Kate and Lucy’s pups are over six months old now and are eligible to enter conformation shows. This weekend there is a conformation, rally and obedience show at Raven hall on the state fairgrounds. I didn’t enter Kate or Bing but I sure wanted to see Smudge (out of Kate) and Sherlock (out of Lucy) at their first show.
Scott was awesome and took Bing and Kate herding do they didn’t miss their usual fun. He reports Bing had a good time and Scott took Kate in to work sheep himself. Kate was busy being silly until big brother Bing came in to lend a mouth. There was some hooting and hollering but with her brother bolstering her she worked the sheep.
Bing did some more serious work with our friend in the half acre field. They’re developing a longer fetch and working at greater distances. We need to put some time in bringing back his distance sits and downs.
Neither dog has received much training this year and it shows…
But they had a good time at herding as usual!
Elizabeth and I enjoyed visiting with friends and admiring all the lovely dogs at the show. She got kissed by a Great Dane (smiles all around), was entranced by Smudge, and was pealing in laughter with a Great Pyrenees that seemed to find her just as cool as she found him. She also got in some good socialization with friends, practiced nursing in a noisier environment, tasted chili broth, saw LOTS of dogs, and was generally fussed and cooed over.
Smudge and Sherlock made it around the ring – with greater grace than I remember Kate and I managing at her first show. Conformation is a lot harder than it looks. Pups want to wiggle and giggle their silly way around – twisting to see behind and bounding to play ahead. The judge took her time and was patient with the individual pups. Very nice. It was a pleasure to see so many Cardigan Welsh Corgis in the ring and in so many coat colors.
The judge really looked closely at three of the cardis at the end. She had them move out separately again at the end, carefully evaluating their gait and structure, great deliberation on placement.
I don’t recall who placed where except for the great joy if the day – our friends boy whom she’d been considering retiring went Best of Breed! That was great fun!
I loved watching Elizabeth and Kat interact. Elizabeth clearly loved it and was reaching out for Kat and flirting and laughing at all the play. Beautiful.
Scott picked us up after group (no placements for Arrow but he showed with great heart) and we finished up the afternoon with lunch at Whitespot and a Fire Island cookie. Elizabeth the dogs and I crashed, Scott headed out for a few more errands. Great day.
