Our first show of the year in Texas is the Nolan River Kennel Club cluster held in the little town of Glen Rose, known for its dinosaur tracks. We have had some nice success here in the past, and it is a show site that we enjoy. There used to be lure coursing trials held in conjunction with the shows, which made for some long days – but those times are now gone. I fondly remember when we had Solo out as a special and he went from winning Best of Breed, over to the field to run prelims, then back to the building for Hound Group where he received a Group 4 and we had to rush to get his picture and then drive him back over to the field. The judge was astonished that the dog had shown in the group just after a gallop in the field instead of a stint on the grooming table, like some of these specials being treated more like Poodles than proper hounds. Of course, it helps that Solo possesses ring-ready coat at all times and only required a brush-out before strutting into the ring!
We had a great start to the year, with Beast winning his 3rd major from the Bred-by Exhibitor class, going Best of Winners on Saturday under judge Dana Cline.
On Sunday our judge was Charles “Chuck” Trotter. Beast again took Winners Dog/Best of Winners for his fourth major and completed his conformation championship!! His sister Me!Me! and housemate Nox fared better under Mr. Trotter than the previous day, taking 4th and 3rd in BBE respectively. Sadly, Boo was still invisible in the specials line-up.
Monday, January 6, 2014
It's Party Time!!
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
UKC Shows (Hutto) and Siren's Big Debut
Well this had to be the most exciting UKC weekend ever for us!
First, let me introduce one of the players. Some of you who attended the 2009 SilkenFest in MO may remember a little extreme white with tan sable spotted bitch that Victor was showing who absolutely refused to come off the cement area where the judge had examined her, and on to the grass so she could be put through her paces in the lovely grassed ring. The judge had finally excused her for her stubbornness. That little minx is named Siren – who inherited some of that classic bitch behavior from her mother Ginger. Siren was shown a bit more successfully – in that she actually at least got around the ring this time – at the 2010 SF. We also had our share of personality clashes with her at home – and for a while she was living up north. Upon her return, we just kept her around the house and didn’t bother trying to get her to “work for a living.” With Jules‘ and Velvet‘s fairly quick championship completions, I was trying to figure out who to bring out next. Siren had become much more affectionate of late, so in a moment of weakness, I entered her in this weekend’s shows, along with Bekka (a Space/Ember daughter) and then Deuce (looking for his last 2 Grand Ch legs) and Pasha.
So Saturday morning, Siren made her UKC debut. I fully expected some sort of Mexican standoff or ring tantrum, and although she was obviously a bit uncomfortable, she went on to take Winners Bitch from the 5 entered, and then on to Best of Winners. Well heck – I thought – we just might survive piloting her to a UKC championship if she keeps this up!
On to show Deuce in the Champion class, where his fine example of what an over-caffeinated Silken could look like (he was very, VERY “up”!) took Reserve, and then Ajax (ISWS Ch. UKC Grand Ch. Gryffyn’s Walkin’ in Memphis) taking the Grand class win over Pasha. Within that line-up imagine my very great surprise to have Siren handed the Best of Breed nod – but then a bit later came my incredulous response at her being awarded a GROUP 1!!!
Finally the call came for the BIS competition to get ready, so off we went to play in the ring. I had absolutely no aspirations other than trying to get through it without incidence, despite Siren’s earlier good behavior – she is a bitch after all – plus we had some local heavy hitters in the ring, including the Doberman, one of the top Australian Shepherds, and the German Shorthaired Pointer. I was completely overwhelmed to be handed the ribbon for BEST IN SHOW!! It felt completely unbelievable!
Siren managed to continue her good behavior, again earning WB/BOW and BOB at the afternoon show (and then a group 2). Deuce won the Champion class.
On Sunday, at the morning show Siren was again WB/BOW and finished her UKC championship. Deuce won the Champion class and finished his Grand Championship and then went on to BOB/Group 3. He was moved up for the afternoon show and went on to win the Grand Champion class.
All in all – an unbelievably successful weekend at the shows! I floated home!
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Ending 2010 on a High Note
December 2011 saw two Gryffyns complete the requirements for their AKC conformation championships!
First was Deckard, who took Winners Dog (and 1 Best of Winners) both days of the Conroe Kennel Club's show cluster. His finishing win was bestowed by breeder/judge Pat Murphy, Oaklara Borzoi. What a greay way to wrap up his show career (he hates showing, so this is it for him)!
Ch. Gryffyn's Aeyrie Blade Runner
"Deckard"
Ch. Gryffyn's Aeyrie Incendio, SC
"Pumpkin"
Sunday, February 21, 2010
First Points, Last Points
The Guadalupe Dog Fanciers' Association show this year marked an end and a beginning for a couple of our hounds. We only attended Saturday's show as we had an LSBC meeting to attend there as well.
Ozzy (Gryffyn's Aeyrie Hellraiser) won the Bred-by Exhibitor class and went on to claim his first point by taking Winners Dog. 
This was Lump's (Ozzy's sister, Gryffyn's Aeyrie Here For You) first show and she was entered in BBE as well. She won the class and I handed her to my friend Laurie for the Winner's class as my next charge was the only Open Bitch entry.
My next charge was none other than Bugg (Avalon Solstrom) - who absolutely loathes the show scene. She is a funny little bitch - always excited to go on a road trip, yippy skippy at the door with a grin on her face - but upon arrival at the show site, you can see her face fall when she's pulled out of the van. Oh...a show...great. The change in demeanor is humorously obvious.
Bugg had two 5-point major wins from breeder-judges. They could see past her pouty facade and note what an honest little bitch she was. The all-breed judges or those coming from outside the Borzoi (or sighthound) world could never seem to get past her sullen ring attitude. It had seemed we had been searching for her final two singles for eons. I had promised her that if she put aside her pissy self for the duration of her ringtime and finished, that I would never make her step into a showring again!
