I wasn't fortunate to be able to attend BooFest in person this time around, but it looks as though there was still a touch of success for Gryffyn's Aeyrie - thanks to Tyler's progeny from his breeding to Cinder and Blondie, from Kandi's breeding to Dan. I was so excited when Joyce asked to use Tyler for a breeding, and to Duncan's sister too. Kandi's pups are also maturing soooo nicely that I am contemplating a repeat, although she has a finicky heat cycle. I am even more thrilled to hear news of their successes. Both specialties were judged by AKC judges as well - such great PR for the Silkens.
The first specialty show was judged by Diane Young McCormack, who chose Tyler's son Blaze (Talisman of Beaux-Arts) for Best in Specialty Show. Siblings Dresden (Talisman of Merovingian) and Ilsa (Talisman of Art Nouveau) were Winners Dog and an Award of Merit respectively. Kandi's daughter Blondie (WindNSatin Creme Brulee) was Winners Bitch/Best of Winners AND Best of Opposite (over specials) to her cousin. Dresden also took the Best Bred-By Exhibitor award. Mama Cinder was Best Brood Bitch.
The second show was judged by Betty Stites (who I have fond memories of her finishing Doodle's AKC championship). Ms. Stites also chose Blaze for SBIS honors! Ilsa and Dresden both received Awards of Merit and mother Cinder again Best Brood Bitch.
I so wish I could have come and visited and seen it all. Maybe next year!!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
BooFest 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
LSBC's First Independent Specialty Show
The Lone Star Borzoi Club hosted its first independent specialty show on August 22, 2009 and we were fortunate enough to win some of the lovely, handmade trophies! For us, Duri (Ch. Gryffyn's Aeyrie Anduril, JC) was the star of the show, coming away with an Award of Merit and Best Veteran in Show. Her kids also did well!
Duri's brother Burni (Am. Can. Mex. Ch. Gryffyn's Aeyrie Caliburn, JC) also did well, winning Best Veteran in Sweepstakes and winning his regular veterans (7-10 years of age) class.
Duri's son Vlad (Gryffyn's Aeyrie Revelation), owned by Rebecca Neal, came away with Best Puppy in Show, Reserve Winners Dog as well as Best Opposite in Puppy Sweepstakes. Rebecca was so sweet to give me the rocking borzoi trophy that he won too - it's absolutely GORGEOUS - you can see it in the picture. He also won a wooden Borzoi pull toy that was Rebecca's favorite. Brothers Ozzy and Ray were 2nd and 3rd in the 6-9 Puppy Dog class and 4th and 3rd in their Sweeps class.
Vlad's sister Nawti (Gryffyn's Aeyrie Ultimate Sin) won the 9-12 Month Puppy Bitch class and went on to take Best Opposite Sex Puppy. Sisters Shayde (Gryffyn's Waiting for Darkness) and Lump (Gryffyn's Aeyrie Here For You) took 3rd and 4th in the class. Lump had won the Sweeps class, with Shayde taking 2nd. Thanks to one of those "puppy moments," living up to her moniker, Nawti was 4th - glad she straightened it all out in time for the regular classes
Duri's daughter from her first litter (sired by Solo), Nox (Gryffyn's Aeyrie Nox, SC) took second in a nice sized Bred-by Exhibitor class. All in all we had a successful, bling-filled day. I only wish that Solo had gotten a piece of it...but there will be another day, another specialty. Fingers crossed!
Friday, May 29, 2009
BCOA 2009 and the MBC Specialty
It's six days past....and I am still not completely recovered (although that may be due to other factors from this week...more later). After missing the California event, I was chomping at the bit to be at Nationals again, and it was great to see folks that I pretty much only see at Nationals. The hotel and grounds were FABULOUS and the large ring next to the river set a charming stage despite the long, downhill walk to it (again...more later). We found a great spot to park the Zoibus which allowed us to set up a double-size ex-pen to potty the dogs on a grassy median right beside it. This enormously cut the amount of time to ex and feed our critters during the stay. Solo and Sassi got to hang in the room while we were there, and the weather pretty much cooperated with the youngsters that stayed cozy in the van.
