Welcome to Risgae Show Dogs and the home of Rick Day All-Breed Professional Dog Handling
From an early age, it was evident that animals, specifically dogs, would play an important part in my life. My family learned quickly that if I was not where I was supposed to be, to look in the neighbor's dog house -- one would likely find me there with the neighbor's dog.
As a child, I helped my father breed Beagles and train them for field trials and hunting, which lead to more and more involvement with dogs and their breeding. While I enjoyed the challenges of field trials, my heart was soon lost to the Great Dane which became my first breed for the AKC conformation show ring in 1972. The highlight of my involvement with Great Danes was garnering Best in Sweeps at the Great Dane National Specialty in 1974. Along with the Best in Sweeps, my bitch took the Brood Bitch Class. These large friendly loveable dogs were a great start for a long career in showing dogs both of my own breeding and those of others.
Bichon Frises came into my life in 1979 when friends begged me to finish a Bichon Frise for them. This was Ch. Chablis Clair du Lune and I was able to finish her to her championship that year. The first time she went into the show ring she garnered a 5 point major! I could entertain you for hours with stories about the first time I ever groomed a Bichon for the show ring and the hours that it took me to get her ready. After that I was hooked on the white powder puffs that would be my breed for the next 30 years. If you ask me, I will tell you that I did not pick the breed, they picked me.
The first homebred champion out of Risgae Bichons was Ch. Risgae's Celebration. This typy little bitch loved the ring and finished her championship at the tender age of 9 months.
The past 30 years of breeding Bichons have led to membership in the Bichon Frise Club of America (BFCA), a feature article in the Bichon Frise Reporter and, at last count, 75 champions from my breeding program.
One of the main highlights of my career in Bichons was to take Best in Show Specialty at the National Specialty Show in 1988. The girl that gave me this distinction was Ch. Parfait Ill's -A-Poppin' of Druid owned and loved by Joanne Spillman. Poppin is only one of many champions that I have handled and shown to their championships for grateful and appreciative clients.
Fellow Bichon breeders have asked me to judge the Sweepstakes at the National Specialty show in recognition of my knowledge of and eye for the standard for the breed. I have been recognized for my dogs with Best in Show Specialty at the National Specialty Show in 1988, Best in Sweepstakes at the National Specialty Show in 2003, Best in Show Specialty at the Chicagoland Bichon Frise Club Specialty Show in 2004, and a Best in Show at the Skokie Valley Kennel Club Show in December 2004, and I was awarded BFCA Breeder of the Year in 2006.
