As featured in the July 2016 AKC Gazette

Celebrating 92 years since the club’s official founding, the 2016 Del Monte Kennel Club shows were held July 15–17 in Carmel, California. The Friday schedule was devoted to rally and obedience. Saturday and Sunday also included rally and obedience, as nearly a thousand dogs converged to enjoy summer in lovely Monterey County.

Held in one of the most picturesque parts of California—which has a lot of truly gorgeous locations—the DMKC shows are a joyful way to celebrate California life and beautiful dogs. The July mornings are cool, with the sun and breeze emerging just after midday. Most visitors (and some Xolo and Chinese Crested show participants) wear light jackets, but the morning weather is generally fantastic for the dogs. For the afternoon sunshine, the rings are partially shaded with tents. The group and Best in Show rings are set on a generously sized lawn and decorated with beautiful flowers in white mission wood boxes. With a background of Monterey pines and California scrub oak, the grounds are sprinkled with tents in the club’s colors of white and blue.

The Lone Cypress Vizsla Club of the Monterey Peninsula held their specialty on Saturday. Supported entries for the weekend included English Setters, Wirehaired Pointing Griffons, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Great Danes, and Portuguese Water Dogs. Best Puppy competition was held on Saturday, and AKC Owner-Handled Competition on Sunday.

A highlight this year included a visit by AKC Board Member Dr. Carmen Battaglia and his wife, Nancy.

Saturday’s Best in Show was judged by longtime DMKC member Pluis Davern. Her choice for BIS was the Portuguese Water Dog GCh. Aviators Lady’s Man De Remis, shown by owner-handler Remy Smith-Lewis. RBIS went to the Airedale GCh. Brisline’s Baron Basil of Woodside, shown by Jenny Wornal Rangel. Best Puppy in Show was the Great Dane Neet’s Heart of Glass.

Our shows were dedicated to longtime DMKC member and Whippet exhibitor Donald Stevenson McGuire. His lovely widow Clay Felchlin McGuire accompanied DMKC club President Henry Sutcliff III and Treasurer Todd Harris in presenting Best in Show trophies on Sunday to Judge Peter Green’s choice of the Lakeland Terrier Ch. Snowtaires Next Generation. RBIS went to the PWD GCh. Aviators Lady’s Man De Remis. Best Owner-Handled was the Great Dane, GCh. Casaarabal’s Forbidden Love, and RBISOH was the Dalmatian GCh. Saint Florian Literati’s One N Only.

The show closed with sunshine beaming down on the dedicated club members who were cleaning and clearing to leave the school grounds utterly spotless, and on the hundreds of smiling exhibitors leaving after enjoying a lovely, old-fashioned, “classic” dog show!

—Carolyn Alexander

VIEW GROUP/BIS RESULTS:

Del Monte KC – Saturday, 7-16-2016

Del Monte KC – Sunday, 7-17-2016

All photos courtesy Diana Han, Norcalbulldogger@gmail.com

(Click on any photo to view full-size or start slideshow:)