344 – Inspiring True Story: From First Show to Best in Show
Inspiring True Story: From First Show to Best in Show
Antoinelle Vulpis and “Archer” winning BIS Sunday at The Kennel Club of Philadelphia.
Antoinelle Vulpis chose a Skye Terrier as her first show dog. Two years after their first show, Vulpis and Archer won Best in Show at The Kennel Club of Philadelphia’s National Dog Show.
Vulpis offers another inspiring “newbie” story as she shares her journey, the importance of her breeders/mentors and the support of the dog show community.
“I grew up like any kid watching Westminster on TV. We had Golden Retrievers as family dogs, but I always kind of wanted something a little different. I was a total dog geek,” Vulpis said.
After college, Vulpis got a job at AKC that required her to attend dog shows.
“I decided I wanted to try this myself. Then I saw Larry Cornelius and Charlie the Skye Terrier. THAT was the dog for me,” Vulpis said.
Parent Clubs and Handlers
Vulpis made contact with Michael Pesare through the Skye Terrier Club of America. She then waited a year for the right dog from the right litter.
Her puppy arrived exactly two years before her first best in show.
“My mentors drove three hours one way without a dog entered just to cheer me on at my first dog show,” Vulpis said. Her breeders helped her learn how to groom the rare breed and supported her at every step, she added.
“My handler friends are so willing to help me and share. They’re the people who inspire me. I try to learn from them,” Vulpis said. “Asking someone more experienced than you will really pay off.”
Vulpis counts professional handlers from Greg Strong to Ernesto Lara in her list of people who have helped her along the way.
Listen to the input
“I asked all kinds of people for advice,” Vulpis said.
Vulpis’ favorite grooming product is #1 All Systems Invisible Hold “It’s the holy grail for keeping the part to stay in place.”
“I don’t brush him every day because it takes hair out. Only once or twice a week to keep mats under control. I keep him clean, and bathe him weekly,” Vulpis noted.
“Now that I’m realizing I can make a difference in how he’s presented and how he looks. I get to the dog show early and spend time bathing his under-carriage and blow dry him. The extra time and care really has paid off,” Vulpis said.
For more stories from new people to the sport, listen here and here.
133 – Story of How NBC Sports Got the National Dog Show|Jon Miller
Today’s interview with Jon Miller from NBC sports takes you inside the network team that brings the dogs to America on the National Dog Show Presented by Purina.
Pure Dog Talk goes Access Hollywood with NBC Sports Jon Miller
Jon Miller, president of programming at NBC sports is the mind behind what’s been called one of the most perfect pieces of television programming ever.
Now in it’s sixteenth year, the National Dog Show presented by Purina reaches 20 million viewers with a celebration of purebred dogs and all aspects of dogdom.
We have found people care about a lot of things passionately,” Miller said. “They love their families. They love their cars. And they really love and care about their dogs. Dogs are part of their family. The dog show allows three generations of family to watch the dog show after the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and before the football game and dinner. It’s become part of the culture.
How the Best in Show Movie Started the “Show”
According to Miller, the story of this cultural phenomena was born on a cold winter night in January 2002. “My wife brought home movies to watch with friends. One of them was the classic, “Best in Show.” We had six or eight people all watching it. After some of the folks left, we watched it again because it was so funny.”
Thanksgiving Day on NBC – Before the National Dog Show
At the time, NBC didn’t have Thanksgiving Day football. Miller said the broadcast powerhouse had been running “It’s a Wonderful Life” after the Macy’s parade. He called Wayne Ferguson, president of the Kennel Club of Philadelphia (the oldest dog show in the US) and asked if NBC could buy one of the days of the dog show. He called Michael Crawford at Purina and asked if he wanted to help sponsor a big dog show (since Pedigree sponsored Westminster Kennel Club).
And then Miller walked into his boss’ office at NBC and said, “We have this idea to do a dog show…. The boss threw us out of the office.”
Jon Miller Pitches Jeff Zucker
Miller explained his idea further, pitching it as an NBC entertainment opportunity. Jeff Zucker, who now runs CNN, was then the head of NBC entertainment. Miller noted that Zucker wasn’t impressed with the ratings coming in from “It’s a Wonderful Life” and figured they’d give the dog show a shot. The very first year, the National Dog Show outperformed the previous year’s programming by a huge margin.
“This event has been a great performer for our network,” Miller said. “It’s allowed us to invest back into the Kennel Club of Philadelphia and into purebred dogs.”
Philadelphia Creates National Dog Show Month
Miller adds that the people of Philadelphia have embraced the event and even created National Dog Show Month in the city, including a charity dog walk and a number of other dog focused events. This has enabled the team to turn the support for purebred dogs into support for ALL dogs.
“We have 100s of different breeds at the National Dog Show,” Miller said. “But everybody’s favorite dog is their own dog.”
NBC New to Dog Shows
Putting on a dog show was new territory for NBC, but Miller’s team immediately set about “making ourselves smarter about this world. We surrounded ourselves with people who understand the business so we could do a good show and give back to the dog world.”
Jon Miller and Local Kennel Clubs
Miller also had a great recommendation for local kennel clubs looking to create media connections about purebred dogs for their communities.
“Reach out to your local NBC affiliate,” Miller suggested. “Every station has a community relations person. Find a way to tie in an event or story with the Kennel Club of Beverly Hills show (in March) or the National Dog Show.”
From Laura Reeves of Pure Dog Talk
So, Pure Dog Talk listeners, tune in to the National Dog Show on Thursday! This is a HUGE (20 MILLION viewer) opportunity for purebred dogs to take center stage in a positive way in the public consciousness. Meanwhile, remember a nod of thanks to Christopher Guest and HIS comedic genius in creating Best in Show. You might even rent it to watch after dinner as a perfect end to the day.
Dogs til 2
In recognition of NBC’s support for purebred dogs, we here at Pure Dog Talk are jumping in with enthusiasm on their “Dogs til 2” Meme theme…. Post your best Football/Dogs meme to the Pure Dog Talk Facebook page and let’s show these folks how WE support our purebred dog community.
Allison Foley’s Tip of the Week – Scissoring
Meanwhile, don’t miss Allison Foley’s Tip of the Week to give YOU the leading edge at the dog show. This week Allison gives us Rule #1 for proper scissoring technique!