Wow. . 2014 may be the year of dreams. ..
We haven't been doing as much racing, but that's because we've been soo busy doing other things!
Mr Duckie has been on a roll this fall. He came back out after almsot 3 months off to go SBOS at Potomac Valley Borzoi Club's Specialty under Karen Dumke for yet another 5 point major, then the following day went BOB for a 4 point major. He now has all his majors, more champions defeated then you can shake a stick at and is sitting at 21 points towards his GCH. He also has picked up his first coursing point and is a 1/3 of the way towards his SGRC.
Sisters Nikki & Teela have been put up to mature bodily, but both have finished their GRCs with multiple meet wins and are also 1/3 of the way towards their SGRC. With Traveler finishing his GRC in August, means the entire litter has a performance title already.
Ziva came back out and ran with Duckie in open up in NJ, and ran the best I've seen her run in years since she was repeatedly attacked. No, she didn't beat him, but it gives me hope she can get those last 4 singles and 22 points towards her coursing titles(AKC & ASFA respectively). She is also looking absolutely positively lovely, hope to get her in the ring next year.
Jenny has continued her winning ways. After jamming a toe at a coursing event, I put her up for the fall, and instead, we're working on other titles.
She finished her Rally Novice in September, to become FC Mielikki Dir Shepard at Silkenswift SC, CGC, FCH, SGRCIV, BN, RN.
If she'd done her darn downs, we'd've been tied for 2nd out of 19 entries, but she gave me the infamous Jenny snooty look, so when we got back home, she went into Borzoi Down Boot camp, EVERYBODY in the house made her do downs. I was not having her pull that again. She downed at every doorway, to get in the car, etc. This little problem was really getting under my skin.
She went to a few more shows unfortunately being the only bitch, but did pick up an additional single, and then... I saw there was an OB trial in town . .said ok, I have a racemeet that weekend, I'll just go Saturday and we'll go to the trial on Sunday. Sent my entries in then woke up in the middle of the night going OMG!!! That's MY racemeet.
Too late, check cashed. . entries closed. .could just hope for the best. A small racemeet combined with a great group of people got us done in record time and we headed over to the event, and still had to wait 4 hrs.
After the weekend of running the racemeet , I was too exhausted to get nervous or worried when just before our turn, the GSD did his recall that ended in a playbow, a bark, and then a 5 min game of you cant' catch me, Made sure Jenny was not watching as the dog ran around and around and around, a great game of zoomies. . they finally got him caught, and then it was our turn.
All I wanted was to prove to myself we COULD do this. . all I asked for was a 170. . .unlike the nationals where _I_ gave up after I lost her on the about turn, I refused to allow myself to think "Oh well, we failed." Each exercise was it's own. . yes, I lost her on the about turn, YES she leaned against one of the stewards on the figure 8, BUT she did do a perfect happy heel on leash, she DID do an almost perfect sit for exam, she DID do a perfect recall, and although she decided to be a little butthead on the down, she DID down and kept her down, even when we came back to heel position. She was good enough, we didn't get a 170, we actually got a 181 1/2 and our very first ever, MY very first ever, CD Leg.
I walked out of that ring crying for joy, hugging the silly little black bitch.
Fall's winding down, but we do have one possibly two more weekends of racing, one weekend of dog shows, and a rally show. I'm already looking at future OB shows to look for that next leg :) She is an overachiever and I'm having a blast with her.
Showing posts with label Duckie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Duckie. Show all posts
Monday, November 17, 2014
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Wow, what a year
It's been so long since I've sat down and written a blog.
What a year it's been. . .Duckie was put up after the wonderful weekend in Ohio for a few months. PVBC's specialty brought him out again. Alas, his other mother and handler Kari was down in TX for the Samoyed national, so I had to hope I could do him justice. . Didn't expect much, he was barely 12 months old and yep,.he acted like a dork in sweeps, left me scratching my head as to why he hadn't done better, but by regular class time, he had his dancing shoes on.
Now, I had my knee wrapped tightly, I hadn't shown in oh, 15 months, and was making all sorts of prayers to whichever gods may be listening that I could do this. . .that boy did me proud, didn't step a food down wrong, won his competitive 12-18 month class. Took a deep breath outside the ring as we waited for Bred by and Open to go in, then back in for Winners dog. Boy can Duckie move out, and he moved away with the 5 point major with me at the end of the leash. Talk about exhilerating.
