Cocker Spaniel "striker" Wins Best In Show At Largest Ever AKC National Championship Presented By Royal Canin

ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- GCHP CH Silverhall Strike Force, an ASCOB Cocker Spaniel known as "Striker" triumphed over nearly 5,000 dogs to earn a $50,000 cash prize, a paw print pendant arrayed in sparking round diamonds from KAY® Jewelers' "LOVE is a four legged word collection" and the title of Best in Show at the AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin, held this weekend in Orlando, Fla. "Striker," owned by Regina Beinhauer & Carolee Douglas of Venetia, Pennsylvania and bred by Wilson S. Pike and Bonnie S. Pike was crowned "National Champion" by Best in Show judge Mr. Roger R. Hartinger after a weekend of intense canine competition.

Combined with other weekend events including the AKC Agility Invitational, the AKC Obedience Classic, the inaugural AKC Royal Canin National All-Breed Puppy and Junior Stakes and the Junior events, the overall show totals topped 8,600 entries, making this the largest dog event in North America.

The AKC National Championship evening live stream is available for replay at www.akc.org and live.royalcanin.com alongside on-demand coverage of the Bred-By Exhibitor groups, Junior Showmanship Finals, Best Miscellaneous, Agility and Obedience competitions. The show will be televised on Animal Planet on January 1, 2018 7PM ET/PT with a re-airing at 11PM ET.

The winners:

Reserve Best in Show and Group Winners

Reserve Best in Show: GCHG CH Le Petit Prince de La Bete, a French Bulldog known as "Princeton," owned by Alexandra Geremia and Blake Hamman and Peter Photos of Santa Barbara, California and bred by Peter Photos and Blake Hamman.

After winning Best of Breed competitions the following top dogs went on to win in their respective groups and compete for Best in Show:

Sporting: GCHP CH Silverhall Strike Force, an ASCOB Cocker Spaniel known as "Striker," owned by Regina Beinhauer & Carolee Douglas of Venetia, Pennsylvania and bred by Wilson S. Pike and Bonnie S. Pike.

Hound: GCHB CH Pahlavi Marilyn Merlot, an Afghan Hound known as "Chelsea," owned by Dr. Patrick Truman & Jeff Bracken & Karen Wagner of Damascus, Maryland and bred by Karen Wagner and Ellen C. Klosson.

Working: GCHG CH Taolanquest Flying Cloud, an Alaskan Malamute known as "Cloud," owned by Alisa Syar and Laurie Newburn and Ron Pohl and Mike Stone of Granite Bay, California and bred by Laurie Newburn and Ron Pohl.

Terrier: GCHG CH Absolutely Signature, a Smooth Fox Terrier known as "Bradley," owned by JW Smith and Dana Gabel of North Collins, New York and bred by James W. Smith and Dana Shumacher.

Toy: GCHG CH Pequest Pickwick, a Pekingese known as "Chuck," owned by David Fitzpatrick and Nancy H. Shapland of East Berlin, Pennsylvania and bred by David Fitzpatrick.

Non-Sporting: GCHG CH Le Petit Prince de La Bete, a French Bulldog known as "Princeton," owned by Alexandra Geremia and Blake Hamman and Peter Photos of Santa Barbara, California and bred by Peter Photos and Blake Hamman.

Herding: GCHS CH Cordmaker Mister Blue Sky, a Puli known as "Preston," owned by Ellen Charles and J. Beaudoin and L. Pitts and S. Huebner of Washington D.C. and bred by Sue Huebner.

Other top dogs awarded during the two-day event included the following:

Best Bred-By-Exhibitor in Show

GCHS CH Wingfield N Chebaco Just So You Know, an English Setter known as "Langdon," owned by Don and Pat Coller and Eileen Hackett of Bloomington, Indiana was awarded Best Bred-By-Exhibitor in Show.

AKC Royal Canin National All-Breed Junior of the Year

GCH CH Unity's Maid an Entrance CGC, a Weimaraner known as "Gali" owned by Michelle Hunter and Gregory McLogan and Amy L. Tourond of Springfield, Missouri and bred by Gregory McLogan, Vicki Ruiz and Amy L. Tourand won Junior of the Year.

AKC National Owner-Handled Series Finals Best in Show

GCHS CH Wigglesworth Aberlour's Pyt CGC, a Bearded Collie known as "Ellee" owned by Sharon Ipser and Dawn Mieras of Chagrin Falls, Ohio and bred by Dawn Symes Mieras, Shannon Symes and Sharon Ipser won the AKC National Owner-Handled Series (NOHS) Finals Best in Show, prevailing over an invitation-only entry of 705 dogs.

Best in Miscellaneous Group

Chucarin Bravoure Blanche, a Dogo Argentino known as "Ray," owned by Martin Bellavitis and Carlos Bellavitis of Buenos Aires, Argentina and bred by Carlos Bellavitis won the Miscellaneous Breeds competition.

