SHOWSIGHT FROM THE EXECUTIVE EDITOR EMERITUS
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entrance. My gush of thanks was heartfelt but sadly in my rush I didn’t catch his name. I’m not even sure he was with the dog show but I like to think he was. I mean, who else would be up at that hour, on a Sun- day, with a dog show barely five blocks away. From Garden City I was off West Palm Beach, where the two-day Palm Beach County Dog Fanciers Association shows always have a great group of peo- ple in and around the rings. And I mean great. I want to share with you this following, heartwarming, an- ecdote which says so much: At some point at these shows I cut my hand but did not notice until I’d bled on the front of my own jacket. When I discovered it, it seemed way too late to do anything so I just went about my day. A well- known and highly respected handler noticed, then grabbed me and said “Don’t go far, I’ll be right back.” She then proceeded to her motorhome, got a bottle of peroxide, and removed the stain. What an incred- ibly kind thing to do. Thank you, Vanessa Sanchez, for another example of the caring nature of people in this sport. That was only one of the many nice things that happened at those shows, with their fes- tive Pink & Green color theme and innovative Mem- ber- and Exhibitor-appreciation awards and gestures.
I also had the pleasure of spending several hours with Lynette & Stanley Saltzman, during which we swapped fun stories from many years of dogdom. The following morning, as I fired up email to send a note, I had one waiting for me. It said “Just wanted to tell you that I haven’t enjoyed myself at a dog show, in a long time, as much as I did today. Thanks!”
AKC Rep Diana Wilson & GCKKC Show Chair Odebt Massey; PBCDFA’s guiding lights Connie Miller, Jeffrey Pepper, Stan & Lynette Saltz- man, and Lorna Menaker; Kentuckiana Cluster’s Melinda Lyon & David John- son; Take The Lead officers Mari-Beth O’Neill & Pam Beale (photo by Randy Garen) and Carolyn Koch. Photos by the author.
And I thank you . There are many reasons to support these wonderful shows. If you routinely go, you know first-hand why; if you don’t, you’re missing out. After Palm Beach it was off to Louisville for the blockbuster Kentuckiana Cluster which for years has reigned as one of the nation’s largest. Many Special- ties—including several Nationals— accompany the five-day marathon and the entries are huge by any measure. The competition was, indeed, staggering; there were more magnificent dogs on hand than you could shake a squeakie at. Cluster Chair David John- son and co-chairs Melinda Lyon & Cindy Lane-Smith went all out again this year to provide a calendar of events that rivals all others. And again this year the Itty Bitty Plush Dog class for “handlers” five and under was a crowd pleaser; to see these future fanciers being included is a thrill and we at ShowSight applaud all clubs that provide this expo- sure to our kids. Among the many wonderful things that took place in Louisville was the chance to see my friend Thomas Curley, absent from the scene for a while. Canadian residents Thomas and his wife Dianne Bell have been successful handlers and valued members of our sport for many years. Thomas recently had a bout of >p40
38 • S how S ight M agazine , A pril 2018
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