Why do we keep showing up?

Why Do We Keep Showing Up?

As football season rolls in and we prepare for another round of Fall Labrador Specialties, there’s that familiar buzz in the air—sports rankings, team predictions, athlete stats… and in our world, dog show points, pedigrees, and standings. The two might seem worlds apart, but really, they’re not so different.

In both arenas, we often lose more than we win. So why do we keep showing up?

Take us Mountaineer fans. We’re the toughest bunch I know. We just rehired a coach who once left us in the lurch—on the cusp of a national championship, no less—all for money and politics. So why bring him back?

Because we want to win.
Because we believe.
Because our love for our players, our team, our school, and our state runs deep—deeper than wins and losses.
That kind of passion puts the Labrador show world into perspective. We spend thousands of dollars, travel coast to coast, chase judges and points, and yet… that’s not really why we show up.
We show up for the buzz—the crates unloading, dogs getting brushed, the hustle and bustling, friends laughing (Grant cursing lol). But that all fades into something richer.

We show up for the people.
The familiar faces.
The ones we love—and maybe even the ones we love to hate a little.

We get caught in conversations, forget our numbers, get to the ring late or miss a class—not because we don’t care, but because we care so much about each other.
We show up for the dogs. The ones we’ve bred, fed, groomed, trained, and loved with everything we have. And sure, we want that judge’s nod. But when it doesn’t come—and it often doesn’t—it’s the comments from the many trusted friends that stick with us longer than any ribbon:

“Wow—what’s the breeding on her?”
“You’ve got a really nice one there.”

Those words, those connections—they matter.

We show up for the margaritas and lobster dinners
For the raffle baskets full of things we already have too much of.
For the friends who lend us dryers, bait, squeakers, or a shoulder to cry on when things go sideways.

We show up for each other.
To help ringside.
To cheer someone’s young hopeful.
To mourn the losses and celebrate the legacies.
To swap stories and grooming secrets.
To hold puppies and hold hearts.

Because in the end, it’s never “just a dog show.”

It’s so much more.
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And that—that—is why we keep showing up.