DENVER – The 141st Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is happening this weekend in New York, and Colorado is proud to have more than a dozen pups competing this year.
From the small town of Elbert all the way to the high country, these dogs will try their hardest to take home the big prize.
1. Rita (Keeshond) – Elbert, Colo.
This will be the first time Rita is making the trip to the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York.
She is less than 2-years-old and finished her championship in May of 2016 by being awarded Best of Winners. She was campaigned as a champion for the rest of the year and earned her American Kennel Club (AKC) Grand Championship that year.
Rita also completed 2016 as the No. 10 Keeshond in the country for breed standings and No. 14 in all breed standings, according to her handler, who has been competing in dog shows for 30 years.
2. Faira (Keeshond) – Colorado Springs, Colo.
Faira, a Keeshond from Colorado Springs, will be competing at the Westminster Kennel Club for the first time this year as well.
Faira will be completing in the Conformation Competition, but has been competing in other conformation events since 2014. She completed her AKC Grand Championship before she was 2-years-old, according to her owner.
Faira’s owner has shown dogs for about 15 years.
3. Blue (Greater Swiss Mountain) – Colorado Springs, Colo.
Blue was initially sold as a pet, but his owners saw something special during puppy class and basic obedience training.
One thing led to another and eventually, Blue won the Best of the Breed at local dog shows.
In 2014, Blue got his championship title at the Denver Cluster at the age of just 19-months-old. He then got his Grand Champion Title over his next five shows just after the age of 2-years-old and was chosen as the Select Dog at the 2014 Eukanuba Nationals in Florida.
Blue has ranked in the top 10 of Greater Swiss Mountain dogs for 2014, 2015 and 2016.
The owners said Blue received an invitation to the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show this year.
When he is not traveling for dog shows, Blue can be spotted hiking across Colorado, napping by the Cheyenne Mountain creek or enjoying puppaccinos at Starbucks.
You can follow Blue on Facebook.
4. Otto (Wirehaired Vizla) – Greenwood Village, Colo.
Otto, a Wirehaired Vizla, will be participating for the first time at the Westminster Kennel Club this year.
His owner said that Otto, who's an AKC champion, is a relatively new breed to the American Kennel Club, as the dog breed entered the competition in 2014.
His owner also told Denver7 he and Otto tried field trail work after he started showing, as he was mostly terrified of birds he was supposed to be tracking due to living with a talking parrot at home.
One interesting thing about Otto is that he helps with the training of veterinary students.
5. Flyer (German Shorthaired Pointer) – Berthoud, Colo.
This is the first (and last time) time Flyer (left) will be showing at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York at the Grand Champion Select competition.
Her littermate, Phoebe (right), will also be showing at the Westminster Kennel Club this year. Phoebe, by the way, will be traveling to the Country showing next year.
Her owner said Flyer’s next thing on her to-do list will be hunt training and motherhood.
When not competing at dog shows, Flyer and Phoebe like to hang out on the family couch and watch their favorite T.V. shows or a Broncos game.
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