and obedience dog. He's already worked with Alzheimer's patients.
Fitzgerald felt James' win illustrated that Westminster is more than merely a beauty pageant for primped and pampered pooches.
''They're working dogs,'' she said. ''He's not going to be just a couch potato.''
Diamond Jim will stay with Fitzgerald for about a week in Bear, Del. -- ''he likes my big backyard'' -- before heading home to his owners in Virginia.
She's had him for 2 1/2 years and ''it's going to be difficult to give him up. He lives in my house.''
This was the 100th time that best in show was presented at Westminster, and the sixth time that an English springer spaniel won. Terriers have won 44 times.
The Dandie named Harry was the nation's top show dog last year with 57 best in show victories. He fell short at Westminster last February when he slipped on the slick carpet.
Harry certainly drew his share of cheers from the crowd of about 15,000. Right before Indeglia, a cardiac surgeon, made his choice, a few fans shouted out, ''Let's go, Harry!''
Cosby's daughter, Erinn, sat in the second row and hoped for a big win. On Monday night, she kissed her dad's dog on the mouth after he took the terrier group.
Named for Prince Harry, the dog officially named Hobergays Fineus Fogg was bred in New Zealand and won 30 events in Australia before going to live in Pleasanton, Calif.
After winning the sporting group earlier in the evening, Fitzgerald was asked about again taking on the Dandie. She was aware the upsets had a way of happening at this event.
''It's the Garden and it's Westminster, anything can happen,'' she said. <<
>> An English springer spaniel known as James won the 2007 Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. More Photos >
>>
Springer Bests Crowd Favorites at Westminster
By RICHARD SANDOMIR
Published: February 14, 2007
Last night at Madison Square Garden, Robert Indeglia, a purebred human, pointed to an English springer spaniel named James, designating him Best in Show at the Westminster’s 131st edition.
After putting the seven finalists through their paces around the green-carpeted ring, Indeglia conferred for just a few minutes with several other tuxedoed men before walking slowly to James and choosing him.
The victory sent James’s overjoyed handler, Kellie Fitzgerald, to her knees. She was dressed in a glittery brown top and brown skirt, which matched 6-year-old James’s white and brown coat. It was not intentional, she said.
“I’m elated,” Fitzgerald said in the center of the ring afterward, as James alternated between licking her face and the yellow and purple Best in Show sash across her chest.
Eventually, the avid attention of the photographers made him yawn.
“He was no different than he usually is,” she said. “He just gives 110 percent all the time.”
James now heads into retirement.
It was the sixth Best in Show for an English springer spaniel at the elite show; the most recent one came in 2000, with Fitzgerald also the handler.
A half-hour after winning, James looked less winded, and calmer, than Fitzgerald.
“He puts on a big show in a large arena,” she said. “He hears the applause, and he’s just a fantastic moving dog.”
In triumph, James beat an Akita, a toy poodle and a standard poodle, a Bouvier des Flandres, a Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen, and a Dandie Dinmont terrier that is co-owned by the comedian Bill Cosby.
James, also known as Ch. Felicity’s Diamond Jim, was not a surprise winner. He was ranked second in the country, based on the points he had accumulated in shows, just below the Dandie known as Harry. The toy poodle was ranked fifth, and the Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen was ranked eighth, and the Akita was 10th.
The Bouvier was ranked 31st, and the standard poodle 48th.
The Bouvier’s presence in the final, coming at the expense of a favored German shepherd, gave his handler, Larry Fenner, a chance to compete against his wife, Laurie, who led the Akita, Macey, into the ring.
“I’m rooting for her,” Fenner said after the gray, rough-coated Bouvier, who is called Indy, took the herding group. “It’s the start of the Akita’s career but the end of Indy’s.”
Fenner said that he was not going to flop on the carpeting, or wear two right shoes, to ensure his wife’s success.
After James took the sporting group earlier in the evening, Fitzgerald said: “He’s got a really good heart. He aims to please. For 12 months last year, he was on a strong schedule, and he put out all the time.”
Jeanette McGinnis, the judge who put James into the final seven, said his “beautiful expression and beautiful conditioning” made him stood out. McGinnis, long an English springer spaniel fan, said that James was descended four generations back to a storied ancestor, Ch. Salilyn’s Aristocrat, who won the sporting group at Westminster in 1967.
“You see that in the way he carries himself,” she said.
James seemed to be adored by the sold-out Garden crowd, but the real affection from the crowd was reserved for Harry the Dandie and Fairchild the P.B.G.V., once a pudgy puppy, said his handler, Greg Strong.
