Finn won Best in Show his third weekend in the ring, just after turning six months old. This win makes Am/Can Ch Bullmarket Fionn MacCool the youngest French Bulldog to win Best in Show in Canadian Breed History.
Handled by Kay Reil – thanks Kay, for a once in a lifetime win!
Thursday, June 21st 2012 — Hamilton Kennel Club, Ancaster, ON
Judge: David Eadie
Best of Breed
Group First
Best in Show
Best Puppy in Show
Well, round one of the 2012 puppy madness kicked off on Wednesday morning, when Billie presented us with SIX beautiful French Bulldog puppies. A matched set – 3 boys, 3 girls, in a variety of fun colors. Sleep is now a thing of the past, and it’s about to get worse, with Penelope due this coming Wednesday. As if that’s not enough, I agreed to whelp a litter for a friend (back before I knew both Billie and Nell were pregnant), and Lyra is due any minute now.
Holy crap, y’all (stress sometimes makes me get southern).
Think good thoughts, and here are some pix of Billie crew of cuties in the meantime.
When the Lab cross died in the Vaughn Mills Parking lot after Woofstock, what I found most disturbing (aside from the entire situation) were the reports that as many as sixteen people were standing around outside of the car, wondering what to do.
Seemed pretty simple to me – smash the damn window out with a brick.
Sometimes, inciting a little civil disobedience is the only way to get the message across. Since the courts don’t seem to do anything to the people who let their dogs die in hot cars, I assume they’ll extend the same leniency to those of us who pledge to liberate them.
Take the brick pledge – no dogs in hot cars
Finn with handler Kay Reil and Judge Richard Paquette
Finn amazed us all by finishing his Canadian championship in a single weekend, his first time in the ring, from the 6 – 9 month puppy class. While he was there, he also took a Group 2, two Group 3 wins, three Best Puppy in Group wins and a Best Puppy in Show.
Our thanks to judges Olga Gagne, Mel Saranchuk and Richard Paquette for recognizing Finn’s excellent type, and to Finn’s handler, Kay Reil, for making him shine. Thanks as well to Pam McClintock and John Griffith for assisting with Finn this weekend – we appreciate it!
It’s always fun when puppies finish this quickly – Finn’s great uncles did the same, with Stoney finishing in one weekend, owner handled by Charlotte Creeley, with back to back five point majors. Just to keep things interesting, he finished his CD the same weekend. His great uncle Rebel finished with three five point majors and two group wins, and his half sister, Butters, finished in four days with a Best Puppy in Show.
Those are some pretty big shoes for Finn to fill, but I’m confident he can do it.
I think I’m particularly proud of Finn’s wins because he’s not just correct, he’s healthy – his breathing is perfect, his eyes are JC clear, his hips, patellas and spine are all prelim clear, and he jumps like a mountain goat. Topping it all off, he moves with that gorgeous French Bulldog double tracking movement that is so incredibly unique to our breed, and yet is so increasingly rare to see. It’s nice when your dog wins, but it’s even nicer when he’s a dog you can be this proud of.
Finn’s sister, Madge, showed this weekend as well. Madge looked great in the ring, and Kay handled her beautifully, but Madge is never going to enjoy the ring the way Finn does (partially because she doesn’t have his same unbridled enthusiasm for snacks). You know you’re up against it when the judge asks your dog “Why so sad, little pup?”, and your handler has to explain, “That’s not sad, that’s just Madge’s face”. We sometimes wonder if she isn’t really Delilah’s daughter, stolen away by Penelope when we weren’t looking.
It’s OK, Madgela, mommy loves you – and so did the crowd. I’ve never had so many questions and comments about a Frenchie puppy, ranging from “What color do we call this?” (asked by a judge, and answered with “We call it fawn pied, and it’s in the standard”, which seemed to make everyone happy) to “Wow, her markings are perfect”, which – of course they are, they’re on Madge.
I took home two tired puppies last night, and they celebrated with ice cream, followed by a vigorous romp through the muddy backyard.
Show dogs, yes, but swamp puppies first.
Pollux the dog somehow traveled from Montreal, Quebec to Kamloops, BC – a journey of almost 4,245 kilometres or 2,637 miles
I never cease to be amazed at some of the journeys our pets can make, all on their own. I also never cease to be amazed at how effective microchips can be at bringing back our lost or stolen pets.
This story definitely falls into the ‘amazing’ category.