A very good boy from Carson City is heading to the Westminster Dog Show
Submitted by Kelsey Penrose on Fri, 01/25/2019 - 2:19pm
Ryker is a three-year-old Spinone Italiano and Carson City native, and he is on his way to the Westminster Dog Show in New York as America's number one Spinone for 2018 with a handful of championship wins under his belt.
The Westminster Kennel Club has been around since 1877, and is “America’s oldest organization dedicated to the sport of purebred dogs,” according to its website.
More than 3,000 dogs enter each year for Westminster Week, which includes the Masters Agility Championship and the Masters Obedience Championship.
This will actually be the second year in a row that not only a Carson City canine has been invited, but a Carson City Spinone.
Last year, a Spinone named Adele represented her breed at Westminster and won best dog out of twelve in her breed. Her mom, Stacey Belt, is Carson City’s Deputy Director of Emergency Management.
Now Ryker will take up the job of representing his breed and Carson City in the 2019 Westminster show alongside mom Elaine Bergenheier and handler Joshua Hargis.
Ryker came from a breeder in Santa Rosa, Calif. and his registered AKC (American Kennel Club) name is Spinfandel the Force is Strong. In registered AKC litters, there is generally a “theme” the pups are named in, and his happened to be a Star Wars themed litter.
“He was very confident, a very engaging puppy,” said Bergenheier. “We took obedience classes, and he needed a job. So we went to some championships, and he started to win.”
After his first win, Bergenheier was told she should get a handler by one of the judges, because she believed he could make it into bigger competitions.
“He had such a promise in the ring, and so early on in his life, that I decided to commit and we found a handler that I love and trust,” said Bergenheier.
Ryker, Hargis and Bergenheier have achieved 26 group placements in 2018 alone, and a Best in Show win as well. He is one of six Spinones in the country to receive a best in show award.
Bergenheier says that not all dogs can go all the way to Westminster, and it really boils down to the personality of each dog.
Dogs win competitions based not on how well they behave or how shiny their coat is, but rather whether or not they are the closest representation of the particular breed’s characteristic standards. Spinones typically have a silly personality, and are very engaging and confident, and Ryker seems to embody these characteristics.
“He’s definitely the class clown,” said Bergenheier with a laugh.
Spinones aren’t a popular breed in the sporting categories, with Golden Retrievers and Labradors generally taking the attention. However, the breed is becoming is becoming more recognized, allowing dogs like Ryker and Adele to have their moments in the limelight.
“I’m very proud of him,” said Bergenheier, “we all love him and he’s doing a great job.”
After he’s done with the show circuits, Bergenheier says he’ll still need a job, and she’ll be pursuing therapy work with Ryker when it’s over as he is already drawn to children.
The Westminster Dog Show will begin the second week of February, so keep an eye out for our local representative canine.