Each time Indeglia stopped in front of Harry or Fairchild, the crowd roared with approval, perhaps believing it could persuade his choice. (He filtered the cheering out, he said.) Each time the dogs circled the ring, with Fairchild seeming to scan the crowd for friends, the fans roared even more.
“Go Harry!” several fans cheered in quiet moments at the Dandie, who, with the shortest legs, traversed the ring with a bouncy sort of deliberation, his helmet of fluffy white hair bouncing like Jell-O.
But their final cheers went to James, with his floppy ears, and his warm, intense eyes, which locked onto Fitzgerald when he looked backward at her as they trotted around the ring for Indeglia’s edification.
“He’s a fabulous dog,” said Indeglia, who had judged him at other shows. “He conforms to his breed standard closer than any dog I’ve ever seen. Go to the standard, look at him, and everything is on the button. He’s a great dog.”
He added: “I had a lot of great dogs to choose from. But this one stood out. He had that look in his eye that said, ‘It’s my night.’ He had great temperament. It was an honor to judge him.” <<
An English springer spaniel known as James won the 2007 Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
Published: February 14, 2007
Filed at 7:51 a.m. ET
NEW YORK (AP) -- An English springer spaniel with a preference for chicken-and-garlic treats prevented America's top dog event from turning into ''The Cosby Show.''
Diamond Jim jumped into handler Kellie Fitzgerald's arms after being picked for best in show Tuesday night at the Westminster Kennel Club.
Dressed in a glittering copper top that perfectly matched her brown-and-white pet, Fitzgerald cuddled the 6-year-old certified therapy dog.
''I'm over the moon,'' she said.
Diamond Jim beat out a Dandie Dinmont terrier co-owned by Bill Cosby, as he did at the big AKC/Eukanuba event in December. The springer was the nation's No. 2 show dog last year behind Cosby's entry -- Fitzgerald also repeated, having gone best in show at Westminster in 2000.
''Bill Cosby and I are good friends,'' she said. ''We're both competitive. We both wanted to win.''
Cosby's run of bad luck on the green carpet of Madison Square Garden continued. He'd lost with several top dogs in the past, and avoided coming this time to stave off the jinx.
Judge Robert Indeglia said he wished he had ribbons to give to all seven final contenders. Yet with only a purple-and-gold prize, he pointed to Diamond Jim.
Diamond Jim beat out the Dandie Dinmont, a pair of white poodles and a petit basset griffon vendeen, plus an Akita and a Bouviers des Flandres that pitted a husband and wife against each other. Larry Fenner handled the Bouviers and Laurie Jordan-Fenner guided the Akita.
With a few dogs barking and baying backstage, Diamond Jim was chosen out of the overall 2,628 entries in 165 breeds and varieties.
''I wanted him to go out with a bang,'' Fitzgerald said. ''He shows 110 percent all the time. Fabulous, fabulous dog. He really excels in the big ring.''
The dog commonly called James earned more than the silver bowl trophy -- he also got to chow down. Fitzgerald said he did not eat before the show. Once it was over, he snacked on goodies that fell on the floor.
On Wednesday, he'll make a tour of the morning TV shows and enjoy a big meal at famed New York restaurant Sardi's.
This was his 51st best in show victory, and his last. He's retiring from the show world to live the life of a therapy and obedience dog. He's already worked with Alzheimer's patients.
Fitzgerald felt James' win illustrated that Westminster is more than merely a beauty pageant for primped and pampered pooches.
''They're working dogs,'' she said. ''He's not going to be just a couch potato.''
Diamond Jim will stay with Fitzgerald for about a week in Bear, Del. -- ''he likes my big backyard'' -- before heading home to his owners in Virginia.
She's had him for 2 1/2 years and ''it's going to be difficult to give him up. He lives in my house.''
This was the 100th time that best in show was presented at Westminster, and the sixth time that an English springer spaniel won. Terriers have won 44 times.
The Dandie named Harry was the nation's top show dog last year with 57 best in show victories. He fell short at Westminster last February when he slipped on the slick carpet.
Harry certainly drew his share of cheers from the crowd of about 15,000. Right before Indeglia, a cardiac surgeon, made his choice, a few fans shouted out, ''Let's go, Harry!''
Cosby's daughter, Erinn, sat in the second row and hoped for a big win. On Monday night, she kissed her dad's dog on the mouth after he took the terrier group.
