Local breeder wins top honors

Three dogs raised by Ri Lee Kennels of Oconto Falls placed high among the 5,756 canines entered in the AKC National Championship Dec. 15-17 in Orlando, Florida.

Local breeder owner handler Nikkie Kinziger-Francois of Ri Lee Kennels and GCH Ri Lee’s Diamond of Faith, better known as Ivy, finished as the No. 1 owner-handled Tibetan Terrier in the National Owner Handler Series (NOHS). They competed against other finalists in the series and won Best of Breed.

They then went on to compete in the NOHS Group where they placed fourth, defeating 75 other owner handlers. Ivy is only the third Tibetan Terrier to win honors in the Owner Handler Group since the inception of this category in 2013. With a total entry of 31 Tibetan Terriers, Nikkie and Ivy further went on to win Select Female and Best Bred By Exhibitor on Dec. 16.

GCH Ri Lee’s Dreams Etched in Diamonds, Vivienne (with handler Parker Lourier), and CH Ri Lee’s Diamond Paragon, Bradley (with co-owner Tracy Doty) also represented Ri Lee Kennels at the National Championship and were also honored with Best of Opposite Sex and second Award of Merit.

For more information on Ri Lee Kennels, visit its Facebook page or www.rileekennels.com.