Barking up the right tree

Our four-footed friends had a weekend in the limelight when the Marlborough Kennel Club hosted their annual third weekend of May Championship Show.

Around 330 pure-bred dogs, with entries stretching from Auckland to Gore, strutted their stuff in front of international judges over two days of breed-based confirmation trials running through Saturday and Sunday at Omaka.

Marlborough Kennel Club president and life member Michelle Turner was thrilled by the weekend’s events, despite having to manage a busy schedule.

“We’ve had three different shows with three different winners and reserve winners, and it’s been great with the numbers of entries, diversity of dogs and for people to explore our region”, says Michelle.

“It’s about making sure people are aware of what dogs do, as so much of dog showing is looking for a dog that’s bred to do the job it was intended for.”

Michelle says the care trainers have for their dogs is top tier, with the judging panels casting a keen eye across the whole animal.

“They’re basically athletes, with food, training, exercise, and grooming all involved, with the competition focused on the dogs.

“We have local parades where people can come up and do confirmation trials and get their dogs assessed by people who are trained to judge dogs, but there’s a lot about socializing.

“The weekend also hosted a junior dog handling competition, and that winner will go to the final ten at the National Dog Show in September, with the ability to qualify for [world-renowned United Kingdom dog show] Cruft’s.

“We’ve been lucky that for the last few years we’ve been sponsored by Royal Canin and their amazing support ... everybody’s left chuffed to meet their transport, so logistically it has gone perfectly,” added Michelle.