Due to time constraints and also not having much to run, we skipped the racing and coursing events - we certainly hope to have entries in 2010 for them! This being the case, our first event was the Futurity, where Ozzy took a 4th placement in the 6-9 Puppy Dog class.
The next day in Sweeps, diminutive Sparkk took 2nd in a large 6-9 Puppy Bitch class, which thrilled us to no end, especially since she looked practically microscopic in size next to the other entries. She sure had the attitude and showiness of a BIG dog though! Burni then provided us with much excitement by winning his 8-9 Veteran Sweepstakes class, not showing his age one bit.
Ozzy on the move
We had a touch more excitement in the Regular Classes, beginning with the 6-9 Month Puppy Dogs. The entries present for the class totaled 12 and Ozzy took 3rd place and his brother Vlad (owned by Rebecca Neal) was 4th. Interestingly, 2 other sibs from a friend's litter were 1st/2nd and are somewhat closely related to the OZZlings. In the Bred By Exhibitor Bitch class, Faina and Pumpkin both made the cut, but in the end left without a ribbon, as did Solo and Sassi in the Best of Breed class. Certainly better than being dismissed right off the bat, so we were happy for that!
Solo in BOB
Sassi in BOB
The day after the conclusion of the BCOA National was the Midwest Borzoi Club regional specialty show. I was pretty much beat from the days previous and my ankles were having an uproar, but we labored on! In the Sweepstakes classes, Ozzy was 3rd in 6-9 Month Puppy Dog and Burni was Best of Opposite Sex in Veteran Sweeps. In the regular classes, Ozzy took 2nd and little (microscopic) Sparkk WON her 6-9 Month Puppy Bitch class! Burni went on to win his Veterans class as well.
Lynn showing Sparkk
Burni
We had a wonderful time, a touch of success, and good times catching up with people we don't get to see often. Looking forward to next year in Kentucky!!
Friday, May 1, 2009
Three's a Charm (SilkenFest 2009)
We had an unbelievable Silken Windhound Nationals experience this year - I am completely floored! In addition to our show ring experiences, we got to meet up with several folks who have dogs from us (both Silken and Borzoi) and see how our pups have grown - and some were being shown as well. Nice to see our dogs in the ring with someone else handling them!
Nan brought out Andres (Solo/Duri; borzoi) - he has forgotten he is a dog as he is the only one and doesn't see much in the way of dogs (except the occasional "ankle biter") out his way. But he is a stunning adolescent male with coat so shiny it's almost blinding. Deb and her daughter also brought Mukki (Bruce/Luna; silken) along for a visit - he grew into such a lovely boy with luscious coat and a grin for everyone. Also got to see Voodoo (now with the Peffers) and her mother Jett (VooDoo's mother, with Ahryn); Kandi's 2 daughters (Blondie and Oreo) from her leased breeding; Tim and Vicki Frey had Sylvi (Bruce/Luna) and Enzo (Isaak/Serena) along to show and their sibling Ajax was also there with Lynn Wall; and Tripp with Pam all the way from CT (and boy was that WORTH it!) - I did not have near enough time to visit with everyone as much as I wanted to - not even Pat Shaw who was so kind as to put us and our crew up at her home for the weekend!
On Saturday we took care of some health testing on several dogs and then began visiting with folks. Victor was at the SLASH LGRA meet with Nox since we decided to take advantage of it being at the same location. It paid off as she won the meet and earned 2 GRC/NRC points! We also had the huge shrimp boil (and pig out) - tables lined up with brown paper and the menfolk dumping fresh from the pot corn, potatoes, shrimp and sausage among the various trays of fresh fruit available for desert and strategically placed bottles of cocktail sauce and squeezy butter. We opened up the sangria that Nan had brought and shared amongst several folks in our vicinity.
Sunday was the day of the showing festivities and started off with Puppy Sweepstakes. Shadow won his class (9-12) with brother Enzo taking third. Goth and Pryss both won their classes and Fanci and Darkun both took 4th in their classes. Kandi's daughter Blondie also won her class. Pryss then went on to win Best in Sweepstakes and Goth took Best Opposite in Sweeps!!