Junior Showmanship

In the Junior Showmanship competition, for handlers from between 9 to 18 years of age, Erin LaPlante with her Doberman Pinscher GCH CH Fayek I'll Have Another was awarded the coveted title of Best Junior Handler, along with a $2,000 scholarship.

Agility and Obedience Competitions

The 2017 AKC Obedience Classic and the AKC Agility Invitational were held in conjunction with the AKC National Championship. The two events demonstrate the highest level of training and teamwork between dog and handler. Obedience and agility competitions for junior handlers were held for the seventh year, and an AKC Rally^® Junior competition was held for the fourth year.

AKC Obedience Classic

Four obedience dogs and their owners ? one dog/handler team in each of the four classes ? were crowned at the AKC Obedience Classic, which brought together 235 dogs from across the country and beyond.  

Placing first in their class (Novice, Open, Utility and Masters respectively) were:

• Novice: Loteki Tropical Heat Wave CD BN RN, a Papillon known as "Josie," owned by Jeannine Rash of Red Lion, Pennsylvania.
• Open: MACH Keeva's One More For The Road CDX BN RA MXC MJG XF T2B, a Border Collie known as "Jax," owned by Judy Ramsey of Spring, Texas.
• Utility: CH Pin Oak Mar-Gin Orient Star UD BN RA, an Irish Setter known as "Grisha," owned by Nancy Godbey and Jimmie Godbey of Greer, South Carolina.
• Masters: OTCH Rhumbline's All Or Nothing UDX2 OM4, a Labrador Retriever known as "Zeal," owned by Petra Ford of Washington, New Jersey.

AKC Juniors Obedience/Rally Classic

Juniors who participated in the AKC Juniors Classic competed in Obedience and/or AKC Rally^®. 

In Obedience, Juniors competed in the Beginner Novice, Preferred Novice and Preferred Open classes twice, based on their AKC obedience accomplishments.

Placing first in their class were:

Obedience

• Beginner Novice: Burlynne Mejeris, "Woody", Australian Shepherd
• Preferred Novice: David Frasca, "Bling", Border Collie
• Preferred Open: Avery Adams, Spark, Border Collie

In AKC Rally^®, Juniors competed in Rally Novice, Rally Advanced or Rally Excellent, based on the dog's class eligibility (qualifying scores and/or titles earned). 

Placing first in their class were:

Rally

• Rally Novice: Jesse Thompson, "Mabel", Australian Cattle Dog
• Rally Advanced: Abigail Stark, "Fuji", Shetland Sheepdog
• Rally Excellent: Avery Adams, "Spark", Border Collie

AKC Agility Invitational

Five agility dogs and their owners ? one dog/handler team in each of the five height categories ? were crowned as the 2017 winners of the AKC Agility Invitational, which brought together 716 dogs from across the country and beyond.  

Placing first in their height division (8", 12", 16", 20" and 24" respectively) were:

• 8" ? NAC MACH9 Aerilee's Like Never Before MXC2 PAD MJC2 XF T2B2, a Papillon known as "When," handled by Betsey Lynch.
• 12" ? Bur-Way Ready Set Go MX MXJ MJB, an American Hairless Terrier known as "Game," handled by Suzanne Birdsall.
• 16" ? MACH6 PACH Swansong's Pretty Brilliant RN MXG2 MJS2 MXP3 MXPB MJP3 MJPB PAX MXF TQX T2B5, an Australian Cattle Dog known as "Kylie," handled by Anne Swan.
• 20" ? MACH4 Sagehill Spot On MXG PAD MJC PJD MXF TQX T2B3, a Border Collie known as "Graphite," handled by Paulen-Renee Simpson.
• 24" ? MACH2 Pm's Grayquest Wild Blue Yonder CD JH MXG MJC OF T2B, a Weimaraner known as "Jif," handled by Lori Barbee.

AKC Juniors Agility Competition

Juniors who participated in the AKC Juniors Agility Competition competed in either the Junior Excellent (at least 14 years old but under 19 years old) or Superior Classes (under the age of 14).

Placing first in their height division (8", 12", 16", 20" and 24" respectively) in the Junior Excellent class were:

• 8"- Kayangee Wishing Well Excuse My Dust (Zoom), a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel handled by Anthony Rotelle
• 12"- MACH Blue Shadow On The Lake MXB MJB NF CGC TKP (Shadow), a Shetland Sheepdog handled by Morgan Vance
• 16"- MACH Wyndspell Fireworks MX MXJ CDX RAE TKA (Spark), a Border Collie handled by Avery Adams
• 20"- Dahle's TNT Watch Me Explode!! NA OAJ XF (Bama), a Border Collie handled by Anneka Mikel Dahle
• 24"- MACH Smokingold Vibrant Spark UD RE VER MX MXJ (Vibrant), a Golden Retriever handled by Avery Adams

Placing first in their height division (8", 12", 16", 20" and 24" respectively) in the Junior Superior class were:

• 8"- MACH6 Razi MXS2 MJG2 MFB TQX T2B CGCA (Razi), a Russell Terrier handled by Briana Sterling
• 12"- MACH4 Rhapsody's Enchanting Monster MXC MJC (Sulley), a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel handled by Carly Kreiser
• 16"- Liberty Hill Emit A Spark CGC OA OAJ RN (Flint), a Border Collie handled by Ryan Ford
• 20"- Rival's Spring Into Action (Tig), a Border Collie handled by Kai Macauley
• 24"- MACH2 Grandbois' Duke MXG MJG XF T2B2 (Duke), a Boxer handled by Ella Lovasco

North America Diving Dogs/AKC National Championship.

