The 2009 Running Season Begins With a Bang

J/T with the day's judge, Tom Golcher, Zoiboyz
On September 19th the running season got back into swing here in Texas and we attended the local RR trial. J/T needed three singles to finish his AKC field championship, so when he won Best of Breed for 2 points, we decided to let him run for Best in Field since there was 3 points available. We thought....what the heck, it would give him what he needed if he pulled it off. I was quite dismayed when he drew a track greyhound bitch that I've seen run and win BIF before. I figured we didn't have a prayer at that point.

OMG - he put in the best run I've ever seen him do, staying close to her while
maintaining nice follow - except for the big cheat straightaway they both did at the start, where I was pleasantly surprised she didn't leave him yards and yards behind. Towards the end of the course it dipped a bit out of site, I was so happy to see J/T appear just before the grey-girl (and on course) - he was really working it!

I was thrilled that he was awarded BEST IN FIELD (a Whippet and Rhodesian Ridgeback were also running), and won his third major, becoming BIF DC Gryffyn's Aeyrie Bringin' Sexy Back, SC!

This makes the third homebred AKC Dual Champion for me (and 4th for Victor) and the 7th for us to have had the pleasure to have in our lives here. I think this makes him the next youngest Borzoi to achieve this...the youngest being our Kalipso from Nadine at Rising Star.

Hopefully we will have more on the way, as Nawti, Sparkk, Ray, Shayde (Tim's girl) and Ozzy (all Duri's pups from her breeding to Achilles) have had some promising practice runs.

I Did It Myself!

This past weekend Jill went to Mexico for her son Phillip's christening. David wasn't headed to the Houston shows either and we had 2 Borzoi breed judges - a rare occurrence! Even rarer - there was also a third on the panel who had not originally been assigned to judge Borzoi, but was when Saturday's judge couldn't make it.

I went ahead and entered Solo and showed him myself. Well....on Saturday we won Best of Breed (the judge was Ron Spritzer who had bred Borzoi years ago. I opted to take a picture so that I had actual photographic proof that I could get my own special out of the breed.

So I was REALLY a wreck when it came to showing in the Group. At least I had the same judge, who had said I had done a fine job of handling when we were taking that picture and I had joked about my abilities (or the lack of them). The group was packed with some heavy-hitter handlers too - so I wasn't feeling overly optimistic about my chances at ALL! At least I was standing next to a friend with her Irish Wolfhound who had originally not wanted to bother with the groups - hers had been the only entry there. I had told her...if I can show mine, you can show yours!

OMG - Solo got a Group 2!! Can't wait for the picture of that one - I did it all by myself .

Nox was reserve both days, defeating older bitches too. She was a bit fazed by the first day's "enthusiastic" exam and backed off a bit on Sunday, but settled in once Sunday's judge saw she was a bit apprehensive and went over her very gently and slowly, saving checking her mouth for last.

To top it off, Victor took what we thought were completely hopeless boys to the lure coursing that weekend...and came back with 3 newly minted Junior Coursers. There's hope!! They had such short attention spans in various practice sessions previously - he said they all did nicely! J/T, Buster and Wulfie are now AKC JCs. J/T also ran in the trial on Sunday and did well, although he's still trying to figure out where all his legs are.

All in all, quite a nice weekend!

New Hope for the Field

Last weekend Victor went down to Hutto for the Alamo Area Whippet Club's coursing trials - they held both ASFA and AKC events each day. Peepers had already gotten a JC leg earlier this year and she finished up her Junior Courser title on Sunday, so she's now WindnSatin Peek-a-Boo, JC! I'm so happy she's decided she will make turns - she used to blow off a course after the first or second turn!

On Saturday, Nox started off gangbusters...but Victor said the lure op was getting the lure too far out and he finally dumped her at a sharp turn about 2/3 of the way through the course. She didn't get passed. On Sunday she did get her first leg...so hopefully she will wrap that up next time.

Pumpkin declined - she's all about the LGRA lure and did well at the NOTRA practices we had...but she didn't want to play this time around. Shugah hit the first turn and then her ADD kicked in - hopefully the light bulb will turn on, although she is amazingly empty-headed, especially for a girl! I expect it of the boys - but not the girls!

Speaking of the boys, we are going to need to start practicing some of them and see where their heads are at in relation to field events. So J/T, Wulfie, Buster and Lars may be heading to some local practices here soon!

