Pittsburgh, Pa., resident Rick Zahorchak and other contestants prepare their Great Danes for judging during the Ingham County Kennel Club Winterland Classic Dog Show on Dec. 1, 2013 at the Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock Education. Brian Palmer/The State News
Barking, prancing and panting, about 1,624 purebred dogs took the stage at the Ingham County Kennel Club Winterland Classic Dog Show at the Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock Education on Sunday.
The show took place throughout the weekend and drew in canine competitors and their owners from around the country.
Sunday’s show was up by 99 entries from last year. The timing, location and venue all were factors that made the show a success, Ingham County Kennel Club President Mark Jaeger said.
“This location has an adequate amount of grooming space and is more easily accessible,” Jaeger said. “When you enter a dog, you need to groom them and that can literally take hours to get it just right. The extra space gives us an edge.”
The competition divided dogs into groups by gender and age, and judges awarded points according to how well the dogs matched up to the standard of the breed, which is set by the American Kennel Club, or AKC, Jaeger said.
The dogs were led across padded walkways to judges who inspected size, color and weight, among other qualifications.
Medical clinics at the show also allowed participants to have their dog’s hearts, eyes and other vitals examined.
In addition to showing off their dogs, the goal of all kennel clubs is to promote a better, healthier dog, said Troy Stroud, a systems coordinator for Residential Hospitality Services at MSU and Ingham County Kennel Club vice president.
Stroud, who has bred Neapolitan Mastiffs for nearly eight years, enjoys participating in the shows to see how particular breeds of dog have changed overtime.
“(Neapolitan Mastiffs) are a relatively new breed to the AKC, and with each generation, you can see the breed improve,” Stroud said. “Not only that, but the networking that comes in is such a wealth of knowledge on how to care for and show your dog.”
Lorie Barnes, a breeder and competitor, came from Williamston to show her three collies for the eighth year in a row.
She has been showing her dogs since they were puppies and fell in love with the breed because of their personality.
“After I won (my first show) it became like an addiction,” Barnes said. “I love having something to do with my dogs. It’s a great bonding experience and the camaraderie with the people here is the same.
“Once you win, you love it — and if you don’t, you’re happy for your fellow friends. We all love our dogs.”
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