SubmittedThe owner of Jack, a Yorkshire terrier, is looking for sponsors.

Jack is a contender.

He’s knocked out most of his competitors in rings across the country from Denver to D.C.

Now all he needs is a ticket to get to his title shot at Madison Square Garden in February.

His leash is ready.

Jack is a Yorkshire terrier with a champion’s pedigree and titles from dog shows across the country to prove it.

Owner Anna Stringer has been breeding Yorkshire terriers for 25 years with plenty of show dogs in that time, but Jack is, in a sense, a breed apart.

“Most people wait a lifetime for a dog like this,” Stringer said.

Based on his performance in dog shows around the country, Jack is the No. 1-rated Yorkie in the nation.

Stringer, who aside from breeding Yorkies runs the Precious Pets grooming business in Bowling Green, bred Jack from a long line of top show dogs.

“His father was a champion and it goes back five generations,” Stringer said.

Texas-based Tonia Holibaugh has been showing dogs professionally for 14 years and has been taking Jack to shows around the country on Stringer’s behalf since January.

“He’s really wonderful. He’s got a pretty color, a wonderful coat and an incredible temperament – he’s very outgoing and he loves everybody,” Holibaugh said,

The American Kennel Club has standards of what each breed ideally should look like, which are used in judging dog shows. Jack’s success comes in part because “he’s one of the best examples of a Yorkie,” Holibaugh said.

Jack and his handler are on the road almost every weekend for shows solidifying his top dog status.

A continued top 5 ranking will make him eligible for the pinnacle of dog shows – the Westminster Kennel Club’s 134th annual Dog Show in February at Madison Square Garden in New York.

But there’s a catch: money.

“Over the last six months, sponsors have dwindled away because of the economy,” Stringer said.

Jack’s success comes with a price: Stringer pays his professional handler about $2,000 a month, on top of entry fees, professional photos, travel costs and the requisite advertising in dog aficionado magazines that’s expected of top show dogs.

Holibaugh has shown dogs at previous Westminster shows and believes 3-year-old Jack would do well in the spotlight of the nationally televised event.

The ultimate Westminster prize goes to one dog that is named best in show, but that accolade would be tough for even Jack to achieve, considering there are 2,500 dogs in the running each year and only one Yorkie has ever achieved the top title in the show’s 133 years.

“But I do think he’s got a very good shot at best in breed, which is a great accomplishment,” Holibaugh said.

— For information about sponsorship opportunities, contact Stringer at 781-4742 or via e-mail at ceara98@aol.com.