Best in Show in Santa Barbara

Last year, Dog News printed Best in Show photos from the old days at Santa Barbara — the REALLY old days … Santa Barbara Kennel Club has had one of the oldest dog shows in the U.S., starting in 1919 and held almost every year since — at least from 1946, the first post-World War II show, up to 2020, when the Covid pandemic caused it to be cancelled. The BIS photos published last year went up to the 1980s; this year's pictures will start with the 1990 winner and continue to modern days.

The total entry at this year's was not known yet when this was being written, but there are more than 200 entries in the Breeders Showcase, which exemplifies much of what SBKC is about these days. For a long time, this was the biggest show in the country, even the world. That's no longer the case — the move to Earl Warren Showgrounds offered less space and necessitated lower entries — but instead SBKC tried out a few interesting things. The Breeders Showcase is one of these, and is almost an institution already; Dog News printed photos of last year's winners and details of the rules last week, and it's nice to see it continue to be so well supported. Other special events are the Bullygangza and Sighthound Spectacular (Sunday), the Foreign-Bred competition (Thursday, actually at one of two Simi Valley KC shows that accompany SBKC and provide four consecutive days of shows in the same location), and of course the free dinner that the club offers to all exhibitors and handlers on Saturday night, courtesy of its sponsors and patrons.

Since 1996 there have been two days of shows, fairly frequently with the same BIS winner. In 2000 the Kerry Blue Terrier Ch. Torum's Scarf Michael won both days, in 2003 the Doberman Ch. Aeolus My Little Chickadee repeated the performance, while the Sealyham Ch. Stonebroke Right On The Money won BIS one day in 2005 and two in 2006! The Scottish Deerhound Ch. Jaraluv Ouija won both days in 2007, the Scottie Ch. Roundtown Mercedes of Maryscot won once in both 2008 and 2009, as did the Standard Poodle GCh. Brighton Lakeridge Encore (2010 and 2011), the Wire Fox GCh. Afterall Painting The Sky (2012 and 2013), the Pembroke Welsh Corgi GCh. Coventry Allure at Wyndstar (2013 and 2017) and the French Bulldog GCh. Le Petit Prince de la Bete (2018 and 2019). The Old English Sheepdog GCh. Bugaboo's Picture Perfect won BIS at both shows in 2014, and the German Shorthaired Pointer GCh. VJK-Myst Garbonita's California Journey won both shows in 2015 AND the Sunday show in 2016. Last year the Standard Schauzer GCh. Crivitz Humphrey Bogart von Diable won Best in Show at both the Saturday and the Sunday show.

Could that happen again?

P.S.: Before anyone accuses me of having ulterior motives for writing so much about the Santa Barbara show, let me tell you that I'm not even a member of the club these days. I'm just really impressed that a club should be willing to put on so many “extras” and feel that the workers who spend time on them ought to be encouraged …

BIS 1990 Lhasa Apso Ch. Rufkin's Chip Off The Ol' Rock, handled by Clay Coady. Judge Edd E. Bivin. Right, Seme and Lou Auslander. Photo Fox & Cook.

BIS 1991 Wire Fox Terrier Ch. Registry's Lonesome Dove. From left, Lou and Seme Auslander, judge Virginia Lyne, Canada, handler Michael Kemp, superintendent Carmen Visser, Dr. John Reeve-Newson and Tom Bradley, III. Photo Cook.

BIS 1992 German Shepherd Dog Ch. Altana's Mystique. From left, Dr. John Reeve-Newson, judge Michele Billings, handler Jimmy Moses, Bill Antypas, Carmen Visser, Anne Rogers Clark and Tom Bradley, III. Photo Cook.

BIS 1993 West Highland White Terrier Ch. Holyrod's Hotspur O'Shelly Bay, handled by Bergit Coady. Judge Derek Rayne. Also shown Bill Antypas, Dr. John Reeve-Newson, Gerda Rayne and Carmen Visser. Photo Bergman.

BIS 1994 Scottish Terrier Ch. Gaelforce Post Script, handled by Maripi Wooldridge. Judge Richard Guevara. Also shown Derek and Gerda Rayne, Dr. John Reeve-Newson, Carmen Visser and Bill Antypas. Photo Cook.

BIS 1995 Australian Shepherd Ch. Summertime Showdown of Old West. Judge Terry Thorn, U.K. Also shown Dr. John Reeve-Newson, Carmen Visser, Derek and Gerda Rayne. Photo Cook.