New AKC Dual Champion

Victor hauled some dogs over to Cleburne for a local Ridgeback club's AKC lure trials while I made my way over to Stephenville for a LSBC meeting at the shows. Just *love* 8 am ringtimes (NOT) - and then to find out that it was just myself and one other member due to some emergencies by other expected folks. Sara and I made the best of it and added to our respective to-do lists, and then I drove to Cleburne to finish out the day.

I missed the Prelim run of Solo-Jane-Magik. I was walking out to the field for Doodle and Sassi's dissappointing performance. Doodle started out well made a turn and a half - and then you could almost see the lightbulb over her head - SNACKS!! She was insistent that the cattle that had been on the field had left her some tasty delicacies for her dining pleasure. Sassi managed a turn or so more - but then declined to participate further without her partner - so stood and watched Doodle snack away, occasionally looking off at the lure and trying to decide if it was worth the effort to play. Doodle at least went over to "kill" the lure at the end after it passed by her again - as if that would prevent me from noticing her al fresco dining experience [sigh]. They both received NQ scores.

Doodle relaxes (after her "hard" work) sprawled atop her granddaughter Faina
It's heartbreaking for me that Sassi no longer shows the desire she once had for playing lure games. There were times we could see glimpses of her former field self when she was running with housemates (she became a weenie about running with other dogs) - but now it looks as though she has completely quit the sport. It is apparently much more satisfying for the little diva to decorate the couch with her presence - or go out and play with her pups that remain here.

I was told that Magik disagreed HEAVILY with the course plan as laid out on the field, and had also presented something of a distraction to Jane (if not a possible danger to both dogs). She was pulled after Prelims. Jane and Solo had a nice finals run - trading back and forth. They both initially cut at the start and Solo ended up on his belly after he landed in a 2-3 foot deep circular impression in the ground (not sure of its diameter) - his next stride looked like a belly crawl and I thought he would go down, but then he was back to normal and straight to the lure. He hit the far right corners nicely too and he and Jane raced to the middle of the course and did some switching until the end.

Solo and Jane tied for their Finals run, but the extra point Solo had earned in Prelims put him on top for the day to finish his AKC Field Championship, making him an AKC Dual Champion (DC). For his trouble, he was allowed to pick out a toy at a vendor there - he was perfectly happy with that! Daughter Faina had a practice run at the end of the day - first time to learn about turns! She did pretty well - although at the furthest point from the start (naturally) she became entranced with a pulley. Some other dogs had expressed an interest in it earlier as well - must have needed a bit of grease or something. Then something caught her eye back in the treeline and she watched and watched for a while, sometimes stepping closer. She finally turned her attention back to the lure and finished up (at least to the point where she saw me standing, as I had walked onto the course trying to call her away from the trees).

We celebrated by picking up an order at the local Mexican restaurant we frequent and gorging at the house.

On Sunday we headed to WindyGlen in Boswell, OK for the NOTRA meet. We had a total entry of 8, and Solo tied for third with our visitor Boudie (a nephew of Arthur's sired by Merlyn) - so they had to split a quarter of a point, leaving Solo with 3/4 of a point to finish his ORC. Ugh.

Great Beginnings!

Well, we've started out the New Year with a bit of a bang at the Nolan River Kennel Club shows in Glen Rose, TX! Not only is there conformation shows both days, but lure coursing as well - which made for interesting scheduling efforts and running back and forth. Ick - it also made for *VERY* early ringtimes - not fabulous for someone who is definitely NOT a "morning glory". We also debuted the two "Boogie Boys", Wulf (Gryffyn's Aeyrie Rock Me Amadeus) and Buster (Gryffyn's Aeyrie Bust a Move), from Monkee's May litter sired by Solo. They were originally to debut at the November TSE event in Houston but managed to bang and bruise themselves up beforehand - so evaded that working weekend. They weren't so thrilled about seeing flat-faced breeds like Pugs and French Bulldogs - and REALLY gave the eyeballs at Bulldogs, but they made it through without too much of a scene. On Saturday, Buster decided he had a time limit for trotting his fancy self around the ring and proceeded to throw on the brakes (brat) and Wulf decided that his good behavior on stacking at home, would remain at home and managed to crouch and post and alter his standing outline in a myriad of ways. On Sunday the boys were markedly improved - although they still weren't thrilled with Bulldogs. Victor showed Buster and I showed Wulf - and they both trotted around the ring reasonably well, and I couldn't believe I was stacking the same pup I had attempted to the day before. Wulf even defeated an older male in the Bred-By class (we dared not enter them where they would be in the ring together - can you say CHAOS?).

