Bodee: A Westminster Dog Story

The Westminster Kennel Club hosts "America's Dog Show".   Every year thousands of dog lovers  tune in to watch the different breeds compete.  

The club was established in 1876 by a group of sporting gentlemen who met at a Manhattan hotel to swap stories about their dogs and hunting adventures.  Eventually, they formed a club and named it after the hotel where they gathered, The Westminster.  In that same year those gentlemen helped host a dog show in Philadelphia as part of America's Centennial celebration.  Incorporated as a club in 1877, the first official Westminster Kennel Club dog show was held in New York City, drawing 1,201 dog entries.

In 2014, The Masters Agility Championship at Westminster was added to the schedule of events and this is where we would like to introduce you to our four-legged friend,  Bodee.  

Bodee as a sweet pup.

Glory (left) and Bodee (right)

Glory has  been a part of the Barks and Blooms family since 2010.  Little "sister" Bodee was added in 2013.   Both of these beautiful English Springer Spaniels participated in agility events, but eventually Bodee's enthusiasm shown through, so George and Sandi (their owners) focused on Bodee's training.

On Valentine's Day weekend 2016,  Bodee competed in the 20 inch  class of the Masters Agility Championship at Westminster.  She competed all day to get into the Top 10 of her class.  

Her owner, George adds, "Bodee was 7th in the 20 inch group. She was the only Springer in the finals and the only member from the medium sporting sub group. Bodee's rank was 10th amongst Springers nationally. That ranking will go up. Bodee's breeder is beside herself. The event put her on the map. The entire event was incredibly tough. Allison (George and Sandi's daughter) started at 6:00 am and went clear through all the prelims. She did not think she was fast enough to make the finals until it was announced. Some shock!  Bodee will get her Master Agility Champion rank when she qualifies at her next event. My only regret is that Sandi was not here to share in this."

Sandi, the driving force behind Bodee's training died suddenly last year and wasn't able to see her dream for Bodee come true.   We're pretty confident that Bodee will continue to prosper and delight those who watch her in the years to come.  She has such joy on her face when she competes!

Here's a quick glimpse of  Bodee in action during a quick promo clip from the show.  Keep an eye out at the 37 second mark to see Bodee's smiling face as she jumps over a hurdle.