By Kathy Keatley Garvey
A Dixon cancer survivor who forged a strong bond with her puppy in 2003 when she was undergoing chemotherapy teamed to win the 2013 Solano County 4-H Dog Show, held recently on the Dixon May Fair grounds.
Nikki Talken, 16, of the Roving Clovers 4-H Club, Dixon, and her kelpie mix, Luna, a former stray but now an integral member of the Talken family, have been competing together in the annual dog show since 2006 but have never won the overall championship.
This year they did.
Talken won the overall showmanship award, the senior showmanship award, and the high-score obedience off-leash award in the senior division The event drew 26 dog handlers from seven clubs: Roving Clovers 4-H Club, Maine Prairie 4-H Club, and Tremont 4-H Club, all of Dixon; Vaca Valley 4-H Club, Vacaville; Westwind 4-H Club and the Suisun Valley 4-H Club of Fairfield-Suisun; and the Sherwood Forest 4-H Club, Vallejo.
Talken received two belt buckles from the Friends of the Dixon May Fair; two event lawn chairs; and dog treats for Luna. That night at home, Luna received an extra prize: a left-over pork chop.
Nikki’s brother, Logan Talken, won the dog show in 2008 with his dog, Muddy Waters, a chocolate Labrador retriever, in his last year of 4-H. Their mother, Linda Talken- Burke of the Roving Clovers 4-H Club, chairs the annual dog show. Lily Fletcher of the Roving Clovers 4–H Club who guided her dog Romi, an Australian shepherd, to win junior showmanship honors. Fletcher received scores of awards, including a silver belt buckle from the Friends of the Dixon May Fair. Other top winners who received the coveted belt buckle were Katrina Marsh off the Roving Clovers 4-H Club, and her Chihuahua, Valentino, high score obedience on- leash, junior division; Katherine Jones of the Roving Clovers and her border collie mix, Arthur, high score obedience on-leash, senior division; and Jared Tanaka, Maine Prairie 4-H Club, Dixon and his border collie, Katie, high-score obedience off-leash, junior division.
This was Tanaka’s first year competing in the off-leash category.
“I encouraged him last year to try off-leash since he did so well last year on leash,” said Talken-Burke. “Instead of playing it safe and going for a big score on-leash, he took the plunge and took off the leash.”
Talken-Burke also noted that this was a first year for handler Marsh and her Chihuahua and they won first in the on-leash junior division and swept overall in obedience, scoring 189.5 points.
Carrie Hamel of Dixon, member of the Friends, presented the belt buckles. Dogs ranged from a Bichon friese to two West Highland terriers to a Jack Russell. But most were Heinz 57 varieties or mixed breeds. They sported such names as “Valentino,” “Shortie,” “Kronk,” “Ruffie” and “Arthur.”
The complete list of winners:
Obedience Sub Novice A, Junior: 1st, Katrina Marsh, Roving Clovers with her Chihuahua, Tino; 2nd, Ethan Brown of the Suisun Valley 4-H Club with his Jack Russell, Ruffy; 3rd, Isabella Flannery, Maine Prairie 4-H Club with her mixed breed, Kronk; 4th, Lily Fletcher and her Australian shepherd, Romi; and fifth, Jaxson West of the Maine Prairie 4-H Club, with her Bichon Friese, Brooke.
Obedience Sub Novice B, Junior: 1st, Madelyn Sieffert of the Maine Prairie 4-H Club and her lab mix, Gracie; 2nd, Dale Bors of the Maine Prairie 4-H Club, with his West Highland terrier, Sassy; 3rd, Makenna Caulfield of the Roving Clovers 4-H Club with her poodle mix, Hobo; 4th, Grace Bors of the Maine Prairie 4-H Club with her West Highland terrier, Samantha; 5th, Kiera Mackenzie of the Dixon Ridge 4-H Club with his Australian shepherd mix, Koa; and 6th, Jourdan Lenhares of the Maine Prairie 4-H Club with his Portuguese water dog, Roxy.
Obedience Sub-Novice B, Senior: 1st, Katherine Jones of the Roving Clovers 4-H Club with her border collie mix, Arthur; 2nd, Megan Mraz of the Tremont 4-H Club with her Chesapeake, Cleo; and 3rd, Marley Hardwick of the Vaca Valley 4-H Club, with her boxer, Kai.
Obedience Novice A, Junior: 1st, Jared Tanaka of the Maine Prairie 4-H Club, and his border collie, Katie
Obedience Novice B, Senior: 1st, Nikki Talken of the Roving Clovers 4-H Club with her kelpie mix, Luna; 2nd, Katie Luedke of the Roving Clovers 4-H Club with her terrier, Shortie; and 3rd, Beckl Luedke of the Roving Clovers 4-H Club with her golden retriever mix, Bear.
Junior Showmanship Novice: 1st, Lily Fletcher, Roving Clovers 4-H Club with her Australian shepherd, Romi; 2nd, Samantha Forbes of Westwind 4-H Club, with her Brittany spaniel, Samantha; 3rd, Madelyn Sieffert of the Maine Prairie 4-H Club with her lab mix, Grace; 4th, Katrina Marsh of the Roving Clovers 4-H Club with her Chihuahua, Valentino; 5th, Ethan Brown of the Suisun Valley 4-H Club with his Jack Russell, Ruffy; 6th, Taya Gabriel of the Roving Clovers 4-H Cub with his Shi Tzu, Sophie, and 7th, Jaxson West of the Maine Prairie 4-H Club with his Bichon friese, Brook.
Junior Showmanship: 1st, Lily Fletcher of the Roving Clovers 4-H Club with her Australian shepherd, Romi; 2nd, Makenna Caulfield of the Roving Clovers 4-H Cub with her poodle mix, Hobo; and 3rd, Kiera Mackenzie of the Dixon Ridge 4-H Cub with her Australian shepherd, Koa.
Senior Showmanship: 1st, Nikki Talken of the Roving Clovers 4-H Club with her kelpie mix, Luna; 2nd, Becky Luedke of the Roving Clovers 4-H Club with her golden retriever mix, Bear; 3rd, Marley Hardwick of the Vaca Valley 4-H Club with her boxer, Kai; 4th, Katie Luedke of the Roving Clovers 4-H Club with her terrier, Shortie; 5th, Megan Mraz of the Tremont 4-H Club with her pointer, Cleo; and 6th, Katherine Jones of the Roving Clovers 4-H Cub with her border collie mix, Arthur.
Overall Showmanship: Nikki Talken of the Roving Clovers 4-H Club with her kelpie mix, Luna Members of the Vallejo Dog Training Club, longtime supporters of the Solano County 4-H Dog Show, served as judges: Obedience judge and canine good citizenship judge: Barbara Dwyer of Clayton; and Debra Henkle, Vallejo. In addition to the Friends of the Dixon May Fair, prizes were donated by major donor Higby’s Country Feed of Dixon. Others contributing: Tractor Supply Company, Dixon; Canine Country, Rio Vista 4-H Club; and area residents Rick and Teree Castasias; Laura and Jimmie McCants; Kari Bernardini and Jimmy Ferreira; Diana and Ron Anderson; Carter-Stewart Family; Liz Caulfield; Jean and Tim Sasabuchi; Vanessa Covarrubias; Colleen and Jim Schneider; Andrea Kett; Audrey Richey; and Helen Richey.
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