Following the October 10, 2005 regular meeting, the traditional Halloween Costume Contest was held. Dagmar Clarkson, the daughter of guest Brenda Johnson and Summer Bond acted as judges. Bill Henney handled the microphone as Master of Ceremonies. First up was the Mitchell family, plus Candy Dunn plus Glenda Chaplin plus Lucas and Natalie Gulick. They presented Petey, Auxie, Elle and Moonie (all Cardigan Welsh Corgis) and MacDuff, a Border Terrier. The dogs and infant Natalie were all dressed as pumpkins. Four-year-old Luke portrayed Linus Van Pelt, patiently waiting on Halloween night in his sincere pumpkin patch. Next came Liz Bickel with Lucy, the Teacup Chihuahua in her fancy party dress, for today was her third birthday. She was followed by Kathy Reiber and Peabo, a rescued Bull Terrier done up in a pumpkin suit with orange highlights in his normally white coat. Peabo was officially, “El Pumpkin – O Grande, Charlie Brown.” Karen Porter was the big witch, all in black with the traditional hat, and her Maltese, Sugar, was the little witch, plain and simple. Kelli Denton came on next with Justice (Keeshond) and Kipper (English Cocker Spaniel), both dressed up as “Hula Dogs,” (from the old Elvis movie of the same name.) Multi-costume contest winner Carol Wells arrived showing her Dalmatian, Carmen as “Exhibition Only.” Carol was made up to resemble “Buffalo Bob” (ette) and Carmen was “Howdy Doggie” (Doody), complete with red hair, a kerchief, blue jeans and an intricate network of marionette strings. Cynthia Clark (as the Berry Hill Bandito) followed her, leading her “Aussie Posse” consisting of Ellie, Abby and Daniel, Australian Shepherds all. They were all attired in Old West garb and Cynthia, the spitting image of Pancho Villa, a little past his prime, writes, “Risking life and limb, the Aussie Posse ventured into the wild, untamed hills of the “Dot” to search for the infamous Berry Hill Bandito! Led by the great sheriff, Miss Ellie May, the Posse tracked the Bandito on the wild Strawberry Hill! Here is the Aussie Posse bringing in their man…woman…to pay for her crimes of nightly training and weekend trials every weekend! Maybe with the Bandito locked up the Aussie Posse can get a little rest!!” Coming on next was Carol Huskey and her Smooth Fox Terrier, Will, who had just jumped off his Harley and was ready to rumble in his “Moto-Mutt” outfit. Rounding out the field of nine was Morgan Cottle with Amy, a Pembroke Welsh Corgi. They were both dressed as “Rap Singers.”  Everyone helped themselves to the post-meeting refreshments while the judges deliberated. They chose Kathy Reiber’s  Peobo as the Funniest Costume and Karen Porter’s Sugar as the Scariest Costume. Most Original Costume went to Cynthia Clark’s Aussie Posse (with an Honorable Mention for Carol Wells). The Best Costume prize served double duty as a birthday gift for Liz Bickel’s tiny Lucy. The winners hung around for photographs and everyone else cleaned out the refreshments and started putting chairs and tables away. Thanks to all who participated and to all who stuck around to cheer for their favorites.

10/10/05 - Left to right: Funniest, Scariest, Most Original and Best Costume
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SUNFLOWER "B" MATCH - OCTOBER 2, 2005 - REPORT

