Keith Paladino walks Lola, a 3-year-old beagle who lives in Howell, around the ring during the recent Westminster Dog Show at Madison Square Garden in New York City. HOWELL — Her name is Lola. She is a show dog who strutted her stuff as a champion beagle in the 134th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show held at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Feb. 15.
Her owners, Nora and Mike McCormick, recent Howell residents from Belmar, were thrilled with her performance.
“She hit every mark and showed lots of enthusiasm, and that is all we could ask of her,” said Nora (Eichvalds) McCormick. “A big kiss afterward was all she needed to know that she made everyone happy. Oh, and a steak dinner didn’t hurt.”
McCormick explained that Lola is 3 years old and is ranked No. 7 all-breed national champion for beagles in the under-13-inch beagle variety — less than 13 inches in height from the shoulder. Her longtime handler in the ring was Keith R. Paladino from northern New Jersey.
“The competition was extremely tough this year, and eight of the 13 entries were ranked in the top 20 in the nation for under-13-inch beagle variety,” McCormick said. “It is an honor just to be invited to Westminster, where champions compete against champions from around the country and the world.”
Lola’s registered American Kennel Club name is Ch Tesoros Winner Takes It All; Ch (for champion), Tesoros (the kennel in Texas from where she came) and Winner Takes It All after the Abba song.
The lyrics of a hit 1978 song, “Copacabana,” sung by Barry Manilow gave the beagle her everyday name, Lola.
“The words of the song, ‘Her name was Lola. She was a showgirl,’ were going around in my head, and I decided that Lola was it,” said Mc- Cormick.
She said Lola was invited to last year’s Westminster show but at only 2 years old was considered exceptionally young to be competing at that level. Lola started competing at 6 months of age and by 1 year of age had her championship ranking, said McCormick, who is a certified athletic trainer at Shore Regional High School in West Long Branch.
This year, she said, more than 2,500 champion dogs from around the world competed at the Westminster show. Both days of the event were sold out at Madison Square Garden. A soldout show means at least 20,000 tickets sold.
“We stayed at the Hotel Pennsylvania in New York City and were told that 1,200 rooms in that hotel were booked for the dog show,” said Mc- Cormick. “Lola seemed to recognize where she was and immediately took off for the Green Room where the media gathers.”
The Hotel Pennsylvania, she said, converts its ballroom into a dog park (for potty breaks) with pine shavings on the floor, fire hydrants, plants and a fence to separate the girl and boy dogs. Lola loves going down to the dog park to meet the other dogs, said McCormick.
On the day of Lola’s competition, Mc- Cormick said, the beagle had her usual breakfast of homemade chicken and rice and was carried across the street from the hotel to Madison Square Garden for her 11:45 a.m. ring call. Afterward, Lola remained in her crate until 8 p.m., with 10-minute potty breaks.
“It’s tricky getting your dog to be at its very best for those few minutes in the ring with all the noise, heat and new scents, plus considering their own sleep and eating patterns,” said Mc- Cormick. “Lola presented herself beautifully in the ring.”
When Lola is not competing, she is a family pet with a mischievous nature and a love of adventure, such as following deer and rabbit scents in the neighborhood.
“She loves to hide things under the bed and other places,” said McCormick. “We are constantly on our hands and knees collecting our things.”
McCormick said Lola is her first show dog and said the first dog show she ever attended was the 2006 Westminster show, a birthday gift from her husband, Mike, a captain for American Airlines who wholeheartedly supports her new hobby.
The McCormicks also have a 7-year-old beagle, Bailey, a tracking dog with a good nose for search and rescue, plus birds and fish, she said.
What is next for Lola? Motherhood and passing on her show dog talents to her puppies.
“Lola has a beautiful bloodline; we hope for puppies soon,” McCormick said. “Our kennel will be called Mikora [combination of Mike and Nora], and I just can’t wait for her puppies.”