Two dogs from the Calgary area will be travelling to New York City this weekend to compete in the 2020 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.
Standard poodle Cinderella lives in Calgary with owner Diane Kingston, and bearded collie Steel lives outside the city in Langdon, Alta., with owner Jan Osterbauer.
The dogs were entered in a lottery to compete in the event and were lucky enough to be selected.
Kingston, meanwhile, said she’s anxious.
“I’m nervous because I’m actually handling her myself,” Kingston said, explaining this is a rarity in dog shows, as most of the four-legged competitors have professional handlers.
The dogs are both American champions already or else they wouldn’t have been allowed to enter the lottery for a chance to compete.
Both Osterbauer and Kingston maintain that dog shows are an easy event to get started in if you’re interested in doing so.
“I was a flight attendant for WestJet and I retired and I wanted something to do,” Kingston explained.
“I got involved with a group online called Leading Edge Dog Show Academy where I actually learned to do a lot of the trimming myself and the handling,” she said. “I did handle German shepherds before so I had some experience — but with poodles I had none, so I went online and learned about it.”
Kingston said she does about nine hours of grooming for Cinderella each week, including a bath.
The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show has been held in New York City annually since 1877.
Steel will show in the herding group on Sunday, while Cinderella will show in the non-sporting group on Monday.
Both owners are leaving Calgary with their dogs on Friday.