The year that was

2015 has been a weird competition year for Solstice.  I love dog shows and showing in the conformation ring has always been my place in the fancy but this year we only ventured into the breed ring twice, once at the big Louisville shows in March and the CWCCA nationals.  Having a house full of Champions/Grand Champions is very cool but it also makes you think about what you are going to do on the weekends.

Dog shows for me are very social, I see my dog show friends and family, I hang out with my best Buds and without a reason to go to them I have to re-think the weekends.  Lucky for me the dogs never disappoint and there are a lot of other venues to play in and 2015 was a year of discovery.

We started off the year by entering our first Obedience trial.  Miss Frosty and I began working on our Beginner Novice title and our first outing had some issues with “stay” we Q’d once and started our journey.

In February Bailey earned her Senior Barnhunt title, becoming the first Cardigan to achieve that title.  I was so proud of her!

In March, Frost and I went to the Louisville shows.  This show cluster was voted the #1 dog show in the country for the previous year.  It was quite the thing.   We took a couple of turns around the ring for fun and just enjoyed the show.  Additionally in March we had another opportunity for our Beginner Novice title and again Frosty just couldn’t stick the stay but we did manage another Q which was just fine as it set us up nicely to finish our title at the CWCCA nationals the next month.

April was the month for the CWCCA National Specialty Show and we started out trying something new.  Lindy and her kids Bailey, Bonnie and Charlie went herding and earned their Herding Instinct Test.  They all loved those sheep!  Then it was Frosty’s turn back in the Obedience ring and Ta Da! 2 first places and a new title (our first obedience title).   PJ also strutted his stuff around in the veteran’s classes.  Of course his veteran’s class is chock full of beautiful dogs but as always he made me proud.

As we seem to do we took the summer off, I did some non-doggy thing including a trip to San Francisco and the dogs hung out at home and chased squirrels.

In September we tried another new doggy game, I entered Bailey in the CAT in Chattanooga, TN.  The CAT is the Coursing Ability Test which gives non sighthounds the opportunity to chase the lure.  I wasn’t sure if she would like it but I figured we could try it out.  She was nuts for it!  She flew after the lure and got her 1st two Q ribbons.   We also went Barnhunting, Bailey started her Master title hunt and Lindy had her 2nd chance in Novice.   The Master Rats beat us but Lindy picked her Novice Qs for her RATN title.  The NGABHA had a fun day and I took Bailey and Frost out to see the sheep and they both (along with Bonnie and Charlie) should great instinct and interest.  Hopefully we will get to herd sometime in the future.

October had a lot of activities and club duties but we did manage to sneak in one more Barnhunt, sadly the Master Rats were still beating Bailey and I but Lindy picked up two Open legs towards her RATO title.

In November I chaired the Atlanta Obedience Club’s November Obedience trial and attended the fall CWCCA BOD meeting which didn’t leave much weekend room for doggy fun but we did make a quick run to Tennessee to run CAT one day and Bailey ran fast and complete CAT title and earned the first 1st Q towards her Advanced title. 

December was all about work and RAIN and holidays and I had planned on one more barnhunt opportunity but we just had so much going on that sleep was important so we took the month off.

So that is our year in a nutshell, not a bad one for the Solstice Gang.  2, almost 3 new Barnhunt titles, 1 Obedience title, 1 CAT title and 2 CWCCA Herding Instinct Certificates.  But even more importantly, lots of fun with my dogs and my friends which is why I do it in the first place.

In April of 2016 I will rotate off of the CWCCA Board of Directors, I have enjoyed and been proud to serve the National club but 3 terms was enough and this will free my mind for my job as President of the Atlanta Obedience Club and all of the local activities.

There was sadness in 2015 with the loss of Wicca and sweet Henwy. Always in my heart.

So what is in store for 2016?  I plan to work on Bailey’s Master Barnhunt title and finish Lindy’s Open title.   Frost and I are working on Rally Advanced and Companion Dog titles.  Bailey will keep running in CAT as long as she loves it and work on the Advance title.  I’m also going to start Bailey in Rally Novice for fun.  I’d like to get the girls to a few herding lessons this year and I’d like to start tracking with someone.  Oh, and have fun!