PORT ANGELES — Two members of the Hurricane Ridge Kennel Club and their dogs won prestigious awards at the American Kennel Club National Championships held in Orlando, Fla., last month.
HRKC member Susan Parr of Port Angeles and her Bernese mountain dog MBISS GCHS Lavender Hills Sin City, RN, aka “Vegas,” won best of breed against 48 of the top Bernese mountain dogs in the country. Vegas went on to represent the breed in the working group competition Sunday.
Vegas is 4½ years old and was bred by Parr. She is co-owned by Cindy Crawford-Garath, who also handles Vegas at dog shows. Vegas finished as the No. 1-ranked female Bernese mountain dog in the U.S. under one ranking system and No. 2 in another. She also won reserve Best in Show in November at Woofstock in Vallejo, Calif., the second largest dog show in the U.S.
HRKC member Faerin Tait, 14, of Port Angeles competed in the national owner-handled series and the junior handling finals, along with her German pinscher, Rookie “CH Immer Treu Protect and Serve TKI.”
Tait and Rookie competed in the working group specialty and AKC national championship owner-handled series and won best of breed owner-handled in both shows. The duo went on to compete in the junior handling finals and finished third.