The bitches went in, my knee was feeling good, so crossed my fingers, time for Best of Breed, and darnit, I wanted Best of Winners.
Bonnie D. commented she had never seen me move a dog out so much, and boy did we, I refused to lose. Judge moved us and moved us, and the last go around, my knee gave out... when she pointed to us for BOW, I had tears of pain and joy on my face. We did it!!!! To add to the joy, Kari went Best of Breed at the Samoyed national :) Not my dog, but she is part of this ride with Duckie!
Granted, the rest of the day was miserable as my knee gave me all sorts of whatsfor for doing this! But I was so pleased with my gawky boy!
A few more single point shows for him where he was a goofy gawky dork, but he ended the year with 8 points one major.
OTOH, Bounce finished the year as a brand spanking new champion! A wonderful xmas present! The only Borzoi to finish her ring title (12 points) and be #1 LGRA Borzoi in the same year! Also the first Borzoi Champion bitch to be #1.
Duckie and Jenny went to NY in January, my boy picking up two BOBs, two singles and playing in the groups, Jenny adding yet another point. We've played too much on the coursing/racing field, and it was high time for her to actually enter the ring at almost 5 and we were preparing her for April, where Kari packed the two up and headed to the 2014 BCOA Nationals in NM with a van full of dogs, and I flew out, as I can't drive that far, and went to Las Vegas to visit family afterwards.
But just before we left, I entered Jenny in a rally show. .we'd been working, but I haven't done Rally since losing Gossip, I needed to prove I could do it again, without my best girl at my side. Also to prepare myself for the Nationals LOl Jenny was being a pill over her downs at that time, but we still walked away with a qualifying leg, if she'd done her down, we'd''ve tied for 3rd out of a huge class. She finished her SGRCIV that weekend! Only the third borzoi to do so!
Jenny was post season, so didn't have high hopes for her, but she tickled me pink with a 3rd out of a nice entry of Borzoi in LGRA, even better, Duckie tied with her :) He has never ran hand slipped, so was confused the first race, came in 2nd, but the next two he won with style. It was only his second race meet, so it pleased me immensely, and he came home with his first two LGRA points.
I had screwed up her coursing entry, so we took the next two days easy, then on to obedience/rally. . .sad to walk out of the OB ring and be told if she'd recalled, we'd've gone high in trial LOL but that's exactly what the judge told us. Oh well, it was a pleasure to do it, to prove I could do it. .alas in rally, Mom's ineptitude, caused us 20 points, but we did pick up our 2nd rally leg.
Duckie then went on to place in his nice Futurity class, as did his cousin Coal from the Dark litter. But the highlight came regular class days. Duckie had to go in open as he was 18 months 5 days old, and even as the youngest dog in his rather decent sized class, he made it down to the last 6, which is more than I expected the judge to do with him, didnt' think he was curvy enough amongst other things, but the judge found something he liked. Jenny, OTOH, in one of the biggest classes of the week, AND IMHO, the most competitive class in bitches, despite being Ambred, pulled out a 2nd place. Shocked me, and Kari turned to me and said we REALLY need to show this bitch.
I had a wonderful vacation with family I haven't seen in 6.5 yrs, wasn't long enough, but it was great. And then home and back to work. The week went fast and it was pack the car up and go to oval, where Duckie & Teela showed promising practices. I certed the two, or tried to: when her brother jumped over her to get to the inside, Teela decided to duck under the tape, so back to go with her, he on the other hand had a beautiful cert run. He nor his brother Traveler can compete with sisters Bounce & Shimmer for speed due to a 30-35 lb weight different, but they ran true and hard. Bounce won Sunday for 2 points, and finished her JOR. . fingers crossed she continues to run well to be my next ORC since Jenny nor Ziva seem to want to stay on the track :SIGH:
And then(yes, it was a very busy spring LOL) we headed to the show circuit in NJ where Kent Delaney gave Duckie his second major, a 4 pointer, leaving him one point to finish. The next day, he finished in style at BCDV's specialty, WD/BOW for another 4 pointer! I believe he's my youngest champion at 19 months, with quite limited showing.
We spent the rest of May, June & July running, with Duckie finishing his GRC quite quickly considering the entries in our area anymore, with a meet win over Shimmer & Jenny! He also got his QC and his first SC leg, he has to learn to maneuver that 93 lb body around the field, but I as very happy with the boy. Teela also got her cert, and will start running this fall.
