Kaz Hosaka, a distinguished Japanese-born canine handler who guided two miniature poodles to Greatest in Present victories on the Westminster Kennel Membership Canine Present — the second simply final month — died on Sunday in Langhorne, Pa. He was 65.
His spouse, Roxanne Wolf, mentioned the trigger was a traumatic mind damage because of a fall.
Mr. Hosaka was a masterly handler for greater than 40 years. Edge, a way of life journal, not too long ago mentioned he was “to the poodle world what Michael Jordan is to basketball. Clean, intelligent, elegant and almost unbeatable.”
In a profile in The New York Instances in 2009, he was described as “an artist who tends his poodles’ poufs as in the event that they had been bonsai timber from his native Japan.”
Mr. Hosaka radiated depth, from the backstage grooming space to the inexperienced carpeted present rings, mentioned David Frei, a former voice of the televised Westminster present and the membership’s former communications director.
“When he’d stroll in somebody’s ring, different handlers would say, ‘Oh,’” Mr. Frei mentioned in an interview, “and judges would say that should be a reasonably good canine if he’s dealing with it.”
Mr. Hosaka was a poodle specialist who dealt with all three dimension varieties: miniatures, toys and requirements. He confirmed the winningest toy poodle in breed historical past, Ch. Smash JP Win a Victory, also referred to as Vikki, to 108 Bests in Present and to the rating of No. 1 canine within the nation in 2007. The tiny exemplar of canine topiary additionally received the toy group at Westminster in 2007 and 2008, though she misplaced within the Greatest in Present competitors every year.
In Could, when the Westminster present was held at its momentary house, the Billie Jean King Nationwide Tennis Middle in Flushing, Queens, Mr. Hosaka was not anticipating a lot from Sage, whose full identify is GCHG Surrey Sage. She ranked No. 39 within the nation, based mostly on factors accrued at earlier reveals, and fourth within the non-sporting group.
However she rose above her rivals, sporting a “luxurious hairstyle” styled by Mr. Hosaka that, the New York Instances reporters Sarah Lyall and Callie Holtermann wrote, “rises to an enormous pouf above and round her head, surrounds her physique in a type of puffball and reappears once more as topiary-ed pompons on the tip of her tail and on the backside of her skinny legs, as if she is carrying après-ski boots.”
After Sage’s victory, Mr. Hosaka mentioned, “No phrases.” However he adopted up by saying that Sage “gave a terrific efficiency for me.”
Sage then retired. So did Mr. Hosaka.
Kazuhiko Hosaka was born on Nov. 22, 1958, in Kamakura, Japan, a seaside metropolis close to Tokyo. His father, Kazuhito, was an govt of a producing firm, and his mom, Teruyko (Murikami), ran the house till she died when Kaz was 10.
After her dying, Kaz labored within the summers for his uncle, a canine handler who specialised in displaying Dobermans and different working and sporting breeds. However Kaz additionally wished to go to varsity, the place he hoped to play soccer. His uncle cajoled him to indicate a Doberman pet as a substitute.
“I received seven Greatest Pet in Reveals in a row!” he was quoted as saying within the 2024 ebook “Behind the Scenes of Greatest in Present,” by Kelly Lyn Marquis. “I assumed, ‘Neglect it, I don’t must go to high school, I’ll keep within the kennel.’”
In 1979, he met two married American judges, Anne Rogers Clark (who, as a handler, had received Greatest in Present at Westminster thrice) and James Edward Clark, who had been visiting Japan. They turned his mentors and invited him to reside with them on their property in Maryland, the place he realized to groom and present poodles.
“Someday,” Mr. Hosaka advised Canine Information journal this yr, Mrs. Clark requested him, “What’s your dream?”
“I answered, ‘Greatest in Present,” he remembered telling her.
“Should you strive laborious, the dream will come true,” she advised him.
In Could 1982, he received his first Greatest in Present, with a black feminine miniature poodle, Ch. Surrey Sakura, owned by Mr. Clark, on the Crimson Rose Canine Present in Lancaster County, Pa.
Mr. Clark advised The Intelligencer Journal of Lancaster that Ch. Surrey Sakura was the primary canine Mr. Hosaka had taken by coaching, trimming, grooming and displaying.
“This can be a triumph for him,” Mr. Clark mentioned. “We’re enormously happy with him.”
He left for Japan that July. However he returned to the US a few yr later to work for the Clarks, and he began to indicate on his personal in 1984. In 1990 he moved to Greenwood, Del., the place he purchased property that Mr. Clark helped him discover.
Two of Mr. Hosaka’s early successes had been Ch. Surrey Candy Capsicum, or Pepper, who received 34 Bests in Present and the Westminster non-sporting group in 1995, and Ch. Dignity of Jewellery Home Yoko, or Giko, who received Westminster’s toy group in 1998.
4 years later, Mr. Hosaka dealt with Ch. Surrey Spice Lady, or Spice, a flirty, moody miniature poodle with a good looking face, stunning toes and delightful motion. She gave the impression to be near an ideal canine. However Mr. Hosaka knew higher.
“She’s not a straightforward canine to indicate,” he advised The Instances in 2002. “I bred and raised her and spoiled her. She’s a spoiled bitch. Generally she appears to say, ‘I don’t wish to do that.’”
However there was no rise up that night time as she confronted six different group winners within the Greatest in Present competitors. After she received, Spice caught her paws within the winner’s silver bowl.
Requested why he thought Spice had received, Mr. Hosaka mentioned: “Properly, she was very regular, very calm. All people mentioned this choose likes quiet canine.”
Spice was Sage’s great-grandmother.
Along with his spouse, who met Mr. Hosaka when he was displaying her customary poodle, he’s survived by his son, Hiro, from a earlier marriage, which led to divorce.
In 2009, Mr. Hosaka arrived at Madison Sq. Backyard at 3:45 a.m., 9 hours earlier than his miniature poodle, Ch. Surrey Candy Spice, or Reggie, was to enter the breed ring on the primary day of the Westminster present. Present poodles require hours of grooming time.
Mr. Hosaka used a pair of curved scissors to trim the furry bracelets that encircled the canine’s legs.
“The extra I do that breed, the extra I actually prefer it,” he advised The Instances. “Poodles are an artwork kind, you understand.”
