A Weekend to Remember: Roxy Continues to Shine
Last weekend was one of those weekends that brought together everything we value at Verve — conformation, function, versatility and the opportunity to learn from each experience in the ring.
At the Alberta Kennel Club Summer Classic, the Vizsla Canada Regional Specialty, and the Westwinds Sporting Dog events in Okotoks, Roxy competed successfully under a diverse panel of respected judges expertly handled by the incredible Shannon Scheer.
At the Alberta Kennel Club all-breed shows, Roxy earned:
Best of Breed under Rosalind Kramer
Best of Breed under Sue Bownds
Best of Breed under Roberto Alvarez Marquez
Best of Opposite Sex under Eric Soti
At the Vizsla Canada Regional Specialty, judge Chie Ejima awarded Roxy:
Best of Opposite Sex in Specialty (BOSS)
Best Field Dog
And at the Westwinds Specialty, judge Gloria Kerr awarded Roxy Best of Opposite Sex in Specialty, adding a second BOSS to an already remarkable weekend.
What We Take Away From a Weekend Like This
The ribbons are wonderful, but for us, the more meaningful part is the consistency.
Different judges see dogs through slightly different lenses. Some place greater emphasis on movement, others on breed type, balance, substance, head, outline or overall presence. When a young dog remains competitive under a varied judging panel, it provides useful information about the whole dog rather than simply one particular virtue.
Roxy’s weekend reinforced several things we value deeply in our breeding program: balance, moderation, sound movement, athleticism and unmistakable Vizsla type.
Those same qualities have to carry beyond the show ring.
Only weeks earlier, Roxy earned a NAVHDA Gun Dog Test Prize I and a remarkable score of 165/168, building on her NAVHDA Natural Ability Prize I, field and water work, scent accomplishments and other performance titles. The goal has never been to create a dog that looks like a sporting dog while standing still. The goal is a Vizsla whose structure allows her to do the work the breed was created to do.
That is also why showing matters to us. Conformation isn't separate from function. Used thoughtfully, it is another way of evaluating the structure, balance and breed characteristics we hope to preserve for the next generation.
Roxy is still young, and there is plenty left for both of us to learn. That's perhaps the most exciting part.
Every field day, training session, show weekend and performance test adds another piece to our understanding of her — where she excels, where she can improve and, eventually, what we should look for when making breeding decisions.
For us, that is what developing a breeding program is really about.
Purpose. Poise. Performance.