The rain stopped, the clouds cleared and the 2005 Sunflower Kennel Club "B" Match commenced promptly at 8 am with a recorded playing of the National Anthem courtesy of Jim Mitchell (we couldn't get Jim to sing it for us). [Editor's Note: I WAS singing along with the tape, but at an octave so high only dogs could hear it.]
The show site looked great. It had been spiffed up and put together by an impressive turnout of volunteers who arrived on Saturday to help Stephanie Mitchell and Glenda Chaplin put it all together. A big "thank you" is deserved to a great group of people!
Donna Spangler, Hospitality for the Match, put out a wonderful array of muffins and coffee cake for the early risers. Muffins and brownies were donated by Sharon Manning and Carol Huskey, coffee cake was homemade by Kim Conley (yum). Carol Huskey (aka "the Raffle Lady") presented a dazzling display of dog related goodies to bid on. Her tables literally could not hold any more items. Carol and helper Karen Porter sold tickets all day and the lucky winners were announced by 1:00 pm. Based on the smiles on their faces, I think Bill and Cheryl Henney did especially well. These raffles are great fun; rumor has it there is another planned for our Agility Show weekend.
Sharon Manning, Chief Ring Steward, had many volunteers to work with and all the judges were well assisted.
Our judges this year in obedience were Jim Clark (Pre-novice & Utility A&B), Liz Bickel (Grad-Novice, Open A & B), and Phil Severson (Novice A & B) of Parkville, MO. Phil Severson also judged our club's first competition. Our Match offered a great way to warm up to this type of competition. The competition went smoothly and there promises to be more Rally fun at SKC's future events. Congratulations to our Rally Judge, Phil Severson; he has met all his provisional requirements and looks forward to his new status as an AKC judge.
Irene Hummel, one of SKC's founding members came out and cheered on our first Rally competition. "Lookin' good Irene." Thanks for the tip for health and happiness, for others who want to know ...it's M&M's.
A new addition to our Match fun was Glori Berkel of Toto Photos. Her services were available for pet portraits and win photos. It was great to have her on board.
The afternoon was devoted to Conformation competition. Our judges were Teresa Nash (Sporting & BIS), Patrick Byrne (Hound & Non-Sporting), Cecile Toth (Working), Ron Reiber (Terrier), Debbie Barnett (Toy), and Tracy Cottle (Herding), Jane Blackerby (Jr Showmanship). The judging went smoothly. I saw some beautiful dogs including some especially promising puppies.

The winner of the Sporting Group was Saylors B The Real McCoy, a Weimaraner owned by Susan Larson of Leavenworth, KS.
The winner of the Hound Group was Snocrest Topgun ML, a Longhaired Dachshund owned by Sandra Noe of Edgerton, KS.
The winner of the Working Group was Audacious Pinch Me I'm Dreaming, a Mastiff owned by Lance & Kristi Carkeek of Holt, MO.
The winner of the Terrier Group was Ironwill's Dark As Midnight, a Scottish Terrier owned by Angela Spielbusch of Gardner, KS.
The winner of the Toy Group was Starbuck's Dreams Come True, a Yorkshire Terrier owned by Walt & Katie Davis of Independence, MO.
The winner of the Non-Sporting Group was JLS Killcreek Aretta To Kennion, a Dalmatian owned by Nanette Dittrick of Lawrence, KS.
The winner of the Herding Group was Autm Chase Shoot The Moon, a Pembroke Welsh Corgi owned by Anna & William Conser of Valley Falls, KS.
The Best In Match award went to Snocrest Topgun ML, the Longhaired Dachshund owned by Sandra Noe of Edgerton, KS.


There were no qualifiers in the Grad-Novice Class, the Novice B Class, the Open A Class or the Utility A Class.
The winner of the Pre-Novice Class was Silverwood P S KC Masterpiece, a Shetland Sheepdog owned by Patricia L. Sorrels of Kansas City, KS.
The winner of the Novice A Class was Weishhaffen's Sasha, a Great Dane owned by Sanda & Neal Dickens of Kingsville, MO.
The winner of the Open B Class was Ch. Paisley Piece Of The Action UD, a Dalmatian owned by Carol Wells of Kansas City, MO.
The winner of the Utility B Class was Northlight Dances With Wool UD NSA-S OA OAJ, a Shetland Sheepdog owned by Siouxsan Eisen of Kearny, MO.
The High In Match honors went to Northlight Dances With Wool UD NSA-S OA OAJ, the Shetland Sheepdog owned by Siouxsan Eisen of Kearny, MO.


There were no qualifiers in Rally Novice A.
The winner of Rally Novice B was Silverwood P S KC Masterpiece, a Shetland Sheepdog owned by Patricia L. Sorrels of Kansas City, KS.
There were no qualifiers in Rally Advanced A.
The winner of Rally Advanced B was Rue CD, a Dalmatian owned by Nanette Dittrick of Lawrence, KS.


The Best Junior Handler was Morgan Cottle from the Novice Junior Class. She is from Paola, KS and was showing a Chow Chow.
The show over, a weary but dedicated group launched into action to clean up and pack away all remnants of our being there. Even Christina Campbell, new baby in tow, stayed to pitch in. Pat yourselves on the back SKC members and friends, you did a GREAT JOB!

