Adventures In Dog Showing: Tails from the Road to the ARC National

[ChRotties]

I wasn't gonna do this, but a couple of people thought it might be fun to chronicle our adventure to and from the American Rottweiler Club National Specialty.

This is kind of the pre-quel if you will:
Here it is, Friday, March 30, 2007, tomorrow my two boys (Seger and Lynyrd), myself, my friend, Kim, and her two ACDs , will depart for the National! Yeah! Oh, yeah, the van is loaded to the hilt with 4 dog crates, booth stuff(as I'm also a vendor), dog food for 10 days plus extra, clothes, cooler, etc...I keep thinking I'm forgetting something

Anyhow, the plan is to leave Ky around noon or noon-30, and make it to our first destination: Cumming, GA, where on Sunday, my youngster, Lynyrd, will go for his first HT leg in herding. A little background, my friend, Kim, is taking a week off from work to go with me just to run the boys in the herding trials! Now that is a friend! She has also trained both boys in their herding adventures and put an HT on Seger for me.

We are keeping all paws crossed that Lynyrd will remember his "teachings" and do the awesome job that we know he can do! Kim will also be trialing her ACD bitch, Rumor, at the Cumming trial in the Started class....a very talented bitch that earned her CH from the Bred-By class(by Kim) and a Group 4 (by me) at the tender age of a little over 1yr of age. Lynyrd also has a "crush" on Rumor and vice versa! (no, we're NOT going to create another designer dog, although Australian CattleWeiler does have a nice sound to it LOL )

Well, that's the entry for tonight. I'm taking my laptop with me and hope to update at least every other day on this great adventure! If you ever get the chance to attend your breed's National Specialty, definately do it! You see the best of the best of your breed and the comraderie of being amongst people that share the same interests is great!

Stay tuned, Chazzers!opcorn:

Forgot to ask: We will have a digital camera and I thought I'd upload some pics now and then....what is the EAZY way to do it on here? I haven't been here that long, so I'm not sure? Would it be easier to go to photobucket or someplace and just post a link?

 

[tempura tantrum]

Oooh- exciting!

It's fun to live vicariously through people that can make it to their national (sigh...poor college student syndrome), so I'll definitely be tuning in!

Good luck and have an awesome time. (And as far as forgetting something, just remember to pack the dogs- I kid you not, I HAVE forgotten mine...there are really no words for how stupid you feel when you realize it...)

 

[Laurelin]

I know what you mean. Our national is 2 hours away but during a testing round. *sigh*

Good luck and have a GREAT time!

 

[ChRotties]

Thanks, guys! As I sit here waiting on the dryer to shut off, it ocurred to me that I forgot to mention that the National is in Kissimmee, FL!
As embarassing as it is, I've forgotten a dog myself! :lol-sign:

 

[ChRotties]

Saturday, March 31

It's almost time to depart....it's 8:40 a.m. I have to go pick up my friend and her two ACDs, oh, and my boy Lynyrd! He has been with her for two days training for his HT.

I tried to cram another cooler into the van...no luck! Ah, well. But I did manage to cram my dvd player into my suitcase LOL There's just never anything good on tv at the motels! LOL

It's pretty windy outside..hope it's not like that the whole way to Cumming! Geez, there goes the gas mileage!

Ok, that's all for now....The herding trial starts at 9 tomorrow morning at Cumming....

More later! Stay tuned! opcorn:

 

[jess2416]

Good luck, cant wait to hear more....Have a safe trip

 

[Sunnierhawk0]

I am so jealous of you!!! I so wanted to go and show, but just couldn't make it this year. Maybe next year we will both chronicle our trips and meet up!

Again, so unfair, but atleast I get to expereince it thru you!!

 

[ChRotties]

We have arrived in GA

We safely arrived in Cartersville, GA around 8:30 pm local time.
Traffic was light coming down, except in Nashville! But that is nothing new. The weather was beautiful...made going over Monteagle nicer anyways

We're about 45 minutes away from the herding trial for tomorrow in Cumming, which thankfully doesn't start til 9am! (I'm not an early riser!)

The kids have all been fed and pottied..and are settled in for the night.
We're keeping paws crossed for Q's tomorrow in herding!

Will keep you posted! Thanks for the well wishes everyone...you can never have too much support!

Sunnier, wish you were going too! But I do come to Texas every now and then Was there in 2005 in Katy for the specialty...and got Best In Sweeps (I know, shameless brag!)

opcorn:

 

[Sunnierhawk0]

Ch,

Do you go to the Rosenberg show that is moved to Jan. now? We went last year when it was still in Nov ( WB/BOW... MY shameless brag!!!)???

We will def have to meet up and ingulf ourselves in rotteness!!

 

[MafiaPrincess]

*Waiting for an update*

 

[ChRotties]

We have arrived in the sunshine state!