The Regular classes had some nice surprises for us as well. In the 9-12 month puppy dog class, the three brothers, Shadow, Ajax and Enzo took 2nd through 4th places respectively. Gabe won the Bred-By Exhibitor dog class and Tripp won the Open dog class, with his almost 9 year old great-grandpa Ivanhoe taking 2nd to him. Tripp then went on to take Winners Dog and Gabe got Reserve. Fanci was 4th in the 9-12 puppy bitch class and Blondie was 3rd (I was so thrilled to see how she and her sister Oreo have turned out, although poor Oreo managed to cut her pad and was slightly off - but they are stunning youngsters). Pryss won the 12-18 Month class and Maverick's daughter Storm (bred by Lori at Elessar) was 3rd. A naughty Missi was 3rd in the Novice class and still got compliments despite her bratty behavior. Radar shown by a friend for her new owner, Mary) was 2nd in the class and I overheard the judge comment that she was a beautiful bitch, but a lunatic (I 100% agree
By the time Best of Breed came around, I thought I was going to fall over from all the dogs we had shown. Tyler was on "autopilot" though - and I just let out his lead and held on to the very end as he zipped around the ring like a Brittany and pretty much showed himself while I huffed and puffed behind him. I am still on cloud nine - as Tyler earned his third national specialty win! He has now won the two highest entries of Silkenfest (2009 and 2007) in addition to the 2006 show. This also finished his ISWS Grand Champion title!
A nice finish for this year's Silkenfest was Ivanhoe winning the inaugural Stud Dog class, represented by Tyler, Kandi and VooDoo. He sure gave the youngsters a run for it in the classes as well. He just needs a qualifying specialty win to complete his ISWS title - but we figure it will be hard as he lost some teeth when he broke his lower jaw a few years ago.
Needless to say - we floated home!
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Our Catalog Ad for SilkenFest
Pretty happy with today's work, considering I feel like I am suffering from a creative block - likely from the sinus block I am experiencing, as it seems I caught the creepin' crud during the flight back from D.C.
Click on the picture to enlarge it.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Some Recent Successes
The past couple show weekends have been good to us. At the Fort Bend Shows in mid-January J/T was Winners Dog both days (with a Best of Winners on Sunday) and Solo was BOB both days. The joy was dampened a bit by the overworked Astro van's fuel pump dying about a mile from the show site on Sunday. Since my would-be rescuer (my dad) was with me...I was feeling pretty darned stuck! Thanks to a fellow Borzoi-fancier, Krista Hunt, we got back to Dad's house after the van was picked up by AAA. Krista was so kind (thank you thank you THANK YOU!) to drive us across town to northwest Houston from Richmond (south west of Houston).
At the AAWC AKC lure trials the following weekend, J/T was 2nd on Saturday for 1 point and on Sunday won the Open stake and BOB for a 3 point major. We tried running Buster again - but he is still afraid of the other dogs after the collision he experienced the last time out. I guess the boy is going to need some time. At least his brother Wulfie is showing some promise.
At the San Marcos shows just this past weekend, J/T was Winners Dog both days and again Best of Winners on the second day. Solo was Best of Breed both days and also took a Group 2 on Saturday! The girls (Faina and Bugg) didn't fare so well - I had really hoped to get that last 2 singles on Bugg.
I also received word from Sylvia that Sasha (Gryffyn's Aeyrie Sonorus, Solo ex. Duri) was Winners Dog at the Friday RMBC trophy supported entry in Denver. Sasha also won Best Opposite Puppy in Sweepstakes at the RMBC Specialty Show the next day (same as the last RMBC Specialty Sweeps, when he was defeated by sister Nox) and also was Reserve Winners on Monday (to the father of Sassi's litter, Glaze).
Monday, October 27, 2008
LSBC's First Specialty Show
Ten years ago tomorrow, the organizational meeting of the Lone Star Borzoi Club took place. The past ten years has seen LOTS of hard work, including fun matches, A-matches (for licensing requirements), a handling seminar, ASFA lure trials, the hosting of several BCOA trophy supported entries, an auction to raise funds for a rescue or 22 Borzoi near Houston, TX, and assisting in the hosting of the 2005 BCOA National Specialty Show (in Mesquite). In February of this year, LSBC received licensed status from AKC and this past Saturday was the club's first Specialty Show. It was held in conjunction with the all-breed cluster hosted by the Travis County Kennel Club.
