Posts tagged "shawn johnson"

Olympic gold medal gymnast Shawn Johnson adores dogs. "I'm a huge animal lover," Johnson told Paw Nation. "I have a golden retriever named Tucker and I love him. He's my life."

Johnson was a special guest at the opening ceremony of the 2009 Eukanuba World Challenge in Long Beach, Calif. earlier this month. "It's a lot of fun to be here," Johnson told Paw Nation. "I've never been to a dog show before."

With 41 different countries participating this year, the Eukanuba World Challenge is the Olympics of dog shows. Each country sent their top champion dog to compete for the title of World Challenge Winner and win a grand prize of $10,000. There was a Saluki from Sweden; a wire fox terrier from Brazil; a puli from Australia; a poodle from South Korea; and a Staffordshire bull terrier from South Africa -- just to name a few.

Representing the United States was Holly, the pointer who was last year's Best in Show winner at the AKC/Eukanuba National Championship. "Of course we're going to try to win," Holly's handler, Michael Scott, told Paw Nation minutes before entering the show ring carrying the American flag. "We're representing our country."