Local News - March 2003

Denver’s Top Dog: Gus collars a Westminster win

Editor’s note: Due to a production error in the Feb. 26 issue of ShoreLine, this article is being reprinted.

By JACOB RUDOLPH, Staff Writer

March 5, 2003 - DENVER — A Denver dog made canine history this month, with an unprecedented showing at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show.

Gus, a five-year-old Belgian Malinois, placed second in the Herding Group at the Feb. 11 show in New York’s Madison Square Garden.

His success marked the first time a Belgian has received group placement in the 127-year history of the world-famous Westminster show.

However, Gus is no stranger to winning. For the past three years, he has been the No. 1 Belgian Malinois in the American dog show circuit.

“Gus is a winning dog,” said owner Shawn Nelson. “The Westminster win is so special, because it’s the place to go.”

The herding canine Gus finished behind at Westminster, Dallas the German Shepherd, was the No. 1 dog last year.

The east Lincoln dog put on the performance of his life at the prestigious Westminster, Nelson said. He was alert and focused, fully aware of the event’s importance, she said.

“He knows when he has to turn it on,” Nelson said. “He did something right. He was on.”

Staying focused at Westminster is no easy task. Unlike most contests, it is a benching show, meaning all 2,500 dogs must remain in a crate on their bench all day long.

Spectators are allowed to walk the benches, examine the dogs and ask questions of the handlers and judges. It is a drawn-out affair, which often creates stress and distraction for the canines, Nelson said.

“It is an extremely long day and a long time for the dogs to just sit there,” Nelson said.

Again, all-day events and distractions are nothing new to Gus. The Nelsons have prepared him for shows since he was a puppy.

Nelson and her husband, Greg, have been showing dogs for 18 years.

After their Belgian Sheep Dog, Charlotte, went into voluntary retirement from the show circuit, the Nelsons began a quest to find a more willing participant.

“Charlotte hated going to shows,” Nelson said. “You have to have a dog that wants to do it.”

So, Greg, Shawn and their then four-year-old daughter Katie piled in the car and drove to Delaware, where they had first pick of a new litter of Belgians.

When they got to Delaware, Katie was given the arduous task of picking out the newest addition to the Nelson family.

Katie played with all the litter, but the dog that licked her face won her over. Gus slept on her lap the whole way home.

“Katie chose Gus, and that’s really special to her,” Nelson said.

In their spare time, the Nelsons took Gus to the Harris Teeter in Weddington to socialize him — get him used to people and noises. Pretty soon, he was show-ready.

At first, the Nelsons traveled on weekends to show Gus. However, as Katie and her younger sister Stephanie got older, weekends full of travel became difficult.

The Nelsons decided to trust Gus with a handler.

“A lot of the shows are eight or 10 hours away,” Nelson said. “You just can’t do that with two children.”

Finding a handler was not easy, she said, but David Sombach of Richmond, Va., came highly recommended and has worked out perfectly.

Gus and Sombach have a unique relationship. They travel the country together, going to shows on the weekends and regularly calling home during the week.

“Gus and David have a very special bond,” Nelson said. “You can see it in the ring.”

Last April, Gus won a best in show award in Maryland, his first and only No. 1 show finish. Afterward, Sombach placed an ecstatic call to Denver to relay the good news, Nelson said.

The Nelsons have grown used to Gus’ jet-set career. On those occasions when Gus comes home to east Lincoln, however, the reunions are highly anticipated and joyous.

“Gus was just too special not to show full-time,” Shawn Nelson said. “We all miss him when he’s on the road, but he always remembers us — they never forget.”

Gus’ placement at Westminster earned him a blue ribbon — and an automatic invitation to next year’s show.

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Staff Writer Jacob Rudolph can be reached at 704-735-3031 or jacobrudolph@ltnews.com

© 2001 Lincoln Times-News  

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