# Went to Mission Circuit today



## outwest (May 1, 2011)

This afternoon I decided to go to the Los Angeles County fairgrounds for day 2 of the AKC Mission Circuit dog show. This is a yearly event with specialty shows on Thurs, then four different shows on Fri, Sat, Sun and Monday over Memorial Day weekend. Yesterday was a poodle specialty show, but I worked so couldn't go. Today I timed it just right, arriving right before the standard poodles began. I saw many gorgeous dogs all hairsprayed up, but was again disappointed that only beautiful black and white were represented unTIL a stunning red puppy entered. That puppy showed her heart out without even a glance from the judge. He went over her in a cursory manner where as he spent his time on all the other dogs. I watched to see if he even looked at her while they went around the circle. He didn't. 

After the poodles were done (and a most lovely white bitch won), I wandered over to speak with the handler of the red puppy and compliment her on her good looking pup. I asked how she could stand showing a color that is so hard to win with. She said she had been doing it for years. At one point she was going to quit because she said a person has to win sometimes, but that she started entering the agility and obedience classes to keep in it. At the same time she continued to enter her colored dogs in conformation never expecting to win, but throwing her dogs in the judges faces over and over. She said she had finished two red dogs under alternate judges (I assume without reputations to protect) and a third was about to finish. It had cost her a lot of money and time. I complimented her on not giving up. She said most judges were traditionalists and not poor judges.

Poodles come in about 10 different colors, many of the colors as beautiful as ice white and black. Why can't the AKC recognize and reward the different varieties? It just makes NO sense to me.

As far as the rest of the show: I had a great time watching high class spoos strut their stuff. What a bunch of beautiful dogs! I was also able to buy some hard to find toys and a lovely collar for my cream spoo puppy. Going through the vendors booths was almost as fun as watching the competition. I may just go back tomorrow afternoon and watch them again. Each day is a different show.

Is anyone here in the shows?


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## Dallasminis (Feb 6, 2011)

Hey, where in SC are you? I am, ultimately, from the area...now in Dallas (y'all). Anyway, wish I was there at the show...sounds like fun!


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

I live in Claremont.


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## NOLA Standards (Apr 11, 2010)

Kerry and Candace Mitchell won a major today with their mini bitch...

Wondering if the person you spoke to was Susie? She has "Chili" the 5th Red Standard AKC CH and a pup showing out of "Tequila" - Lido's Tequila Sunrise x Chili. I've heard the pup is very nice.

(Several of her animals are multi-titled in obedience and rally as well).

It's very hard for a pup to go up over an Open - multiply that to the nth power if it's a red. 

Antoinette and I were very fortunate. There was only one judge who truly ignored us - though the reserves were frustrating. Might have been me as an owner handler, but just as likely it was her color.

Susie has Lido's Rockin Red Raquel - Chili's sister that just needs a major to finish - she'll be the 8th Red Standard AKC Champion and B - NOLA Standard's Baroness Pontalba - will be the 9th. (B pointed as a pup - then was religated to "red headed stepchild" status while I focused on finishing Antoinette. I'll resume showing her again next month, but Susie and Raquel will almost certainly finish before us.)

Black and white are the most common colors - and what most judges are comfortable with. Color - brown, red, apricot, silver - is truly harder to finish, but in the opinion of those of us showing color - worth it. We have to put an excellent example of conformation and temperment in the ring for Winners (imagine BOB!) - average or equal to doesn't seem to get us the win.


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

I admit, I went back today.  This time I rode my bike down with my husband and sister in law. It was a nice ride. We watched some agility, bought a couple more things from the vendors and watched the mini poodles, whippets and various other breeds. The show is super well done and held inside cavernous fairground buildings so the dogs are not too hot or too cold. It was a lot more crowded today being Saturday. 

We watched the black mini's. I say the black ones because that was the only color there! Not even any white ones in the minis. My sister in law is pining for a mini. I wanted to wait for the standards, which would have been onlly another 45 minutes, but husband was hungry and we had to ride our bicycles home several miles up hill. 

I don't know the name of the owner of the beautiful red puppy yesterday, but I saw her again today watching the minis.


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