Peke Performance
The Pekingese Club of Texas hosted the Pekingese Club of America’s national specialty on July 6 and 7 in Dallas, Texas. Don Sutton made all the hotel arrangements at the MCM Elegante Hotel and got the ball rolling prior to his passing. Dr. Steve Keating was generous enough to pass the torch to me as show chair for both clubs. I knew that we needed to make it spectacular, as that was what Don would have done.
With that in mind, I recruited Stephanie Hill to be the Décor Chair. With her team of Gary Cathey and Justin Normand, they exceeded all expectations. Everywhere you looked there were beautiful things, with a 40-foot silk Chinese dragon as the focal point guarding it all. Don would have loved it!
The evening prior to the shows, a group of generous supporters, The Association of the Gold Dragon, provided an extravagant “Meet and Greet” buffet and bar. There was entertainment from the Chinese Children’s Dragon Dance. The buffet was served on beautiful blue and white china that matched all the trophies on display and the dozens of fresh-flower-filled vases. Every chair had a black seat cover with a gold dragon on the back. The trophy table on display was “guarded” by the 40-foot silk Chinese dragon.
Wednesday, July 6, the Pekingese Club of Georgia had back-to-back shows. The sweepstakes judges were Texas royalty: Jackie Breazeale and Tara Martin. Regular class judging was Winifred Mee of the Pekehuis Kennel in England and Gordon Gault from the Moonwhispers kennel in Northern Ireland. Both Winifred and Gordon found their Best of Breed in Mark and Lori Stephen’s dog, GCH Aslan Enticing Eros.
Wednesday evening was the PCA banquet and auction. The banquet room was done in all white, and the white-covered chairs had the show logo on them. The center of the table had a round, dark-red placemat with gold dragons and a fresh flower arrangement. There was an extravagant buffet followed by the auction. For the Pekingese enthusiast, there were many treasures to be had!
Thursday started early with judges education. Sadly, only one person showed up, but what a person: the Westminster BIS judge Donald Sturz! It was a great one-on-one session, and Mr. Sturz enjoyed it, as did I!
We started the judging with Juniors, with Dr. Steve Keating finding his best Junior Handler in Lily Alexander. Colleen Skinner judged Sweepstakes. Elizabeth Tilley-Poole (Pleiku Pekingese) judged regular classes and also found her Best of Breed in Mark and Lori Stephen’s dog, GCH Aslan Enticing Eros.
Overall, it was a wonderful show. Camaraderie and good sportsmanship were evident at all times. Every small detail was attended to, including corsages and boutonnières for the judges, flowers in the judges’ rooms, a greeting committee headed by Tom Langham in the lobby to help exhibitors when checking in, several “selfie” areas set up with stunning Chinese vases and fresh flowers, and more. The hotel was a dream to work with. During set-up they assigned an employee to work with us and give us whatever we needed. The rooms were immaculate and spacious with ice-cold AC. The show room was beautiful, and while probably not big enough for a large specialty, is perfect for 100 or fewer small dogs. The restaurant food was good; your room came with a great breakfast buffet. Every employee had a smile and was eager to take care of your needs.
If you have not attended one of our specialties, look for us next year in December at Royal Canin.