Every canine and owner arrived with a story to Kane 4-H dog show
By Denise Moran For The Courier-News June 21, 2012 4:52PM
Hampshire Junior Farmers 4-H Club member Karli Olsen, 12, of Hampshire shows her Treeing Walker Coonhound, Marcella.
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Updated: July 23, 2012 7:46AM
ST. CHARLES — The dogs had their day during the annual Kane County 4-H Dog Show on Wednesday at the Kane County Fairgrounds.
According to Doris Braddock, 4-H community worker with the University of Illinois Extension, there were 29 entries this year that competed for awards in obedience, dog care and showmanship. A dog could be entered in one, two or all three categories.
The 4-H groups represented included Kaneville Classics, A Bit More, Burlington Ag, Fox Valley Saddle & Spur, Westdel, Lincoln Highway, Fabulous 4-Hers, Fantastic 4-H, The Challengers, Hampshire Jr. Farmers, Y Not and Blackberry Rangers.
Students ranging in age from elementary school to high school came to the show from Burlington, Elgin, Hampshire, Plato Center, St. Charles, Geneva, Batavia, Maple Park, Elburn, Kaneville and Wayne.
The egg sucker
Every dog that came to the Kane County Dog Show has its own unique story.
Karli Olsen, 12, of Hampshire Junior Farmers 4-H Club brought Marcella, a treeing walker coonhound.
Olsen said her dog was the last puppy of a rescue dog litter at TAILS Humane Society in DeKalb. Marcella now lives with Karli; her parents, Chris and Sue; and 23 chickens in Hampshire.
“Marcella likes to chase chickens,” Karli said. “She also sneaks in the hen house and eats eggs.”
“The dog is an egg sucker,” Chris said. “She knows how to suck the juice out of an egg and leave the shell. In the South, she would not be a popular dog, but Northerners like us don’t mind.”
The tennis fan
Cassandra Koukol, 16, of Elgin said her Vizsla, Big Red, was named Grand Champion last year for dog care and dog training. In addition to winning awards, Koukol said Big Red can fit three tennis balls in her mouth at one time.
Daniel Frew, 15, of Maple Park feels that bigger dogs are easier to train than smaller dogs because they are mellower. When he first got his great Pyrenees, Melody, he realized that even though she had been trained before, he had to retrain her.
Sally Boeke of Oswego was one of the 4-H instructors this year. She and her husband, Bob, attended the show on Wednesday.
“I’m impressed with the behavior of the kids and their dogs,” Bob said. “Everything is well-organized.”
The winners were ...
This year’s winners included Sarah Frew, Fox Valley Saddle & Spur, Grand Champion Beginner II; Elaina Studt, Westdel, Grand Champion Graduate Beginner; Catherine Gorenz, Lincoln Highway, Reserve Grand Champion Graduate Beginner; and Steven Warner, Fabulous 4-Hers, Grand Champion Novice.
In the Grand Champion dog care category, winners were Frew; Lisa Holmberg, The Challengers; Madison Einwich, Westdel; and Martin Burnidge, Hampshire Jr. Farmers.
In the Grand Champion showmanship category, winners were Koukol, Westdel; Studt; Gorenz; Grace Acosta, Fabulous 4-Hers; Logan Simpson, Burlington Ag; and Rachel Jarka, Kaneville Classics.
In addition to those, 53 red, white and blue ribbons were awarded this year.
Gorenz, Studt, Sarah and Daniel Frew, Warner and Acosta have all qualified to participate in the Illinois State Fair dog show Aug. 25 in Springfield.
The 2012 Kane County Fair is slated for July 18-22 at the fairgrounds.