Our dogs managed to earn us some nice bling - trophies created by Redbird Adams, Royale Russian Hounds, including original artworks. Royal Russian is part of the foundation behind our friend Sara's Chataqua kennels, which is part of the foundation behind Gryffyn's Aeyrie. Here's a brief rundown of how our guys did...
Sassi - Best of Opposite Sex
Solo - Award of Merit
J/T - Best Bred-by Exhibitor
Burni - Best Veteran in Sweepstakes
J/T - Best of Opposite Sex in Puppy Sweepstakes
Nox won her 12-18 month class; Faina was 3rd in a large Bred-by Class and won her Sweeps class; Burni made the cut in Best of Breed, then became invisible, but showed fabulously for an approaching 8-year old. For the life of me I cannot remember how Nox and Pumpkin did in their Sweepstakes classes! We were so busy juggling dogs and trying to keep up!
Can't wait for the pictures!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
From Hell to Heaven (or close to it!)
I managed to survive "Hell Week"! Hoorah! And all the work resulted in some nice wins in both Silken Windhounds and Borzoi - so much the better!
At the inaugural Southern Silken Specialties in Georgia, Gabe was Reserve Winners Dog and Best Bred-By Exhibitor on Saturday and his uncle Tyler was Best Opposite Sex. Luna was Reserve Winners Bitch. At the Saturday specialty (the ISWS qualifier), Gabe was Winners Dog and then went on to win Best in Specialty Show!! He was also once again Best Bred-By. Luna was again Reserve Winners Bitch. For his trouble, Gabe got a lovely biothane sighthound collar - even more exciting, it looks like the collar's designer/creator will be getting one of our puppies!
On Monday at the Rocky Mountain Borzoi Club specialty show, Nox went on to win Best in Sweepstakes and her brother Sasha (who lives in CO with Sylvia Sieverding) was Best Opposite in Sweeps! This was our second year in a row to win BISweeps - last fall it was Lars who took the honors. Faina won the Bred-By Exhibitor class and went on to Reserve Winners Bitch. Sasha won the 9-12 Puppy Dog class and then went Reserve Winners Dog. Solo won an Award of Merit. All in all a nice day!
We also got to meet with our friends and extended family at both events. The Lockards brought Kenny to visit and show, and the Turnell's brought Bailey (Arthur/Miss T) and his little girlie friend they got from Sara. She's a petite little thing and cute as a button! There's never enough time to visit it seems like!
It took a couple days to recover from the trip, with my back acting up as well as an episode of costochondritis from sleeping (likely twisted) on a hard bed at KOA. But I still had a great time!
Thursday, June 12, 2008
The Road to (and From) Silkenfest
Also no exception was the obstacles that kept getting tossed in our way! First off was the cost of staying for 2 people - $100 per day per person, including food. Well...that would have been super for one person, but not the two of us, considering we don't really splurge when going to shows (sleeping in the van on the way, eating gas station "food" or various junk). Since I would be footing the entire bill, including gas, there was just no way. I still haven't finished paying for the gas to Westminster (much less the hotel)! We also would not be guaranteed a room since we wouldn't be there for the entire time (4-5 days) - which just wouldn't wash since I need a ground floor room thanks to my lousy back and knees.
So I found a cabin to stay at about 20 miles away, which also had a little fenced yard which would be super-convenient for getting the dogs ex'ed. Vickie, who has Sylvi from us also planned to go, along with her husband. We were thrilled at the prospect of seeing one of our guys at the show that we didn't own!
Then...we couldn't get a petsitter. So Victor had to stay at the house while I went on the excursion. NOW it would be cheaper to stay at the ranch - and I was informed that there was a ground room available. However....it was too late to cancel the cabin without great pains to my wallet (what's left of it). Sooooooo....on we go. Then I got an email from Vickie - something had come up at her husband's job, and they couldn't go. But then, she asked if she could ride along with me - that sounds good to me! All a bit last minute - but that tends to be how we roll anyway!
