Show dogs have arrived in Lompoc and have started strutting their stuff.

The first of the sighthound specialties got started at Ryon Park Wednesday afternoon with the Scottish Deerhound Club of America’s sweepstakes and futurity.

Next to the tennis courts is Ring 13: a show ring bordered by white poles and chains with red and white striped canopies in the staging and award area. Here gathered the youthful deerhounds, ready to compete in the sweepstakes — some for the first time.

The sweepstakes is for young dogs, aged 6 to 18 months. The age groups are broken into classes by age: 6 to 9 months, 9 to 12 months, 12 to 15 months and 15 to 18 months. These groups are split in two for male and female.

Tall gray hounds were lead into the ring by handlers dressed in suits. As in any conformation show, the young dogs were sent to run around the ring before being examined individually by the judge.

The handlers adjusted the dog’s legs and head, getting them into the proper stance for the judge’s critical eye. In addition to looking over the dog’s body for height and shape, the head and even the teeth were inspected. In all this they are judged against the breed standards.

In both, the sweepstakes and the futurity competitions, winners receive prize money: a portion of the entry fees, according to Rachel Matthews, show chairman.

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At the end, the winners from each group then compete for best in sweepstakes. After this award has been named, a dog of the opposite sex from the best in sweeps winner is named best of opposite sex.

Best in sweepstakes went to Allyn Babitch, of San Jose, while Sheila Matheson, of Brooklin, Ontario, Canada, got best of opposite sex.

It was the first time Babitch’s dog Thea (full name, Sindar Theodwyn) had been in competition. “This was her first time in the ring,” Babitch said, “and she won.”

But it won’t be Thea’s last time in the ring: She will also show in the regular class today, going up against deerhounds of all ages.

The futurity competition is more breeder oriented, Matthews said.

“Breeders enter an entire litter.”

Futurities are a way for breeders to showcase the genetic potential of their dogs.

The winner of this year’s futurity was Iagan (Tannochbrae’s Iagan at Glencrag), owned by Joe Giles, of Grants Pass, Ore.

July 24, 2008