But to top it off, Bounce finished her FC to become my first personal DC, finishing in four trials, with 3 5 point wins, AND then the next day a 5 point BIF win!
Jenny then went to camp, and acted like a twit, heeling for Kari in the ring due to our Obedience training, despite herself she picked up a 3 point major.
August brought cooler weathers and a desire to take a vacation again. Kari looked at the show schedule and we both decided let's go to WI!! Three breeder judges, including one that had specifically hunted me down at the Nationals last year to compliment me on 7 month old Duckie, and it was her last big judging assignment, so I wanted to show her what he had matured to!
Friday was way too early.Kari's Samoyed special was on at like 8:30, borzoi at 9, so it was a whirlwind day. Eli the Sammy won bred, then it as hurry up and groom the zoi, and head ring side. Glancing at the bitches, I turned to the owner of one particularly nice open bitch and told her breeder/owner "If I have to lose today, it better be your girl". She informed me she was pretty sure she was going o lose to Jenny. That alone made my day, as this is a breeder I have always respected in the breed. I was right, but Jenny did go RWB, so I was happy as I'd had no idea what to expect of this breeder judge. I hadn't shown to her in over a decade!
Kari handed me my girl and took Duckie in. At 22 months old, he was younger by a margin than every other special in the ring, so I didn't expect much, and when the judge pulled a rather nice specials bitch out and sent her to the front of the line, I was ok with it. All I'd hoped for for the weekend was an AOM at the specialty. The shock came when the judge came back to Kari and told her to go in front. OMG!! Yes, YES YES!! Duckie went BOB over a nice entry of specials for a 5 point major win! OMG!!
The day wasn't done. In a ring full of heavy hitters, Duckie put on his cleated dance shoes and moved out like a pro, to come away with a Group 3 under the first judge's husband!! Who the next day, in a special entry of 12 males, gave Duckie Select dog for his second 5 point major AFTER rewarding Jenny who was moving like a dream, her second major ALSO a 5 point major! WAHOOO!!!
Duckie ended the 2nd day with an AOM at the specialty. The lovely judge was so pleased to hear this was the puppy she'd fallen in love with at our Nationals, and thanked me for bringing him to her. I got a lot of compliments on both my kids that weekend, and it made the long trip and resulting week long illness for both Kari & I worth it. We're both still recovering from what we're referring to as Wisconsin cheesehead, but three majors, 15 points, and an AOM made it all worth it ;)
Jenny now needs 5 singles to be my next DC, Duckie has 10 points and 2 majors towards his Grandchampion, couldn't ask for a much better weekend!
What a year it's been. . .Duckie was put up after the wonderful weekend in Ohio for a few months. PVBC's specialty brought him out again. Alas, his other mother and handler Kari was down in TX for the Samoyed national, so I had to hope I could do him justice. . Didn't expect much, he was barely 12 months old and yep,.he acted like a dork in sweeps, left me scratching my head as to why he hadn't done better, but by regular class time, he had his dancing shoes on.
Now, I had my knee wrapped tightly, I hadn't shown in oh, 15 months, and was making all sorts of prayers to whichever gods may be listening that I could do this. . .that boy did me proud, didn't step a food down wrong, won his competitive 12-18 month class. Took a deep breath outside the ring as we waited for Bred by and Open to go in, then back in for Winners dog. Boy can Duckie move out, and he moved away with the 5 point major with me at the end of the leash. Talk about exhilerating.
The bitches went in, my knee was feeling good, so crossed my fingers, time for Best of Breed, and darnit, I wanted Best of Winners.
Bonnie D. commented she had never seen me move a dog out so much, and boy did we, I refused to lose. Judge moved us and moved us, and the last go around, my knee gave out... when she pointed to us for BOW, I had tears of pain and joy on my face. We did it!!!! To add to the joy, Kari went Best of Breed at the Samoyed national :) Not my dog, but she is part of this ride with Duckie!
Granted, the rest of the day was miserable as my knee gave me all sorts of whatsfor for doing this! But I was so pleased with my gawky boy!
A few more single point shows for him where he was a goofy gawky dork, but he ended the year with 8 points one major.
