Yes, I am home! After leaving West Bend, WI at about 2 pm on Friday, I arrived home yesterday at 9 pm. I unloaded just what I really had to have, and turned the dogs out in their yard to run a little; they really needed it!
I already made a Picturetrail album of the showgrounds and lots of dogs. Click on this link and pick the album titled "ASCA Nationals". The pictures are set up so that you can right-click and download if you choose. There's only one picture of my dogs in there - I had some others, but the files got corrupted somehow :-( I will be taking a couple of new pictures in a day or two, with the two dogs who showed, and the ribbons we won.
Now, on with the show (so to speak):
I left on Thursday, the 18th at about 5 a.m. I met up with Catherine D. at a rest area in New York, to get some wood from a tree that fell on her property. Once I've given it a few months to dry, it will become, among other things, a pen for Catherine. She got to meet my wild 'n crazy dogs, too! Maybe someday I'll get to meet hers (altho I'm sure hers won't be nearly as wild as mine!).
We arrived in West Bend at about noon on Friday, and met up with Clara (of Maine-Ly Aussies, the breeder of most of my dogs) and Sara, who also has one of Clara's dogs. We went to the fairgrounds to unpack crates, grooming equipment, etc., and set up our stalls.
Saturday was the first show, with Roxie in obedience (Novice B) and Trinity in Open Blue Merle. There were more than 30 dogs in Novice B alone, and something like 13 or 14 dogs in just open blue bitch. Those levels of entries continued all week, with the exception of the National show itself.
In the first show, Roxie got a 198 (our highest score ever!) and 3rd place; Trinity took 2nd place in her class. We did get called back in for Reserve Winners Bitch, but didn't get it.
Saturday afternoon, Roxie (who is on a very low protein diet) got into the other dogs' food, and literally ate herself sick, so she wasn't feeling her best for Sunday's show. She got a 192; Trinity got 3rd place in her class.
Monday was the National Obedience Finals, which was two rounds of obedience back-to-back. I had not planned on competing in the Finals, but I found out Sunday afternoon that someone else hadn't shown up and as first alternate I was entitled to compete. Roxie got a 192 and a 187-1/2 - from our highest score ever to our lowest score ever! We had three no-sits during our heeling! I was shocked; we've never had a no-sit problem! We ended up in 8th place (out of 10 dogs), and still got a big (and long!) pink ribbon. Trinity got 4th place in her class; still absolutely wonderful to get a placement out of a class of 17 dogs of this caliber!
Tuesday I was only showing Roxie. After three days of running between classes, running from the show area at the Pavilion to our stalls and grooming area (and back), being on my feet for more than half the day, etc, it was quite a relief. There were over 70 dogs in Novice B alone for the National, and they divided it into two Novice B classes. Roxie scored a 192-1/2, but it did seem like she was feeling much better. We lost a few points because she decided to invent the "automatic finish" instead of doing a front then finish, but she worked very happily, and I thought her heelwork was much better (no no-sits, for one!).
I only had one dog left to show at this point. My legs and feet were killing me from long days standing on concrete for many hours, and Wednesday and Thursday were my "days off". I spent Wednesday taking pictures, and Thursday doing a "video tour" for DH and the kids. Friday I showed Trinity in Open Blue; there were something like 21 dogs in my class alone. They divided the class in half; the judge was Carol Ann Hartnagle. We made the first cut, but didn't get a placement. I was thrilled to have just made the first cut with a judge like her!
As soon as Trinity was done, we packed up and hit the road. My feet are still swollen from sitting and driving for so long, but I took DH and the kids to the Deerfield Fair today anyway.
One thing that surprised me (besides the fact that I lost 5 lbs from all the running around and lack of time to eat) was that most of the time I was too tired to knit by the time I got back to the hotel (and walked the dogs, fed the dogs, etc). I thought about going down to a yarn shop I found out about in Milwaukee, but they seemed not-real-friendly when I called, so I didn't bother.
