Weekend Update

Now, considering the events of the weekend, this might be a Saturday Night Live skit. But in the end, it was, again, another great weekend spent with friends and dogs.

So it's the Dubuque show. I hate, repeat, hate the building it's held in, the floor, the echoing noise, most of the time the judges, etc. It's in the hockey arena building there. For years they had these crappy floor boards over the ice that would wobble and trip you. New thick plastic black ones but now you have this odd echoing like sound when you walk on it. It's even worse if the person behind you tends to stomp or shuffle their feet. I did my best light footed walk on my toes all weekend. The grooming is tight and over the past couple of years, they have started covering the carpet so that the dogs and vendors have more room. Opened up the upper concourse for grooming-that too is a pain in the rumpus-elevators and stairs. We were lucky that Alec went up early with Rus and Sherilyn and got prime grooming spots.

Overall not a bad weekend. Bear took WD/BOW on Saturday and needs just one major to finish-yippee!!! We got dumped in breed, but you know, it's a judge who I honestly have no idea what he looks for, so we rarely show to him. But Team Riverrun did good! The Chunky Monkey, still a class dog, took his first group placement with a group 2 under Katie Gammill. We do offer our ringside cheering services for hire-seems it works, Ransom Group 2, the lab took BIS and the husky was a group 3. Meredith and Eddie made it back in the juniors ring and won their class. It's been a long dry spell and those two worked like a well oiled machine. Afterwards it was a puppy fun match. Kim did well with our Ella-no crawling on her knees to get her to walk on lead, just walked backwards. Kristi told the other dogs what she thought of their barking, but Bekka held it together to present a very nice package. Merlot aka Little Shit, ended up with a group 4. She was asleep just before we went back in for group so I think it might have cost her some-heehee. Then off to the Shot Tower for great food and loads of conversation. The Ms and Nick had a sleep over at Kim and Kathy's which amazingly the entire house was in bed by 9:30, though up at 4!

Sunday was a ?huh? moment in some aspects but in most classes, the dogs that won were respectable representations of the breed. Nothing I would ever breed to but not on stilts, huge, tiny or ones that make you puke when looking at them. Just average dogs. I was soooo happy, when Cindy won with her Tanna. It's been a long hard road for those two ;0) She's a really great gal and will learn a lot with her first dog. Can't wait to see her in a couple weeks. In juniors, it was the ?huh? moment until we figured out that the judge has never put up a cardigan-she doesn't know what to do with their fronts. Shame as you are supposed to know the standards but judge the kid.

Frankie did well considering the environment. I knew he would be conserned about the echoing, but honestly, not something I worry about. That's not temperament, that's working ability-he has super sharp hearing that allows me to work with him from long distances with out shouting. Moose came to smooze and did a very good job of it. That's all he wants really, attention, the big lug.

The ride home was filled with plans for Nationals. Meredith is riding down a day early with the Gibson Clan, Bekka is coming with me on Saturday. Alec is going to come down late in the week now, which means we will be having a blast on Saturday. But first it's a road trip this week to meet up with Rus to exchange some dogs, a week filled with meetings, a weekend free, but I can't wait till the end of the month!! Dewitt here we come. Kim's now running a dog show bed and breakfast and looks to full at the inn!

Later gators and enjoy the weather!!!........
C