Jake's Page
CKC and AKC Top Dog
World Champion 2007
2008 National Coursing Finalist

Jake finally broke the all time CKC Best in Show Record for a basenji, at the beginning of the year 2007, and consolidated these wins, making him the all time record holder as well as holder of the all time total dogs defeated and dogs defeated in a year record for CKC.  He finished as number 2 Top Dog Hound in 2006, with over 5,000 dog defeated points. In additional, Jake, became the World Winner Basenji in May 2007, at the World Show in Mexico City.  He repeated his winner title for SICALAM and for the FCI Las Americas and Caribbean Title in Costa Rica and Puerto Rico, respectively, in the year 2007. 

       Jake's, most unusual achievement, was he earned his Grand Champion Title, a new acquired degree began by the CKC, when his handler Larry Clark, put a CGN on Jake at the beginning of 2007.  This made Jake first hound to have a Grand Champion Title and he still remains the only basenji so to do.  

     As usual, we are never clear on where we are with CKC's statistics as the year 2007 ends.  We do know that Jake will be a Top Dog basenji and a Top Dog hound in the year 2007.  He has qualified again in Eukanuba, both in Canada and the US.  He has qualified as a Top 25 Basenji in the AKC statistics, with very little showing. Jake is a very young dog.  He turned 4, as the year ended.  However, this is Jake's 3^rd year as a Top Dog Hound and he has decided that in 2008, after a trip to Westminister, he will try his hand at coursing and obedience.  

Jake, should also, based on the championing of his many puppies, by the end of the year 2007, be placed on the stud dog honor roll, both in Canada and the US.  There will never be another dog like Jake, his legend continues.  

        Jake - CKC Top Dog 2005, 2006, AKC Top Twenty Dog 2006.  Jake began his specials career in Canada early in the 2005 season.  Barely beyond his puppy year, we knew he could accomplish great things and he did.  He is now MBIS PBIS Champion (AKC, CKC, FCPR, JRFCPR, CO, GRCO, GUA, GRGUA, PA, GRPA, FCI, SICLAM) Ahmahr Nahr’s Jake Jamul to Mibre, SC.   

       Jake finished the 2005 in Canada as a Top Basenji in dogs defeated at the breed level, number of breed wins and dogs defeated at the all breed level.  He won the two trophies at the Basenji Club of Canada symbolizing these wins. 

       He was ranked as the Top Dog Basenji by the CKC and a Top Dog Hound having a 7 finish.  As reported in the CKC statistics for the year, the number of dogs defeated by Jake in the 2005 year, exceeded by many times the number of dogs ever defeated by a Basenji in the past, in fact in excess of 2500 - more than double the number that made Siete, Top Dog of the year 2004.   

       This was just starters for Jake.  He loves to show more than life itself.  He also has acquired a maturity during the 2006 year so that he now understands the difference between winning and losing - and not just the sheer joy of showing.  I do not know if this is a good thing, but it is interesting to see a dog mature in this way.  Siete always seemed to know this but Siete was an older dog when he became a Top Dog.   

        We started out the year wanting to make sure that Jake had a second season as the Top Basenji in Canada and as the Top Dog Hound.  We wanted to make sure that he was a Top Twenty Dog in the U.S. and qualified for the Top Twenty contest at the Basenji Club of America Specialty.  Jake accomplished this.  Indeed, he qualified in Canada for the Eukanuba for the year 2006 and based on his 2006 wins, he qualifies for the year 2007.  In addition, he qualified in the U.S. directly for the Eukanuba in the year 2006 - an amazing accomplishment for a foreign show dog.  As the year finishes, and Jake has not been shown at an all breed show in the United States, since early summer, he is Number 21 in Basenjis defeated and Number 13 all breed dogs defeated. 

         It was our plan for Jake to go to the FCI Las Americas and Carribean shows in Columbia in March 2006 and do well and then to go to the SICALAM Championships in Guatemala in October of 2006 and do well.  Jake did not disappoint.  Jake went to the shows in Columbia and won the title of Top Basenji and Top Spitz in Primitive Group Dog at the Section Shows.   

        In addition, at that cluster, Jake won a Best in Show and a Second and Third Reserve Best in Show as well as three Group One wins and four Breed wins.   

       In so doing, he defeated the Number One Dog All Breed in Columbia - also a Basenji.  His owners Frank Zyndaman and Alvaro Gonzales were very gracious to us in Columbia and we thank them for their assistance.   

       We enjoyed Columbian showing at the Polo Club and meeting all the Columbians.  We also enjoyed our wonderful hotel with a balcony garden.  It was an incredible experience despite the rain and despite the fact that we showed late into the night.  

       Jake won several Group placements in the U.S. as well as an Award of Merit at the Washington Specialty in January in the U.S. (Click here for Video clip) He qualified as a Top Twenty dog for the U.S. National and showed at the Top Twenty competition.  He received a nine out of ten from Judge John Reeve Newson, the only judge of the three who actually graded him in the Top Twenty competition.   