OTOH, Bounce finished the year as a brand spanking new champion! A wonderful xmas present! The only Borzoi to finish her ring title (12 points) and be #1 LGRA Borzoi in the same year! Also the first Borzoi Champion bitch to be #1.
Duckie and Jenny went to NY in January, my boy picking up two BOBs, two singles and playing in the groups, Jenny adding yet another point. We've played too much on the coursing/racing field, and it was high time for her to actually enter the ring at almost 5 and we were preparing her for April, where Kari packed the two up and headed to the 2014 BCOA Nationals in NM with a van full of dogs, and I flew out, as I can't drive that far, and went to Las Vegas to visit family afterwards.
But just before we left, I entered Jenny in a rally show. .we'd been working, but I haven't done Rally since losing Gossip, I needed to prove I could do it again, without my best girl at my side. Also to prepare myself for the Nationals LOl Jenny was being a pill over her downs at that time, but we still walked away with a qualifying leg, if she'd done her down, we'd''ve tied for 3rd out of a huge class. She finished her SGRCIV that weekend! Only the third borzoi to do so!
Jenny was post season, so didn't have high hopes for her, but she tickled me pink with a 3rd out of a nice entry of Borzoi in LGRA, even better, Duckie tied with her :) He has never ran hand slipped, so was confused the first race, came in 2nd, but the next two he won with style. It was only his second race meet, so it pleased me immensely, and he came home with his first two LGRA points.
I had screwed up her coursing entry, so we took the next two days easy, then on to obedience/rally. . .sad to walk out of the OB ring and be told if she'd recalled, we'd've gone high in trial LOL but that's exactly what the judge told us. Oh well, it was a pleasure to do it, to prove I could do it. .alas in rally, Mom's ineptitude, caused us 20 points, but we did pick up our 2nd rally leg.
Duckie then went on to place in his nice Futurity class, as did his cousin Coal from the Dark litter. But the highlight came regular class days. Duckie had to go in open as he was 18 months 5 days old, and even as the youngest dog in his rather decent sized class, he made it down to the last 6, which is more than I expected the judge to do with him, didnt' think he was curvy enough amongst other things, but the judge found something he liked. Jenny, OTOH, in one of the biggest classes of the week, AND IMHO, the most competitive class in bitches, despite being Ambred, pulled out a 2nd place. Shocked me, and Kari turned to me and said we REALLY need to show this bitch.
I had a wonderful vacation with family I haven't seen in 6.5 yrs, wasn't long enough, but it was great. And then home and back to work. The week went fast and it was pack the car up and go to oval, where Duckie & Teela showed promising practices. I certed the two, or tried to: when her brother jumped over her to get to the inside, Teela decided to duck under the tape, so back to go with her, he on the other hand had a beautiful cert run. He nor his brother Traveler can compete with sisters Bounce & Shimmer for speed due to a 30-35 lb weight different, but they ran true and hard. Bounce won Sunday for 2 points, and finished her JOR. . fingers crossed she continues to run well to be my next ORC since Jenny nor Ziva seem to want to stay on the track :SIGH:
And then(yes, it was a very busy spring LOL) we headed to the show circuit in NJ where Kent Delaney gave Duckie his second major, a 4 pointer, leaving him one point to finish. The next day, he finished in style at BCDV's specialty, WD/BOW for another 4 pointer! I believe he's my youngest champion at 19 months, with quite limited showing.
We spent the rest of May, June & July running, with Duckie finishing his GRC quite quickly considering the entries in our area anymore, with a meet win over Shimmer & Jenny! He also got his QC and his first SC leg, he has to learn to maneuver that 93 lb body around the field, but I as very happy with the boy. Teela also got her cert, and will start running this fall.
But to top it off, Bounce finished her FC to become my first personal DC, finishing in four trials, with 3 5 point wins, AND then the next day a 5 point BIF win!
Jenny then went to camp, and acted like a twit, heeling for Kari in the ring due to our Obedience training, despite herself she picked up a 3 point major.
August brought cooler weathers and a desire to take a vacation again. Kari looked at the show schedule and we both decided let's go to WI!! Three breeder judges, including one that had specifically hunted me down at the Nationals last year to compliment me on 7 month old Duckie, and it was her last big judging assignment, so I wanted to show her what he had matured to!