On September 10, 2005, 14 members, 3 guests, and 17 dogs came out to the Old Settlers' Days parade. They braved heat, running children, heat, blaring sirens and horns, heat, the marching group behind us, and even more heat to celebrate Johnson County's 150th anniversary in the parade. This also marked the rebirth of the SKC covered wagon.
Our official list of paraders includes: myself with a Border Terrier and my nephew Luke, Janice Poe with a French Bulldog, Jim Mitchell with the aforementioned wagon, Candy Dunn with a Cardigan Welsh Corgi, Teresa Wilson with a Fox Terrier, Jane Blackerby with her bags of dog treats for the dogs watching the parade, Joe Shafer with two guests and six Silky Terriers, Carol Wells with two Dalmatians, Claudia Mitchell with and assortment of Cardigan Welsh Corgis and a Rottweiler, Neida Heusinkvelt with a Golden Retriever, Tracy Cottle pulling Marie in her wagon, Morgan Cottle with a Chow, and Megan Cottle who very graciously agreed to help me carry the banner. If I have left anyone out, I truly and humbly apologize. Thank you to all those members who braved the heat to celebrate the SKC in its home town.
On September 24, 2005, a much smaller crowd braved the even worse heat to walk in the Overland Park, KS parade. This parade marked the debut of the SKC dog house (a clever disguise for our trusty wagon) to celebrate the "no place like home" theme of the parade. The list for this parade includes some very familiar names: myself with a Border Terrier, Glenda Chaplin with two Cardigan Welsh Corgis, Carol Wells with a Dalmatian, Tracy Cottle with a Chow (and the banner at least part of the time), Morgan Cottle with her sister Marie and their wagon, Candy Dunn with a Cardigan Welsh Corgi, my sister Kate Gulick with my niece Natalie, and Claudia Mitchell with a Rottweiler. A very special thanks goes out to Megan Cottle who carried the banner through part of the parade and took care of my fiesty four-year-old nephew, Luke, from the staging area to the playground where we finished. Thank you for your patience and perserverence. Again, I hope I haven't missed anyone. Thank you to my "core group" of paraders. I can always count on the Mitchell/Dunn, Wells, and Cottle contingents helping me keep my numbers and spirits up.
(Editor's Note: The SKC Parade Unit opted out of the Maple Leaf Festival Parade in Balwin City, KS, on October 15, 2005, due to lack of support from the membership.)

The Sunflower Kennel Club of Olathe, KS was pleased to offer a one-day seminar by Michael Canalizo, "The Showdog's Road To Success."  This event took place on Saturday, July 30, 2005, at the Holiday Inn Olathe, KS. Mr. Canalizo is a breeder/owner and professional handler turned judge. He may be best known to dog show enthusiasts as the handler for Ch. Tryst of Grandeur, an Afghan Hound awarded Top Dog of All Breeds in 1995. The seminar was an all-day affair, starting at 8 a.m. and running to 5 p.m. There was a morning and afternoon short break, plus one hour for lunch, which was  included in the cost of the seminar. Mr. Canalizo explored the following topics: purchasing a promising puppy, assessing your showdog, proper care and conditioning, traveling with your show dog, campaigning a top winning special, how to choose a professional handler, advertising, breeding and co-ownerships. There were many opportunities to ask questions. The Holiday Inn Olathe is located at: 101W. 151st St. Olathe, KS 66061 (exit 215 off of I-35 South, across from the Great Mall of the Great Plains) (913) 829-4000. The cost of the seminar for SKC members was $60; for non-members, $75. The Seminar Chair was Lori Pierson (913) 491-4027 or firecreek@everestkc.net.

In place of the regular monthly meeting, on July 11, 2005, we had our annual Sunflower Kennel Club "Picnic." It started at 7 p.m. at the "Fire Mountain" restaurant, 10810 W. 75th St., Shawnee, KS. (approximately one mile west of I-35 on 75th St.) The cost for members in good standing was $5 per person. Guests had to pay $10 per person. Children under four ate free. The menu included unlimited "hot off the grill" steaks and chicken. There were vegetables, a salad bar, fruit bar and much more. We had a good-sized private room, but it was hard for late-comers to find an empty chair. There was no business meeting, and everyone left around 8:30 p.m. feeling stuffed (some more than others).

