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GALLERY 17 ("Whitney")
Multiple Group Winning American Champion Falling Star's I'm Always Winning (Whitney)
Just like her name says, she is always winning. We do believe in speaking things into being! At Falling Star, we just keep improving in our breeding program. We are very proud to look back over the generations to see better and better dogs being produced, which is the goal of any breeder. Oftentimes I will say something like, "This is the best dog I've ever bred" and it is true, check back in a few years I'm saying the same thing about a different dog. That is because we keep improving from one generation to the next with careful line-breeding so that we stamp that Falling Star look onto our Shih Tzu. Whitney has been the most exciting dog to show. For the first time I think I will cry when I cut her hair off and retire her. Usually I like the feeling of having one less coat to groom, but Whitney was so much fun to show I'm going to miss taking her to the shows. Little things that a handler takes for granted after a few years of polishing a "Special" like Whitney never moves when I stack her, or gaits without shaking, are things young dogs don't do and those are the things that can kill a Group 1 or a Group Winning possibility. Unlike the other galleries where there is only one description per dog regardless of how many pictures there are, Whitney has a different story with each picture so we encourage you to click on each picture to learn more about our special little girl and her climb to Stardom!!!! Whitney excels at movement. She has fluid reach and drive with PERFECT no mat coat. She has a perfect tail set. We would like to see a bigger eye with less eye white, but no dog is perfect.
Whitney is a true show dog. When she was just a puppy I wasn't going to show her but I put her on the lead for the first time I think at 9 months of age and she just threw her head back and went. I knew then I had to show her, she was a natural. Oftentimes she would go around the ring and throw her head to the corner as if to say, "Haha, look at ME, I'm more special than you." She really was a show off and loved to show. However, she lost several times in the Breed under judge who gave her Group 1 wins to puppies because of heat. Whitney never performed well in hot temperatures or humidity. But then, who does? Can you blame her? Whitney quickly gained her 9 single points and then took several reserves to Majors. It was coming to a point where there weren't many people showing so we were concerned of just finding the Majors. Well, we showed one weekend where it was just me for competition and for some reason I still showed Whitney even though there was only one point and she didn't need them. It is a good thing I did BECAUSE she ended up beating my Special and going Breed and then back to back Group 1 wins from the Puppy class! So she never really won any majors herself, she did it better, got them from the Group. Thank you Whitney for giving us so much joy over the years. We look forward to many more to come!
Please click on the Whitney's name under her picture to see Whitney's pedigree!
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' , 'This is the only class win picture we have of Whitney because she won her majors by winning two Group 1 placings. Judge Bill Usherwood had the handlers pick up all the bitches in Winners Bitch and he went over their heads and then pointed to Whitney WINNERS!'))
' , 'This was Whitneys first Group 1 and her first major. She was not even a Champion yet when she won this award. This has to be one of the more exciting wins we have ever had. I remember Whitney had not been shown many times up to this point and it was the only time I had to reassure her that I was there and everything was ok. After this weekend it was as though she stepped out of the puppy shoes into a Specials mentality.'))
' , 'The next day she won her second major by winning the Toy Group. How exciting! I remember the weekend before we had just gone reserve Winners Bitch from the Bred-by class. I was very disappointed wondering where we would find more majors. Little did I know that the day before this picture Judge Peggy Dillard Carr would look at me on the table when I had Matthew as a Special and she said that she really liked my puppy bitch better. I told her to feel free to do what she wanted and she did! At the time I was a bit disappointed, but a few hours later I was VERY happy.'))
' , 'This was Whitneys first weekend out as a Special and she won the Breed and then the Toy Group. I remember thinking a few weeks prior that I had a very good chance at winning this Group because Judge Carolyn Herbel put her uncle up for a Group 1 (Gizmo). They are VERy similar in type and have almost exact movement to each other. When we were getting the picture Judge Carolyn Herbel asked if this was related to the special I had several years back. I guess it goes to show that she definitely is a consistent judge.'))
' , 'Knowing that Judge Florise Hogan loved Whitney I flew to Mobile, Alabama. I won her Group the first day but lost the next day when Judge Hogan was doing Group Winning so I did not get to her Group Winning ring. That is why we call this sport a game sometimes. We try to take judges the type of dog they most like, but depending on what other dogs there are and who is on the judging panel...you may not win!'))
' , 'This was the sad day that I won Group 2 and did not make it into Judge Hogans ring. One never knows what a judge will do, but we desire to get to show to the judges that like our particular dog at the time.'))
' , 'Whitney won the Toy Group under Judge Doctor Doane, who is known for liking small. He commented that he loved Whitneys size.'))
' , 'The following day after Doctor Doane gave Whitney a Group 2. Judge June Penta (Shih Tzu breeder) also gave Whitney a Group 2. She commented that is was a good thing Whitney was a bitch because she would not want a dog that small. Differences in opinions is what makes people come back to dog shows. Another day, another chance.'))