Solo did well in conformation, winning Best of Breed both days in an entry sporting the most specials we have seen in a while (5d/3b entered). Points in both sexes qualified for majors too. Then comes that running back and forth part...We showed in conformation, then out to the field for some "hurry up and wait"(HU&W) - run in prelims - HU&W - drive back to the building to show in Groups - back to the field and run Finals.

Sunday brought more excitement, with Solo taking 4th in the Group - after Jill thought that maybe I should just stay out on the field with him, not expecting the judge to use him . Glad I opted to have him there! As soon as we got back to the field, he got out of the van, got blanketed and went straight to the line for his Finals course. His performance on the field that day garnered him compliments from his competitors, who figured it to be between him and a new, fresh JC courser. But it was not to be.

Magik, on the other hand, finished her AKC Field Championship from the Veterans Stake. She had been searching for that last major for a seeming eternity - becoming more and more coursewise (and frustrating). We realized we had our own major of veterans and opted to bring some of them. Sassi had shown a bit of discharge, so her and Magik's father, Arthur, came along to the field. He put in a nice run for an old man approaching 10 years of age - can't wait to get the pictures. Magik was being obviously deferential to him though, plus he came off the course holding up his left foot, having hit a bad spot (the field is notoriously lousy for coursing due to its size and obstacles, like bleachers). Monkee was her usual creative self, and Doodle opted for about half a course before, well....doodling on the field. Flareon - obviously unhappy with being pried off the couch, turned in her two runs and was ready for getting back to help hold down the sofa. So Magik is now formally known as DC Chataqua Gryffyn La Magie Continue, MC JOR GRC FCh.

Coursing Bits

Victor went down to Richmond (TX) for the AHCGH AKC trials this past weekend. Boudie had come back for a running season visit a couple weekends ago and apparently was rarin' to go - his return to the field heralded by winning a 5-point major towards his LCX title at Saturday's trial. Victor said he was in fine form and some fabulous pictures taken by Dan Gauss showing his elasticity. He is an amazingly flexible dog. Unfortunately he introduced his foot to a cluster of stickers during prelims on Sunday which affected his run tremendously - and although he turned in a nice Finals run, it just wasn't going to be enough. Solo more than made up for it by turning in two lovely runs and coming away with his first coursing major! Victor forfeited BOB with next weekend's AKC trial in mind - although it could get a bit nutty attempting to juggle showing Solo and running him on the same day. I guess we can only wait and see what the day brings us!

Holiday Field Trials ("trial" being the key word!)

After a week full of very mild winter weather - a cold front decided to sweep through in time for our field events. ICK. The Lone Star Borzoi Club's ASFA trial was the Friday after Thanksgiving. It was overcast but in the mid to high 30s, with a brisk north wind to top it off - at least it was dry. Nothing like trying to do paperwork while it keeps attempting to escape the table (I had on my Field Trial Secretary hat). I was also very rusty since I had managed to avoid performing in the FTS capacity for a while - but I pretty much just got stuck with it this time around. Got through the trial ok - but it remains to be seen as to whether or not I survive getting the trial records ready to mail in to ASFA. At this trial we only ran Magik - the ever-creative Magik, who is still in disagreement with the course designers. She tends to be a better 2nd day runner - so we were hoping for a less Picasso-esque performance at the next day's Regional. We did bring the Monkee-kids for practice - Wulf, Buster and Faina all turned in promising runs, with Wulf showing the most interest in killing the bags at the end. Peepers was a huge disappointment - I was expecting much more after Victor told me how well she did at earlier practices. She failed a certification - and had a pooper of a practice run after that - quitting after the first turn. Harli was a mess too - and then we had to catch her. She has apparently been speaking to the Pharaoh Hounds about how to avoid being caught after a run.

Saturday morning arrived much too early...as did the rain. And roll call - an hour earlier than the day previous. We had 3 entries for the day - Solo, Monkee, and Magik. We weren't really expecting anything all that competitive from the girls - but Solo was another story. Despite a nice performance from him in an attempt to win a trophy for the bench champions (it was our region's invitational trial) - he received some dreary results to go hand in hand with a dreary day. It's a bit upsetting to see a dog that did not finish the course in finals before I had already picked up my runner in the course, score higher than one that did. Granted it was due to a tumble about 3/4 of the way through, but still, it took a long time to get to the finish, and not in working style. But oh well - there's always next year (or maybe when Solo's a veteran ).

Sunday I opted for a day at home while Victor attended the trial. I had had enough of the cold and wet (I don't like to be cold, nor do I like to be wet...both - forget it!) He just took the ever-creative Monkee (she and Magik share their opinion of course designers) - and she opted to go back to her enormously creative state, although she had shown an inclination to follow much more than usual at the Regionals.