Hundreds compete in annual Jackson dog show
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JACKSON, Tenn. — Hundreds of dogs take center stage at the Jackson Fairgrounds. The Jackson Tennessee Dog Fanciers Association kicked off its 11th annual dog show on Thursday. Elizabeth Salewsky traveled from Ohio to compete. “I would say that your life pretty much revolves around it,” she said. Salewsky travels to events across the country and this weekend plans to show about ten dogs. “I have a Cane Corso,” she said. “We have Chinese Shar-Peis. We have border collies. We have Pomeranians. We have Havanese, Icelandic sheepdogs, and the list goes on and on.” Organizers estimate between 700 and 800 dogs will participate in this weekend‘s show. “With every dog there’s two people, you know, practically or more — sometimes the whole family comes,” Jackson Tennessee Dog Fanciers Association President Barbara Conley said. “It’s a family sport.” Conley said the show brings business to Jackson. “We’re bringing people in for the hotels and motels, the restaurants, the stores, because everyone has to run out and buy something new to wear,” she said. Judges use a standard to score the different breeds. Trainers, such as Salewsky, can spend hours preparing pups for show. “My Cane Corso that I show, he runs five miles a day on the bicycle with me,” she said. Winners earn points that help qualify for other shows such as Westminster and the Eukanuba dog shows, where dogs compete against the best in the country. The dog show runs through Sunday. Admission is $5 per vehicle.
