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Dear SCOA Members,
In the spirit of the season, I’m sending you all a version of a Club “Holiday Letter,” sans any mention of gall bladder surgeries or of family trips to Wally World. Read on!
By now you may have received your renewal information in the mail – please consider saving yourself a stamp and renewing online! Included is the annual slate of candidates from the Nominations Committee, for the offices of President, Treasurer, and Director. SCOA members have until February 1st to put forth additional nominations. If there are others and an election is required, we will likely go to an electronic format, as outlined in the revised SCOA Bylaws.
Will 2023 see a new SCOA website? Fingers crossed! Our Digital Assets Team has been quietly working behind the scenes, to create for SCOA a new web presence. Others are working to refine the website’s Breeder Directory, to help it be a more trusted resource for qualified, SCOA member breeders.
2022 saw the first ever Spinone National Specialty in Oregon. We were blessed with a great turnout and great weather – many kudos to the team of Sue Acquistapace, Sue McGregor, and Rebecca Van Ess who put it all together.
2023 will see a return of the National Specialty, to Weirton, WV, May 20-26th, with the hunt tests planned for May 20/21, at the nearby Mingo test grounds. As it is, the NAVHDA Buckeye chapter is holding its Spring test the following weekend, May 27/28, so there’s lots of opportunity for our dogs to show off their field skills. (Psst – Specialty volunteers needed!)
2014 was the last year that a Spinone received the coveted NAVHDA Versatile Champion title. 2022 saw two Spinoni at the event in New Mexico come up just short, but they did represent our breed well. Four more are qualified for the event this year at the same Mingo test grounds in Ohio. Best of luck to them.
First Time Ever! At the AKC Royal Canin National Championship Dog Show in Orlando, Florida, a Spinone won the Sporting Group blue ribbon. Huge congratulations go to “Josie,” GCHG CH Collina D’Oro Solo Un Bacio, handled beautifully by Kelly Schupp, and owned & loved by Claire Wisch-Abraham & Stacy Anderson.
Meet the Breeds: As the AKC “Meet the Breeds” show goes back on the road, SCOA members will be representing our breed at the Javits Center in NYC, on January 28/29. In November, the AKC filmed a Meet the Breeds video in North Carolina, specifically about the pointing breeds’ dogs at work in the field. Watch for this on AKC TV. (Your working Spinoni looked GREAT!)
My personal rule says “Ted – no more than one page!”, so here I end it. Life is fragile, give hugs daily to your loved ones – human and canine alike, and I’ll see you in West Virginia next May.
Ted
Ted Wentink, President, Spinone Club of America
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