Named for Prince Harry, the dog officially named Hobergays Fineus Fogg was bred in New Zealand and won 30 events in Australia before going to live in Pleasanton, Calif.
After winning the sporting group earlier in the evening, Fitzgerald was asked about again taking on the Dandie. She was aware the upsets had a way of happening at this event.
''It's the Garden and it's Westminster, anything can happen,'' she said. <<
>> An English springer spaniel known as James won the 2007 Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. More Photos >
>>
Springer Bests Crowd Favorites at Westminster
By RICHARD SANDOMIR
Published: February 14, 2007
Last night at Madison Square Garden, Robert Indeglia, a purebred human, pointed to an English springer spaniel named James, designating him Best in Show at the Westminster’s 131st edition.
After putting the seven finalists through their paces around the green-carpeted ring, Indeglia conferred for just a few minutes with several other tuxedoed men before walking slowly to James and choosing him.
The victory sent James’s overjoyed handler, Kellie Fitzgerald, to her knees. She was dressed in a glittery brown top and brown skirt, which matched 6-year-old James’s white and brown coat. It was not intentional, she said.
“I’m elated,” Fitzgerald said in the center of the ring afterward, as James alternated between licking her face and the yellow and purple Best in Show sash across her chest.
Eventually, the avid attention of the photographers made him yawn.
“He was no different than he usually is,” she said. “He just gives 110 percent all the time.”
James now heads into retirement.
It was the sixth Best in Show for an English springer spaniel at the elite show; the most recent one came in 2000, with Fitzgerald also the handler.
A half-hour after winning, James looked less winded, and calmer, than Fitzgerald.
“He puts on a big show in a large arena,” she said. “He hears the applause, and he’s just a fantastic moving dog.”
In triumph, James beat an Akita, a toy poodle and a standard poodle, a Bouvier des Flandres, a Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen, and a Dandie Dinmont terrier that is co-owned by the comedian Bill Cosby.
James, also known as Ch. Felicity’s Diamond Jim, was not a surprise winner. He was ranked second in the country, based on the points he had accumulated in shows, just below the Dandie known as Harry. The toy poodle was ranked fifth, and the Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen was ranked eighth, and the Akita was 10th.
The Bouvier was ranked 31st, and the standard poodle 48th.
The Bouvier’s presence in the final, coming at the expense of a favored German shepherd, gave his handler, Larry Fenner, a chance to compete against his wife, Laurie, who led the Akita, Macey, into the ring.
“I’m rooting for her,” Fenner said after the gray, rough-coated Bouvier, who is called Indy, took the herding group. “It’s the start of the Akita’s career but the end of Indy’s.”
Fenner said that he was not going to flop on the carpeting, or wear two right shoes, to ensure his wife’s success.
After James took the sporting group earlier in the evening, Fitzgerald said: “He’s got a really good heart. He aims to please. For 12 months last year, he was on a strong schedule, and he put out all the time.”
Jeanette McGinnis, the judge who put James into the final seven, said his “beautiful expression and beautiful conditioning” made him stood out. McGinnis, long an English springer spaniel fan, said that James was descended four generations back to a storied ancestor, Ch. Salilyn’s Aristocrat, who won the sporting group at Westminster in 1967.
“You see that in the way he carries himself,” she said.
James seemed to be adored by the sold-out Garden crowd, but the real affection from the crowd was reserved for Harry the Dandie and Fairchild the P.B.G.V., once a pudgy puppy, said his handler, Greg Strong.
Each time Indeglia stopped in front of Harry or Fairchild, the crowd roared with approval, perhaps believing it could persuade his choice. (He filtered the cheering out, he said.) Each time the dogs circled the ring, with Fairchild seeming to scan the crowd for friends, the fans roared even more.
“Go Harry!” several fans cheered in quiet moments at the Dandie, who, with the shortest legs, traversed the ring with a bouncy sort of deliberation, his helmet of fluffy white hair bouncing like Jell-O.
But their final cheers went to James, with his floppy ears, and his warm, intense eyes, which locked onto Fitzgerald when he looked backward at her as they trotted around the ring for Indeglia’s edification.
“He’s a fabulous dog,” said Indeglia, who had judged him at other shows. “He conforms to his breed standard closer than any dog I’ve ever seen. Go to the standard, look at him, and everything is on the button. He’s a great dog.”
He added: “I had a lot of great dogs to choose from. But this one stood out. He had that look in his eye that said, ‘It’s my night.’ He had great temperament. It was an honor to judge him.” <<
An English springer spaniel known as James won the 2007 Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.