DEL MAR: Show time for dogs at the county fair

By Renee Haines - For The North County Times | Sunday, June 22, 2008 10:39 PM PDT ∞

DEL MAR ---- It was show time for Snoopy, Peep, Pokie, Zeke, Two Socks, Duke, Daisy and Capone on Sunday at the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

They were among 38 pure- and mixed-breed dogs entered by 37 young 4-H Club members at the annual San Diego County Fair 4-H Dog Show.

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Against a noisy backdrop of nearby amusement park-style rides and cheering fans of a strongman contest in the next arena, it was no easy trick to compete by standard 4-H and American Kennel Club regulations.

"My first year I was just starting out and we were right behind the Scream Zone, so my dog got really worked up," said Kathy Dawson, 14, of Escondido.

"I've got a lot of experience now," she said while readying Brownie, her 7-year-old Shetland sheepdog, for his sixth year of competition at the fair.

Noisy fairgrounds or not, "it's very hard to train a dachshund," said Veronica Lockyer, 10, of Escondido about Tara, her 2-year-old show dog.

"This is not a quiet show," show chair Bonnie Trigg, a 4-H leader in Bonsall, told the dog owners.

The contestants, who ranged in age from 5 to 19, represented seven 4-H Clubs: Bonsall, Escondido, Jamul, Mountain Empire (eastern San Diego), Poway, Rancho Penasquitos and Ramona.

Jon Fowler, 16, of Jamul learned all about the U.S. Department of Agriculture youth program ---- the 4 H's stand for head, heart, hands and health ---- when he acquired a 6-month-old Jack Russell terrier six years ago.

"When I brought home Snoopy, my mom said you better train him," Fowler said, so he joined 4-H to enroll in the club's annual dog training classes.

At a dog show, contestants said, it's all about stacking, gating and "giving ears."

Lockyer said stacking is dog show talk for getting a dog to stand in the proper position in front of judges. Dawson said gating is about how to best walk a dog around the ring.

To demonstrate "giving ears," Dawson mimicked holding a treat in front of her dog. "See how his ears are forward. That means he's paying attention," Dawson said.

At the end of the day, Dawson of Escondido won the senior division showmanship award. Dog show chair Trigg reported that the contest's other two showmanship awards went to junior division winner Regan Daniels, 10, of Fallbrook and intermediate division winner Jacob Barnes, 13, of Escondido.

The show's all-age "high in trial" top obedience award went to Sea Jay Bates, 13, of Murrieta, who also won the beginning novice obedience award, Trigg said.

Three other obedience awards were presented to novice division winner Megan Thompson, 13, of Poway, graduate novice division winner Elizabeth Parker, 18, of San Marcos, and open-age division winner Kayln Beach, 15, of Valley Center.

The county fair is closed on Monday, and then opens daily through July 6.

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