Ozark Kennel Club Sunday

Well, I am getting tired of this.  If we ran up on people, and their dogs, in the ring, we would be the BAD GUYS.  For anyone else, excuses are made, and it pisses me off.

Bichons - Best of Breed.  The judge called for catalog order.  With Brandy being a move up and #8, she should have been first, but then the steward called out 16, 8, winners dog, and winners bitch.  Dave went in first, then the handler with the other special entered the ring and went in front of him.  OK so far.  Then the owner/handler of the Winners Dog (only male entered) went in behind Dave.  She entered the ring fast, her dog ran into Brandy, then she got down, stacked him right on her ass, and she was practically shoulder to shoulder with Dave.  Dave looked at her and motioned for her to move back, but she stayed put.  Time to go around together.  She stayed right on Dave and Brandy, allowing her dog to touch Brandy, and then by the third corner, Dave and Brandy were on the mats, the winners dog was on the concrete, cutting the corner right alongside Brandy.  The owner/handler's foot was alongside Dave.  The point is not to catch and pass the dog in front of you, it is to move your dog in a position and at a pace for the judge to adequately observe him.  You don't have to catch the dog in front of you and if you are faster, hang back and then let your dog move out, or just control his pace.  Brandy was not horribly affected by this behavior but still kept looking back at the other dog.  It was down to Brandy and the Winners Bitch for Best of Breed.  Winners Bitch was cute and kept showing til the end of all of the extra go-arounds.  Brandy had had enough and just started to slow down.  I was proud of her even with the blatant attempt by the winners dog owner/handler to sabotage her performance.  Special thanks to Judge Richard Miller:  Winners Dog got no points, Winners Bitch got a major, and Brandy went Select Bitch and got a win over a special towards her Grand Championship.  

Havanese:

MBIS AM GCH CAN CH Adorabull That's Better Than Sex

Roché was Best of Breed under Judge Robert Hutton.  And a Group 2 under Judge Richard Miller.

Ozark Kennel Club Saturday

Bichons:

CH Creme's Brandy Alexandria

Brandy was Best of Breed today under Judge Robert Hutton. A major and win over a special towards her Grand Championship.  She looked fabulous in group.  The more they clapped, the more she liked it.  


I do have to say that the same lady from Joplin with the really bad (my opinion) American Eskimo was at Springfield.  Being the only one entered she was at the group ring again.  BUT...let me start from earlier in the day:  We were getting ready to go into the Breed ring and she came up and asked if "this is the same dog that snapped at her dog last week."  OK, so I didn't come totally unglued, but it was close.  Her dog literally stuck it's nose so far under Brandy in the group ring in Joplin that Brandy's rear came up off the ground.  What Brandy did was tuck her tail, run forward, and look over her shoulder the rest of the time in the ring.  So I reminded her of what happened and that she actually apologized to us in the ring last week.  Her response was a very quite 'oh, yeah.'  THEN...Waiting for groups she was standing about 10 feet off to the left of the stewards table.  Dave had me set Brandy down between the stewards chairs and the ring entrance.  As soon as I did that, she started to move forward with her dog.  I stood behind Dave and Brandy just to keep her from standing on Dave's feet because she was getting that close.  As the Non Sporting dogs entered the ring she hung back a bit.  Dave and Brandy went in about 5th or 6th and there were about 4 more headed in, when she called out that she needed to go ahead of them and behind the Bichon.  I pretty much exploded.  I actually shook my finger at her and said very loudly "Do NOT go behind the Bichon!!!"  I got a lot of looks, but she stayed away from them.  After Group, I heard from the handlers that she was next to in the ring.  She told them that she accidentally got a little close to the Bichon in Joplin.  The first time might be an accident, after that...The War is On.

Havanese:

MBIS AM GCH CAN CH Adorabull That's Better Than Sex

Roché was Best of Breed under Judge Karen McFarlane.  And a Group 2 under Judge Robert Hutton.

Angleheart's Good Better Best

Coal, a Roché puppy, bred by Bill and Paula Frazier, won his class and was Reserve Winners Dog.  

Theft in Springfield, MO Friday November 11, 2011

Well, the one time I leave my purse in the van...It was under the seat, covered up.  Did they see us leave the van, and me with no handbag?  That must equal Purse in Vehicle.  By the surveillance video less than 5 minutes from the time we left the van, the thieves parked next to our van, broke out the front passenger door grabbed my bag from under the seat, and were gone.  Of course we have all seen those videos on the news, all grainy and fuzzy.  It's not like CSI, they couldn't see the license plate of the vehicle and could hardly make out the make and model.  We have spent the last several days stopping cards and checking accounts, and opening new ones.  Getting new IDs etc.  We still have to have the window installed.

I lost a little bit of 'stuff' but a lot of time and peace of mind.  So for everyone out there, don't think that leaving your purse covered up in the car, means that it is safe.  Also, items in my vehicle were not covered under my vehicle insurance.  They are personal property covered under my homeowners, with a high deductible.  Something else you don't really think about when something may be stolen from your car.

We were at Cracker Barrel near the interstate in Springfield, MO.  A place that travelers frequent.  Women traveling have handbags.  If you go into a store or restaurant without it, that nondescript person, sitting in the nondescript car, a few spots down may be watching and waiting for that traveler to leave, and run it just for a couple of things.  It took them less than a minute to break the glass, open the door, grab the bag and go.

Let our loss be a lesson learned for the rest of you.