Photo Shoot: A Dog's Life
As the north/south immigration issue played out on Martha’s Vineyard this week with the arrival of a group of Venezuelans, my photo colleague Ron Schloerb was chasing the national story. My tasking kept me on the north side of Vineyard Sound heading to the Cape Cod Kennel Club’s annual September dog show at the Cape Cod Fairgrounds in East Falmouth. This is a coveted assignment where just about anywhere you look, there is a photo to be made.
This year’s coverage had a specific focus: corgis. As the world turns their attention to Britain and the funeral for Queen Elizabeth II, the Welsh breed was front and center for our story. As a person whose life has been spent with mutts, it is always interesting to wander around the show rings and see dog royalty.
My first stop is always the grooming tent, truly where the behind-the-scenes action takes place. A strong northwest wind was creating havoc for some of the groomers of long-haired dogs. Oliver the bearded collie was taking it all in stride as his face was covered in fur every time the wind blew. Nearby, Nancy Babyak, from Harwich, was getting her Cardigan corgi Cate ready for the show ring. Cate was wrapped in a champions towel getting some chalk applied to her feet as part of her pre-show make-up routine. Babyak walked me through the world of corgis. The Cardigan breed is not as stout as the Pembroke, the breed Queen Elizabeth favored. Versed in all things corgi, I headed to show ring No. 6 where Judge Kathryn Madden was holding court. First up were the Cardigans who trotted around the ring with their handlers and then went through a close up inspection from Madden. The Pembroke corgis came next after an interlude for the showing of the miniature American Shepherds. Meg Messinger took top honors with her dog Francie in the Pembroke class.
Having covered the assigned part of the show for the accompanying story, I went back behind the scenes where the best photos are usually found. Indeed perhaps the most poignant moment of the day was Bruin a Sussex spaniel, getting a hug from Karen Toner. It’s a dog’s life indeed.
This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Photo Shoot: A Dog's Life
