The Saturday Seven: Favorite Cartoon Animal Characters

Since I am in the middle of attending a pet industry trade show, I thought it would be fun to tie-in animals into this week's Saturday Seven post. I started thinking about the animal characters that have been part of cartoon pop culture for many generations. I never really watched a lot of TV as a kid, but I did have my favorites along the way. Cartoons are how many kids get to "know" various animals at an early age. I remember being a little kid thinking mice wore shoes and could talk! This brings me to another scintillating edition of
The Saturday Seven: Favorite Cartoon Animal Characters

#1 Snoopy and Woodstock: They had the best friendship and always made me smile. I would run to the newspaper everyday to see what they were up to.
#2 Bugs Bunny: I can still watch Bugs and his antics for hours and never be bored. He really maks me laugh.

#3 Scooby Doo: I loved his goofy nature and how he was still always a hero.
#4 Garfield: I loved his dry sense of humor and attitude.
#5 Marmaduke: Having grown up with a big dog in the house, Marmaduke represented all the crazy things I observed out family dog do when I was a kid.

#6 Sylvester and Tweety: Poor Sylvester, he could never catch a break, Tweety was just too clever for him.

#7 Tom and Jerry: Even though it felt dated to me as a kid I really liked Tom and Jerry. They had such a zest for life and kept things interesting for me.

So who were YOUR favorite ANIMAL cartoon characters? Go ahead, leave a comment!

The Global Pet Expo: No Rest for the Weary

"No rest for the weary." That's the expression that comes to mind to explain this week. Yesterday was the first of a three-day pet industry trade show I am attending for work. The Global Pet Expo is the largest pet industry trade show in North America. It is held annually for manufacturers, distrubutors and retailers but is not open to the public. This year it is being held in San Diego, which is great because I didn't have to travel (last year was Orlando as some of you may recall). I've been working in the pet industry now for over 11 years, so I've been to many such trade shows and know just about everyone. So while I am attending for work, it is nice to see catch up with vendors and other business associates that I've known for many years. The pet industry is a fun business, and our trade shows always have some interesting sights. I thought these two dogs were a lot of fun. They were being "groomed" in a vendor's booth to demonstrate some fancy new brush that is supposedly the best thing since sliced bread. I thought I'd take a quick photo but they weren't looking at me, so I made a little "kiss-kiss" sound with my lips. They both turned their heads, looked in my direction and jumped off the table and ran over to me! All the lose fur was flying around from their quick action. When I finished petting them both I realized I was covered in dog fur. Lucky for me, the next booth over was one of those "lint roller" vendors, which the vendor was all too happy to demonstrate on my jacket. Anything for a sale I guess.
Well Howdy, Partner!

above: I ran into this cowboy at one of the booths. He was doing all sorts of rope tricks, hooting and hollering as he put on a little show in front of a rawhide booth.

above: if you look very carefully you can see the rope twirling around his shoulders as he twirled it in circles and it went up and down his body. It was pretty cool actually.

above: I ran into Snoopy at the show and couldn't resist a quick photo. He was always my favorite from childhood. More from the Global Pet Expo tomorrow...stay tuned.
-Rick Rockhill

Rick's Roadshow in New York: Westminster Dog Show Finale

Rick's Roadshow in New York concludes with the height of excitement in the second day of judging and finale of The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. Having spent the past few days with the top breeders, handlers and show dog owners I now had the inside scoop on the odds-on favorites. I was also up to speed with the politics of a dog show of this magnitude, and felt a connection to some of the top dogs I had personally met. I had my favorites and was pulling for a few in particular. I kept track of the scoring with the official Westminster Kennel Club 2008 show book (see left). At first I had no idea what I was doing, but the wife of a former top judge schooled me on how to keep up with the proceedings. I was quite fortunate to have great seats. This evening I was a guest of Purina Pro Plan brand dog food, I was sitting right behind the judges, on the floor of the judging ring. I had a birdseye view of it all, and was on TV a few times when the cameras panned the judges table.

above left: the line up of Bernese Mountain Dogs and Black Russian Terriers. above right: Anatolian Shepherd Dogs, Bernese and Black Russians.

