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Meet the Breed @ Eukanuba 2010

2010 AKC/Eukanuba National Championship Borzoi
Meet the Breed Booth
Long Beach Convention Center - Long Beach, CA
December 4-5, 2010

Annie

2010 marked the conclusion of a multi-year run of the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship and Meet the Breeds in Long Beach, CA as the prestigious event will spend the next 5 years in Orlando, FL. On the weekend of December 4-5, the Borzoi Meet the Breed team including Chet Weston, Randi Carl, Kay Novotny, Betty De La Rosa and Barbara O'Neill hosted the booth along with the exquisite Borzoi Breed Ambassadors who put their best paws forward to dazzle the thousands of visitors from diverse parts of the globe, passing through each day.

Unless one has had the pleasure, it's difficult to describe the experience of seeing the face of someone encountering, for the first time, these glorious, mystical creatures, poetically posed on a French fainting couch or leaping up on their hind legs to embrace an admirer face-to-face. It's a rare blessing and an emotional high to see one of our breed walk up to someone physically challenged in a wheelchair and rest an affectionate, elongated snout in their lap. Or, to behold one of our furry titans cautiously approach a toddler and offer a friendly nuzzle. Equally rewarding, is the opportunity to represent the breed and field inquiries ranging from Borzoi origin to history to function to temperament.

It is always ennobling to personally witness the way our breed captivates, allures and wins over the public with their rapturous grace, humor and spirit. For many of us, our own Borzoi love affairs and journeys began in a similar manner, which makes it even more endearing to observe these encounters. We're fortunate and thankful to have AKC provide such an ideal venue and forum for public education in an ultimate effort to ensure that Borzoi will always be sought by enlightened owners and placed in homes and environments harmonious to their needs and natures.

It has been an expressed honor and privilege for our team to represent and support BCOA in Long Beach this and years past. Special thanks to all involved for their contribution in making the booth a success and for driving great distances to bring their magnificent Borzoi and spend long days educating the public - to Barbara O'Neill for her support, encouragement and creative ideas, to Chet Weston for his artistry staging the booth, to Randi Carl for her tireless dedication and coordinating this year's addition of a large-format video presentation and sharing her "Manny" & "Zoe", to Kay Novotny for sharing her "Ty" and "Dawn", to Betty De La Rosa for sharing her "Thor", to John and Lorrie Scott for lending their skills and resourcefulness and sharing their "Frosty" and "Lucy", to Jan McMinn for taking the time to share her "Annie" and to all those in our Borzoi family who made the gesture of stopping by to support the booth. And, most of all, endless thanks and humble bows to our beloved Breed Ambassadors - the Borzoi who patiently and lovingly endured thousands of hands and hugs and showed the world why we so passionately feel the way we do about them.

Honorable mention and infinite gratitude to our Borzoi Meet the Breed Ambassadors for 2010: "Manny" Aruzia Blew By You, RN & "Zoe" Ch. Sylvan Autumn Rain, JC, owned and loved by Don & Randi Carl "TY" GCH Skyline Black Tie Affair O'Rey & "Dawn" CH Morozova Sierra Sunrise at Rey, JC, owned and loved by Kay & Gary Novotny "Thor" Valinors GL Lightning Strikes, SC owned and loved by Betty De La Rosa "Frosty" GCH Aruzia Priority One JC, & "Lucy" CH Aruzia Ridgeside Marquee, owned and loved by John & Lorrie Scott "Annie" GCH Kansai's All That Attitude, owned and loved by Jan McMinn and Jean Patten.

~ Submitted by Chet Weston - 12/12/10