Party time!!

Well its been a bit sad since Snuffles left us, but life goes on and Rog & Fern have both had important birthdays, and Lily & Olli have been stars at Devon County Show.

Its 1 of the biggest 3 day shows in the south and our club were asked to do demonstrations twice daily in 2 different rings on the show ground this year. It was fab fun and both dogs were so well behaved! You do take things for granted sometimes with your dogs and occasionally you need to sit back and think about just how well they adjust to situations.
Thursday morning, off in the car to the showground, marched through crowds of people to the ring & marquee where we would be based for 2 days. Horses, Llamas, Birds of prey, noisy tractors, ridiculous country bands on stage, BBC camera man filming us, hundreds of pushchairs and nosey children, people dressed up in costume, and Lily & Olli were amazing. We put their double cage in a stable next to our marquee and they made themselves at home. No barking or whining, not even when a Shire horse looked in over the door!!! There were lots of other dogs in cages around them yet Lily, who a year ago would've freaked, just sat back and enjoyed the whole 2 days. The displays themselves were great fun. Olli is a real crowd pleaser, and again both dogs had a whale of a time. The links should take you to 2 videos from the show, so enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uumJRdEKzXo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-IqZ97HXBk

Back to party time and Saturday we had a bit of a do for Rog 50th and Ferns 18th birthdays. It was great fun, with lots of laughs, lots of drink, enough food for an army and some great friends to share it with. JoJo came on her own from the other side of Devon! and it was great to see her.

She was deposited in bed around 2am by Fern as she could know longer function on her own, and then Rog, Me & Fern stayed up til 4am chatting to 2 young guys who also stayed, who were brilliant company! Sunday we rose at various intervals, with varying degrees of hangovers, but after the lads left we went to the seafront where we live, had a nice lunch and hair of the dog with JoJo before she headed off, then returned home and sat in the glorious sunshine and did nothing. What a lovely weekend. Did have some water fun with Lily to cool down in the afternoon but the other dogs all ran away!! She is a Water Lily!

Off to Wales this weekend to a 2 day KC show, and armed with new hairbands I aim to do well!! (Thanks JoJo!)

Snuffles

R.I.P Snuffles aka KC She's Enough.

13/09/95 to 13/05/09

Running free with her mum Gemma & Auntie Meg. There will never be another Snuffles.

No stopping my dogs!!

Well after the disappointment of the Wadebridge wash out, we had 3 days of shows this weekend.

Friday afternoon we travelled to Newbury for the UKA GT. It was a lovely site and a good fun show. I ran Olli in the gamblers 1st thing Saturday morning and we had a pretty good round, but I felt faint as I came out and had a scary 10 minutes sat on the floor, so decided Fern would have to run my classes for me. She ran Lily in agility and it wasn't great. Poor Lily was looking for me and not really listening to Fern, and in fairness it was a tough course for Fern who hasn't run any agility rounds before. I then got myself together to run Lily in the steeplechase and we had a clear round. Fern ran Olli and also got a great clear round with him coming 5th! Fern also ran Jos Jess and got clear with her too. Jo ran Jed and he stayed in the ring!!! Wont be long before that clear round and then there will be no stopping him.

Sunday I was back on form and Lily was 2nd in the Jumping with a fab round, and 3rd in the Agility so 2 more trophies. Olli picked up 4th with Fern in the Snooker and we had another 5th too so a brilliant weekend.

Jo also got 3rd with Jess and another good round with Jed. All happy!!

Monday we were up to Severnside and our 1st KC show since moving up to grade 2. Lily was amazing. She ran a great round in the Grade 2 jumping and we got 2nd place trophy, then an absolute flyer in Agility to get another 2nd place trophy just 4 tenths behind the winner!!! Olli was 7th in the jumping too which was amazing but just missed his weaves in the agility.

The best moment of the whole weekend was Fern and I running the Pedigree pairs qualifier. 85 pairs took part and it was grade 1 - 5 so a tricky course and our 1st attempt at a pairs relay. We had a blistering double clear!!! Only 15 double clears out of all the dogs and we were 11th. Missing the top 10 by half a second. It was a blast though and my dogs did us proud.

Jo also had some clears again with Jess but yet again Jed stayed focused, didn't leave the ring and was even closer to a clear round. Its going to be an awesome year!!!

Even Dave behaved himself, playing well with Jos dogs and walking nicely around the show ground on Sunday without trying to attack anyone! He is going to be fine.