We started out after work on Wednesday evening and reached Amarillo at 3 in the morning after painstakingly driving the Zoibus at the posted speed limit (a VERY hard thing for me to do - but I wanted to see if it would help the mileage. It did...a little bit.) We bunked down for about 5 hours at a local motel and then left Amarillo, after a vital Starbuck's visit, around 9:30. I had opted for the flatland trip to CO - down Highway 287 all the way to Limon, as opposed to the Raton Pass route. A bit less scenic (well...at least as the pass is concerned...87 is pretty darned boring too, and the last time had too many construction areas with 40 mph limits and well as "Safety Zones", whatever the heck those are) but it would allow us to bypass CO Springs and/or Denver during rush hours.
Our next trip highlight was coming to Berthoud Pass - we watched the temperature drop as we climbed ever upward! We came to just below the treeline. The Zoibus handled it all pretty well too - which was a great relief, although I am not a fan of driving near ledges with big drop-offs. Little did I know...
It had been a long day, and hardly anyone had participated in potty-time that morning, so we opted to check-in to the cabin I had reserved and let the dogs take care of business in the little yard and then I would take Vickie on up to KMR (King Mountain Ranch) where all the festivities were. The drive from Grand Lake down to Granby then out to the ranch was a pretty easy stretch...until....we got to the "driveway" of the ranch. In all the posts about the location, this particular "road" (I use the term loosely at this point) was not mentioned! It was a 4 1/2 mile twisty dirt "road" that had recently had a barrage of rain (and before that, snow) and was apparently consisting of a good bit of clay. For the highest and longest-size Sprinter van...it was a Slip-n-Slide. For a road weary traveler with a fear of heights at the end of a long trek...it was terrifying. We felt the Zoibus lose traction on several occasions after we had to zip through the big mud wallow just after turning off the pavement - heard later that some folks got stuck in the pit there.
It took longer for me to travel up their "driveway" than it did for me to drive the almost 20 miles from my cabin. Nothing like a white-knuckle ride. Vickie had spotted a bald eagle flying low over the lake - I would have loved to have seen it, but was too busy trying to keep from plummeting into the lake itself in a poor impression of flight. As she checked into the ranch, I spent my time having a pure panic attack at the prospect of navigating the way down. I've got to hand some BIG credit to one of their wranglers/employees (Dave?) who graciously drove me back down to the civilized road and dealt with the crazy and nervously chatty flatlander.
The next day I allowed myself plenty of time to make the trip and have some time to settle before the show began. A bit unsuccessful as I had to get the manager/owner of the cabin to come pull out my van as it would not reverse (I had parked close enough to the cabin to not allow me to go forward) up a small incline. I later learned that diesel + high altitude + a touch of cool does not make for much in the way of power. I also learned that despite knowing more of what to expect on the ranch "driveway", I was still terrified, and this time managed to get the Zoibus sideways as it slid, which I thankfully managed to steer out of, despite the nose being pointed towards the ledge. At that very moment - I lost any notion of happy thoughts.
I did soak up as much of the cooler weather as I could though! The rings were outside and on occasion it was a bit too nippy - but knowing what awaited me back home (heat indexes upwards of 100 degrees), I enjoyed the occasional shiver.
Saturday after the show concluded, we opted to head back to the cabin and vegetate and prepare for the trip home the next morning. I allowed all the dogs to come hang out in the little yard, with the back door half open so that they could come and go. Most opted for a nap in the streaming sunlight on the deck, although luxury lover Tyler felt his place was beside me on the futon as I semi-consciously watched the little tv and attempted to once again find my happy (fail!). We munched on the food I had brought with me for the trip (chicken salad with grapes, marinated tomatoes, and wasabi slaw, and a few other items), failing to find a pizza delivery option after a mouth-watering commercial. The folks next to us were intrigued by the dogs and we had a nice visit - sounds like they may be interested in getting a Silken someday! Such irresistible little dogs!
Morning came too soon, and we got everyone pottied, loaded and packed and did some tidy-up (inside and out) before dropping the key off at the office. I had opted for the interstate route home in the hopes of knocking off an hour or two...if we didn't doze off from boredome
Another year's specialty trip come to an end.
Here are some related links:
My online gallery for the trip - LOTS of pictures of the scenery. Vickie learned the art of "drive-by photography" while I navigated Berthoud pass, as well as witnessing my snapping of pictures at 70 mph
Mountain Lakes Lodge - the place where I stayed. I want to go back, it was so beautiful and comfy!