WheeW!!! We finally arrived in Kissimmee around 10:30p,m local time...I guess I'm tired but not sleepy? If that makes any sense? LOL

Anyhow, this morning at the herding trial in Cumming, Lynyrd had the worst set of sheep for a test class! They were suicidal! LOL Trying to jump the fence, jumping thru the air...if you've never seen a flying sheep, oh boy!
There was this one sheep that no matter what he did, it wouldn't stay with the other 2....he'd put it back, then it would take off, heading for the fence where it did a head butt! LOL But the Rottweiler prevailed! LYNYRD Q'D FOR HIS FIRST HT LEG!!!!! Even the judge commented that that was a BAD set of sheep for a HT dog..he could see he was working, but that one sheep....talk about april fools! So, we herd again on Tuesday at the National! I'm soo excited...he could possibly finish it...whahoo!

The journey from Cumming thru Atlanta was wet! It rained *you, know just enough to make you turn on your wipers* all the way thru. we stopped for lunch, walked the dogs, and took off again. We finally got rid of the rain and pushed southward. taking our time..no big rush...and finally arriving in Florida! Yeah! (geez, I don't remember it taking this long to get here, but then again, the last time I was in FL was when I was 18! )

Thanks for all the good thoughts and keeping paws crossed! Tomorrow is our "lazy vacation day" . We're thinking about going to Universal Studios or maybe checking out Olde Town, my aunt says we should go...

Well, that's it for now...I'm beat! Between the flying sheep, qualifying, the rain, and me being too old for this crap (LOL) this chick is goin' nite-nite!

More tomorrow all! opcorn:

 

[ChRotties]

whahooo!

Wow, what a trip! Yesterday (Monday) Kim and I took advantage of our only "free" day and went to Universal Studios Island of Adventure! What a blast....we were like two kids in a candy store! The Jurassic Park River ride was really cool...yours truly got totally soaked! :lol-sign:

This morning was the first day of the National with herding, agility and tracking. Off we were to the sheep farm. And I'm soo proud of my boys! "Seger" earned the first leg of his PT title! AND not to be outdone, "Lynyrd" FINISHED his HT !!!! Out of 9 entered in the trial, only 3 Q'd.. and 2 were mine! We raked in the loot today....each boy got a medallion (very large!) on a green/white neck ribbon, a green/white rosette, and a national logo coffee mug! My wonderful friend, Kim, worked her butt off today showing the boys and did an awesome job as usual.

This afternoon, it was time to head to the main show site and set up the booth. This evening, we celebrated a little and went to Red Lobster YUM! and had a couple of drinks , then enjoyed walking and visiting Old Town.

wheew! I'm pooped...what a day

Will report more later..

Stay tuned opcorn:

 

[Zoom]

Awesome news! Congratulations and have a safe drive home! We'll be eagerly awaiting pictures.

 

[ChRotties]

We have returned home! Thrilled but tired!

What a great National we had! Sorry it's been soo long since my last update, but it was difficult to find the time LOL

We finished 2 titles and came home with tons of stuff! I was also so glad to see friends that I hadn't seen in a very long time.

Friday was the first Rally trial: Seger finished his RN with a score of 91 and showed on Saturday just for fun, score 89.

Friday evening was the Top Dog night. First up was the Parade of Rescue dogs. Such a nice tribute to those dogs and their wonderful owners...it was a tear jerker for me. Each dog got a rescue medallion, an Easter basket of goodies, toys, and a standing ovation from the crowd. Next was the Top Dogs of '06...and then the Parade of Ch and Titleholders. I let Lynyrd's breeder do the honors of taking him around during the reading of his resume and I took in Seger. Just awesome is all I can say I don't get to see my boy handled by someone else that often, as I watched him go, I just had to grin.

Sunday Lynyrd and his sister helped his mom win 2nd in a TOUGH Brood Bitch class. His mom, "Mia", may be an old gal, but let me tell ya, she moved around that ring like she was 2! She was truckin' on! And loves to show! It was truly an honor to be in that ring with such great representatives of our breed. I showed him in breed also and he did a great job. I'm very proud of him tho we didn't make the cut. He's young and needs maturity...but hearing the crowd behind him as we went around made me grin like a rat eating cheese :lol-sign: (I'm just a little proud of him!)

All in all, i'm exhausted, but still floating on a cloud and would do it again in a heartbeat! We came home with tons of great stuff from our wins and some neat photos that I hope to share by the end of the week.

Thanks to all who sent us well wishes and kept those paws crossed!

 

[ChRotties]

Forgot to mention.....

I had Lynyrd's heart checked at the national...came back fine!

 

[ChRotties]

Pics from the ARC National

Here is the link to ALL of the photos taken at the National by one of the professional photographers.
In herding, "Lynyrd" is #100, "Seger" is #202....some are good, some not My friend, Kim, is handling the boys in the herding tests. Also under the herding, click on awards and misc...I am wearing the orange tshirt

Scroll down to Sunday's events on the main page, click on Brood Bitch...I am wearing the coral skirt/khaki green top. Same outfit in Best of Breed, dog group #4.

www.pixnpages.com/arc/index.htm

 

[SizzleDog]

hmmm - the link doesn't work... I wanna see rottie pics!

 

[Lizmo]

Ooo wow congratulations to you both!!!

Pictures looks amazing....some fine dogs there.

 

[ChRotties]

I had trouble with the link to the pics earlier too. They just sent out the notices today, so I think maybe everyone was trying to look at once