BIS 1996 Pug Ch. Glory's Fantasy Tugboat Willy, handled by Mike Stone. Judge Luis Pinto Teixeira, Portugal. Photo Cook.

BIS 1999 Toy Poodle Ch. Trebor Shortstop, handled by Gary Wittmeier. Judge Dr. Don Sturz, Jr. Also shown Dr. Richard Meen, Abbe Shaw, Carmen Visser and Jean Austin.

BIS 2000 French Bulldog Ch. Obsession Dell'Akiris, handled by Beep Lee. Judge Maxine Beam. Photo Kit Rodwell.

BIS 2003 Doberman Ch. Aeolus My Little Chickadee CD NA NAJ, handled by Andy Linton. Judge Denys Janssen, Colombia. Also pictured David Powers, Ken Lindberg, Terri  Chacon and Abbe Shaw. Photo Bergman.

BIS 2005 (Saturday) Whippet Ch. Bohem C'est la Vie, handled by Paul Lepiane. Judge Desmond J. Murphy. Photo Bergman.

BIS 2010 (Saturday) Toy Poodle GCh. Smash JP Moon Walk, handled by Kaz Hosaka. Judge Lynette Salzman. Also pictured Anita O'Berg and Ken Lindberg. Photo Kit Rodwell.

BIS 2010 (Sunday) Standard Poodle GCh. Brighton Lakeridge Encore, handled by Tim Brazier. Judge Adriano Bosa, Argentina. Photo Kit Rodwell.

BIS 2012 (Saturday) Standard Schnauzer GCh. Blackhawk Finnegan's Wake, handled by Jody Paquette. Judge Michele Billings. Also pictured Purina representative Carol Grossman and Anita O'Berg. Photo Kit Rodwell.

BIS 2012 (Sunday) Wire Fox Terrier GCh. Afterall Painting The Sky, handled by Gabriel Rangel. Judge Carlos Fernandez-Renau, Spain.

BIS 2012 (Sunday) Wire Fox Terrier GCh. Afterall Painting The Sky with judge Carlos Fernandez-Renau and handler Gabriel Rangel after BIS. Photo by Kit Rowell.

BIS 2013 Pembroke Welsh Corgi GCh. Coventry Allure at Wyndstar, handled by Jenny Wornall. Judge Luis Pinto Teixeira, Portugal. Also pictured Anita O'Berg and Purina representative. Photo by Kit Rodwell.

BIS 2014 Old English Sheepdog GCh. Bugaboo's Picture Perfect, handled by Colton Johnson. Judge Mark Cocozza, U.K. Also pictured Purina representative and Anita O'Berg. Photo Kit Rodwell.

BIS at both SBKC shows 2014 was the Old English Sheepdog GCh. Bugaboo's Picture Perfect, shown with handler, owners, breeders and family. Photo by Vicky Holloway.

BIS 2016 (Saturday) Borzoi GCh. Belisarius JP My Sassy Girl, handled by Shota Hirai. Judge Ann Ingram, U.K. Also pictured Purina representative, Abbe Shaw and Anita O'Berg.

BIS 2016 (Sunday) German Shorthaired Pointer GCh. VJK-MYST Garbonita's California Journey, handled by Valerie Atkinson. Judge Michael Faulkner.

Sometimes they get loose …   BIS 2016 (Sunday) German Shorthaired Pointer GCh. VJK-MYST Garbonita's California Journey, not handled by Valerie Atkinson. Judge Michael Faulkner. Also pictured Abbe Shaw, Anita O'Berg, Ken Lindberg and Purina representative.

BIS 2019 (Saturday) Havanese GCh. Odeste's In The Name of Love, handled by Taffe McFadden. Judge Thomas W. Coen. Also pictured Dr. John Reeve-Newson and Purina representative. Photo by Kit Rodwell.

BIS 2019 (Sunday) French Bulldog GCh. Le Petit Prince de la Bete, handled by Jennifer Wornall-Rangel. Judge Espen Engh, Norway. Also pictured Purina representative, Abbe Shaw and Bruce Schwartz.

BIS 2021 (Saturday) Pembroke Welsh Corgi GCh. Coventry All Rise to Penliath, handled by Bill Shelton. Judge Dorothy N. Collier. Also pictured Purina representative and Bruce Schwartz. Photo by Kit Rodwell.

BIS 2021 (Sunday) Azawakh GCh. Azamour Anbar, handled by Chris Manelopoulos. Judge Polly D. Smith. Photo by Kit Rodwell.