Yamhill fairgrounds, CKC partner for first dog show in Mac
Ecstatic tail wags, excessive fur shaking and barns full of barking creatures of various shapes and sizes. This was not your usual walk in the park at the Yamhill County Fairgrounds. Rather, it was the first of what hopes to be many dog shows in McMinnville hosted by the Clackamas Kennel Club.
From June 20 through 22, CKC held its annual dog show at the fairgrounds after 33 years in Canby. This year, CKC President Tami Worley and her team had trouble securing their usual spot on the schedule at the Clackamas County Fairgrounds due to strained relations between the two organizations.
The Clackamas fairgrounds hosted the Oregon Renaissance Faire during those dates instead, forcing CKC to find a new location. Ultimately, the Yamhill fairgrounds were willing to add the dog show to their calendar and allow for a smooth transition from one venue to the other.
Worley, a Yamhill County resident, was eternally grateful to the fairgrounds directors for allowing them to host their show. But being in a new venue for the first time in three decades came with challenges for organizers and audience members alike.
Determining how to layout competition rings and a dusty Delashmutt Arena were two hurdles in hosting the fairgrounds’ first-ever dog show, but all went as well as it could, according to Worley.
“The fairgrounds are lovely and the people are delightful,” she said. “There were some things that will have to get fixed, it’s always hard the first time, and it’s always hard when you move, but all in all I think it went well.”
CKC was the main partner at the event, but groups from across Oregon attended with their specialty pups. The Boston Terrier Club of Portland, Willamette Valley English Setter Fanciers, Columbia River Cairn Terrier Club and the Terrier Association Of Oregon were a few of the other established organizations to visit McMinnville for the weekend.
Hundreds of cars, along with vans and RV’s full of furry friends were welcomed with no charge. A few booths along the paved walkways offered dog treats, grooming supplies and animal accessories, but the countless number of canines stole the show.
Onlookers would be none the wiser to the whole story of a prize-winning dog by the demeanor of owners after a round of judging is complete. In these events, the crowd applauds and people celebrate their victories, but like the four-legged creatures judged in all aspects, there is a sense of quiet pride that resonates from those who leave with ribbons and trophies touting accomplishments.
The CKC dog show has room for all levels of dog owners, from amateurs to fifth-generation breeders who produce pups for a specific purpose.
Regardless of the commitment and time spent in the dog show world, victories are celebrated even if the pomp and circumstance do not include champagne bottles and streamers. That would potentially frighten the prize-winning pooches.
“There’s thousands and thousands of hours of work that go into breeding a really good dog and every breed has a standard that a judge has to abide by when he or she places the dog,” Worley said. “When (owners) bring a dog to a show and it gets awarded first place or best of breed, and then it goes on into the groups, and then it finally ends up as one that’s best in show, it’s a huge statement to a breeding program.”
Support was shown to individual owners as they braved torrential rain on Saturday and exhibited a willingness to travel far from their show home of many years for new pastures in McMinnville. The uprooting was difficult, but Worley was most appreciative of the Mac community’s support of the program.
Without the help of the Yamhill fairgrounds, it may have been harder to secure a spot to keep the show going, according to the CKC president.
Change is hard and the dog show world is not a multimillion-dollar venture, prompting Worley to commend attendees for their support through harsh weather and uncertain times. There is little money in winning a show or driving in big audiences. The only purpose is to share the love and appreciation for man’s best friend.
“The thing that stood out for me was that even though it was a big change for everybody to come to a new facility, they were all willing to give it a try,” she said. “I think that speaks volumes to the dog show world. We aren’t a huge sport whatsoever. We’re a local community group of volunteers who love our dogs, and we want people to understand the differences in all the breeds so we put on a show.”
CKC plans to return to Yamhill County next year with a better understanding of how to make the arenas more competition-friendly. In the interim, the fairgrounds served as a fine venue for a dog show and may be in line for more treats because of extra good behavior.
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