      Unfortunately, the politics of these competitions still overrides the desire to really put up the best dogs.  Time and again this year, we were reminded of the fact that it is unfortunate that Breed Club members cannot remember it is important - first, to support their breed and - second, to support their own dog.  This is a good lesson and one that it is unfortunate that we Basenji owners cannot learn.  Remember, we all win when a good Basenji wins -  not just when our Basenji wins.   

       The U.S. showing provided a good arena (for those folks who had not seen Jake) to see him and appreciate his finer qualities.  Jake is truly a specials Basenji and no Basenji looks better in the specials ring.  

       Jake went once again as an adult in the SICALAM championships to Guatemala in October.  He is the SICALAM Basenji 2006 as well as the Spitz and Primitive Group winner.  He won a Reserve Best in Show at the SICALAM shows.  In addition, at that show circuit, he won a Best in Show under renowned international Judge Miguel Martinez at the International Show and a Reserve Best in Show under international Judge Raphael Santiago.  He had four Best of Breed wins, three Group One wins, one Group Two win, Best in Show and two Reserve Best in Shows for the weekend - the best record of any dog at the circuit.   

      We once again got to see all of our international friends in Guatemala and further plan for a trip to the World Show in May 2007.   

       It was our plan at the time to go to Mexico for the year-end Christmas shows in December.  We set up our entire year to make this trip and to take Jake, Madam and Beaux.  Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate.  Temperatures reached -17 c. in Calgary on the day Jake was to depart with Larry for Mexico City.  Needless to say, Jake was not going to Mexico.   

       The Mexico City shows were the same weekend as the Eukanuba Classic in Long Beach.  We had entered Jake, as well as Madam (both of whom qualified) because we felt he deserved the publicity of the rank and wins had gotten him in the U.S.  When he couldn’t go to Mexico City, we decided we would see if the weather had warmed up by Friday to see if he could go to Long Beach.  It had and he did.   

       The Long Beach shows are a difficult show site.  It is huge; hard to access; and not particularly owner friendly.  Because we really had not planned to go, we had both Jake and Madam entered in regular classes and neither entered and bred by exhibitor.   

       It was a shame - they both showed so well.  We actually think we could’ve done something on both fronts had we entered the show with the intention of going.  Nevertheless, in the end it came down to a contest between two brindle dogs, Jake or a California brindle.  The California dog got Best Breed and Jake got the first Award of Merit.  We were delighted with this award considering he showed as a foreign dog and considering he had not been in the competition for four years as the California dog had been.   

       It came down to a contest between Madam and another California dog for Best of Opposite.  Madam did not win out.  It is unfortunate as we have said that she could not have been in bred by exhibitor but then again, she could not have been shown by her fine handler, Melissa Turner, who showed her with great style.  Madam is a very young girl and will have this opportunity again.   

       Jake, as a result of this win, won one of the qualifying spots for Crufts for the year 2007 and 2008.  Of course, Jake also qualifies for this by virtue of being an FCI Champion.  We are grateful for the additional placement and will give some thought to taking it.  At any rate, we will certainly do the Titer Test and go from there because you never know what the year 2007 will bring.  

      We were doing quite well in the middle of the year when it occurred to us that Jake might actually have the opportunity to break the All Time Basenji Best in Show record in Canada.  Ten Best in Shows.  The last dog to do so broke this record over a seven year time period (we are told).  Jake was on year two.  So guess what?  On December 29, 2006, Kitchener Ontario, Jake tied that record with a Best in Show win at  Elora Gorge Kennel Club under  Judge Carol Graham.  
                                             
      Jake will try to break the record for Canadian Best in Show Wins by a Basenji in the year 2007.  This year with over 5,000 dogs defeated at the All Breed level, Jake has once again far surpassed and even doubled the number of dogs defeated in All Breed level by a Basenji in Canada.   

     In October 2006, immediately upon his return from the SICLAM championships, Jake won one of the top honors in Canadian “dog-dom” when he won a Best in Show Lower Mainland Dog Fanciers 2006 cluster under a Japanese hound specialist Judge.  It was the belief- of most dog people we know in Canada - that this would make Jake Number One Hound for the year 2006.  I do not fall into that category. Unfortunately, at this time it is our belief that Jake will only be number two.  Considering that we started out with the idea that we only wanted to be Top Basenji and one of the top ten hounds, we cannot be disappointed in this finish.   

     We believe that a lovely Saluki Ruffles may very well have exceeded Jake’s total of all breed dogs defeated.  This would not be a surprise to us as Ruffles showed all year back in Ontario with a larger number of dogs available to defeat.  Additionally Ruffles did not show in the U.S. and Latin America at the same time.  Ruffles is seven and if that’s the way the year turns out, and in Canada we won’t know it until somewhere between April and July, then that is the way it turns out.   