On Friday,  May 20, 2005, at the Johnson  County Fairgrounds in Gardner, KS,  the Heart of America Saint Bernard Club, Inc., the Heartland Boston Terrier Club, the Heart of America Scottish Terrier Club, the Heart of America Chinese Shar-Pei Club and the Greater Kansas City Shetland Sheepdog Club each held  a specialty show. Following Best In Show at the 23rd SKC show, on Saturday, May 21st, the Heart of America Saint Bernard Club, Inc. and the Heart of Amercia Chinese Shari-Pei Club held another specialty show, and the Siberian Husky Club of Greater Kansas City conducted a B/OB sanctioned match. Also,  the Three Trails Cardigan Welsh Corgi Club of Kansas City put on a sanctioned A/OA match.
The May 21st SKC show was number twenty-three for the Club, with an entry of 1089. The entry for the May 22th show (number twenty- four) was 1094. This marks a slight decrease in entries from 2004. This was the third year that the SKC shows were held in May. The weather was cooperative, not a raindrop in sight. It was partly sunny and around 85 degrees on Thursday, May 19th, for setup, sunny and 83 for the Friday specialties, dipping down to 79 for a high on Saturday, before jumping back up to 85 on Sunday. This year Rings 1 through 4 were in the 4H Building, along with Catalog Sales, Trophies and the Superintendent's Table. Rings 5 & 7 were in the dirt-floored Pavilion, as well as most of the Grooming. The Memorial Building was home to Ring 6, out near the RV Parking. Ring 9 (obedience) and the Judges' Hospitality shared space in the Open Class Building, and Ring 8 (obedience) was again in the Commercial Building. We had all of our usual conveniences and benefits: multiple walkie-talkies, two golf carts, free pens when you bought a show catalog and free pastries, cake, veggies and fruit for the spectators during Group Judging. For the second year in a row, Van Wall Equipment Co., 800 Rogers Rd., Olathe, KS (913) 397-6009 provided the Grounds Committee with a John Deere "Gator" which was extremely useful for hauling trash bags, tables, chairs, etc. all over the Fairgrounds. Back for its third year, was The Vendors' Sweepstakes. To enter, a contestant had to gather signatures from the twelve vendors on the show grounds. The prize (one for Saturday, and one for Sunday) was a Sunflower tote bag, full of "goodies" from the vendors, like dog toys, treats, blow dryers,  blankets, grooming aids, nuts, etc. It made the spectators and exhibitors more aware of the vendors and (we hope) it helped to increase sales. Wende Wagner of Kansas City, MO won the Saturday tote bag on the first draw, but Julia Buescher of Shawnee, KS had to wait to claim her prize until fourteen names were pulled first and declared "not present." All in all, a successful show weekend without any major disasters to speak of. Thanks to all who made it happen.


The winner of the Sporting Group was Ch. Pandora Picturesque, an ASCOB Cocker Spaniel bitch owned by Dee Torgerson & Peringer Rismyhr of Granby, CT.
The winner of the Hound Group was Ch. Shahtani Tropical Breeze, a Salukis bitch owned by S. Plaiss & M. Jameson & P. Allison & V. Hamilton of Hazel Green, AL.
The winner of the Working Group was Ch. Bayview Some Like It Hot, a Boxer bitch owned by C. Robbins & K. & R. & S. Cormier of Flowermound, TX.
The winner of the Terrier Group was Ch. Ronari's Book Club, a Scottish Terrier dog owned by Nan & Don Barcan of Long Valley, NJ.
The winner of the Toy Group was Ch. Kendoric's Riversong Mulroney,  a Pug dog  owned by Carolyn Koch of Chapel Hill, NC.
The winner of the Non-Sporting Group was Ch. Ashwynn Agape SF Good As It Gets, a Dalmatian dog owned by Debbie & Alexis Bach of Clinton, MO.
The winner of the Herding Group was Ch. Borderfame Spellbound, a Border Collie dog  owned by Caroline Woods & J. Frank Baylis of Monteagle, TN.
The Best In Show award went to Ch. Kendoric's Riversong Mulroney, the Pug dog owned by Carolyn Koch of Chapel Hill, NC. (Pictured below:)

The High In Trial honors and the High Combined trophy went to Wildfire Shira Delight UD TDX, a Border Collie bitch  owned by Dr. Andrea Pavageau Liu of Cedar Rapids, IA. (Pictured below:)

The Best Junior Handler prize went to Alexis Bach of Clinton, MO, showing Ch. Ashwynn Agape SF Good As It Gets, (see Saturday, Non-Sporting Group) a Dalmatian dog. (Pictured below:)

The winner of the Sporting Group was Ch. Pandora Picturesque, an ASCOB Cocker Spaniel bitch owned by Dee Torgerson & Peringer Rismyhr of Granby, CT.
The winner of the Hound Group was Ch. Shahtani Tropical Breeze, a Salukis bitch owned by S. Plaiss & M. Jameson & P. Allison & V. Hamilton of Hazel Green, AL.
The winner of the Working Group was Ch. Quailruns Elijah Bleu, a Rottweiler dog owned by Joe & Beth Franks of Buckner, MO.
The winner of the Terrier Group was Ch. Sodak Megan Of Camelot, a Scottish Terrier bitch owned by Peg James of Brooklings, SD.
The winner of the Toy Group was Ch. Kendoric's Riversong Mulroney,  a Pug dog owned by Carolyn Koch of Chapel Hill, NC.
The winner of the Non-Sporting Group was Ch. T-Bo's Only Time Will Tell, a Boston Terrier bitch owned by Stephanie Krewson & Teresa Hendrix of Grapevine, TX.
The winner of the Herding Group was Ch. Borderfame Spellbound, a Border Collie dog owned by Caroline Woods & J. Frank Baylis of Monteagle, TN.
The Best In Show award went to Ch. Kendoric's Riversong Mulroney, the Pug dog owned by Carolyn Koch of Chapel Hill, NC. (Pictured below:)

