Friday, 01/13/06

It's part beauty pageant, part runway modeling and — if you're a naughty toy fox terrier named Mojo — a great place to meet the ladies.

This year, the champion pooch's breeder hopes he'll keep his mojo in check when he competes, along with a number of other Middle Tennessee dogs, in the American Kennel Club Eukanuba National Championship this weekend in Tampa, Fla.

Now in its fifth year, Eukanuba is among the most prestigious dog shows around, right up with Westminster and Crufts. At stake: $225,000 in total prize money and the bragging rights that come from defeating thousands of the highest-ranked dogs from all 50 states and 20 countries to become champion.

In addition to the Best in Show Championship, the AKC will also hold its annual National Agility Championship and the National Obedience Invitational, with a total of 3,471 entries.

Road to the championship

An invitation to Eukanuba is an honor in itself; only the top 25 nationally ranked dogs for each of the 153 registered AKC breeds, in addition to dogs that capture other prestigious awards, receive an envelope.

"It's an honor to be invited because it means you have one of the best dogs in the country," said Cindy Lockhart, 46, a real estate agent and part-time dog breeder. "It means you're at the top of the class."

Lockhart got into dog breeding six years ago, and success was immediate; from her first litter of toy fox terriers came Mojo, now ranked third in the nation for the breed. Lockhart's daughter, Jessica, raised and trained Mojo.

"We thought Mojo was cute and had a great personality," she said. "But we didn't know he was going to become a champion."

Dogs like Mojo don't just head to contests like Eukanuba, however. First, they must gather enough points by winning dog shows to become a "champion" (Along with that comes the "Ch." in front of the dog's official name). Then, champions who continue their success against other champions become nationally ranked.

Peggy Berger, 57, a personnel manager, understands how far her dog has come; Ch. Wildhart Opening Night, nicknamed Bravo, is a 3-year-old Beagle ranked 19th in the country for his breed. "Bravo is a cool dog," Berger said. "He is the happiest dog I have ever met. His tail never stops wagging, and he has a very pleasing personality."

The road to the championship is grueling, however. First, all dogs for each of 153 breeds are assembled and a winner is selected. Those 153 "Best of Breed" champions then gather in seven categories, according to their type: hounds, working, sporting, non-sporting, toys, terriers and herding. The total is pared down to seven, and judges select a champion from the remaining dogs.

Berger understands the numbers. While she doesn't expect to win Eukanuba, she says it's not impossible.

"On any given day, any dog can win," she said. "We're going to give it a shot, but the competition doesn't get any tougher."

Looks matter

The dogs competing at Eukanuba didn't always behave like the champions they are today.

At competitions in the past, Lockhart confessed, Mojo "had some girls he was more interested in than the competition." It was back to obedience class.

And Bravo the beagle wasn't always an angel, either.

"He was as snotty as any dog could be," Berger said. "Sometimes he would be respectful, sometimes he would be naughty and kiss the judge, or do spins. He seemed to enjoy it."

Though both dogs are well-trained now, it will take more than just good behavior to push them over the hump.

In the world of dog shows, looks matter.

According to the AKC Web site, judges will compare a dog's physical attributes with the published standard for the breed. They use a series of "conformation points" including the color and markings on the dog's coat, the length and angle of its legs, the slope of its back, eye shape and color, skin health and the quality of its stride as the dog's handler trots him around the ring. The dog's attitude in the ring is also judged.

Berger said good show dogs must be animated, lively and be able to tolerate close examination from the judges without growling or barking.

"Show dogs are born," she said. "They either have it or they don't. After they're born, we watch and wait."

A second champion?

The process that selects one champion from thousands of dogs seems daunting, perhaps even impossible, but Tennesseans have had their successes. In 2004, Nashville resident Stephanie Ingram shared the Eukanuba Championship with her first dog, Coco, then a 5-year-old Norfolk Terrier.

"It's like your first horse being Secretariat," Ingram said of Coco, whom she co-owned.

Now, after a year hiatus from Eukanuba, Ingram is back in the mix with a new dog, Ch. Old Iron Margaret River, an Airedale she co-owns with fellow Nashvillian Frances Linder. Margaret is now ranked seventh in the country.

"She's a great showgirl," Ingram said. "She's very charming… it's just fun to have one of the top dogs in the country."

As for the possibility of a second championship run: "I think the chances are very good," Ingram said. "But it's all in the eyes of the beholder."

Not just for grown-ups

Eukanuba isn't an adults-only event. One component of the national championship includes a competition for "Junior Handlers," those under the age of 18. To punch their tickets to Eukanuba, these juniors must garner five first-place wins over the course of a year and maintain a 3.0 GPA.

Alaina Moulton, 14, an eighth-grader at Freedom Middle School in Franklin, has been showing dogs for three years and is excited to be headed to Tampa with her 3-year-old English Springer, Pap. Alaina says she has a passion for dogs and she wants to be a vet.

"I have always loved dogs," she said. "It just gives me something to do."

And, as with her adult counterparts, dog showing consumes her life. Alaina says taking care of her three dogs eats up most of her free time. Among her responsibilities are weekly grooming and professional trainings sessions after school and daily practice routines.

"Pretty much all my time goes into showing dogs," said Alaina, who spends two-three weekends per month out of town at dog shows. "You have to be really dedicated to dog showing; you can't just play around with it."

As for Pap's chances against the nearly 200 fellow junior entries, Alaina says her dog has the right stuff: "A show attitude, he loves people, loves to be in your lap, loves to show. I couldn't ask for a better dog."

First prize for junior handlers is a $2,000 college scholarship.

"I'm very proud of her," said Dana Moulton, Alaina's mother. "She really seems to have picked it up very quickly. She has a knack for it. They really work well as a team."

Cindy Lockhart, a real estate agent who works in Nashville, holds 3-year-old Mojo. The toy fox terrier is competing this weekend in the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship dog show. (MICHELLE MORROW / STAFF)

Pap, an English Springer Spaniel, practices his gait with owner/handler Alaina Moulton, 14, of Franklin. Alaina is entering Pap in the junior handlers category at this weekend's AKC Eukanuba National Championship dog show in Tampa, Fla. (STEVEN S. HARMAN / STAFF)

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