       This was a race we did not plan to win and when we figured out we were in this race at the first part of November, we gave it our best shot. Unfortunately, it is hard to win a race if you don’t know you’re in it until the last two months of the year.  We did what we could but unfortunately, there were many, many good dogs out vying for the same Best in Show wins.   

       When you show in the prairies in the west, the only way to the top is, in fact, through these Best in Show wins.  It is my inclination to think that if Jake had broken the Best in Show record this year, rather than tied it, he may have, in fact, been Number One Hound.  I do not think that was to be.  I’m hoping with the number of points he earned, it may put him in the Top Ten All Breed dogs.  This was also not part of our plan at the beginning of the year, and it is almost more than you could hope for, but it is certainly something that he deserves.   

        It is rare that a Basenji, not a particularly popular dog, can attain such an achievement.  Canadian  Breed Judge James Reynolds once told me that not only did a dog have to be good to win; he had to be liked by the judges who judged it.  Mr. Reynolds is correct and you can see the effect of overall breed popularity in Top Dog rankings the world over.  This is a good lesson to the Basenji folks who should remember first and foremost the importance to support their breed so that it does achieve a wider popularity.   

       Jake in this year has grown up and become a charmer.  He is now able to plan and strategize; we saw this in the two coursing races he was able to run and win in Shawnee.  I see this every time I visit him in his ability to find the treats, organize the treats, dispense them among his fellow Basenjis in every motel room across Canada and the U.S.   

       When Jake shows in the group ring or in the Best in Show ring, it sends a chill down your spine. He is beautiful to watch in the big ring. The partnership between him and his handler is an incredible one.  This is the stuff of which great show dogs are made.  

Jake continued his winning ways in the next year.  See the section of this site, entitled, “2007 Season.”  Jake became the first Basenji Grand Champion in the history of the Canadian Kennel Club.  He obtained his CGN title and obtained multiple Best in Shows and the requisite number of points in the year 2007.  In the 2008 year, Jake remains still the only CKC Grand Champion of Record.  In addition, in 2007 Jake became World Champion Basenji at the World Show in Mexico City.  He finished the year showing in both CKC and AKC circles as a “Top Dog Hound” on the CKC and a “Top Dog” basenji in  the AKC and qualified again for the Eukanuba Classic.  Jake repeated his title as the Sicalam Basenji Champion for all of Latin America in 2007,  and he won the section title at the FCI Las Americas and Caribbean Show in Puerto Rico.  Jake finished the 2007 year as the No. 2 hound in Canada and second only to another Basenji bitch who is a very nice girl.  Unfortunately for Jake he showed in Western Canada, at the mercy of fewer and smaller shows, and of course he also showed in the United States and internationally during the year.  Nevertheless through the 2008 year, he retains his position as the all time CKC “Best in Show” winning Basenji.

In 2008, Jake came to the United States to prove that he could do what Basenji’s are bred to do and that is hunt in the open field.  A modern day test for field hunting is called, “lure coursing” and Basenji’s, in hunt in race fashion, an electrified bunny over treacherous and twisting terrain at timed trials.  Jake had earlier obtained his Junior Courses title which proved that he had instinct to perform these tasks, even though no one ever thought he could really do it.  He surprised them.  In five (5) straight wins, including three majors, he earned his Senior Courses title and became a AKC Field Champion.  This is pretty much unheard of.  AKC also awarded him then the title of “Dual Champion.”   Jake is now GCH DC Ahmahr Nahr’s Jake Tamal Tommibre SC CGN.  Jake performed so well that we decided that we could compete with the big boys and try the Top Ten lure coursing race here in the U.S.  This is quite a feat considering that we only have two (2) annual meets in New Mexico, probably six (6) days at trials in all at trials of the surrounding states.  This meant that Jake had to travel from the East coast to the West coast, and travel he did, making new friends and winning wherever he went.  At the end of the year,   engaged in very limited competition he finished No. 2 in the United States to a very nice dog from the South that has the ability to race at home every weekend.  What Jake did do that nobody else did, was something that we never dreamed that he could do, that he won the AKC National Lure Coursing finals in Seattle in October 2008.  Besides being awarded the AKC prizes, he was awarded the Basenji Club of America traveling trophy “The Take” for his performance.  Jake also continued his obedience training.  Once again, in the 2008 year he qualified for the Eukanuba Classic.  We entered him, but due to prior coursing commitments, and my coming down with the flu, Jake did not make the show.

The thing that amazed us most during the year was to watch how Jake came home to course, still a puppy, turned into the world champion versatile adult that he now is.  Very few people have the opportunity to take up the Top Dog circuit more than once.  We believe Jake has these credentials and so he has gone back to Canada in the 2009 year with his old handler, Larry Clark, to finish what he started in Canada, and internationally.

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