Of course you know that Westminster Kennel Club show is being held today and tomorrow at Madison Square Garden. For our household, it’s what the Super Bowl is for everyone else. The difference is that we know many of the participants and are familiar with many of the dogs competing.

We’ve done well at Westminster, with Lacey getting an Award of Merit in 2003 and going Best of Breed in 2004. Diva got AOM’s in 2005 and 2007, nearly taking the Breed in 2005.

We didn’t enter anyone this year. Mostly it’s because of the babies being so young and partly because we didn’t have anyone to show except, perhaps, for Alan.

It didn’t mean that we didn’t have, so to speak, a dog in this fight. Lacey’s son Knight, bred by us and owned by Gretchen Thiele and Charles Green, was entered this year and was handled by Nina Fetter. Knight, at 3 years old, is starting to come into his own and we were hoping that maybe an Award of Merit wasn’t out of the question.

Alas, the judge failed to fulfill our desires. Poor Knight showed well (Charles gave us play-by-play over the phone), but didn’t make the cut in the male competition. Best of Breed went to Hunter (Ch. Sunburst Huntsman of Metcha), Best of Opposite Sex to Rose (Ch. Raynbo’s Winter Rose) and AOM’s to Cameo (Ch. Majenkir Raynbo Silver Cameo), Ace (Ch. Auroral’s Across Time Sirius), Jolie (Ch. Chihawk Tahoe Tomb Raider JC) and Tasia (Ch. Majenkir My Fantastasia). Congratulations to all the winners.