Amy and I headed out to Bloomington IL for the supported and specialty Bull Terrier dog shows hosted jointly by the Fort Dearborn Bull Terrier Club and the Illiana Bull Terrier Fanciers.
These are usually among the largest entry Bull Terrier shows of the year and also attract a sizeable entry of Miniature Bull Terriers, with both breeds sharing the same judges over 4 days of shows. These shows are part of the Heart of Illinois dog show cluster comprised of the Corn Belt Kennel Club and the Illinois Valley Kennel Club of Peoria.
Friday’s Show and Party
There was a large and very competitive entry of white bitches every day. On the first day, Friday, Amy won the Bred by Exhibitor class and was selected as reserve winners bitch, which is runner up among the white bitches that are not yet champions. Winners bitch went on to be Best of Opposite Sex, defeating even the bitch champions.
Friday night the clubs are hosting a barbeque in the on-site RV camping area, the area around the Jones’ RV is covered with lawn chairs and groups of Bull Terrier and Miniature Bull Terrier fanciers. There is lively conversation, great food, and a good time had by all.
Saturday’s Show and Dinner
Saturday, Amy won her class again, but no higher awards. The evening’s planned event was a group dinner at Epiphany Farms, a “farm to table” restaurant featuring tasty, trendy food and extensive wine and beer selections. I particularly enjoyed their marvelous shoestring fries with kimchi ketchup, which was not as scary as it sounds.
Sunday’s Show and Heading Home
Sunday, repeat of Saturday in terms of Amy’s results, although the top winners in white bitches switched places. It’s back to the RV area for a “Mexican Fiesta” which was fun. Jake Jones made smoked ground beef for the tacos which was delicious!
Monday, finally the winds shifted in Amy’s favor and she was selected as Winners Bitch, Best of Winners, Best of Opposite Sex and Best Owner Handled. She finished her championship and got her first coveted 3 point Recognition of Merit (ROM) win. Although we were eligible to compete in the Owner Handled Terrier Group, we opted to get on the road instead, as storms were coming in and we would get home quite late if we stayed. There were tornado warnings as we drove through Indiana and torrential rains in west Michigan, but we got home safe and sound.