CLEARWATER - Her mother walked the runway in many beauty pageants, but Denise Clapper was content to stay behind the scenes, learning instead to create beautifully coiffed hairdos for contestants and models. Now, at age 50, she is still behind the scenes, extolling the achievements of another beauty queen: her dog, Champion Pillow Talk's No Secrets, Carly for short.
Carly, a 3-year-old bichon frise, hit the gene pool jackpot. Blessed with oodles of white corkscrew curls, round, dark eyes, a perfect bite, great bone structure and a floating gait, she's so perfect that she almost looks stuffed.On May 5, Carly was named Best of Breed and Best in Show at the Bichon Frise Club of America's 31st National Specialty show in Lancaster, Pa. It's the most celebrated breed-specific competition nationally. Carly surpassed 238 other white powder puff rivals during the three-day competition, making her the top bichon in the country. At the same show, her sibling, Cosmo, won Best of Opposite Sex. It was the first time in the show's history that littermates shared such honors. And in February, Carly was named Best of Opposite Sex in the bichon group at the prestigious Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. She will be back at Westminster in February 2007. "It's like watching your child win the Miss America pageant," said Clapper, owner of Your Hair by Denise, a Palm Harbor salon. "You don't know the nerves, the ups and downs, the thrill of the win. It's a hobby, a sport - an addiction."
Though great genes help, it also takes drive, self-confidence and attitude to be top dog. "The dog has to want it," Clapper said. She became interested in show breeding after attending a competition with a friend in 1991. "I loved the excitement and the pageantry. And I loved the fact that dogs were being bred to be in their best possible condition, both health and appearance" she said. When she began as a show breeder, Clapper used her hairdressing skills to groom her bichon named Piaget, . She fashioned cuts to accentuate her features: a round head, cylindered legs and a well-plumed tail.
But Piaget lost a lot at first. With a bit of expertise from professional handlers and groomers, Piaget became a champion. Later, Ch.Piaget Marjohn, was bred and produced, Ch. Piaget' Ikon of Love (Tyson) became the No. 14 bichon in the country in 1997. Clapper's other bichon, Piaget's Fine Line of Koblenz (Soleil), once ranked 25th in the country in 1998. A few years ago, Clapper was looking for another dog, after relocating to Florida, when she met Connecticut breeders Tracy and Lori Kornfeld, whose dogs were scoring a lot of wins. A partnership was born. Bred by the Kornfelds (who owned the dam) and Mary and Kathie Vogel (who shipped the frozen sperm), Carly was born as a "pupsicle," a genetically engineered specimen designed to have perfect beauty, health and temperament. Her father was on the road being shown at the time.
Carly throughout puppyhood but now follows from afar the achievements of her four-legged pride and joy. She must travel to a dog show to see her dog, which she does when she can. Carly became a career girl at 10 months and travels around the country attending dog shows almost every weekend with her professional handler and groomer, Lisa Bettis. The Kornfelds, the Vogels and Amy Donnell from Ohio also share ownership of the dog. The bichon boasts her own Web site, www.pillowtalkbichons.com/carly.htm
Neither Clapper nor Kornfeld would reveal what it costs to sponsor a high-maintenance dog like Carly. Clapper compared it to putting a child through college. Kornfeld said emphatically that it is not a moneymaking proposition. "We do it for the fun and for the love of the dog," he said. "This is not a business. Do we make money? No. Do we lose money? Tons of it." She did say that some show breeders spend into the six and seven figures annually. "Some fly their dogs around to competitions in private jets. It just depends on what you want to put into it," she said. "It's a lot to pay for a closet full of ribbons and trophies." "We share everything," Clapper said. "We not only share expenses, but we share our laughter, our applause and our tears."
L'Etoile Bichons