Diverse and good quality – that’s how show manager Gaye Lees has described the entries for this year’s Parkes and District Kennel Club Show.
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The club hosted three championship shows over two days, with the annual long-weekend event attracting an average of 285 entries per show.
Held at the Parkes Showground, competitors travelled from Parkes and around the district, including Forbes, Dubbo, Grenfell, Cowra, Yeoval, Orange, Bathurst, Nyngan and Gooloogong.
People also travelled further afield from Cessnock, Wagga, Sydney and Victoria.
The shows featured Gundogs, Terriers, Toys, Hounds, General Specials, Working Dogs, Non Sporting and Utility classes.
“It was excellent weather and excellent showing,” Gaye said.
“It was a great day, we’re really happy with how it went.”
Gaye said one of the highlights of the event was the judges selecting three different breeds for each of the Best in Show titles.
Show one’s Best in Show was a Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen, show two’s Best in Show was a Pharaoh Hound and show three’s Best in Show was a Maremma Sheepdog.
“They are three extremely different breeds and not the usual breeds either,” Gaye said.
“Which is an encouraging thing, it shows the diverse and quality of dogs that attended.
“Last year a Doberman won all three.”
Another highlight was the presence of two hairless Xoloitzcuintle puppies coming from Cessnock and Yeoval, which Gaye said the show had never featured before.
Also among those present at this year’s show was Sydney woman Hayley Stubberfield and her 13-month-old female black spotted Dalmatian.
“Her name is Velvet at home, in the show ring she is known as Adstaff Black Velvet,” Hayley said.
“She is a very soft and sweet natured girl who loves cuddles.”
Hayley said Velvet is from one of a few litters of Dalmatians within Australia who carry the LUA gene.
“There are a number of breeders in Australia who are working together on the LUA breeding program,” she said.
“This special little LUA gene (Low Uric Acid) means that she carries no more risk of Urate Stone Formation than any other breed of dog, unlike the general Dalmatian population who carry a predisposition to this potentially fatal disease, with up to 30 per cent of Dalmatians affected sometime during their lifetime.”
Gaye would like to take the opportunity to thank the Parkes Rotary Club for catering the dog show.
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