By JENNIFER PETERS
OBSERVER Correspondent
It was a full morning of grooming, training and preparations for the 890 pure breeds that were part of the Southern Tier Area Cluster dog show Saturday.
Article Photos
OBSERVER Photo by Jennifer Peters
Best in Show Dave Osborn’s Akita, Rocky, won the overall award for Best in Show.
There were also 136 obedience entries for the pure breeds. Men and women anxiously tried to make sure his or her dog was performance-ready with a leash in one hand and a bag of treats in the other.
While they prepared the dogs to make their way on stage, refreshments along with pet toys and grooming supplies were available for purchase.
Kim Bessinger, owner of Dancer, a standard long-haired dachshund, has been doing dog shows for seven years now; she was awarded the Best Amateur Owner-Handler last year.
"When my son started getting older," Bessinger said, "I decided to do something I've always wanted to do."
In the early afternoon, the show started with the Amateur Owner-Handler Variety Groups, and among those finals would be an overall winner. The groups in the Amateur section were Non-sporting, Hound, Sporting, Herding, Terrier, Toy and Working.
Adults weren't the only ones who enjoyed seeing their dogs perform, children also displayed just as much excitement. Mateo Riolo, 12, eagerly waited for the Best in Show category to begin. This was his first time performing in the show with his norfolk terrier, Lily.
Lily won Amateur Owner-Handler Terrier and the Amateur Owner-Handler was awarded to Cheryl Mehaffey's dog, Charo.
The highlight and the main event was the Best in Show. The judges had to choose from all variety groups.
Dave Osborn's akita, Rocky, was the winner. All of the pure breeds came to the dog show to demonstrate their abilities in performing first for their breed and later in a group .
Today is the last day of the dog show put on for the fourth year jointly by the Conewango Valley Kennel Club and the Olean Kennel Club.
