September 21, 2006

Almaden’s Sue Korp has a new star to pursue the elusive grand prize

By Karl Laucher
Staff Writer

Sue Korp of Almaden climbed to the top, becoming the toast of New York when her beautiful Doberman pinscher “Indy” bow-wow-wowed ‘em by winning the most prestigious bone in all of dogdom: the Westminster Kennel Club’s Best of Show crown in 1989.

Sue Korp and “Jessi” pose during the Redwood Empire Doberman Pinscher novice competition. Photo by Karl Laucher

Indy, who passed away a few years ago at age 12, had the registered name of CH Royal Tudor’s Wild as the Wind UDTX. That “CH” stands for champion, and the “UDTX” for her advanced obedience degrees. Her triumph at Madison Square Garden gave her supremacy over more than 69,000 dogs that competed in preliminary competitions around the world that year.

Prance ahead nearly two decades, and you will find Korp enjoying the prospects of yet another great champion. This time it is “Indy’s” granddaughter, “Jessi,” who also appears to be on the scent of something profound.

“She is spectacular in obedience,” Korp says of Jessie who holds the registered name Platinum’s Black Again. “Jessie,” age 2 and a half, collected the “Open Black Class” (other colors are red, brown and fawn) last week during a competition in Petaluma. Sue and “Jessi” will travel to Denver later this month stalking Doberman Pinscher national honors in novice obedience.

Korp, a nation-trotting supervisor for Met Life insurance, said that as a “type-A personality” she enjoys the competition. ”Jessi,” she notes, “has a lot of attitude. She thinks life is pretty fun and just a big game.”