Samoyed Club of America spends time in Kingsport

KINGSPORT — The Samoyed Club of America is wrapping up its time in Kingsport this week. Kathleen Farlow, SCA president, said the national specialty competition at MeadowView Conference Resort & Convention Center is winding down. Dogs have participated in companion performance events as well as competitive confirmation events. The Top 20 are set to compete throughout Friday, where a winner and a People's Choice award will be given out. "This is a fantastic city, we've enjoyed being here," she said. "The restaurants, the food is good. Everybody has been commenting that they have gone to so many different good restaurants." Farlow further expressed their appreciation for the convention center, who she said has been "wonderful to the dogs" and welcoming to the handlers and vendors. SCA representatives said over 300 dogs have participated throughout the course of the competition and 150 are expected to take part in the Best of Breed contest on Saturday. About the breed Farlow said she has done a lot of interviews recently since celebrity couple Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce shared photos of their Samoyed pet. The breed originated in Siberia, which she said is why they are double-coated. "They're one of the oldest breeds, over 4,000 years old," she mentioned. "... What [the breed] did was they were part of the families. The families would travel across the ice, and they needed them to help them herd their reindeer." According to Farlow, the breed is not heavy haulers or intended for racing like some of the other Northern breeds, but have always been very cuddly and helped keep families warm. "They're not a guard dog," she shared "They're a companion dog, family companion dog, and most of them are just true sweethearts." To learn more about SCA, visit https://www.samoyedclubofamerica.org/.