The High In Trial honors went to Wildfire Shira Delight UD TDX, a Border Collie bitch  owned by Dr. Andrea Pavageau Liu of Cedar Rapids, IA. (Pictured below:)
The High Combined trophy went to Ch. Zerimar's Bound & Determined UD NA, a Belgian Tervuren dog owned by Jeanne Durbian-Ramirez, DVM and Vincent Ramirez of Bucyrus, KS. (Pictured below:)

The Best Junior Handler prize went to Tara Richardson, showing Ch. Katlanas A Few Good Men, an Afghan Hound  dog. (Pictured below:)

The February 2005 meeting was replaced with the 13th Annual Westminster Watch, on the 15th, starting at 7 p.m. at
The Peanut West LLC  at 13223 Shawnee Mission Parkway. We had 27 members and 5 guests show up to watch the final night of judging, when Ch. Kan-Point's VJK Autumn Roses, a 5-year-old German Shorthaired Pointer won Best In Show. The bar wasn't fancy, but the food was pretty good and the beer was cold, and everyone seemed to have a good time, even if their favorite breed didn't win. So next year we will continue our quest for the perfect Westminster Watch location, so if you know of a place not too far off the beaten track, with decent food, cable TV and a private party room big enough for 30-40 people, let us know at SKCofOlatheKS@sbcglobal.net.

The 2005 Sunflower K.C. Agility Trial is now history, and we are already hard at work on 2006. From the compliments and comments we're receiving, it was a huge success. These two comments are from notes I received from our two judges.
First, Bonnie Drabek:
I had a wonderful experience judging for your club! What a great, friendly, low stressed group!!! There were plenty of workers for each class including the last one of the day. The trial secretary had all the paperwork done correctly and efficiently so that I was done signing everything within minutes of finishing my judging. I would judge for your club again, anytime!"
And this from Greg Beck:
"Enjoyed some of the KC Cookie Company  goodies tonight while curled up with Dandy, listening to some music. Thanks for the WONDEFUL hospitality you and your club provided at your trial. I know that my consideration of moving to KS was not a spur of the moment thing. I'd still move there in a minute. Room to breathe!!! I'll be looking forward to seeing you and the SKC folks when I'm back in the Midwest!"
(Barb goes on to say:) There are so many Sunflower members to thank. My biggest thanks goes to Cynthia Clark for the amount of time and effort she put in to this trial. Other invaluable committee members were Neida Heusinkvelt (judges hospitality & equipment), Carol McDermott (awards), Ken and Donna Spangler (timers & ring crew) and Mike Willis (Chief course builder). Other members that took time out of their busy weekend to help BOTH days are: Judy Hill and granddaughter Julia Buescher, Dagmar Clarkson, Judy Ingrasin, Debbie Willis, Lori Pierson, Everett Ward, Martha Campbell, Karen Porter, Christina Campbell, and Jane Blackerby, who also found us additional help and took complete command of the Jumpers ring on Sat. & Sun. Those that came out and helped one day are: Candy Dunn, Theresa Wilson, Summer & Josie Bond, Bill Henney, Tracy Cottle, Becky & Kelli Denton and Jim & Claudia Mitchell. Now, I haven't left out Carol Huskey, who along with Karen Porter, Christina Campbell and Tracy Cottle put on one of the best raffles I've ever seen. They brought in $675.00!!!!!!! There were dog bowls and dishes, a car refrigerated cooler, toys, hand made clothing, gift certificates, doggie slippers, and a hand made afghan. etc. At. times on Sunday morning, you couldn't get near the tables through the crowd. Thank you Carol and crew for all your hard work for putting on a hugely successful raffle.
The majority of the folks I mentioned above don't even participate in agility, yet they came out to help and support their club. They should be proud of themselves, and I hope they enjoyed learning and watching the dogs in action. Please consider coming out and helping us next year and being a part of the fastest growing dog sport in the country.