Vacaville 4-H’er and Three Dixon 4-H’ers Win Top Honors at Dixon May Fair Dog Show

By Kathy Keatley Garvey

Special to Dixon Patch

DIXON--Isabella Berkheimer of the Vaca Valley 4-H Club, Vacaville, and her rescue dog, Sara, a mixed breed, teamed to win junior showmanship honors and then the overall showmanship award for the second consecutive year at the Dixon May Fair 4-H Dog Show.

Nikki Talken of the Roving Clovers 4-H Club, Dixon, and her kelpi mix, Luna, took home the senior showmanship award and the high score off-leash in obedience.

Other top winners were Lauren Kett of the Maine Prairie 4-H Club, Dixon and her yellow lab, Macie, who won the high score senior off-leash in the dog obedience category; and Jared Tanaka of the Maine Prairie 4-H Club, and his border collie, Katie, who won the high score junior off-leash obedience category.

Berkheimer, Tanaka, Kett and Talken received coveted silver buckles, adorned with a dog image, from the Friends of the Dixon May Fair. Carrie Hamel of Dixon, member of the Friends, presented the awards. This marked the first year the 4-H dog show winners have received the buckles. The Friends annually award silver buckles to the top exhibitors at the Dixon May Fair and have now extended their award list to the top winners of the 4-H dog show

Showmanship winner Isabella Berkheimer, obtained her dog, now 9 years old, from the Vacaville unit of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). This was her second year participating in the dog show.

Forty-two handlers and their dogs, all in 4-H dog care and training programs in Solano County, competed, said coordinator Linda Talken-Burke of the Roving Clovers 4-H Club. Six clubs participated: Roving Clovers 4-H Club, Maine Prairie 4-H Club, Ridge 4-H Club and the Tremont 4-H Club, all of Dixon; Vaca Valley 4-H Club, Vacaville; the Sherwood Forest 4-H Club, Vallejo.

Dogs ranged from poodle mixes to an Australian shepherd to an American bulldog. But most were Heinz 57 varieties or mixed breeds.

The complete list of winners:

Obedience Sub Novice A, Junior: 1st, Halie Pringle of Vaca Valley 4-H, with her dog, Sugar; 2nd, Abigal Gustafson, Maine Prairie, with her border collie,  Jet; 3rd, Madelyne Seifert, Maine Prairie, with her lab mix, Gracie; 4th, MacKenna Caulfield, Roving Clovers, with her poodle mix, Hobo; Emily Bennett, Roving Clovers, and her lab mix, Meme; and 6th, Jacob Schneider, Roving Clovers, with his mixed breed, Ranger.

Obedience Sub Novice A, Senior: 1st, Kaitlin Adams, Vaca Valley, with her Australian shepherd, Macie

Obedience Sub Novice B, Junior: 1st, Jared Tanaka, Maine Prairie, with his border collie Katie;  2nd, Meghan Mraz, Tremont, with her pug, Roxie; 3rd, Isabella Berkheimer, Vaca Valley, with Sara; 4th, Katie Jones, Roving Clovers with her border collie, Art; 5th, Dale Bors, Maine Prairie, with his West Highland terrier, Sassey; and 6th, Audrey Hennigan, Roving Clovers, with her English springer spaniel, Breck

Obedience Sub-Novice B, Senior: 1st, Lauren Kett, Maine Prairie, with her yellow lab, Macie

Obedience Novice B, Senior: 1st, Nikki Talken, Roving Clovers, with her kelpi mix, Luna

Showmanship Novice Junior: 1st, Mackenna Caulfield, Roving Clovers, with her poodle mix, Hobo; 2nd, Emily Bennett, Roving Clovers, with her lab mix, Meme; Kiera MacKenzie, Dixon Ridge, with her Aussie mix, Koa, 4th, Halie Pringle, Vaca Valley,  with her American bulldog, Sugar; 5th, Dale Bors, Maine Prairie, with his West Highland terrier, Sassey; and 6th, Jacob Schneider, Roving Clovers, with his mix breed, Ranger

Showmanship Junior: 1st, Isabella Berkheimer, Vaca Valley, with Sara; 2nd, Katie Jones. Roving Clovers, with her dog Art; 3rd, Audrey Hennigan, Roving Clovers, with Breck; and 4th, Meghan Mraz, Tremont, with Roxy.

Showmanship Novice Senior: 1st, Kaitlan Adams, Vaca Valley, with Max

Showmanship Senior: 1st, Nikki Talken, Roving Clovers, with Luna

Following the show, the youths and their dogs participated in games coordinated by Talken-Burke. The winners:

Games: Musical Sit: 1st, Meghan Mraz, Tremont, with Roxy; 2nd, Abigail Gustafson, Maine Prairie, with Jet; 3rd, Grace Bors, Maine Prairie with her West Highland terrier,  Samantha; 4th, Jared Tanaka, Maine Prairie, with Katie 5th, Kaitlin Adams, Vaca Valley, with Max; and 6th, Madelyne Seifert, Maine Prairie, with Gracie

Games: Egg and Spoon: 1st, Emily Bennett, Roving Clovers, with Meme; 2nd, Jared Tanaka, Maine Prairie, with Katie; 3rd, Kaitlin Adams, Vaca Valley, with Max; 4th, Audrey Hennigan, Roving Clovers, with Breck; 5th, Kiera MacKenzie, Dixon Ridge, with Kos; and 6th, Madelyne Seifert, Maine Prairie, with Gracie

Games: Cracker Barrel Relay: 1st, Joseph Gustafson and Jared Tanaka, both of Maine Prairie, with Sig and Katie; 2nd, Dale Bors and Abigal Gustafson, both of Maine Prairie, with Sassey and Jet; and 3rd, Audrey Hennigan and Nikki Talken, both of Roving Clovers, with Breck and Luna; 4th, Grace Bors and Madelyn Seifert, both of Maine Prairie,  with Samantha and Gracie; 5th, Kiera MacKenzie, Dixon Ridge, and Meghan Mraz, Tremont, with Koa and Roxy; and 6th, Kaitlin Adams and Halie Pringle, both Vaca Valley, with Max and Sugar

Solano County dog handlers served as judges: Susan Sakala of Vacaville, obedience judge; Betsy Sako, Vallejo, showmanship judge, and Trish Lyire, Vallejo, canine good citizenship evaluator.

The youths received prizes from some 20 individuals or businesses.