It was to be a very hot day, so Deb had prepared well, getting lots of water for Finlay including a frozen bottle of water that would thaw throughout the day and provide some nice cool water for Fin. In fact he did very well, the show was under tents and although some were warmer than others, a through-breeze generally made the temperatures bearable and he showed no signs of overheating. The Tibbie double coat was keeping him cool.
We had entered 3 classes plus the breeders competition, but more on the latter later. His results were (breed judge Miss Adele Summers):
- 1st in Tibetan Spaniel Junior Dog
- 1st in Tibetan Spaniel Special Beginners dog/bitch
- Unplaced in the Dog CC
- Unplaced in the Utility Special Beginners Group (Judge David Roberts)
- The Balgay breeders team came 1st, along with Deb and Finlay (judge Liz Cartledge)
As I've mentioned in previous blogs we thought we might have a crack at Junior Warrant for Finlay so had begun totting up the points, but unfortunately you have to have a certain amount of dogs to be in a class to be able to count the points....and that was not to be this time. So we turned up, we had fun, we won the class....but no points today. Even in the heat of the day, Finlay was wagging from start to finish, every person and dog he saw and every judge got a wag and a smile (as would be evident if you watch the video below).
The breeders competition was something else though, not something we've ever been a part of and probably never expected to be. But Aileen McDonald asked us to be a part of the team this weekend, so we thought "why not". It was an honour to be asked and after all, Debbie and Finlay have only been showing since January this year, so novices by anyone's standard. It was certainly great fun, and half an hour beforehand the team had a practice run to sort out who was doing what under the watchful eye of Sergeant Major Bevis. She ensured that the team was strutting in the right direction at the right time....also making sure Willow and Finlay were kept apart as right now, Finlay is very much in love/lust. The trial run worked perfectly so when it was their turn the team did some synchronised showing and clearly the judge was impressed. They really were almost perfect, couldn't have asked for any better. The team was:
Willow & Pauline
Heidi & Michaella
Rio & Pam
Finlay & Debbie
It was somehow less formal and everyone was having fun. I wish I had filmed it, but the bulldog team put on quite a show, it was wonderfully all over the place as the dogs galloped up the ring. That moment when the judge pointed to the Tibbie team as the winners was very special, a great moment for the breed and there was quite a big audience there too.
That evening even Finlay was pretty whacked, a good barometer of how the day went. But first thing Saturday morning he had recharged and was raring to go.
Did I get any photo's from the day, you bet I did!
This is probably the best stand I've photo'd - what a star. He isn't pinned to Deb's legs as he often is and he is looking up. Very impressive.
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| I'm standing mum! |
The video below was made by Google, but represents a great idea of the day. Lots of the day captured....
The breeders competition performance
Team Balgay, the winners photo
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| Team Balgay |
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