photo courtesy of Lisa Croft-Elliott
Weddington greyhound Galathea, with her handler, Taffe McFadden, at The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York City on Feb. 9, where she won best in breed. Owner, Melanie Steele of Weddington said Galathea is serious about her job as a show dog.
Local greyhound winningest in history, takes best in breed at No. 1 dog show
by Deborah Parkhill Mullis
by Deborah Parkhill Mullis
A Weddington greyhound, Galathea, won the best-in-breed title Feb 9 at The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in New York City on February 9 - no small honor coming from one of the oldest and most prestigious dog shows in the country. Still, this win is just another notch on 5-year-old only Galathea’s collar. She’s won more dog show titles than any other greyhound in history.
Owner, Melanie Steele explained Italian-born Galathea’s officially known as “MBIS (Multiple Best in Show), MBISS (Multiple Best in Specialty Show), International, Italian, Swedish, Austrian, Finnish, American Champion: Sobers Galathea at GrandCru”. She’s the champion of record in all the countries that come before her name.
A prodigious pup, Galathea advanced quickly, winning best of breed at the world's largest dog show, Crufts Dog Show in England, at a mere 18 months. It can take up to a year for dogs to meet the preliminary requirements for serious competition, explained Steele. “She is the youngest dog to ever win that for the greyhound breed,” she said.
Steele and her husband, Jackson, own GrandCru Kennels in Weddington. They breed Scottish deerhounds and greyhounds, many of which are champions.
Steele was on a business trip to Italy in September of 2007 when she learned about Galathea. The rambunctious then 3-year-old, with five international titles under her collar already, had injured her hind leg chasing a cat in the garden, and a blood clot formed on her spine. She’d been through rehab but hadn’t recovered enough to be shown.
Steele immediately put in a call to her friend Denis Marcellin-Little, associate professor of orthopedics at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, who agreed to work with Galathea. “Within 24 hours she got on a plane with me and came here,” said Steele, the new owner.
It took more than two months of acupuncture, chiropractics, massage, treadmill work and water therapy before Galathea was ready to compete again. But compete she did, winning best in breed at the AKC-Eukanuba National Invitational Dog Show in December of 2007 and placing third in the hound group there. She was 2008’s No. 1 greyhound and No. 4, which led to her Westminster win.
“Nothing is perfect in this world but she is close,” said Steele, noting that Galathea exudes a regal quality and walks like she’s floating on air. “She is serious about her job as a show dog.”
It took more than two months of acupuncture, chiropractics, massage, treadmill work and water therapy before Galathea was ready to compete again. But compete she did, winning best in breed at the AKC-Eukanuba National Invitational Dog Show in December of 2007 and placing third in the hound group there. She was 2008’s No. 1 greyhound and No. 4, which led to her Westminster win.
“Nothing is perfect in this world but she is close,” said Steele, noting that Galathea exudes a regal quality and walks like she’s floating on air. “She is serious about her job as a show dog.”
Galathea will compete in a couple more dog shows this spring and then mating and maternity leave are penciled into the pooch’s planner. Once the pups are weaned, she’ll likely go after a few international titles that she hasn’t already won, said Steele. That shouldn’t take the talented greyhound too long and then Steele noted, Galathea will become “my sofa queen”.
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