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!
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Pasha is Grand
Pasha showing off in the yard
Today I opted to spend the morning taking Pasha, Shadow and Jules to the morning UKC show in Denton instead of to the LGRA racing "around the corner" in McKinney - Victor took care of that duty.
Pasha had been taking time off for an extended period following a ligament injury sustained in June. At first believed to be a possibly career-ending cruciate injury, after further testing and consultation with a vet not so eager to start cutting on him, it was discovered to involve the medial collateral ligament in his left hind leg, and not so much the cruciate. But it still required plenty of rest to heal, which we did along with performing prolotherapy treatments to his leg.
This would be Pasha's second weekend to come out since he was cleared to be able to return to "ring duty" the previous month. I had opted to enter him at this particular show and miss out on some racing because earlier in the year, the assigned judge had done well for him - so I had to try for that last required Grand Championship leg!
HE GOT IT!!
Jules gave him a run for his money, but Pasha did win his last Grand leg! Now I can concentrate on deciding on which silken windhound to bring out next year to compete for rankings in the UKC.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Ain't That Grand
I am thrilled to report that our Borzoi boy Solo has added another title to his repertoire. He is now an AKC GRAND CHAMPION!
He is also the FIRST AKC Dual Champion Borzoi to achieve the Grand title.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Some Happier Tidings
I received word that our "golden boy" that we placed with a couple in California has finished his requirements for both a Rarities and an ISWS Championship this past weekend! He won Winners Dog at the Rarities show that had an ISWS Specialty in conjunction with the classes, as well as another WD win. He had gone in with 5 Rarities points - so the newly earned 10 finished him up! He is also an SRC (Silken Racing Champion) - so he now has dual champion status (the 4th Silken to do so)! So BIG congrats to Rick and Ann Steele on Brewer's accomplishments!
It was a difficult decision for us to place Brewer - but after chatting with the Steele's online and realizing that he would have the best chance at something of a racing career out west where there are many participating - we decided it was a great match. And it has been!!
Brewer's sister Kandi has been leased to our friend (and Peepers' breeder) Mary Childs for a breeding, and I got an email yesterday letting me know that her pregnancy is confirmed! Kandi and Brewer are siblings of Ginger (and Tyler) from the repeat breeding of the first litter. I look forward to more news on Kandi, seeing her puppies, and also Kandi's return home! I've missed her so much!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
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. 
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.
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