nouvelles - 24/08/2002 Purina Epol Dog of the Year-South Africa - Afrique du Sud
par Carol BeuchatEvery August, just as signs of spring are beginning to appear, most of the South African dog show community gathers in Johannesburg for the annual Dog of the Year competition. Sponsored this year by Purina, the show attracts the male and female dog of each breed with the most Best of Breed wins over the previous 12 months.
Group judging of the Purina 2002 Dog of the Year Competition was by a slate of International judges that this year included Mrs Dee Paterson (Australia), Mrs Doris Cozart (USA), Mrs Gloria Mitcham-Geringer (USA), Mrs Lorainne Harris (Australia), Mr Tan Oo Hock (Malaysia), Mr CV Sudarsan (India), and Dr. Francisco Chapa (Mexico). BIS was judged by Dr Chapa (Mexico), who awarded the 2002 Dog of the Year trophy to the Siberian Husky bitch, Ch (SA) Snowdrift's Alpher Child, owned by Andre and Natalie van der Merwe of Cape Town, South Africa. "Alpher" was the #1 Siberian Husky as well as the Kennel Union of Southern Africa's (KUSA) National Siberian Husky in 2001. Reserve Dog of the Year was the Boxer, Ch (SA) Wardrea's Gunn Smoke at Tortuga. Owned by Johan Kieser and shown by Caroline Gilmour, "Gunner" was winner of the 2001 Western Cape Hills Top Dog Competition.
