Ramona Bauer, President of the Nipissing Kennel Club and her husband Kerry Bauer, Board Chair of the dog show, are thrilled with the success of the first ever event in Sturgeon Falls. 
Marie-Anne LeVasseur and her Shiba Inu, Chibi, during the Nipissing Kennel Club dog show. Chibi won four 2nd place ribbons and a 4th place ribbon during the event, and is currently ranked fourth in Canada.
Organizers and participants want to come back every year
Christian Gammon-Roy
Tribune
The Nipissing Kennel Club’s first ever dog show in Sturgeon Falls surpassed all expectations, according to organisers. Starting on Thursday May 9th and ending on Sunday May 12th, the show managed to bring in a total of 1,055 dogs and roughly 200 exhibitors to the local arena. Organizers were particularly pleased to see the public turn out, as nearly 600 local residents came to watch throughout the weekend. “Everybody was thrilled,” exclaims Ramona Bauer, Nipissing Kennel Club President. In fact, they are so encouraged by the results that they are already optimistic about next year. “There’s more things that we’re hoping to do next year. Bigger and better, right?” says Bauer. After receiving so much positive feedback, Bauer has very little doubt that the show is here to stay in Sturgeon Falls.
Competitors came from all over Ontario came to earn points and rankings for their dogs. The most notable events are the Best in Show, and Best Puppy in Show competitions, which are made up of the winners from division competitions held throughout the weekend. Christine Jones from London, Ontario, and her Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, Luca, earned the Best in Show Ribbon on Saturday. Meanwhile, Julie Pullan of Sarnia, along with Ivy, a Pointer, earned the Best Puppy in Show ribbon. Another important winner was Isaac Clark, whose Flat Coat Retriever, Lupin, won the Junior Zone 4A Finals.
The Junior competitions are for young handlers, as young as 4 years old and up to 18. The winners of each zone go on to compete at the national level, and upon winning there, move on to the world competition in England. Bauer, who also represents Northern Ontario as the Director of Zone 4 at the Canadian Kennel Club, says the quality of junior handlers from this region is second to none. “They are outstanding, [I’m] very proud of them. As a matter of fact, during the last 3 years, the young person that has gone to England to represent us to the world has come from our Zone,” she boasts. On top of the experience gained from competing, junior handlers can sometimes earn scholarships and bursaries from competing.
As a veteran of dog shows themselves, the volunteers at the Nipissing Kennel Club were meticulous in their planning. According to feedback they received during and after the show, all of it paid off. Bauer continues to be impressed at how few complaints they got from both the attendees, and from community partners such as the Comfort Inn and the municipal staff. “At most shows you go to, you often hear that people left a mess. Some clubs have actually lost their venues because it’s a mess outside and people didn’t pick up,” she explains, and points out that they received no complaints of this kind whatsoever. Bauer also mentions that the Club took proactive steps to prevent this, such as referencing the relevant municipal bylaws in the event flyers given to participants, and contacting the bylaw officers in advance to have them be a visible presence around the venue.
Bauer also makes it a point to thank her volunteers, and the municipal staff who were present throughout the weekend to make sure that the day-to-day running of the competition went as smoothly as it did. “I really can’t imagine having done as well as we did without them. They were just critical, and we are so grateful for the effort and dedication that they put into it,” she says. Bauer is glad that everyone was pleased with the event, and that the Nipissing Kennel Club managed to be a good partner and host. “We wanted to be sure that they understood that we included the community, and we took care of the community to the best of our ability,” she says, hopeful that this is a successful first step towards an ongoing relationship.
Previously, the Nipissing Kennel Club held their annual dog show in Trout Creek in October, and as both organisers and participants have pointed out, the change of date and venue was quite welcome. “It’s not as cold. It wasn’t heated [in the Trout Creek arena], and it was being held in October, so with our new venue and being held in May, it’s a lot warmer. Our exhibitors and the people coming in are happier. The dogs are happier and they’re performing better,” describes Taylor Hummel, Nipissing Kennel Club Secretary, and local English Bull Terrier breeder at Northern Elite in Field.
Another aspect of creating a positive atmosphere was to make sure that the judges were happy. With so much of the event ultimately resting on them, it was important for Bauer to put some extra care in how the club hosted the judges, some of whom came all the way from Australia. She organised airport pickups, rides to and from the arena, gift baskets, bottles of wine based on the judges’ preference, and even a nice dinner out provided by the club. While she admits that it did cost them a lot to pamper their judges, Bauer assures that the results were worth it. “The judges were so happy with how they were taken care of, and I honestly believe that set the tone for things in the ring. They were happy, the exhibitors were happy,” she says.
Marie-Anne LeVasseur lives in Wasaga Beach, but grew up in Sturgeon Falls, just next door to the arena on Clark Street. This was her 3rd year competing at the Nipissing Kennel Club’s event, and she also noticed a positive shift in the atmosphere during this year’s event. Much like Hummel, she also had some critiques of the Trout Creek competitions. “There was snow, it was cold, and there were bears,” she exclaims, with a laugh. She also mentions that having restaurants, a grocery store, and a dollar store within walking distance is a very convenient change too.
