Clinton News Record, 2016-06-29, Page 9Local Leonburger wins big
Justine Alkema
Clinton News Record
Leny Wagenaar-DeRuijter
and Dick Wagenaar along
with their three Leonburgers
can often be seen on their
daily walk going down Albert
Street. Many passersby stop to
pet the rare dogs and ask what
breed they are. One of those
three dogs named Angel
recently became a Canadian
champion at the biggest
Leonburger show in Canada
on June 5 in Caledonia.
Leonburgers, which have
been described as "gentle
giants'; are more common in
Europe than they are here. At
Leonburger shows in
Europe, there can be 300
dogs. However this champi-
onship in Canada only
showcased around 45 dogs,
though the breed is growing
here in Canada.
One reason they are more
popular in Europe is the
dogs originated in Europe in
Leonburger, Germany. Leny
and Dick actually moved
here from the Netherlands
last year, so they purchased
Wednesday, June 29, 2016 • News Record 9
The dogs have won many
awards in Europe and Canada.
the dogs in Europe.
Their three dogs, Star,
Angel and Gem, are 5 years
old, 4 years old and 20
months old. All three have
been in shows before both in
Europe and Canada.
The main criteria at the
shows is the physical appear-
ance of the dogs. The judges
look at their coat, tail, colour
of their hair, the size of their
head, and more. Leonburgers
have markings on their face
called their "mask'; and
judges assess that as well.
Angel winning an award.
The judges are extremely
strict, and Leny noted that they
were very surprised to win.
"It's very hard to become
champion in any country,"
said Leny.
Angel even won in record
time. The dogs go through a
number of competitions
attempting to receive points
at each of them, and those
cumulative points deter-
mine their standing. Angel
won in only three shows;
usually it takes many more
shows than that to accumu-
late enough points.
"Winning in only three
shows is unheard of;" said Leny.
Leny said they attend the
shows because it's a fun social
event. They enjoy meeting
like-minded people who have
the same dog breed as them.
"And of course it's fun when
you do win something."
Funding to our health care
system will increase
by over $1 billion this year.
ontario.ca/bettercare
Contributed photos
Dick Wagenaar with the couple's three dogs, Star, Angel and Gem.
Investing in new and better ways for all
Ontarians to get the care they need means:
• 700 new doctors and specialists
• 35 hospitals currently being
renewed, modernized or expanded
• $250 million invested in home and
community care
• $345 million invested to improve wait
times and access to care
These investments ensure a strong health
care system for both today and tomorrow.
Paid for by the Government of Ontario
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