King Mountain Ranch - the beautiful dude ranch where Silkenfest was held. The staff were wonderful and the scenery breathtaking
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Post-Silkenfest Brief
Well....I guess it's what happens when a terrier man from another country judges sighthounds! C'est la vie! Or whatever "that's life" is in Spanish!
No "three-peat" for Tyler (aka "Wee-man") - actually he was completely shut out, without even an Award of Merit. But we still had fun seeing everyone again and meeting some new folk. The scenery was gorgeous (even if it did try to kill me - see future posts for that) to boot - both at the ranch and at the little cabin I had rented 20 miles away (pictures forthcoming).
Despite my dismay at some of the judging, some dogs I admired came away with honors - notably Dita (Talisman Maia Mudita Kumbaya). Tyler's pups from Cinder's breeding did well in their classes, with his daughter Ilsa earning Best Opp Puppy honors. Our color of the day seemed to be white (4th), with the exception of Luna, who earned 3rd in the Bred-by class, and Isaak and Trouble, who walked.
I also got to get an eyeful of prospective 'husbands' for some of the girls - always nice to see what else is out there that may complement our breeding goals.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Off Again - Denver and RMBC
It seems that no sooner than I get back from NYC, than I leave for Denver! Poor Solo had even less turnaround time - as he and Victor arrived home Wednesday night, and we left Thursday night. Aren't hobbies supposed to be a method of relaxation?? With me and Solo was Burni, Bugg and Lars.
I was still pretty whupped from the NYC trip, and was only able to make it to the rest stop outside Quanah about 4 hours away from home. Of course, I didn't have the Zoibus, so finding a spot to curl up in the Astro-van was an interesting enterprise, to say the least. I ended up squashing myself between the crates and the side door and pulling a couple fleece blankets over myself (in addition to wearing my jacket) in order to keep warm. I managed to - although it wasn't what I would call either restful or comfortable. It wasn't warm either - it was 30 degrees outside and the wind chill was in the teens, not to mention the van being rocked back and forth all night. I managed 4 and a half hours of fitful napping before hitting the road again at 4:30 am.
I had told Jill that I didn't think I needed to be there in time to show on Friday, as I didn't think the judge would care for Solo. I did get there on time - and she didn't care for him
It was great to see folks at ringside on Saturday for the specialty! I love coming up to visit here and see everyone and their dogs. Had some interesting experiences in Sweeps and muddled on through the regular classes with Lars and Burni. I didn't get to show Bugg in Open Bitch as she had managed to lacerate her side and it looked uglier (and bigger) once I got to Colorado. Solo showed well and was very happy and animated (almost too much so) even after a travel-heavy week. He made the cut and went on to win an Award of Merit at the Specialty.
The drive home seemed to take forever. I ended up stopping in Memphis, TX and this time actually got a hotel room as my back had been cussing me since Thursday evening's slumber in the van. Although the hard bed in the Travelodge did not do much to make my back feel better! At least it was warm!
Saturday, October 27, 2007
California and Bust
It was a loooooooooooong drive to Antioch, California in order to attend an ISWS Regional Specialty (BooFest!), which I've been to twice previously. It's been held every other year - but may soon become an annual event. The main purpose for going was for Tyler, because of an interpretation on the poorly written show rules regarding the attainment of an ISWS Grand Champion title....so I needed to go where the dogs were. I also had several others in attendance - Luna, Trouble, Gabe, Luna's daughter Missi, and Ginger (who was being dropped off for a friend to take home for a bit in order to be bred to one of her males).
Tyler came away empty-pawed, but I can't complain too badly. Gabe won the Bred-By Exhibitor Dog class, then went on to win Winners Dog/Best of Winners and Best Bred-By in Show! This gives him his ISWS-qualifying win towards his ISWS championship...which is fabulous! Although it does mean I will need to get him to some Rarities shows now in order to work on getting more points! Ember, who now lives with Alison of Tangaloor Silkens, won Winners Bitch from the Open class! Then Missi won Best Puppy in Show despite her very rotten behavior. She's certainly lovely - but she's also an electric-red, first class BRAT.
