Colleen Sipple with her dog Trinidad, a longhaired dachshund, wait their turn in the show ring at the 34th All-Breed Dog Show. smc View More Images from this story Visit the Photo Place

At show, everyone's a star

By LAURA MOYER

Date published: 4/15/2003

Comely canines strut their stuff at city fairgrounds

It was not an auspicious beginning for the career of a Yorkshire terrier named Jento's Sierra Madre. On the way to the Greater Fredericksburg Kennel Club dog show yesterday, Sierra threw up in the car.

Then she found herself in a strange place, sitting on a strange table, being combed and spritzed and sprayed. It gave her the shakes.

But soon, the 41/2-pounder was looking as glamorous as any debutante. Her silky fur fell in a shiny curtain to petite paws. Her bangs were teased into a topknot, then secured with a polka-dotted bow. Her eyes were brown liquid, her teeth tiny pearls.

But her tail was tucked between her legs. And there, it seemed, it would stay.

Owners Ginny and Ray Torres of Bowling Green were philosophical about it.

"She's supposed to hold her tail up," Ginny Torres said as she gently combed the hair around Sierra's ears. "But she's scared. She's never been to a show before."

It would be a big day for this very little dog--and for hundreds more of every size and description at yesterday's 34th All-Breed Dog Show & Obedience Trial. The event repeats from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. today at the Fredericksburg Fairgrounds.

Sierra was in what her owners called the "beauty pageant" part of the competition. That's where animals are judged on conformation according to the standards of their breeds, from tiny Yorkies to massive mastiffs.

In the ring, 11-month-old Sierra did not hold her tail high with pride and confidence, as several veteran Yorkshire terriers did. But as the only puppy in her class, she took home a blue ribbon anyway.

The Torreses can't know yet if Sierra will ever display the elan of best-of-breed Stratford's LeGran Whoopie, a dashing dame owned by Barbara and Ron Scott of Harrisburg, Pa.

Yorkies, Affenpinschers and all breeds in between had their stars yesterday, and also their similarly beautiful runners-up.

In some cases, the margin between "winner's dog" and not-quite-a-winner was perceptible only to keen-eyed judges who doled out the ribbons.

That was the case with Marshall's Rushing Red Wagon, a sleek dachshund nicknamed Albert. He won his class but not the coveted "winner's dog" honor for his breed.

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Date published: 4/15/2003