Updated
Click on any photo on this page to enlarge, click again to shrink
Jackson Michigan started off with a very nice best of breed win. Unfortunately, they put the owner-handled groups in the smallest single ring on the grounds, and it was almost impossible to show a big dog correctly in that crowded, cramped space. needless to say, we didn't get anything in group. The show chairperson was incredibly rude when we asked about possibly opening up the ring (as there was an empty ring on either side that could have easily been opened up to make a double ring). I can take almost anything, but not rudeness from a chairperson when I am a paying customer. I will not be at that show again.
I travelled from jackson all the way to a little speck on the map called Smithfield, Ohio. It was in far eastern Ohio, in an area I have never been. the scenery was gorgeous, and the grounds were amazing. Pretzel was such a trooper from all this driving. we ended up with an owner-handled sporting
Well, my problem child Corky required another vet appointment today. She has been getting progressively more and more lame in her front feet since we pulled her front shoes last spring, and it has gotten to the point now where she can barely walk. I called the vet to come out and take x-rays. ugh. Her bad coffin bone angle problem has resurfaced. Years ago when i was showing her, we had to put her in wedge shoes to correct her tendency towards long toe-low heel hoof growth (which threw off her angles and made her sore). We gradually had moved her to regular flat shoes as she grew enough heel and the farrier kept up on keeping her angles more upright. Unfortunately, pulling her front shoes resulted in her feet reverting back to their old tendency, and thus the increasing lameness. this angle ended up causing her to break off a bone fragment of the tip of both coffin bones. Crazy.
You can see (where the red arrow is drawn) where the tips have broken off. She also has significant remodeling on the edges of her coffin bone where there have been multiple little fissures and tiny fractures. Poor girl! Unfortunately, she will always have to have front shoes on her. My farrier is coming out to put pads and wedges on her, and I pray this will make her comfortable. I hate seeing my girl too hurt to run and play.
What an exciting morning - I got up and checked the AKC owner-handled rankings, and we have moved up a bunch in the all-breed rankings! We are #1 Weimaraner, but I am especially proud to say we are now the
All--Breed rankings as of August 25th:
Today I had a photo shoot with Cherry Williams (photographer) to try and get some good gaiting shots for my next ad. She got a TON of great ones! Here is a sampling (click on any photo to enlarge):
On another good note - Corky is
Rankings through September 1st are out, and we moved up in the all-breed rankings to
I had high hopes for this show as one of my judges was one who had given me an owner-handled Group One earlier this summer. This weekend we were not so successful. We won owner-handled best of breed each day, but got no group placements. Oh well, we keep plugging on and hit it again next weekend!
I finished my ad for the Showsight Magazine just under the deadline...whew! Here it is (click to enlarge)!
This was the big birthday weekend - me, Mark, and Mark's dad. We had a bonfire at mark's dad's golf course in Pennsylvania, sandwiched in between a show in Prospect, PA. This was not a good weekend for me. I found out some very bad, worrisome news about my dad, and it colored everything I did that weekend, including my most losing dog show for the whole season. It all feels so trivial when you face the illness of a family member.
Pretzel had a fun visit today with Livvy and Mouse, two Weimaraners owned my my friend Martha. They had a fun time playing all over our 6 acres. Pretzel allowed himself to be bossed around by Livvy, which was fun to see (Pretzel never lets ANYONE other than me boss him around!).
