Mackinac Island may be best known for its long-standing equestrian tradition, but the Trophy Room in the
Grand Hotel is all about man's best friend.
Dressed in a light yellow button-down, topped with a sleeveless sweater and Chanel glasses, owner Amelia Musser points out awards and photos of Sadie, the Scottish terrier who earned "Best In Show" honors February at the
134th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, where she is formally known as Ch Roundtown Mercedes of Maryscot.
"She's outstanding," Musser says. "(Winning is) just a once in a lifetime experience. You don't expect that."
The room, new to the Grand, is adorned with ribbons and trophies the jet black terrier has earned, along with wall-sized photos of the Westminster award ceremony.
Musser, who, along with her husband Dan Musser, also own the Grand Hotel, are enthusiastic about Sadie's accomplishments. But now that she's taken top honors, the Mussers are not looking to compete in the future -- unless another potential champion comes their way.
"Once you've won, it's sort of anti-climactic. You've proved your point," Musser says.
Neither are new to the dog show world. Amelia Musser has been breeding terriers for years at her Roundtown Kennel in Laingsburg, Mich, and is a fan of the breed.
The family's pet dog, Fuzz, a 12-year-old Parson Russell terrier, accompanied Musser to the Grand. Dan Musser's office is filled with dog photos and memorabilia -- one bright coral cross-stitched pillow displays Fuzz with his head gleefully hanging outside of an automobile window. A commissioned painting of Sadie has pride of place on the wall, along with other photos and articles dedicated to the champion.
Before Amelia Musser was introduced to Sadie, she had been showing and breeding West Highland white terriers as well as breeding wire fox terriers.
"Your eye just goes to her. She has this beautiful coat, and beautiful personality," she says. "You just want to give her a chance."
After inquiring about Sadie, breeder Mary O'Neil told her to "just have fun with her."
"We just started showing her, and she started winning," Musser says.
At that point, they decided to hire handler
Gabriel Rangel out of California.
The decision wasn't easy, because it meant not seeing Sadie on a regular basis, but Musser says she and her husband knew they needed Gabriel if they were going to take Sadie's career seriously.
Rangel, who grew up in Mexico, has loved dogs since he was a boy. Because his family did not have a large yard, he was not able to keep a dog. So, he offered to walk his neighbors' dogs -- sometimes 10 in a day. By the time he was around 15, he bought a dog on a sort of layaway plan. He left his father's camera at a pet shop as collateral while he made payments on his first puppy, Eagle. At Eagle's first show in Mexico, she won "Best Bitch," he says. Rangel had found his passion.
That passion has helped Sadie win 112 "Best in Show" awards over her career, making her one of only about 30 dogs to boast of such a high number in American Kennel Club history. And, 2009 saw her reach another amazing achievement: she was the No. 1 dog in the United States for the year. The Westminster win early this year was the perfect end to Sadie's career.
"It's like a big dream," Rangel says. "When (Sadie won), you can't describe the emotions."
Westminster proved to be an exciting day for the team, as Sadie took "Best in Show" and joined the other terriers as the winningest group in Westminster. After her big win, she made the rounds on various television appearances.
Rangel is still taking care of Sadie in California. Now 5 years old, she starts her day with a walk, and spends time outdoors, sometimes chasing squirrels. Her routine is the same as it was prior to her win. Rangel handles between 10 and 15 other dogs. While Sadie no longer competes, he does take her to watch competitions.
Even with the win, Rangel remains humble. He says teamwork, with both the Mussers, O'Neil and his mentor, Bob Bartos, contributed to Sadie's success.
Bartos, in his 90s, had much experience with terriers -- something Rangel did not. He gave Rangel tips on grooming and on keeping Sadie motivated.
"We always forget about the people who did it before us," Rangel says. "They have the experience to teach."
He also attributes the success to the freedom the Mussers gave him.
"Amelia and Dan, they are like, as good as it gets," he adds. "They gave me free will. They don't even use the word 'trust,' they make you feel that."
The couple, he says, let him keep all of the competition winnings -- one time, a $50,000 prize that Rangel told Dan he did not need to keep because it was such a large sum. But the Mussers insisted. To thank them, Rangel had the painting of Sadie in front of the Grand commissioned.
In July, Rangel and Sadie visited the island to much fanfare. People would stop to see the dog, and Amelia Musser said it was great press for the hotel.
Now that Sadie is retired, her role may include breeding future terriers. Puppies are always in demand at Roundtown, and there is a waiting list.
Sadie's win, and Rangel's career may have the opportunity to go down in history, and give those outside of the shows a look into the dog world in a possible book. But for now, Rangel is just enjoying his time with Sadie, who he says he would take care of forever. She is ultimately the winner, Rangel says, adding that he couldn't make just any dog win, it had to have the talent to begin with.
"I'm not quite ready to send her away," he says. "I don't want to think about it. It's like a marriage. I just love her so much."
Valerie West is a community editor at The Oakland Press located in Pontiac, Mich. She is the creator of The VALunteer Project, a weekly blog that focuses on volunteering. She obtained her bachelor's degree in English from Northern Michigan University.