above left: From the Toy group: Pugs, Toy Poodle, & Pomeranians. above right: Toy dogs: Toy Fox Terrier, Silky Terrier, Shih Tzu

above left: The Pug awaits a decision by the judge, but she would eventually be passed over. above right, the judges confer for the Best in Show decision.












above: "Uno" the Beagle, who won "Best In Show". He was smiling and happy as can be as he sat next to his trophy. It was the first time in 100 years that a Beagle has won the competition.

above left: The board at Madison Square Garden announces the Beagle as Best In Show, which was a popular favorite. above right: the handler places Uno into the sterling silver bowl with all the ribbons and trophies.

above left: the handler shows photographers the key traits of a perfect Beagle. above right: Uno takes a moment to enjoy his time in the spotlight. It was a great evening to celebrate the sport of dogs and appreciate the beauty of mans best friend. I had a great time in New York but am ready to head home to California. If nothing else, but to escape the snow and cold temperatures!
note: "Wisdom Wednesday" featuring Dr Sidney Wang will return next week.
-Rick Rockhill

Rick's Roadshow in New York: An Evening Out on the Town

Day five of Rick's New York Roadshow was quite busy. Aside from a number of business meetings during the day, I was at Madison Square Garden attending the dog breed judging competitions, all of which lead up to the evening's events at the main show by group. Before heading back to the Westminster Dog Show, I had an early dinner with friends at a really excellent place called Park Avenue: Winter. It is a unique restaurant in that with the change of eash season, it undergoes a complete transformation, from the menu, the decor, to staff uniforms. Being winter now, everything was completely white. Even the menu had a number of themed dishes that were prepared with white effects and garnishes. It was really quite clever, and the food was oh-so delicious!

More Amazing Desserts

above left: red wine poached pears & warm brown pistachio butter cake with vanilla ice cream, and above right: the "Chocolate Cube", a thin dark chocolate cube filled with a chocolate mousse and dark chocolate mini chunks.
"Make Your Own Drink" Bar

The restaurant also had a really cool bar station where you could create your own drink:

above left: first you picked the base, either champagne or a selection of high quality vodkas. above right: next you picked a mixer, such as some kind of pear nectar, a lychee nectar, a lemongrass nectar and other interesting things.

above left: finally, you could drop in a chunk of fresh fruit, which had been marinating in some other delicious liquor. It was really an amazing drink! above right: Me and the girls enjoy our unique beverages on the way out to the car.
We ended up smuggling our drinks outside of the restaurant where the car was waiting for us. Here I am (at left) enjoying my creation: Champagne and Pear nectar with a dash of fresh fruit. It was really delicous and a nice way to end a delicious meal. So, if you are ever in New York and go to this restaurant, be sure to check out this bar feature, it's difficult to explain but is really quite unique. Mags- if you read this, check out their website.

Off to Madison Square Garden..
Soon we were on our way to Madison Square Garden for the second evening of the Westminster Dog Show. It was cold and snowing quite hard. Actually, it was sleeting-which made it difficult to navigate around the city. Fortunately I wasn't driving and was able to relax while our driver dealt with the elements! Even though the weather was a bit gnarly, it was beautiful. New York is a magical city pretty much anytime of the year.

above: The snowflakes in New York were coming down heavy...soon it was a winter wonderland.

-Rick Rockhill

Rick's Roadshow in New York: The Westminster Dog Show

Rick's Roadshow in New York continues with coverage of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show held at Madison Square Garden. This year's competition features a total of 2,596 dogs from 169 different breeds or varieties of dogs. During the day, there is judging by breed, and at night is the main competition and judging by group. This is a an intensely competitive sport; each dog that shows must be already be a champion for their breed in order to enter the main ring. As each round of competitions proceed, groups of prize-winning, well-bred dogs are eliminated to find the dog with the highest standard of perfection. From the 169 breeds, the dogs are whittled down to the seven groups: Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, Non-Sporting, and Herding. On Tuesday night, after the remaining groups are judged, there will be one final round with the finest dog within each group- yet there can only be one dog that wins. That dog emerges as known as the Best In Show!

above and below: photos from the Hound group line up.

Excitement Backstage...


above: I started the day back stage, touring the benches where all the dogs were "staged" by breed. I had time to observe the dogs getting groomed, and last minute coaching refresher courses from their trainers. Some dogs were excited. Others were irritated by the other dogs barking. And some dogs decided it was all much ado about nothing and were quite happily sleeping amidst all the chaos of the day



above: this "Bouviers des Flandres" dog was happy with all the attention and excitement.

