 Of the five contestants and their pooches, three were new
participants this year: Roux Starr, Emily Paulus and Sarah Starasta.
Zac Gill returned to show again this year, as did Amelia Kuhlman.
Also returning for the competition was judge Gail Vlahovich of
Bloomington. This is Vlahovich's third year of serving as judge for
Logan County.
Vlahovich works well with the kids as they work to bring out the
best in their dogs. She spends time one-on-one with each youngster,
talking to them about their animal and how to show the dog at its
best.
Saturday, with the chilly temperatures, some wind and a lot of
traffic in the area, Vlahovich told the kids they were attempting to
do something in the show ring that most adults would be afraid to
do, and that is show a dog in an area full of distractions.
Vlahovich, who shows dogs herself, told the boys and girls that
considering all that was going on around them during their
exercises, they had all done extremely well; therefore, all five
were awarded blue ribbons for their efforts.
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Roux Starr received Best of Class in Beginner 1 and Showmanship
1. Zac Gill took Best of Class in Beginner 2 and Showmanship 2.
There were three who participated in the Dog Care portion of the
show: Sarah Starasta, Amelia Kuhlman and Emily Paulus. All three
young ladies had to bring their dogs into the arena for a health
inspection.
In the end, there was a tie for Best of Show between Starasta and
Kuhlman. The girls each had to return to the arena and answer
questions about their dogs and how they take care of them.
Vlahovich made her final decision based on the girls' answers and
named Starasta as the recipient of the Best of Show award.
[By NILA SMITH] |