So there we are in the line-up for Winners Bitch. The judge (Murrel Purkhiser) kept looking at the promising young Lump. So I would push-push-push Bugg and make eye contact - everything except yell out "pick this bitch!" in desperation. We went trotting around the ring for another go-round and hallelujah if she didn't point to Bugg, awarding those longed-for points and finishing her championship. I am surprised I didn't howl with relief!
While taking our win pictures, she did mention to me how much she liked Lump. Something to file away for future entries as I figure Lump may be a hard one to finish as well - and not because of a lousy ring attitude (which the judge did recognize, she told me). Lump is going to be a BIG, rangy, bitch when she grows up - some judges prefer a more petite, cutesy bitch.
Speaking of win photos - that is the one item marring this show experience for me. I always get photos for the first point(s) and the last - and at this show I had both! The photographer (Garden Studio) declined to send me their photos as I had not yet paid for a photo WHICH THEY HAD NOT EVEN SENT ME! The last time they held photos for prepayment - I received the most AWFUL win pictures ever. I requested a proof of some sort so that I could be sure I was getting a quality photo (which in the past, from them, I usually had). The request (email and a phone message) went unheeded. Then, to top it off, they sent me another bill for the photo - except now they tacked on late charges! I was certainly not going to pay an exorbitant sum for a photo I had not seen and had requested some sort of preview of before payment - before it had reached the status of being late. The lateness was their own damned fault for refusing to answer, or even acknowledge, my previous request. After receiving their latest bill, I again contacted them with my previous request. It again went unanswered. Although they're great at sending out bills still requesting payment, and late charges - for a photo I've never seen despite multiple requests. I am upset that I have no photos to celebrate the beginning of Ozzy's ring career and the end of Bugg's.
Garden Studio Photography - this finger's for you! Try replying to your customers on occasion instead of ignoring them and charging them for what amounts to your incompetence at customer service.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Gabe Does Good
We are very excited to announce that we have a new homebred ISWS Champion to brag about! ISWS CH Gryffyn's Games Without Frontiers, aka "Gabe."
Gabe already had his ISWS qualifying major - two of them, actually. The first he won when we attended the regional BooFest specialty in California a few years ago, judged by Cyndi Dell of Morgandell Borzoi. Gabe won the Bred-By Exhibitor class then went on to win Winners Dog (also taking Best BBE in Specialty). Definitely worth the long, long drive to the west coast (in addition to getting to meet up with several good friends that either live in the area, or also made the drive)! His other major win was when Victor hauled dogs to the first southern regional specialties in GA in 2008 while I attended the Rocky Mountain Borzoi Club specialty in Longmont, CO. Gabe not only won Winners Dog and Best BBE, but went on to win Best in Specialty Show!!
This weekend we actually had Rarities/North American Kennel Club shows over in Azle, about an hour away. Several metroplex-area Silken owners made entries, including Vicki with Sylvi (from our H-band litter) and Enzo (from the L-band litter). At the first show Gabe finished his Rarities championship and sealed his ISWS championship as well.
Sylvi (Gryffyn's Aeyrie Sylvan Song) finished her Rarities championship as well!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Well That Was Quick!
Well...it seems like we had barely gotten started...and now he's FINISHED!!
J/T won Best of Winners both days for two 4-point majors at the Wichita Falls shows this past weekend and completed his AKC conformation championship! His first points (and major) were earned the 2nd day of the Nolan River shows the first weekend of January; then WD both days at Fort Bend (BOW on Sunday) and WD both days in San Marcos a couple weekends ago (BOW on Sunday)...and now this! His only other shows (if memory serves) were the 2 specialties he attended as a super-gangly youngster (RMBC on Labor Day and LSBC the weekend before Halloween).
To say he has blossomed in the last couple months is an understatement!
You can see his page on our website at http://www.gryffynsaeyrie.com/jt.htm
Can't wait to see his pictures from the last two show weekends.
I guess the rest of the year will be spent working towards his various performance titles since he is pointed in AKC lure coursing, ASFA, LGRA and NOTRA!
Monday, July 28, 2008
WooHoo for Ember
Ember was a hard one for me to let go, with her charming grin and (over)enthusiastic nature. But there are no regrets for having sent her to our friend Alison of Tangaloor Silkens way up in Washington. This weekend Ember made us all very proud by snagging two 5-point majors at the Rarities shows up in Portland, OR to complete the requirements for both her Rarities and ISWS Championships! I had the pleasure of watching her take WB at the BooFest specialty in October of last year and was so happy to see her thriving in Alison's care. She is the 4th ISWS champion of our breeding in limited showing (Tyler, Ginger, Brewer and now Ember - and we have a 5th in all fours' mother Josi from Kristull). Hugs and hoots from afar - way to go guys!!
Monday, October 15, 2007
A Weekend to Remember!
The Tyler Texas Kennel Club dog shows ended up being mighty successful for us! Moose, seemingly holding the title of "Reserve King" won Winners Dog both days and finished his AKC championship! So he's now officially CH Gryffyn-Wyvern's Speak O'T'Devil, JC! Lars actually got Reserve Winners on Saturday, winning over an older entry with much more coat than he (since he's growing out after his puppy coat blow).
Solo won Best of Breed both days and really put the icing on the cake by winning a Group 3 on Saturday (under Borzoi breeder/judge Dan Dowling, Ajjarda Borzoi - also the class judge) and then taking a Group 2 on Sunday under an Argentinian judge who had more really nice things to say about him. He said he thought that Solo was even better than dogs he had judged in the breed's home country of Russia! The show site was as wonderful as always - plenty of room and not having to park in the next county from the show building.
I am so proud of our boys!
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