show wins in perry, georgia!

Wow! Cindy, Lola, and Umberto traveled with Amy to Perry, GA to compete in the Peach Blossom Cluster. A few ribbons are missing in this photo, but there is still plenty of "purple" we brought home . . . .

Our biggest win of the cluster was Cindy's Winners Bitch and Best of Opposite Sex for another major. If our math is correct, this finished her championship.

On the first day, it was Lola's turn to win big. (Thank you Judge Connie Clark for your kindness and grace in the ring and making it one of the most enjoyable conformation experiences I have had in these past 11 years of showing pugs.) Out of the Bred-by-Puppy class, Lola (Pickwick's Never Too Old, Too Wacky, Too Wild) was awarded Winners Bitch, Best Bred By Exhibitor, and  Best of Opposite Sex to the#1 pug in the USA, shown by a major professional handler. (The most recent competition stats for pugs - posted January, 2025 -- you'll notice that Cindy ranks 21, but she will most likely climb higher after her wins at this show in Perry.)

The ring was filled with major pro-handlers and we had arrived late (around 11 PM) to setup the tent the night before. So, I was especially proud of their fine performance. Umberto won Reserve Winners Dog and Cindy won Reserve Winners Bitch that 1st day of the cluster. Afterwards, they got to play in the dog park at the KOA where we were staying and enjoy the beautiful weather.

Since we arrived late the night before and got about 2 hours sleep, it's not surprising I forgot to pack the bait (treats to use in the show ring). Thankfully, Lola is more gullible than sister Cindy. Lola was WIRED and I needed to get her to focus, so I ripped off some paper from my arm band and pretended to eat it. Bless her heart, she fell for it.

Before the 2nd day of shows, I made sure to cook some amazing bait (liver)! Perhaps it tasted better being cooked on a camp stove?!

The 2nd day of the cluster, Judge Brian Meyer awarded Cindy Winners Bitch, Lola Reserve Winners Bitch, and Umberto Reserve Winners Dog. Again, we had beautiful weather to enjoy our campsite after we returned. Sebastian, our senior pug, came along for this trip and he really enjoyed the change of scenery. (We didn't take him into the show site, though, as there are potential viruses and such he could be exposed to ... unfortunately, it's not uncommon for handlers to bring a dog to a show who is sick with flu or something.)

The campsite was in a nice shady area and the weather was divine. It did get pretty cold at night in that tent, though, so I was thankful we had the "Buddy" propane heater. There was rain the night before so I made sure I brought the coffee maker and anything else needed into the tent. Fortunately, it stopped raining around 6:00 AM before we had to leave for the show. (Yes, every morning was a 4 AM wake-up call).

The 3rd day, Judge Richard D Albee preferred a different bitch, and pro handlers snatched the bigger wins that day, but Umberto still won Reserve Winners Dog and Cindy and Lola won their classes. The final 4th day of the cluster was a better day and Cindy's (Pickwick's Oh the Places You'll Go) won Winners Bitch and Best of Opposite Sex with an important judge for pugs, Jason Hoke. Again, the BOS win was to the #1 pug in the USA and it was a 3 point major. When we were getting the win photo, Hoke complimented Cindy's pigment, and the black on the bottom of the paw (which is part of the breed standard) and dark nails, markings. He mentioned that so many pugs do not have this now, (to the detriment of the breed.) 

It is because of these beautiful headpieces of Pickwick pugs that we chose to focus on breeding only fawn pugs during our first decade. After a long conversation with Pamela Donaldson, (Highland Kendoric pugs), shortly before her unexpected and tragic death, she emphasized how she had mixed blacks and fawns in her breeding program with great success over the years. She learned these things from her mentor, the late Doris Aldrich, Kendoric pugs, a very important pug breeder of the 20th Century. Indeed, if you look back at Cindy and Lola's pedigrees, you will find several amazing black pugs (photos below). The sire of the Dr. Seuss litter, Maverick (GCH Felzar's When Stars Collide at Paradise) had a black littermate who was also a show superstar. In these photos of the grandparents, great, great great etc. ancestors of Cindy and Lola (and Pepper, who lives in Texas) you will find many magnificent black pugs. Yet, all 3 pups from the Dr. Seuss litter are beautifully clear and light ... not smutty at all ... with those feet pads deliciously "dipped in black." You also find a very famous pug in their pedigree, "Dermot", who won the toy group at Westminster in 2006.

One more show cluster next weekend in Montgomery, Alabama, then we are hoping that Stella's breeding took for her last "Galaxy" litter and we will be busy with puppies over the summer.