Tyler did get a little something while he was there - he had several trysts with his "intended", Cinder, who conveniently was in standing heat during our visit. So hopefully we will have news from Joyce that pups will be coming in late December. Cinder is our Duncan's sister and has that same, effortless, ground-covering stride. Her first litter has a great depth of quality and beautiful type, so I have high hopes since we will be getting a pup. Joyce was kind enough to put up me and the critters during our brief stay. The dogs enjoyed the romp through the landscaped and hilly yard, and Tyler....well....enjoyed his romp.
The drive itself was relatively uneventful, although in Mojave they had closed the freeway for a bit due to super-high winds which made it dangerous for high profile vehicles (and the Zoibus certainly qualifies for that!). On Friday night I decided to find a hotel to crash at, and came upon the Canyon Inn (somewhere between Flagstaff and Williams, AZ). It's fun to find a place to stay that's not the usual franchise and has its own "personality" - and this place sure fit the bill. The lady that checked me in was very friendly too. Good thing I chose a hotel, since it hit below freezing that night - and I was warm and cozy. It wasn't an expensive stay, they gave me a little goody bag and biscuits for the dog, and they even had free wireless internet. I must figure on staying there again.
On the way home, east of Henrietta, on a lonely (not to mention dark) 2-lane road, the Zoibus blew out its left rear tire. I didn't have good cell phone reception, but managed to get hold of AAA to ask for a truck to come out. It was getting chilly, I could hardly see, and I could hear coyotes. It too over 3 and a half hours to get a truck to me - thanks to a series of miscommunications - and I was a wreck by the time they got there thanks to the poor phone reception and wondering how long I would be stuck. Don't particularly remember the rest of the drive home since I was too tired. Thank goodness there wasn't any cars parked on the shoulder, since I tested the rumble strips on several occasions - those parts I do remember. Ended up taking a day off from work in order to sleep off the adrenalin hangover.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
From Dream to Reality
My trip to the Rocky Mountain Borzoi Club's Fall Specialty in Longmont, CO ended up leaving my cup overflowing with good fortune! The Lockard family (who had Sassi's brother Rali and now have Peanut from Solo and Monkee's litter) helped me out greatly, with a place to crash for the night and good company, along with the dogs getting a good romp in the yard after their long journey. Paige showed 3 of our guys (Moose, Peepers and Solo) at the show, Leslie took pictures, and Stephen was Sassi's saviour towards the conclusion of the breed judging when I was able to catch his eye and get him to bring a spray bottle to try and cool off Sassi.
Lars behaved like a little gentleman in his Sweeps class. I was a bit disappointed that he had turned a year old the day before the specialty and would appear quite scrawny in comparison to his competition
Lars then went on to win his 12-18 class - so I was very proud of him. His mother is our performance girl Flareon, and his father is Duri's brother Burni who thrilled me a few years ago by going BOW at RMBC. Moose behaved well for Paige in Open and was just out of the ribbons - while Peepers continued her "precocious ways" in her 6-9 class. Arthur, always happy for a trip with "mom" showed well for me in Veterans and I was so happy to have him take the class. I recognized one of his competitors (Dalton), who I had admired some years ago at RMBC and just thought was gorgeous. The
specials class was nerve-wracking for me. Paige was showing Solo for me, and Pam Leichtnam was kind enough to take in Arthur while I showed his daughter Sassi, who has been my RMBC "bridesmaid", taking an AOM the year that Kalen Dumke judged (also finishing Sassi's sister Magik there), and BOS under Pat Ellis.
This specialty, Sassi was a bridesmaid no longer....I cannot express how thrilled I am that she was awarded BEST IN SPECIALTY SHOW! Always a dream, and now a reality. I did not even see Arthur win his Award of Merit. I found out about that while awaiting pictures and Pam asked me if I wanted his ribbon for his picture!
There was a newspaper photographer there who was taking lots of pictures, but apparently liked Arthur a lot. Someone pointed him to me as Arthur's owner and he came and talked to me, got my name and all and was asking questions about Arthur and where we're from. He gave me his card and I called the paper on the way home and asked for 2 copies to be sent to me - and was so surprised to see a nice little write-up and lovely picture on the front page!
So we have had an amazing weekend...welcoming our next generation and having a most memorable RMBC that we will likely never come close to experiencing again!
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