Best of Breed

| Print | By | February 12, 2008 8:53 PM

Day 5 – Madison Square Garden – New York City
Contributed by James McManus

It’s just before 8 a.m. and Ring 4 is surrounded.

Soon, the Doberman Pinschers will enter the ring to compete for Best in Breed, and the winner will move on to this evening’s competition for Best in Show!

I have been here since just after 7am watching the crowd file in and listening to the excitement level rise.

Pic 1 CrowdWatching[1].small.jpg

Gazing around, there appear to be between 2 to 3 thousand people already in attendance, and as one of the security guards tells me, “By tonight, it’ll look like a prize fight’s going on.”

When the dogs enter and walk to their respective rings, a roar goes up from the crowd like horses taking to the track before a big race. Earlier this morning at the Hotel Pennsylvania a show dog owner said to me, quoting George Orwell, “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.” When I asked the name of his dog, he responded…”More Equal,” and then they walked across 7th Avenue and into Madison Square Garden.

I look at the strong and proud Doberman Pinscher’s lined up for inspection by the judge...they all seem equal to me.

Pic 2 Dobermans Lined Up[1].small.jpg

And calm. If anyone is nervous, it appears to be the fans who are already choosing dogs that they are convinced will win Best of Show later tonight and groaning when the judge does not linger over their choice. Alongside each ring are young men and women wearing aprons and holding brushes and water bottles. They hand the brushes and water bottles to the handlers on cue like a nurse assisting a doctor.

Each handler has a different way to keep his or her dog calm. Some sit on the carpet with their dog, others give them small bites of treats and still more pump up their dogs with praise. Often, roars come from other parts of the floor letting you know that the Toy Poodles or the Pugs also have their legions of fans.

After the Doberman’s are judged, I walk over to where the Silky Terriers are in the ring. I quickly notice that the young lass who caught my dog’s eye the other day is strutting her stuff for many more than just Riley Fitzgerald.

Nani looks to be in great form!

Pic 3 Nani[1].small.jpg


Her owner/handler, David Wojtek is walking her with great pride. I wish Riley was here to see his girlfriend compete. Well, maybe she’s not his exclusive girlfriend, but why not let Riley keep his dream.

Nani makes the 1st cut as several other Silky Terriers leave the ring. As I get closer to the ring, Nani poses for the camera and then gets back to business. The tension builds as the judge is clearly about to make a decision. I think of all the work that has gone into these few seconds. And wait, silence, wait, whispers…and with a quick “1,2,3,4” the judge elates four owners and the others leave the ring. As David walks by, he smiles at me.

I ask what he’s feeling and he says “I don’t know, we’re not used to being in this position.” It then hits me…ALL of these dogs are used to winning. But this is the best of the best. Sadly, Nani didn’t make the final cut.

During a lull in the action, I head backstage to see how all of the dogs prepare right before coming out onto the floor. And WOW, this is a world of its own! Backstage is an incredibly crowded mix of grooming tables, cages, cubicles, vendors…and of course, people and dogs.

Pic 5 grooming[1].small.jpg

It is loud and unruly, but the dogs don’t seem to mind at all.

Pic 4 backstage[1].small.jpg

Each dog has a cubicle area, like a human athlete has a locker. When they’re not being groomed or bathed or blown dried, many rest in their cages. The owners have gone to great lengths to make the cages feel like home.

One dog has his fan hooked up to his cage and a radio for him to listen to. When I ask the owner what he likes to listen to, he answers incredulously…music!

Other owners have covered the cage with a blanket from home or lined the cage with a piece of carpet from the basement. Each owner has something to remind the dog of home. And what a large home it is! As I walk the backstage area it is the length of two football fields. There are small pee stations with wood shavings every 30 yards or so and vendors line the outer edge of the entire area selling everything from…well, everything dog related you could ever want. There is an ambulance back stage for both dogs and humans. To give you another sense of size, the backstage area has its own concession stand.

Back out onto the floor and the competition. Now in ring four are the Tibetan Mastiffs and our friend Loka who we met on Saturday. She looks calm and confident as the judge checks her teeth and her bite.

Pic 6 Mastiff[1].teeth.small.jpg

But as with Nani, Loka does not win and will not be around for the competition later tonight. Maybe we are bad luck.

Put your camera away, I tell myself. But, oh, there’s a gorgeous St. Bernard who wants his picture taken. Wait, he looks familiar. Oh...I'm told he's starring in the movie Snowbunnies!

stbernard.jpg


I’m not a jinx, I’m not a jinx. Snap, snap, snap. Please let him win, please let him win.

winner.jpg


Whoo-hoo! Best of Breed...he DID it!

So now, after 5 days of reporting, we’ll be watching with millions of others tonight to see who takes home top prize. But no matter who wins, all of these beautiful animals are more equal than others and they will be missed in Madison Square Garden and New York City by all whose pleasure it has been to be in their company.

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