Every February we spend two nights watching the Westminster Dog Show.  When I used to show our BTs, I dreamed of showing one our dogs there one day.  Well, life oftentimes changes things as ours has.  We’ll never have a dog entered at Westminster because we no longer show dogs.  However, we can enjoy making our picks, competing with each other on which dogs will win, and watch the best of the best make it to the Best in Show ring.

     I drive DH crazy because I pick an average 3 out of 4 winners in each group.  (Dang I should’ve wagered money on this with him.)  This year I picked all four ribbon winners in the Non-sporting group in the correct order.  In addition, I managed to pick 3 out of 4 for the rest of the groups.  For the last several years, I’ve picked the Best in Show winner too.  I knew Elliot Weiss would pick the Scottie, Sadie.  She was flawless, and once a terrier person, always a terrier person.  I must add here that the Best in Show group, in its entirety, was breath taking.

     When I first met him (oh, so many) years ago, Elliot was a professional handler.  Malcolm had managed to make it to terrier group.  Professionals, handle most of the terrier breeds, with the exception of some BTs and a very few others.  When I entered the ring, I saw many handlers who, in the dog show world, were legendary and who was it in front of me in line?  Elliot.  He was very nice.  He saw that I was nervous and gave me a few encouraging words.  We didn’t win, but it certainly was exciting for me, a mere mortal, to compete in the same ring with all those renowned handlers.