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Dog grooming is a huge part of shows, but handlers and owner-handlers also dress for the occasion. Cynthia Rossi, of South Strabane, opted for a pink ensemble to offset her sky terrier’s dark coat, and paired her skirt suit with pearls and a golden bone.
Katherine Mansfield
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Cynthia Rossi prepares Mr. Wonderful, a Skye Terrier, for judging inside the ring during Thursday afternoon’s confirmation contests. Rossi, of South Strabane, said she’d never show dogs. “Then I saw him,” she smiled, “and everything changed. Mr. Wonderful was the 2023 Number One Owner Handled Skye Terrier in the American Kennel Club and is one of the winningest Skye terriers in AKC history, Rossi said.
Katherine masnfield
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A judge helps Mary Fisher, 23, of Virginia, fasten her number before heading into the ring for a group show Thursday afternoon. “She won her class,” smiled Fisher, a dog trainer by trade who began showing dogs several months ago when she got Widow, center. Fisher and her border collie were among those who traveled nationally to attend the annual dog show in Morgantown.
Katherine Mansfield
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On the first day of the 2025 Dog Show in Morgantown, Princess, a grand champion basset hound, watches Thursday afternoon’s contests. Princess competed in the confirmation contests Friday with her owner-handler Annette Mucci, of Cecil. “I like to bring them in and get them accustomed to the environment,” said Mucci. “It’s good socialization to walk them around when you’re not showing. This isn’t a normal, everyday type of activity. There’s a lot for them to take in.”
Katherine Mansfield
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A golden retriever relaxes between competitions Thursday afternoon at the Mountaineer Kennel Club 2025 Dog Show in Morgantown, W.Va.
Katherine Mansfield
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Howard West sets the pace for his American Eskimo Jake inside the ring during Thursday afternoon’s owner-handled non-sporting group contest. West, of Amity, began showing dogs more than 25 years ago, and delights in the thrill of competing against some of the world’s best near home and across the country throughout the season.
Katherine Mansfield
The Hazel and JW Ruby Community Center in Morgantown, W.Va., was filled with anticipation – and quite a bit of tail wagging – this week, as hundreds of humans and their show dogs gathered inside to compete in the Mountaineer Kennel Club’s annual Black Diamond Cluster dog show, hosted together with the South Hills Kennel Club. More than 700 people from across the country, and their dogs, of course, competed each day in the 2025 contests. Those competitors included several Washington County owner-handlers and their four-legged athletes, like Howard West and his American Eskimo Jake, of Amity; Cecil’s Annette Mucci and her grand champion basset hound Princess; and Cynthia Rossi and her Skye terrier Mr. Wonderful, of South Strabane. The dog show, which is free, open to the public and a woofing good time, kicked off Thursday morning and wraps Sunday, April 27. For more on the annual dog show, visit the club’s website.
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