Sonoma’s Rafa the Tibetan Mastiff heads to Westminster Dog Show

One of the finest Tibetan Mastiffs in the United States lives in Sonoma, and he’s headed to the biggest dog show in the world.

Rafa the Tibetan Mastiff is preparing for the massive stage of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show May 8 and 9 for the most prestigious event in dog breeding.

At 2 years old, the magnificently large Mastiff will be one of the youngest dogs at the competition, where he’ll compete for the first time at Westminster in Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York City after wracking up victories over the past 18 months.

“It's kind of like watching your kids compete in sports,” Carleen Faybusovich said at Sonoma Plaza Thursday afternoon with her husband Vlad. “And now he's going to the World Series.”

The first Westminster Dog Show took place in 1877 and is the second longest continuously running sporting event in the United States next to the Kentucky Derby. It originally began as a Kennel Club for hunting dogs, the event now invites 2,500 dogs who compete to be “America’s dog.”

During competition, judges meticulously observe each canine’s adherence to the ideal specimen of their breed along with their physical makeup to perform their original jobs.

Weighing in over 100 pounds with a thick double coat, Rafa — who his owners call the King of Sonoma Mountain — looks somewhere in between a lion and Chewbacca from “Star Wars.” While not fully grown quite yet, this tank of fur and teeth has already established himself as one of the top Tibetan Mastiffs in the country.

Rafa, Carleen and Vlad went to My Pal Pet Groomers in Sonoma Friday morning to receive his final grooming treatment before he flew to New York Saturday. Debra Harris, Rafa’s groomer at My Pal, has worked with Faybusoviches for the past 18 months.

“When you’re out there competing against top handles, grooming is everything,” Harris said. “He’s a working/guarding breed, and the bigger he can look, the more fearsome he will appear. So we’ll take that coat and fluff it up to the nth degree.”

The journey to Westminster Dog Show is arduous and much is required to receive a hallowed invitation. Competing dogs must be a champion and rank in the Top five in their breed. Rafa’s resume includes the award of best of breed in owner-handler at the AKC nationals last year and he won the American Kennel Club national championship in Florida on Jan. 1.

With Rafa’s family tree, it should be no surprise that he’s competing at a championship level.

“His grandfather was the winningest Mastiff in the history of this country,” Vlad said.

“And his mother has been the best of opposite sex for Tibet mastiffs in the country for four years now,” Carleen added.

But the Faybusoviches did not originally adopt Rafa to compete in major tournaments like Westminster. However, when they flew to Florida to pick up Rafa, his breeder asked them to make a promise: Enter Rafa in a few competitions to see if he liked it.

Rafa took to it immediately and became a “king of the ring,” amassing wins and adulation from judges and fans alike. The Faybusoviches now hope Rafa carries on his family’s championship pedigree in Westminster next week.

“Our goal for this Westminster is to win best of breed,” Carleen said. “As we're attaining those goals, it just gives you more energy. It gives you life. It just makes you want to pursue it even more.”

Watch Rafa compete in the Westminster Dog Show, which runs on Monday and Tuesday on the FOX NOW App and FOX Sports App. See Rafa’s Tibetan Mastiff category judged on Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. Go to westminsterkennelclub.org/2022-wkc-dog-show/2022-schedule-of-events for more information about the schedule of the competition.

Contact Chase Hunter at chase.hunter@sonomanews.com and follow @Chase_HunterB on Twitter.