Junior Showmanship Preliminaries

One interesting feature of the afternoon was the Junior Showmanship Competition, an event where young handlers in training can learn the sport of showing dogs and be part of the Westminster Kennel Club.


above and below: the Junior handlers have a go at the competitions and test out their skills as up-and-coming professionals.

It was a great first day of the Westminster Show...I am already excitment about tomorrow's competition and am speculating the eventual Best In Show winner! Look for me on TV Tuesday night, I'll be sitting behind the judges!

Ricks Roadshow in New York: The Dog Show Begins

Day Four of Rick's Roadshow in New York is the start of the 132nd Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, the reason I have come to New York. Over the past three days I have spent time meeting the top handlers, trainers, breeders and show dog owners at various functions. Dog breeding and showing is considered a sport and is taken very seriously by this Kennel Club; although it is a group that loves dogs and has fun every step of the way. It is also a big business. Collectively, millions of dollars are spent around breeding and training pure bred show dogs. Breeding for the best traits of the breed: stature, temperment, form and of course, the coat, and ever important haircut. I love dogs (and all animals really), and this is a lot of fun to watch unfold. It's all about the dogs, of course...and the people with a passion for the dog's lineage. I'm fortunate to be attending the show as a guest of the show sponsor, Pedigree brand dog food, who will be showing some great TV commercials on the broadcast of the Dog Show. I'll be at Madison Square Garden over the next two days, mixing and mingling with the handlers and judges. Maybe you'll see me on TV as I'll be ringside on the court!

above: Me hamming it up holding up my end of a huge dog biscuit at a dog adoption benefit on Sunday night.
-Rick Rockhill

Rick's Roadshow in New York: Sunday Brunch...and Dinner

Rick's Roadshow in New York continues with all sorts of things today. It was part business and part leisure. Sunday brunch at The Waldorf is one of the finest in all of Manhattan, it never disappoints. It has an enormous variety of dishes, from all the traditional breakfast items, with omlette stations and even an eggs benedict station that makes variations using lobster, pork or salmon. They had a Beef Wellington that was out of this world, and a leg of Lamb that was incredible. There were all sorts of cheeses, fresh prosciutto ham, and a fresh seafood station that would even tempt Dr Wang. Lobster, King Crab legs, Oysters, and Shrimp galore.

above: The Seafood station was amazing and popular with the guests.

above: The dessert station was so tempting...creme brulee, mousse, tarts, flan, a chocolate fountain, and all kinds of pastries and cakes.

above: one of my favorite desserts, some kind of layered chocolate thing, topped with real gold flakes...so decadent!

above: I just liked all the fresh orchids throughout the brunch area, it made it feel so festive.
Dinner at "Bouley"
Sunday evening I had dinner at an interesting restaurant called "Bouley", located on Broadway and Duane Street in the TriBecca area of Manhattan. I went with the tasting menu, which consisted of the following:

• Organic Connecticut Farm Egg steamed with Black TruffleSerrano Ham, Parmesan Reggiano and 25-Year Old Balsamic Vinegar
• Sashimi Tuna with Shaved Fennel dressed in Herb Oils and a Spicy Marinade
• Wild King Salmon with Morels, Crosnes, Morel Purée,Fava Beans grilled a la plancha, Naval Orange Powder, and Clementine Glaze
• Organic Colorado Rack of Lambwith homemade Sheep Milk Ricotta Gnocchi, Rocket Salad, Fava Beans,Fresh Sage, and Zucchini-Mint Purée
• Texas Pink Grapefruit Soupinfused with Green Cardomon, Star Anise, and Tahitian Vanilla with Campari Sugar and Fromage Blanc Sorbet
• Hot Valrhona Chocolate Soufflé with Vermont Maple Ice Cream, Vanilla Ice Cream and Chocolate Sorbet
  

above: the entrance to Bouley was quite unique- a wall of fresh apples all lined up from floor to ceiling, which greeted diners with a sweet smell of apples.

There are two different dining rooms, above is the "white dining room"

above: the "red dining room", which is where I dined. It was a fun evening with a diverse menu.