' , 'I flew to Maine to show to Judge Carolyn Herbel. I was hoping to win the group but I got a Group 2! We are always happy for any win that we can get. It was one of the most beautiful show sites. Outside shows in the Midwest are either HOT and HUMID or RAINY! This was neither and no wind. The grass was so short it was like showing on a smooth surface. I remember I rented a car and drove to Target to pick up some supplies when I landed. I flew in to Boston, MA so I could drive the coast line into Maine, although the drive proved to be not that scenic! When traveling with just one dog you are able to enjoy more of the city you are visiting.'))
' , 'This summer I was enrolled in the Summer Vocology Institute in Downtown Denver. Sherry Beebe kept my dogs for the summer and my show dogs that were in coat Pam Knight kept for me. I would drive once a week to her boarding kennel to groom the dogs and then thoroughly enjoy living in Downtown Denver right next to Larimer Square. This was my favorite summer of all time. I made lasting friends that I still talk to. My roommate at the time and friend Keiko travelled 12 hours with me to Idaho. I had no idea how far it was since I was not from Denver and I did not realize how much fun I was going to have NOT doing dogs or else I would have never entered the show. But to my surprise we had a judge change to Judge Florise Hogan. I won the Toy Group that day. Keiko and I studied like mad on the way home Sunday night for our big text Monday.'))
' , 'Again while in Denver for the summer I showed in Eagle, Colorado (about 2 hours from Denver) and won the Toy Group! It was very windy that day (as you can tell)!'))
' , 'The following day in Eagle, CO I won the Toy Group again under a judge I had never shown to before. She also was judging Group Winning. She said I came very close to Group Winning (that means I was Group Winning reserve, if there was such a thing!!!)'))
' , 'The following day in Eagle, CO I won the Toy Group again under a judge I had never shown to before. She also was judging Group Winning. She said I came very close to Group Winning (that means I was Group Winning reserve, if there was such a thing!!!)'))
' , 'Judge Jean Fournier comes from the Working Group. I remember showing to her several times and never winning a thing until I showed her Whitney. She dumped all my dogs in the classes the first day she put up Whitney, so to my amazement she gave Whitney Breed and said that she was the nicest Shih Tzu she had ever judged. Coming from a Working background she definitely can appreciate good movement, which is something Whitney (and all Falling Star dogs) excels at.'))
' , 'At this show We met a lady who became part of what we called our Groupie! She told stories of Vongo being on her computer and she could not use it anymore. We think she had a virus on the computer. Then she parked where she said all the exhibitors park and we told her there was no such parking. She had ended up parking in the Handicapped parking so she ran down to move her car. Later that evening she did not remember where her car was and had to have the Security people take her around to look for her car. A few weeks later I get a 500 dollar check from her for a deposit on one of my Champions. I called her up to talk to her about it and she did not even remember writing the check. We ended the call with her saying she had got to stop drinking. To this day Lori, Sally, Jerry and I talk about the Vongo lady! It makes for interesting conversation!'))
' , 'I flew to one of Judge Florise Hogans last assignments before she retired and this was in Orlando, FL in December. What lovely weather. Just before leaving though my van broke down. I still had a year left to pay on it and it was not worth anything. That is an American made Chrysler for you! I decided to fix the problem which cost 500 dollars and 3 months later something else happened that was going to cost me 1500 dollars....I should have tossed in the towel the first time. I ended up buying a Toyota. My thinking was it would cost a little more but at least I would have a running van when it was paid off.'))
' , 'This was Judge Florise Hogans last assignment. I drove to Alexadria, Louisiana. All the top dogs that Judge Hogan had put up before were there and I was pretty sure I was not going to win. BUT, I went in with the attitude that Whitney and I were going to look better than all of them and the rest was up to the judge, and it worked. Unfortunately the judge doing Best in show and the Breed and Group the next day (a Toy person) was sick and the club hired someone who was only eligible to judge 6 breeds. I did not win Group Winning and the next day J Ray Johnson (replacement judge from IN) put my puppy male up over Whitney. He ended up putting a 6 month old puppy chihuahua Group 1 that last day. wo Toy Judges lived in the area and just came to spectate. They could have hired them. Oh well, that is why they call it a game!'))
' , 'Whitney was showing gangbusters this day. She was moving like no other dog. After losing the breed to a class dog the day before I won the Group this day and the Group Winning Judge Joan Frailey said she compared every dog to my dog for Best (another Reserve!!!). But according to my Junior High math teacher close only count in horsehoes and something else. I still do not understand that!'))
' , 'This was the day after the previous picture. Judge Carolyn Herbel was judging Group Winning so we were hoping to win the group today under Judge Judy Webb. Knowing that Judge Herbel liked Whitney we knew she would at least have a chance in Group Winning, but we got a Group 3. Like I said, we are always grateful for any win recieved. Thank you Judge Judy Webb!'))
' , 'Judge E. Dean is known to like a smaller dog. Thank you for the win Judge Dean.'))
' , 'Here Whitney received a Group 3 under Judge Loraine Boutwell! Many Thanks.'))
' , 'Whitney is shown here going Group 4 in Lawton, Oklahoma. Thank you Judge Arlene Czech!'))