A record entry of more than 630 dogs entered the NADD/AKC National Championship.

The Championship winners include:

• Open Class Elite Division: Ringo, an Australian Cattle Dog owned by Ashley Crowden (Score: 28' 10")
• Open Class Master Division: Django, a Belgian Malinois owned by Maynard Pease (Score: 24' 10")
• Open Class Senior Division: Yeti, a Labrador Retriever owned by Kara Roth (Score: 21' 3")
• Open Class Junior Division: Ember, a Flat-Coated Retriever owned by Renee Sainato (Score: 16' 3")
• Open Class Novice Division: Chris, an All-American Dog owned by Georganna Acord (Score: 9' 9")
• Veteran Class Master Division: Lexie, an All-American Dog owned by Janice Costa (Score: 21' 6")
• Veteran Class Senior Division: Pyro, a Dutch Shepherd owned by Ashley Rietfors (Score:19'11")
• Veteran Class Junior Division: Zoe, a Catahoula Leopard Dog owned by Annie Strobel (Score: 15' 3")
• Veteran Class Novice Division: Diesel, an All-American Dog by Jessica Edgerly (Score: 8'6")
• Lap Class Elite Division: Gerry, a Jagd Terrier owned by Christopher Skinner-Bland (Score: 16'0")
• Lap Class Master Division: Kiera, an English Cocker Spaniel owned by Shana Porter (Score: 17'5")
• Lap Class Senior Division: Woody, a Dachshund owned by Brian Woodrow (Score: 12'3")
• Lap Class Junior Division: Dottie, a Danish Farm Dog, owned by Jen Giacchi (Score:8'0")
• Lap Class Novice Division: Pirate, a Smooth Fox Terrier owned by Elise Wolpert (Score:5'9")
• Air Retrieve Open Class Elite Division: Spitfire, a Whippet owned by Sydney Mackey (Score: 26'0")
• Air Retrieve Open Class Master Division: Bullitt, a Belgian Malinois owned by Raymond Mobilia (Score:22'0")
• Air Retrieve Open Class Senior Division: Saffron, an All American Dog owned by Lorinda Siegrist (Score: 20'0")
• Air Retrieve Lap Class Elite Division: Gerry, a Jagd Terrier owned by Christopher Skinner-Bland (Score: 16'0")
• Air retrieve Lap Class Master Division: Rufus, a Jagd Terrier owned by William Burns (Score: 13'0")'
• Air Retrieve Lap Class Senior Division: Kiera, an English Cocker Spaniel owned by Shana Porter (Score:13'0")
• Air Retrieve Lap Class Junior Division: Chrome, a Cardigan Welsh Corgi owned by Melissa LaMere-Dragovich (Score:9'0")
• Junior (under 17 years old) Handler: Rufus, a Jagd Terrier owned by Alex Burns

AKC Breeder of the Year

Helyne Medeiros was presented with the 2017 AKC Breeder of the Year Award for Seasyde Pointers at the AKC National Championship on Saturday, December 16, 2017.  The annual award honors breeders who have made an impact on their breed and dedicated their lives to improving the health, temperament and quality of purebred dogs.

AKC Meet the Breeds^®
The Mastiff booth won AKC Meet the Breeds^® Best Booth in Show.

Click here to download images and video from the AKC National Championship.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB

Founded in 1884, the American Kennel Club is a not-for-profit organization which maintains the largest registry of purebred dogs in the world and oversees the sport of purebred dogs in the United States. The AKC is dedicated to upholding the integrity of its registry, promoting the sport of purebred dogs and breeding for type and function.  Along with its more than 5,000 licensed and member clubs and its affiliated organizations, the AKC advocates for the purebred dog as a family companion, advances canine health and well-being, works to protect the rights of all dog owners and promotes responsible dog ownership. More than 22,000 competitions for AKC-registered purebred dogs are held under AKC rules and regulations each year including conformation, agility, obedience, rally, tracking, herding, lure coursing, coonhound events, hunt tests, field and earthdog tests. Affiliate AKC organizations include the AKC Humane Fund, AKC Canine Health Foundation, AKC Reunite and the AKC Museum of the Dog.  For more information, visit www.akc.org.

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SOURCE American Kennel Club