Four months after we adopted Annie, the Newfoundland National was held in Warwick, RI. I saw a picture of the Rescue Parade on Facebook and I envisioned Annie and I doing that in the future. The following year, the National was held in Oregon and it was just too far away for us to attend. Last year it was held in Michigan. Winn and I attended for the first time, but unfortunately Annie was no longer with us. I was too broken hearted to stay and watch the parade, but this year, this was the event that I was most looking forward to. I was ringside, cheering them all on with memories of Annie in my heart.

Each dog is announced and as they enter the ring, their story about how the came into their adoptive family is read out loud. They receive a special medal, lots of attention and I must admit, more than a few happy tears are shed in their honor. To me, this is the most important event of the week. All Newfies, whether they are show dogs or not, deserve to be celebrated and recognized. I was so happy for each of these dogs and their new life because they were rescued.

Click on any of the pictures for a larger view.

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Since I wasn’t able to be in a parade with Annie, Winn and I participated in the Honors Parade. This was open to all Newfies that have earned a title and there were over 100 entries. Each Dog’s name was read, oldest to youngest, and if they were present, they walked into the ring to receive a special medal.

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On Thursday, the boys are judged in the ring and I watched another class that I thought was really interesting. Stud class includes not only the Sire, but two offspring. The main reason for conformation is to showcase the breed standard. What better way to judge a dog than to see how those traits are passed to the next generation? The brown dog didn’t take 1st place but I thought he and his offspring were all really beautiful.

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Last year I was pretty overwhelmed by the scale of this show. Knowing better what to expect, I enjoyed myself more this year and met friends new and old. Winn’s brother Porter was also up for the week competing in several events, along with their breeder who was a tremendous support to each of us. It was fun to see Porter and Winn side by side as they both were in the Rally ring as well as Specialty Carting.

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The final day of the show is when the top dogs compete for Best of Breed. It’s the big event of the show, and many people make a day trip just for this. After I checked out of the hotel room and got the car loaded up, Winn, my daughter and I sat on a blanket to take it all in. We knew a few of the dogs in the ring, Winn fell in love with one of the brown boys and did her very best flirting to get his attention, but for the most part, we just sat back and enjoyed the show.

It’s not possible for me to post a picture of everybody, but here are just a few from the final day in show ring:

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I hope you’ve enjoyed this assortment of events at this years’ Newfoundland National Specialty. Of course, there is so much more to see and do including shopping the vendors tents!

Until next year…….