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February 2005, Week 3

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Wirt Atmar <[log in to unmask]>
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Wed, 16 Feb 2005 17:07:21 EST
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Ray asks:

"Was/is Carly the worst tech CEO ever?"

>
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/maney/2005-02-15-maney_x.htm

Well, she's winning in the on-line poll, with 40% of the vote going to her as
worst CEO ever. But it's also perhaps worth noting that Carlee (no relation)
won "Top Dog" honors yesterday in the Westminster Dog Show in NYC:

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German Shorthaired Pointer Named Top Dog
By BEN WALKER, AP

NEW YORK (AP) - Posing like the very symbol of the Westminster Kennel Club, a
German shorthaired pointer called Carlee became America's top dog Tuesday
night.

The 5-year-old female with the soft eyes and gliding gait won best in show,
beating out a popular Norfolk terrier, a champion bloodhound and a wobbling
Pekingese.

All seven finalists gave fine performances on the green carpet of Madison
Square Garden. But the sellout crowd and judge Lynette Saltzman were clearly won
over by Carlee's "free stack," the time when the dog stands alone and shows
its stuff.

Paying rapt attention to star handler Michelle Ostermiller, Carlee pointed
with perfection as the cheers grew louder and louder.

"She was spectacular," Ostermiller said.

Last year, Ostermiller neatly guided a big Newfoundland named Josh to this
best in show title. This time, she came back to be the tops among the 2,581
entries in 165 breeds and varieties.

"I'm stunned," she said.

Carlee, with a brown face and white-and-liver spotting, now will retire to
Castle Rock, Colo., with her ninth best in show title overall. Officially named
Ch. Kan-Point's VJK Autumn Roses, the sporting group winner wound up a
champion in the nation's most prestigious canine event.

Carlee became the second German shorthaired pointer to win at Westminster,
and was a direct descendant of the other winner in 1974.

"She just did everything right," Saltzman said.

Just like Josh last February. The barking, slobbering Newfie was back in the
ring, too.

Josh got a nice round of applause when he bounded out during Westminster's
tribute to its Angel on a Leash program, where therapy dogs help the healing
process for pediatric patients. He retired after his big win - it's rare for
Westminster champions to try for a repeat.

A sprightly Norfolk terrier named Coco represented the terriers. She was the
favorite at Westminster last year, and came back this time at 6 1/2 years old
after taking off six months to deliver three puppies - Tom, Dick and Harry.

Fans called out Coco's name when she showed for the last time, her tongue
hanging out and her ears flopping. She might've been No. 2 overall, but there's
no way to know - only a winner is picked.

Knotty, a bloodhound that won the AKC/Eukanuba show last month, was trying to
become the first hound in 22 years to take best in show at Westminster.
Instead, he could not top Carlee.

A Pekingese called Jeffrey was the toy winner. His father won the largest
show in the world - Crufts in England, with 25,000 or so dogs - in 2003.

An elegant Great Pyrenees, the first of its breed to take the working group,
was fondly described as an animated snowdrift. Named Fame, he was a surprise
winner a day before, leaving breeder Karen Justin without tickets for the final
night.

A silky Tibetan terrier - not really a terrier, despite its name - also was
the first of its breed to take the non-sporting group. Named Baloo, for the
"Jungle Book" character, he spent his down time snacking on his favorite dog
biscuits.

Merlin, a border collie, represented the herding group.

Asleep in her crate much earlier Tuesday, Morgan hardly had a care in the
world. Let the other dogs get cramped by the backstage crowds, this otterhound
was taking a nap.

And certainly unaware of the pressure she faced.

A win could've brought much-needed attention to one of America's rarest
breeds. Instead, she lost out to Knotty in the hound group - too bad for a breed
that keeps moving closer to extinction.

Yes, extinction.

Believe it or not, there were only 23 purebred otterhounds registered in the
United States last year. That's 23, compared to the 146,692 Labrador
retrievers, the most popular dog.

"We don't get a lot of exposure," offered Morgan's co-owner and breeder,
Betsy Conway.

Conway described Morgan as a bloodhound with a black-and-tan, woolly coat.
Think of the shaggy dog in the Disney film "The Absent-Minded Professor" and
that's close, but bigger.

"There's no such thing as an otterhound," kidded Lab breeder Christine Tye.
"I've never heard of them."

Most people haven't. There are fewer than 1,000 in the world, perhaps 350
scattered around America. The population steadily declined in the 20th century
when otter hunting was outlawed in many places.

Also, Conway admitted, they're not for everyone. Otterhounds have oily coats
that can rub off on clothes and furniture, need room to roam and have a deep
bay voice. At home in Sherman, Conn., Morgan loves to dig for moles and look
for cats.

"But if you want a dog that will love you, they're perfect," she said.

Conway currently owns or co-owns 10 of the 23 registered otterhounds. A
career insurance saleswoman, she intends to ensure the breed sticks around.

"They will not become extinct in my lifetime," she said, "because I won't let
it."

02/16/05 08:16 EST

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