Friday was way too early.Kari's Samoyed special was on at like 8:30, borzoi at 9, so it was a whirlwind day. Eli the Sammy won bred, then it as hurry up and groom the zoi, and head ring side. Glancing at the bitches, I turned to the owner of one particularly nice open bitch and told her breeder/owner "If I have to lose today, it better be your girl". She informed me she was pretty sure she was going o lose to Jenny. That alone made my day, as this is a breeder I have always respected in the breed. I was right, but Jenny did go RWB, so I was happy as I'd had no idea what to expect of this breeder judge. I hadn't shown to her in over a decade!
Kari handed me my girl and took Duckie in. At 22 months old, he was younger by a margin than every other special in the ring, so I didn't expect much, and when the judge pulled a rather nice specials bitch out and sent her to the front of the line, I was ok with it. All I'd hoped for for the weekend was an AOM at the specialty. The shock came when the judge came back to Kari and told her to go in front. OMG!! Yes, YES YES!! Duckie went BOB over a nice entry of specials for a 5 point major win! OMG!!
The day wasn't done. In a ring full of heavy hitters, Duckie put on his cleated dance shoes and moved out like a pro, to come away with a Group 3 under the first judge's husband!! Who the next day, in a special entry of 12 males, gave Duckie Select dog for his second 5 point major AFTER rewarding Jenny who was moving like a dream, her second major ALSO a 5 point major! WAHOOO!!!
Duckie ended the 2nd day with an AOM at the specialty. The lovely judge was so pleased to hear this was the puppy she'd fallen in love with at our Nationals, and thanked me for bringing him to her. I got a lot of compliments on both my kids that weekend, and it made the long trip and resulting week long illness for both Kari & I worth it. We're both still recovering from what we're referring to as Wisconsin cheesehead, but three majors, 15 points, and an AOM made it all worth it ;)
Jenny now needs 5 singles to be my next DC, Duckie has 10 points and 2 majors towards his Grandchampion, couldn't ask for a much better weekend!
Ch Mielikki HiNote Secret Agent Man GRC at 22 months old, photo by Veni Harlan
Friday, July 19, 2013
weekened of dreams
After last month, I decided I needed to have fun, a weekend of laughter, joy, fun with friends, etc. . .with that in mind, I made vacation plans, verified them with Kari, a good friend and the handler I use, and waited impatiently for them to come about.
This last weekend we took off , our plans almost ruined by a bad reaction on my part to a bug bite. . .after a go ahead from my dr after an xray to rule out a broken foot, we hopped in her big white van and went to Ohio's Madison OH cluster with three Borzoi :)
This last weekend we took off , our plans almost ruined by a bad reaction on my part to a bug bite. . .after a go ahead from my dr after an xray to rule out a broken foot, we hopped in her big white van and went to Ohio's Madison OH cluster with three Borzoi :)
My mini pony, err, 9 month old moose Borzoi puppy Duckie (Mielikki HiNote Secret Agent Man) was RWD at the hound specialty, RWD to a major, took his third point and was again RWD, with lots of compliments :) He's such a sweet petunia plucking, dandelion destroying, clover chewing puppy. He also placed in the rather large (10+) puppy group both days we showed(We called it quits due tot he heat Sunday), with a 2nd on Friday in a pretty big group & a 4th on Saturday :) He's now got 3 points and is being put up to mature and grow into the legs he suddenly grew LOL
My Bounce, (Silkenswift Bounce Into First Dawn SGRC) who's had an awesome last 9 months with winning the LGRA Nationals meet, as well as our breed nationals LGRA meet, placed 1st in FLight B ASFA trial at our nationals, and RWB at our supported entry, was WB at the hound specialty and then again on Friday, for 7 points(giving her three majors), and then RWB on Saturday, Sunday's judge didn't like her, but that's ok, we were happy to share the wealth and got the two majors that were available :)
Then our Special Briar, (CH Zharkov Teine briar SC) who was AOM at our Nationals this year with almost 100 specials, was BOB at the hound specialty and SD for 9 points and two of his majors :)
Yeah, we pretty much flew home :)
No, it didn't make up for the loss last month, but it's given me a lot of reasons to smile this week :)
Then our Special Briar, (CH Zharkov Teine briar SC) who was AOM at our Nationals this year with almost 100 specials, was BOB at the hound specialty and SD for 9 points and two of his majors :)
Yeah, we pretty much flew home :)
No, it didn't make up for the loss last month, but it's given me a lot of reasons to smile this week :)
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