But boy, the dogs are not the only ones thrilled to be home!
I already made a Picturetrail album of the showgrounds and lots of dogs. Click on this link and pick the album titled "ASCA Nationals". The pictures are set up so that you can right-click and download if you choose. There's only one picture of my dogs in there - I had some others, but the files got corrupted somehow :-( I will be taking a couple of new pictures in a day or two, with the two dogs who showed, and the ribbons we won.
Now, on with the show (so to speak):
I left on Thursday, the 18th at about 5 a.m. I met up with Catherine D. at a rest area in New York, to get some wood from a tree that fell on her property. Once I've given it a few months to dry, it will become, among other things, a pen for Catherine. She got to meet my wild 'n crazy dogs, too! Maybe someday I'll get to meet hers (altho I'm sure hers won't be nearly as wild as mine!).
We arrived in West Bend at about noon on Friday, and met up with Clara (of Maine-Ly Aussies, the breeder of most of my dogs) and Sara, who also has one of Clara's dogs. We went to the fairgrounds to unpack crates, grooming equipment, etc., and set up our stalls.
Saturday was the first show, with Roxie in obedience (Novice B) and Trinity in Open Blue Merle. There were more than 30 dogs in Novice B alone, and something like 13 or 14 dogs in just open blue bitch. Those levels of entries continued all week, with the exception of the National show itself.
In the first show, Roxie got a 198 (our highest score ever!) and 3rd place; Trinity took 2nd place in her class. We did get called back in for Reserve Winners Bitch, but didn't get it.
Saturday afternoon, Roxie (who is on a very low protein diet) got into the other dogs' food, and literally ate herself sick, so she wasn't feeling her best for Sunday's show. She got a 192; Trinity got 3rd place in her class.
Monday was the National Obedience Finals, which was two rounds of obedience back-to-back. I had not planned on competing in the Finals, but I found out Sunday afternoon that someone else hadn't shown up and as first alternate I was entitled to compete. Roxie got a 192 and a 187-1/2 - from our highest score ever to our lowest score ever! We had three no-sits during our heeling! I was shocked; we've never had a no-sit problem! We ended up in 8th place (out of 10 dogs), and still got a big (and long!) pink ribbon. Trinity got 4th place in her class; still absolutely wonderful to get a placement out of a class of 17 dogs of this caliber!
Tuesday I was only showing Roxie. After three days of running between classes, running from the show area at the Pavilion to our stalls and grooming area (and back), being on my feet for more than half the day, etc, it was quite a relief. There were over 70 dogs in Novice B alone for the National, and they divided it into two Novice B classes. Roxie scored a 192-1/2, but it did seem like she was feeling much better. We lost a few points because she decided to invent the "automatic finish" instead of doing a front then finish, but she worked very happily, and I thought her heelwork was much better (no no-sits, for one!).
I only had one dog left to show at this point. My legs and feet were killing me from long days standing on concrete for many hours, and Wednesday and Thursday were my "days off". I spent Wednesday taking pictures, and Thursday doing a "video tour" for DH and the kids. Friday I showed Trinity in Open Blue; there were something like 21 dogs in my class alone. They divided the class in half; the judge was Carol Ann Hartnagle. We made the first cut, but didn't get a placement. I was thrilled to have just made the first cut with a judge like her!
As soon as Trinity was done, we packed up and hit the road. My feet are still swollen from sitting and driving for so long, but I took DH and the kids to the Deerfield Fair today anyway.
One thing that surprised me (besides the fact that I lost 5 lbs from all the running around and lack of time to eat) was that most of the time I was too tired to knit by the time I got back to the hotel (and walked the dogs, fed the dogs, etc). I thought about going down to a yarn shop I found out about in Milwaukee, but they seemed not-real-friendly when I called, so I didn't bother.
But boy, the dogs are not the only ones thrilled to be home!
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