Specialty Gun Dog Bitch

My adrenaline was all that kept me on my feet, as Billie and I returned for a turn at Gun Dog Bitch. I don’t recall ever having Billie in Gun Dog and this day was a first time in a long time I was handling Billie. The kids have shown her for a long while now, I’m not even sure if I have had her in the ring since I handed her to Melinda for her campaign to Westminster. So going into this Specialty, I knew I would savor the time. It all goes so fast and before you know it they are veterans and then they are gone. So it was already all so good and all so much. And then we won Gun Dog Bitch.

Thank you to everyone who helped.

Thanks to Sue Dorscheid who got my trophies to the photo shoot. You don’t realize, but if you hadn’t I am sure I would have missed something…you see, in Jazz’s Brood Bitch photo online, the perpetual is photo shopped into her photos. At that time I didn’t even know I had won a perpetual trophy!Thank you to all those Canadian kennels in my pedigree for giving me such good stock to start and such a great palette to play with. I am sure it was all there to begin with and I have just been lucky enough so far to not undue what has been given to me.

As I left the ring for the last time, Lee Ann was saying, next year EVERYONE will be wearing a white suit.Now that is funny. Jeannie Cameron had told me on the way to check in to the hotel 3 long days before that this was the Canadian Memorial Day weekend and we all know, you are only allowed to wear white from Memorial Day until Labor Day. Guess I’ll be wearing white more often.

Specialty Brood Bitch ReDux (and Isabella)

Finally we were at the Big one, the ONE I REALLY wanted. Brood Bitch brought yet another rescue from toller friends. Shelly had to leave for the agility ring and I was looking for a handler for Isabella. Some friends were already committed to another entry, some had another ring to get to, but with a handful of friends that don’t show looking for someone to handle, several handlers were found and I thank you all! It meant more then you know.

Heather Green took Isabella and Kathy had Dux. Thank you Heather. I had Billie, so the Taz x Billie breeding returned to the ring. The entry was big, and as with stud dog, we had to split the entry. In the end, we returned and Judge Mills said she regretted having but one award for this class. She was giving me a LOT of eye contact when talking about the entry, so much so that I HAD to look away.

And then she pointed to me! I now had it, not just that Billie had taken Brood Bitch at a Canadian Specialty, but I now had a mother daughter team. Both Brood Bitch winners at a National Specialty. Jazz (Bernache’s All That Jazz) is already engraved on the trophy, from the last Halifax Specialty, And, as those older know, my only other trip to a Canadian National was my first ever National with my first ever toller in 1997 in the Kitchener area and that brought the honor of Winners Bitch and Best of Opposite to Jazz. So things had come full circle.

Specialty Stud Dog 1st

The next big win came helping Kathy Guerra and Taz (Westerlea’s Midnight Sun) in the stud dog class. We were using Dux and Isabella from my Taz x Billie breeding. This would be another Stud Dog trophy for Kathy Guerra, Alison Strang and Taz and this get at a Specialty. Congratulations to Kathy and Thank You for letting me use Taz with Billie and Gale. Taz was his usual playful self, so full of himself. He easily makes me laugh. That would continue thru to the photos at the end of a very long day.

Specialty RWB Bred By 1st - Isabella

Isabella (Cedar Fog’s JazzmaTaz) was next in the Bred By class. She is such an easy going girl and so easy to show and her ability to go in the ring with anyone would help me later. She showed so well and I am always most proud to take any Bred By First but to take it at a Specialty means a great deal. Then she went on to take Reserve Winners Bitch. Thank you Judge Mills. I will never forget this weekend.

Now I am being heckled with, “It’s the suit, it’s the suit.” And from more then one person. Seems just like Susan Boyle, I need to “tidy myself up a bit” and do it a bit more frequently ;)

Specialty 2nd 12-18 month bitch-Derby

My time was upon me, and after many comments about my daring to wear a white suit, I entered with Derby (Cedar Fog’s Midnight Ride) in the 12-18 month Bitch class. For the first time in her career, I can say she behaved perfectly. She looked so good and we earned a second place for all our training.

