Scratch that off bucket list
Summerland woman spends week in NYC snapping at dogs
Photographer Sandy Steck is still howling about a trip to New York last week to shoot the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club dog show.
Steck, who lives in Summerland, has been following two notable B.C. dogs through her camera lens, and jumped at the chance to catch them in action on the biggest stage in the canine world.
The animals are Miss Andie, a 3 1/2year-old Newfoundland handled by Guillermor Fano and owned by Cindy and Doug Savory from Ladysmith; and First Kiss, a Coton de Tulear handled by Jen Knudsen and owned by Diane Benaroch from Abbotsford. Both dogs won Best of Breed in their respective classes in New York.
“I have been following the career of both these dogs over the past several years and can only say that the journey has been an amazing experience,” said Steck.
“The atmosphere at both Pier 92 and Madison Square Gardens was very tense waiting for the outcome of the judge’s decision, and the crowd’s outburst when the Canadian dogs were recognized amongst the best in North America was a proud moment for me.”
Steck has been a member of the Skaha Kennel Club since 2014, and assists with its annual show in Summerland. Her passion, however, is photographing dog shows, and she credits her husband, Rod, with indulging what can be a hectic travel schedule.
The next show on her bucket list is Crufts in Birmingham, England, the largest of its kind in the world.