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Tuesday: 9-10 PM ET: Open Dog Chat - Pet Loss
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Tuesday: 9-10 PM ET: Open Dog Chat - Pet Loss
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Posted by PHBorzoi on October 07, 2002 at 19:10:29:
In Reply to: off to the NCC posted by PHBorzoi on October 03, 2002 at 19:18:37:
Didn't get a lot of pics, spent way too much time keeping all of us cool . .icky warm weather
Just got back from the coursing nationals. Never thought a 13 hr drive could feel soo long LOL
Packed up everything and headed down Friday. I dilly dallied around, which I shouldn't've! LOL .But couldn't resist stopping by Pets Mart(we don't have one here) They have HUGE look who's talking toys for $5.99, and Obie adores them(no, he's not spoilt.) Finally got to Chester SC about 8:30, put up a tent by the light of the Mustang, and the two boys(Obie & Wings) & I snuggled for the night . ick, humidity, tent, two borzoi. . ick. . about 3 am, Wings woke me up with his gorilla. LOL> Scared the bejeezus out of me, teaches me to put toys where they can get it at night LOL
Roll call came at 7:30, and I crawled out of my tent with the two boys raring to go. Little did Obie know he wasn't running. I just can't go anywhere without my lil man. Yes, mom's umbilical cord doesn't reach that far LOL. Got Wings Roll called in, set up our spot, and waited.
My friends, Robin and her daughter Ashley showed up to watch, and to (tears here) pick up Wings to take home with them. They were GREAT help for me, as I was a nervous wreck, had no idea what to expect, and brain was going 200000 directions at once.
First run, well. .to say it was less than spectacular was to be kidding LOL. The bunny went straight and right, and Wings went left. I have no idea where he left his brain. That screw up cost him the course easily, as the other two were on it from the get go. Oh well, we'd come to have fun, and maybe place, I wasn't even expecting to do more than that. Considering the top 5 Borzoi were there, I really expected nothing of the weekend.
Second course was a bit better, but the bunny died. He did do well enough to move him up to 5th/NBQ. . and to move on to the next day. The top 75% of the entry on Saturday moves up on Sunday.
By this time, Robin is HOOKED. I told her watching him run, and how much he enjoyed it would get them hooked in no time.
The BOB winner, Czar, took that honestly, completely, and totally. There was no argument that he earned that win, despite a hard collision that had to've left him sore as could be the next morning. For a bigger dog, he is most definately FAST. And such a sweet dog.
That night, we crashed, and hard. Wings nor Obie moved much. It was definately warmer in Chester than it's been in NY for awhile.
5:30 Sunday came WAY too early, but we got up, pottied them, and headed off for roll call. Poor Robin, told her since she was going to run him from now on, she had to learn it all :) I made her roll call him. .Roll calling Wings when he has seen the bunny is almost impossible !! He refused to move at a fast walk in a straight line at ALL!!
Obie got to be test dog. Anyone who's seen him run knows he's absolutely AMAZING on the bunny, and fast. And now I know, smart to boot. First try, he got tangled in the line when it came off the pully, and instead of fighting it like so many dogs do, he sat down and shredded the bunny until I got him untangled. After he finished the run, Larry (not sure his last name) asked me why the heck he wasn't entered. .It was the only disappointment of the weekend.
Once done, we waited for them to get everything situated. They had a camera crew from an outdoor channel(I can't remember which one, hopefully someone'll post when it's being shown on TV), and we were slower getting together Sunday. One of the camera crews was taping us fitting Wings for a collar, and the microphone had that fuzzy covering on it. WEEELLL. .what do you NOT do with a gamey Borzoi? Stick something that looks like a jackalure under his nose! LOL. Obie went for the kill. Robin & I were laughing so hard over the look of shock on the operators face at how fast that big dog was.
Prelims. . .so far, no nerves. Wings has suddenly developed this crouch when the huntmaster asks "Handlers, are you ready?" Thank heavens for the arm under the groin area. ANd he was off.
Wow. .that's all I can say. . He hadn't ran that nice since the day he finished his field title.The follow had mysteriously come back(maybe osmosis from Obie?)
As I'm walking off the field, I heard "Pink" yelled, and suddenly Dean was next to me with a microphone in his hand. Oh lord, I'm sweaty, wind blown, sun burnt, and you want an INTERVIEW?!??! LOL.
His second run was equally as nice, and then the wait to see who the two finalists were. It seemed to take FOREVER for them to finally get the Borzoi scores up. Finally, up it came.
Wings
Amberle
Furry & Lefty tied.
So the finalists were Czar, since the BOB winner of the day before runs, Wings, Amberle, and I believe Lefty forfeited to Furry. Wings had to run naked.
NOW the nerves set in. A big knot in my belly, writhing and turning and boiling. I could barely eat the lunch the gals went and got me(tho Obie helped me eat it with NO problem).
To say that last run was amazing, wouldn't tell the truth of it. Amberle is #1 , and Furry #2 AKC coursing Borzoi, Czar is an awesome runner, and to think of what he was in his prime blows my mind, but Wings gave another blazing run, keen, gorgeous follow.
We leashed him, and turned away to walk him out, and a Basenji friend stopped us. "Wait, they'll let you know who wins."
So we waited.
ANd that seemed to span forever vs the few minutes it was.
Finally, they held up a blank sheet of paper.
I'm sure Robin's & my cry of joy was heard in Tokyo!
Now the big question. Do I run him for Best in Event? He's never done it before, but the deciding factor was it was an afghan, not much smaller than him, and the fact he runs clean even with his brother.
They changed the course from the 600 + yd course to one that was over 1000+ yds. Ick was all I could think of, but he was raring to go.
Wings gave it his all. It was a nice run, even tho he tired out 3/4 of the way through it, and I was happy with it. He'd done what I'd asked of him. Ran nice, clean, and safely.
Dean turned and said something to the affect that it would be a hard course to judge, as he couldn't pick between the two.
Neither could the judges. They tied the two.
After having asked him to run 2900+ yds that day, we bowed out. He's young, only 22 months old, and accomplished more than I'd dreamt of Sunday with his BOB win.
Thankyou, to the club, for putting on such a wonderful event. I had a blast, and hope to do it again next year.
Congrats to my good friends Al, Robin & Ashley Schemmel for the acquisition of FC Mielikki's Spread My Wings SC, who has settled into their pack with absolutely no problem. I couldn't ask for better co owners, or better friends, and who promises me they will finish his FCH and his GRC. .