When Latitude Margaritaville Hilton Head residents James and Suzanne Brady followed up on a Facebook post about rehoming a retriever named Ruger , little did they know they would be bringing home a soon-to-be canine super star .
The couple spoke with Ruger ’ s owner who explained that Ruger exemplifies the best characteristics of his breed , but she could no longer keep him . Therefore , she was searching for just the right folks who would agree to enter him in show competition , and not neuter the beautiful dog so that he could contribute to the gene pool of his breed .
The Bradys were not deterred and decided to head to Kentucky to meet the four-year-old flatcoated retriever . They immediately fell in love with Ruger , and he soon was ensconced as king of the castle at their Latitude Margaritaville Hilton Head home .
And he certainly has risen to royalty in the ring as well . Shown under his registered name , Stoneridge Shot Through the Heart , Ruger became the top dog in his breed in the country in just four months of limited showings .
He was entered in the largest show in the U . S ., the American Kennel Club ( AKC ) National Championship in Orlando . There were 195 AKC recognized breeds and over 5,000 dogs entered . Ruger won points all four days and became a champion .
“ We were trying to decide if we were going to take the next step in showing Ruger ,” says James . “ Being new to all of this , we really didn ’ t know how good he was . However , everyone told us that becoming a champion in a week was unheard of . In addition , he was clearly enjoying it . His tail was always wagging and his ‘ look at me ’ attitude displayed enthusiasm and confidence .”