Standard Poodle "London" Wins Best in Show at Eleventh Annual AKC/Eukanuba National Championship

ORLANDO, Fla, Dec. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The AKC/Eukanuba National Championship Best in Show honors and $50,000 in prize money went to GCH CH Jaset's Satisfaction, a Standard Poodle known affectionately as "London" owned by Beth Harris, Michel Molnar and Jamie Danburg of Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Before a crowd at the Orange County Convention Center Sunday night "London" was crowned "National Champion" by Best in Show judge Mrs. Polly Smith after a weekend of intense canine competition.  

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20111219/DC24762 )

The AKC/Eukanuba National Championship – recognized as one of the most prestigious dog shows in the world – joined a range of canine sporting events all under one roof, including the AKC Agility Invitational and the AKC National Obedience Invitational. These highly anticipated events featured more than 4,900 dogs vying for "top dog" bragging rights and more than $225,000.

The AKC/Eukanuba National Championship will be telecast on ABC Network Television on Saturday, February 4, 2012. Check local listings for airtimes.  

Best in Show Finalists and Group Winners
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: GCH CH Casablanca's Thrilling Seduction, a Black Cocker Spaniel known as "Beckham" owned by B. Vandeman, C. Douglas, M. Walker, C. Cassidy and L. Moore of Dallas, TX.  

Hound: GCH CH Downhome Hitech Innovator, a Harrier known as "Chet" owned by Joe and Carla Sanchez of Murrieta, CA.

Working: GCH CH Winfall Brookwood Styled Dream, a Boxer known as "Scarlett" owned by D. McCarroll, M. Fagan, J. Billhardt & S. Tenenbaum of Aptos, CA.

Terrier: GCH CH Steele Your Heart, a Wire Fox Terrier known as "Eira" owned by Torie Steele and Maryann Roma of Malibu, CA.

Toy: GCH CH Banana Joe V Tani Kazari, an Affenpinscher known as "Joe" owned by Zoila Truesdale and Mieke Cooymans of Seekonk, MA.

Non-Sporting: GCH CH Jaset's Satisfaction, a Standard Poodle known as "London" owned by Beth Harris, Michel Molnar and Jamie Danburg of Palm Beach Gardens, FL.

Herding: GCH CH Babheims Captain Crunch, a German Shepherd Dog known as "Cap" owned by J. & S. Moses, D. Stern, J. Lange, C. Navarro and M. Deschamp of Carrollton, GA.

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

Eukanuba World Challenge
This international event featured 44 top-winning dogs from six continents. GCH CH Propwash Reckon, an Australian Shepherd representing the United States and owned by Leslie Frank and Judy Harrington was awarded a hefty purse of $10,000 along with the title of "Eukanuba World Challenge Champion." "Reckon" also won the 2010 AKC/Eukanuba National Championship!

Best Bred-By-Exhibitor in Show
GCH CH Thaon's Mowgli, an Afghan Hound known as "Mowgli" was awarded Best Bred-By-Exhibitor in Show, edging out more than 1,300 dogs representing 35 percent of the total competitors entered in the "Bred-By Exhibitor" competition. Mowgli's owners Jay Hafford, James Blanchard, A. Sterner & D. Rogers of Valley Center, CA were awarded a $15,000 cash prize. Breeders Jay Hafford and James Blanchard are participants in the AKC Breeder of Merit program. 

Best in Miscellaneous Group
Edison's Knick Knack, a Russell Terrier owned by Bonnie J. Edison of Royal Palm Beach, Florida.

Junior Showmanship
In the Junior Showmanship competition, for handlers from between 9 to 18 years of age, Emma Grayson Echols with her Yorkshire Terrier "Tucker" was awarded the coveted title of Best Junior Handler, along with a $2,000 scholarship.

Agility and Obedience Competitions
The 2011 AKC National Obedience Invitational and the AKC Agility Invitational were held in conjunction with the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship. The two events demonstrated the highest level of training and teamwork between dog and handler and were the culmination of thousands of trials held throughout the year. For the first time ever, obedience and agility competitions for junior handlers were also held.

The AKC National Obedience Invitational Champion is OTCH Spirit's Zim Zam Zoom UDX6 OM4, a Golden Retriever owned by Ward Falkner of North Vancouver, BC Canada.

AKC National Juniors Obedience Competition
Juniors who participated in the inaugural AKC National Juniors Obedience Competition competed in three age divisions (Junior: Under 12 on the day of the event; Intermediate: 12 and under 15; and Senior: 15 and under 18) in Beginner Novice and/or Novice classes twice, based on their AKC obedience accomplishments.

Placing first in their divisions were:

• Beginner Novice Junior: Tyler Paul and "Bandit," an All-American Dog 
• Beginner Novice Intermediate: Mica Bender and "Ginger," a German Shepherd Dog
• Beginner Novice Senior: Brianne Farr and "Dare," a Border Collie 
• Novice Junior: Natalie Blood and "Willow," a Labrador Retriever
• Novice Intermediate: Morgan Gardner and "Beck," a Labrador Retriever
• Novice Senior: Kelsey Corn and "Turner," a Border Collie

Five agility dogs and their owners – one dog/handler team in each of the five height categories – were crowned at the AKC Agility Invitational, which brought together more than 590 dogs from across the country and beyond.  

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

• 8" – MACH Honey Come Quick "Tangle," an All-American owned and handled by Dana Pike from Wilmington, IL
• 12" – CH MACH5 Ravendune Right on Target CDX RAE OF "T", a Poodle owned and handled by Cathi Winkles from Bloomfield Hills, MI
• 16" – MACH3 Carazo's Rogue in Red NF "Rogue", an Australian Cattle Dog owned by Nicole & Stephen Carazo, Handled by Stephen Carazo from Riverside, CA
• 20" – CH MACH4 Colquhoun's No Time to Relax RN MXF TQX "Miller", a Bearded Collie owned and handled by Karen Barratt from Galveston, TX
• 24" – MACH8 Thomwoods Flare CD MXF TQX "Flare", a Doberman Pinscher owned and handled by Yvonne Mancino from Pataskala, OH

AKC Juniors Agility Competition
Juniors who participated in the inaugural AKC Juniors Agility Competition competed in either the Junior Excellent or Superior Classes, depending on whether they had achieved an agility title.

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

• 8"-  "Tinkerbelle," a Papillon handled by Chase Koetter
• 12"- "Taufie," a Shetland Sheepdog handled by Anneka Mikel Dahle
• 16"- "Bud," a Shetland Sheepdog handled by William Zachary Freedman
• 20"- "Seacrett," a Border Collie handled by Kaitlyn Dreese
• 24"- "Dash," a Belgian Malinois handled by Kyle Scripko

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

• 8"-  "Tad," a Beagle handled by Clayton Cook
• 16"- "Fuze," a Shetland Sheepdog handled by Brooke Netherland
• 20"- "Karli Renay," a Border Collie handed by Kaitlyn Dreese
• 24"- "Sniffy," an All-American Dog handled by Steven Pink

Members of the media may download high resolution photos of the winners from the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship FTP site. Please visit http://www.akc.org/invitational/2011/high_rez.cfm for more information.   

The American Kennel Club (AKC), founded in 1884, maintains the largest registry of purebred dogs in the world. Its rules and regulations govern more than 20,000 canine competitions each year.     

Eukanuba offers the most complete food lineup, delivering nutrition that is customized by breed and breed size as well as health and performance requirements. Eukanuba is a division of Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG), and you can visit us on the Web at http://www.eukanuba.com or visit Iams at http://www.Iams.com.

SOURCE American Kennel Club