What a show and what a time to be present as a French Bulldog fancier. To see the first French Bulldog win Non-Sporting at Westminster! It was the ultimate treat for a first-time attendee. Read on to share a little of the experience and see a few of the better snapshots. Note to self: next time take a camera with a telescopic lens!
Big congratulations to Bru, his handler Perry Payson, and his breeders and owners, Shelley St. John, James Dalton, and Marion Hulick. To get any dog to the Westminster level takes determination, drive, and above all patience. Patience to create the breeding program, patience to wait (and hope) for that promising little puppy to come along one day; patience to raise, train, and keep attending and winning shows with that special dog to qualify for Westminster.
Bru and Perry waiting for their G1 ribbon.
“Bru,” Ch Robobull Fablehaft I’m On Fire, is the first French Bulldog to win the Non-Sporting Group since the AKC created Groups in 1924. (The original five Groups are: Sporting, Working, Terriers, Toys, Non-Sporting.) Before this, the closest a Frenchie ever came to winning Non-Sporting at Westminster was the early 1960s with Ch Ralanda Ami Francine, a top Non-Sporting winner bred by Amanda West. In 2004, Ch Bandog’s Jump for Joy was nationally-ranked with 16 Best in Shows, and a contender to vie for G1 placement, but despite both girls’ outstanding win records, neither ever walked out of Westminster the winner of the Non-Sporting Group.
Bru wasn’t the only winner at Westminster. Let me back up to Monday morning, when several other dogs expanded their list of credentials and I had the thrill of seeing so many beautiful and handsome Frenchies in one place.
Congrats to the following dogs, and their handlers, breeders, and owners:
Best of Opposite Sex - Ch Lebull’s Midnight Confessions (see her winning photo at the Westminster site)
Award of Merit – Ch Devine’s LA Confidential
Award of Merit – Ch A’Vigdors Caudataire Du Roi Tuunrat’s El Che
Award of Merit – Ch Evergreen’s Lavish Looks
Award of Merit – Ch Raindrops Justus Lifes A Game
Award of Merit winner - Ch Raindrops Justus Lifes A Game
After the breed judging on Monday, I visited the benching area (a test of stamina for dogs, caretakers, and visitors alike) cruising the benching booths, admiring winners and champions up-close. A Frenchie to keep your eye on in the next couple of years is “Che,” Ch A’Vigdors Caudataire Du Roi Tuunrat’s El Che. Not even a year old yet and he’s already a standout specimen of the breed with his handsome, brindle looks.
Award of Merit winner - Ch A'Vigdors Caudataire Du Roi Tuunrat's El Che
For more info about the French Bulldogs winners of the 2010 Westminster show, click here.
To see breed judging video, click here.
To see Monday night’s Non-Sporting and Tuesday night’s Best in Show video, click here. Look for Best of Non-Sporting or Best in Show from the list at the bottom.
And there are more Westminster-related, Frenchie wins to report. The night before Westminster, I attended the Dog Writers Association of America Annual Awards Banquet where the 2009 writing competition winners were named. Maxwell awards went to:
- A booklet created by the French Bull Dog Club of America titled French Bulldogs: The Basic Course
- An article titled “Exposed” written by Lisa Ricciotti and published in the September 2008 The French Bullytin.
These were a just a couple of winners that evening from a wide-cross section of breed clubs, dog publications, websites, and other forms of media. Imagine, a whole room of people dedicated to nothing else but the news and well being of their breeds and to dogs in general.
You can view the entire list of DWAA 2009 nominees and winners, here.
If you found this blog entry because you saw the French Bulldog on TV and are interested in learning more about the breed, good for you! You are doing your homework first. Each breed has pros and cons, which should be considered carefully. The purpose of the booklet created by FBDCA is to educate people interested in the breed by telling the good, the bad, and to answer “Just how do I go about finding a good one?” You can get a copy of your very own for a mere $5 bucks, shipping included. Just click on the booklet image to order your copy. As wonderful as Frenchies are, they aren’t for everyone. Best to find out now, and it’s quite okay to admit this isn’t the breed for you.
The winning French Bullytin article was about a notorious dog broker importing sick French Bulldog puppies for sale. Many who died once placed in their new homes from illness or poor breeding. This broker is not an isolated case. Don’t be a contributor to the import/puppymill trade in your desire to own a Frenchie. If you’ve decided a Frenchie is for you, take the time to find a reputable breeder or check with a Frenchie rescue. (Okay, off that soapbox and back to show news!)
Westminster plays a very special part in the development of the French Bulldog breed. The first exhibition of Frenchies debuted at the 1896 Westminster show. At this time it was still acceptable for French Bulldogs to have both the rose (folded over) and bat (upright) ear. The following year, only French Bulldogs with rose ears were selected as winners at Westminster by an English judge. American exhibitors were so disgruntled, they formed the first breed club for the French Bulldog, the French Bull Dog Club of America. A breed standard was drafted which stated ONLY bat ears were allowed. This set the breed standard for the French Bulldog, which was eventually adopted worldwide. The FBDCA also hosted the very first breed specialty, for any breed, at the posh Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in 1897. In 1930, the Waldorf was torn down and the Empire State Building built in its place. A small fact I’d forgotten until I was standing in line watching a nearby screen flash Empire State Building factoids during the long wait for an elevator ride to the top. Didn’t realize until that moment my touristy detour was in fact a trip to Frenchie Mecca; the very spot where the American French Bulldog breed really took off.
If you ever get a chance to attend Westminster, take it. It is a real treat to see so many quality dogs and dog lovers in one spot, a true celebration of the efforts of so many dedicated handlers, breeders, owners, and just plain dog people. Maybe on your trip you’ll be lucky enough to see the first win of a Westminster Best in Show French Bulldog!
Bru and Perry competing for BIS.