Specialty WD Open 1 goes to Dux

My stomach started to settle briefly when Dux (Cedar Fog Midnight Seduxtion) took the big Open Dog class, but all became about unbearable when Dux was pulled to the front of the line during Winners Dog. Did I mention the Judge Ainslie L Mills was thorough, very thorough. So more movement was required as my stomach flipped and flopped as I hoped and prayed they stayed at the front of the line. When Kathy and Dux took Winner’s Dog, my specialty had been made and my nerves were all gone. What ever followed, my weekend had been a big success.

THE Show 2009 Canadian Toller National Specialty

Sunday brought the Big show and Big nerves awaiting our ring time. The piping in always puts a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. This time I took Isabella with me. I wanted some special time just she and I. Isabella’s special time with me was to continue.

My nervousness kept growing as the puppy dog classes flew by. The buzz hit the grooming room and some were caught by surprise as their class was upon them before anticipated. Good God! I thought, we’ll be done my lunch time. Then came the Bred By and Open dog class, and the dogs were being moved multiple times and it became apparent this judge was going to be thorough, very thorough.

The Specialty 2009 Canadian Toller Nationals Sweeps

Saturday night brought a 4th place for Derby in the 12-18 month puppy sweeps class, and the first rescue I required. Having completely forgot there was that Breeder’s Sweeps category, (who knew?)and that I had entered Billie, I was panicked because I had left Billie at the hotel!!! Thanks to Shelly and Carolyn Kurth for “kidnapping” Billie and bringing her to the sweeps for me. I am thrilled that Billie was pulled to lead the line of 4 in the cut. Congratulations to Tyson who took the Breeder’s Sweeps trophy. It truly is an honor to loose to Tyson. Hey committee, where’s the BOS for Breeder’s Sweeps? Need a sponsor?

2009 Canadian Toller National Specialty

Today, I am going to get started on my passport. Canadian Specialties have been such a great time, so well organize and since they repeatedly send me home with such wonderful trophies, I will have to stop missing any!Some were surprised to learn I get nervous before showing and I am the first to say I belong in the field, not the ring.

I have many people to thank for rescuing me from myself…

Friday started with the WC and I am thrilled that all three of the Taz x Billie pups: Dux-Cedar Fog Midnight Seduxtion, Daphne - Cedar Fog's Red Tornado and Isabella- Cedar Fog's Jazzmataz passed. They were joined by their proud parents Taz-Westerlea's Midnight Sun and Billie-Cedar Fog's Holiday.

Shelly continually impresses me with all she does with Daphne. She has trained Daphne for field by herself, …all by herself. Apparently her quiet spoken ways were not missed by our judge who was calling her squeaky? Then came water and Daphne made the mistake of dropping her bird to shake, at which point soft spoken Shelly commanded “YOU GO GET THAT DUCK!” Both judge and Daphne ran, Daphne for the duck and the judge for sanctuary.

I made it back in time, just in time for the water series. Did you know in Canada to buy The Beer you have to go to The Beer Store aye? Note to self: Make the beer run the night before the field test. Still, they were cold in time for the ribbon ceromony.

Westminster 2009 Shelly and Daphne take BOS!

OMG! A year has passed and in that time so much good has come our way.

What has Finally prompted me to get back to the blog?

The best news ever!

Shelly and Daphne took BOS at Westminster in February. Daphne and Shelly are both young and this is an incredible accomplishment. This is just the start of Shelly's career in dogs.

Daphne is Ch. Cedar Fog's Red Tornado RA

out of
AKC/CAN/NSDTRC CH MACH ACH U-CDX HR Westerlea's Midnight Sun UDX SH WCX CAN CDX VCX x HRCH AKC/NSDTRC CH Cedar Fog's Holiday WCX SH, 2006 Westminster BOB.

Thank you Judge Dr. Donald Sturz, Jr. I'm sure Shelly and Daphne will continue to please.