RICHARDSON — With a sweet, scruffy face and wiry reddish-brown hair, Jimmy is the All-American underdog.
He’s a pooch of unknown origins, adopted from the Richardson Humane Society. The 8-year-old worked his way from a sickly youngster to become a strong, focused athlete in a world that sometimes looked down on mutts.
And next week, Jimmy will bust through barriers. He will be among 15 mixed-breed dogs to enter the world’s most famous dog show, Westminster.
For the first time in its 138-year history, the Westminster Kennel Club dog show in New York will allow dogs that are not purebreds to compete as it adds agility trials to the event.
“This is a big deal for mixed breeds,” said Jimmy’s owner, Adrienne McLean. “So many people didn’t want ‘those’ kinds of dogs in. But if Westminster will let mixed breeds in to compete, why wouldn’t anyone?”
Westminster traditionally has been the most prominent event for America’s top purebred dogs. They are judged based on which is the best representation of their breed with one ultimate best-in-show winner. Nearly 3,000 dogs from around the world attend the annual event at Madison Square Garden.
But this year preliminary shows were moved to a much larger venue, giving organizers space to add the agility trials, which will include 225 dogs selected by a drawing.
That competition puts dogs’ skills to the test as they weave through poles, jump through tires, run through tunnels and maneuver other obstacles in a timed trial.
McLean, a film studies professor at the University of Texas at Dallas, wasn’t looking to compete when she got into agility in 2003. She just wanted to force her oldest dog Judy to exercise after the pooch’s hip surgery. But the two were hooked.
Soon after, she adopted Jimmy — James Albert McLean — a puppy who was dumped at a shelter because he had ringworm. McLean said the terrier mix was a natural in agility sports.
“His shoulders are really straight, so he doesn’t have the reach that a lot of other dogs have,” she said. “There are some jumps where it looks like there is no way he can make it. But he just flies through the air. He’s like a bumblebee.”
And he excels at it. In December, Jimmy finished third among the “All-American” breed at the American Kennel Club’s national invitational in Orlando, Fla.
It was only in 2010 that the AKC began allowing mixed-breed dogs to register and compete in some selected sanctioned events, including agility and obedience.
And many weren’t happy about that. The AKC formed in the late 1800s and evolved to a governing body that sets strict breed standards and closely tracks the lineage of purebred dogs.
When the AKC opened the door to mixed breeds — calling them the All-American breed — many purists objected. Others were concerned it would lead to a lax or even dangerous breeding of designer dogs regardless of genetic issues.
Initially, it seemed mixed breeds would be allowed to compete only against other mutts. So McLean was reluctant to register because of such segregation. But soon such limitations started to fall away. Now dogs mostly compete against similar-size dogs in agility.
“The idea that my dog wasn’t good enough on some moral ground is just unreal to me,” McLean said. “But we joined, and the AKC has just treated us really well. It has really promoted our dogs.”
Though Westminster predates the AKC, it is a member of the governing body and abides by the national guidelines, which include allowing for mixed breeds in agility.
Westminster received backlash two years ago when it cut ties with longtime sponsor Pedigree, in part because of the dog food company’s commercials featuring mixed-breed shelter dogs up for adoption.
Westminster spokesman David Frei said the club is about promoting dogs period, no matter the breed.
“We are thrilled that we can allow more dogs and more people who love dogs into the mix,” Frei said. “There are a number of dogs with great stories like Jimmy’s that are rescues who are now able to compete.”
Meanwhile, Jimmy will have a huge fan base in the Dallas area cheering for him. That includes Heather Smith, an official with the Dallas-based United States Dog Agility Association who has worked with McLean in pair competitions.
“It’s not just doing the course. That’s the easy part,” Smith said. “The hard part is really working as a team and being able to handle your dog to the best of their skills to know how to guide them. That’s what Adrienne excels at. And Jimmy is a solid worker. I like their chances.”
At a glance: TV times
Westminster’s agility finals competition will air on Fox Sports 1 at 6 p.m. on Feb. 8. The traditional breed competitions will air at 7 p.m. on Feb. 10 on CNBC and Feb. 11 on the USA Network.
This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.
via http://ift.tt/1bg2T6r
Show Konversi KodeHide Konversi Kode Show EmoticonHide Emoticon