Happy Birthday Girls!
Baby Wicca and Baby Luna
Luna and Amalia
Naughty Wicca!
Words every breeder wants to hear….
Einie and Tara
“Pictures of Einie’s favorite passtimes.. eating and sleeping 🙂 almost every evening Tim takes another round of much the same photos.. all that changes is her position and my bandana!
We love her so much and our lives are much improved by her presence.”
As a breeder, these are the best type of emails. Better than wins and ribbons any day. Thanks for giving her such a special home.
Point me in the direction of Albuquerque………..
Fifi, Solstice Fly Girl’s new favorite lap.
I love the Albuquerque shows, especially the Rio Grand Kennel Club has always been good to me. I got my 1st major at a RGKC show, finished my 1st Champion at an RGKC show (Windy) 1st Rally title (PJ) and finished Lindy last year there too.
This year was good for the team too, I say team because the Solstice/Arylan bred and owned dogs did good!
We started off Friday with a new title, Frosty finished her Rally Novice title and is now Rockie Top’s Flying Snow, RN* and if that wasn’t enough the team of CCB (Cody, Charlie and Bonnie) had qualifying scores in Novice A, Rally Advanced A and Novice B. I am so proud of my friend Cody Smith and what she is doing with her 1st Cardigans. By Sunday the team had complete 3 new titles (with placements). Charlie is now Solstice Flying Ace, CD, RN, CGC (PJxLindy) and Bonnie is now Arylan Flight from Justice (PJxLindy).
Saturday Frosty got an insurance leg in Rally and Bailey was RWB. Sunday was the day that team CCB got their titles and Bailey, Solstice Flying Circus (PJ x Lindy) was WB for 2 points from the BBE class, sadly the major broke that day. But I was very happy since Bailey is completely naked, she dropped all her coat after her bath on Friday.
Monday was a very exciting day! The major held and it produced two new Champion for Arylan. Chickie, Elektric Arylan Chiquita Banana was WB for her final major. Chicke is Banner’s momma and the poopies grandma. Oz, Arylan Mint Proof was awarded WD/BW for his final major too. Oz is the poopies daddy dog. Little Enna, Arylan Special Envoy, Harry’s 6 month old blue puppy girl was RWB. It was especially exciting since our just that day was Cardigan Breeder Judge and CWCCA President Steve Gladstone. Mr Gladstone was so taken by Enna that he arranged with Harry to take her home.
Today was the last day (thank goodness we are all tired), adorable Enna was WB for her 1st major under Judge Nancy Simmons.
So to recap the team came home with 6 new titles (8 bitch points and 3 dog points). There was much celebrating with ice cream for the dogs and Gruet Champagne for the people. We didn’t have the greatest weather this year, lots of yucky wind but we were able to hang out, chat, evaluate puppies and just enjoy the non competition part of a dog show. The part that makes it all worthwhile. And Baby FiFi had a wonderful time! She even got her own new bling bling showlead in hot pink!
Frost with her new Title Ribbon (and the green)
ICE CREAM!
A blurry Cody and Bonnie getting their placement in Rally Novice B
Does this one even need a caption? CUTE!
Pretty Enna in the puppy group, you can tell I was focusing on the dog and cut off Harry’s head
Bailey says it is tough being the Winners Bitch
Novice A Qualifiers!
Buy ’em books and all they do is eat the covers
Wicca must have joined a book club. For some reason after years of a lack of literacy she has taken to pulling books off the shelves. Last week she “read” my friend Jennifer Roberson’s novel Karavans (http://www.amazon.com/Karavans-Jennifer-Roberson/dp/B00164GF1C/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1305128066&sr=1-1)
Then yesterday she really bit into the books on the shelves. She finished off the last Harry Potter, guess she didn’t want to wait for the movie. Went thru a Nora Roberts and a couple of other silly chick lit paperbacks and then finished off with “Dogs Letters to Santa” that one may cost her come December.
She had a delightful time and very proud of her involvement in her new “book club”. The Cardigans swore they read nothing!
Watermelon Sunday 2011
Little Fifi didn’t have any trouble figuring out what to do with the watermelon.
The other official photo
Rockie Top's Flying Snow
This was my bird in the hand photo, Miss Frosty got 3rd place on Monday and 2nd place on Tuesday but I knew we had our ribbon on this day so we took the photo on Monday. She is currently a 2 legged dog. Hopefully her mother aka Me will be able to read the signs and she will be able to finish her RN at the High Desert cluster in ABQ, NM in two weeks.
Good Girl Frosty!
The photo!
Solstice Flying Circus
Here it is! Our BBE 2nd place finish at the CWCCA Nationals. I was so excited and happy to have Bailey place in the tough BBE class. If I was going to get a ribbon at the nationals I’m so proud that it came from the BBE class.
Bailey looks pretty good, I look kind of goofy but who cares about the handler right?
What kind of dog is that? Or Rally Practice at Lomaland Park
Today Cody, Charlie, Bonnie, Frost and I went to Lomaland Park to do some Rally practice. The girls are entered in Rally Novice B in ABQ in a couple of weeks and Charlie will be doing Rally Advanced and Novice A Obedience. Lomaland Park is also where I hold handling practice. One reason is it is just up the street from my house and if I’m going to run the practice I get to pick the place. Second and most important is that is a busy well used park with everything from the Ice Cream truck to soccer games and dog walkers and lots of noise and lots of people of all ages.
The kids all did well today, we took 1/2 a tennis court today since we will be inside in ABQ so we wanted to practice off the grass. As you can see by the 1st photo lots of distractions. Charlie was on the Novice long down when a soccer ball followed by a soccer player went right in front of him. Didn’t break his stay, Good Boy Charlie!
Some of the young men were so impressed they asked us if we could train their friends. I told them I didn’t think our techniques would work on young men.
We always have folks stop and ask about the Cardis and proudly the kids are good ambassadors for the breed.
A new game plan
On June 7th I’ll have 4 Cardi girls to show in conformation. Frost in Open, Bailey in BBE, Banner in Am Owner Handler and baby FiFi in puppy or BBE. That is a lot of dogs to show. Not just the $100 per show for entry fees but for the handler dance. I’ve seen other breeder owner handlers show multiple dogs with skill and grace. Me, I look like a chicken with my head cut off running around trying to get the dogs in the ring or get help to get them in the ring. I get stressed, I have no fun and my dogs do not get shown they way they should.
So it is time for a new game plan. After much thought about my dogs and my plans for the rest of the show season I have decided I will not be showing them all, all the time. It is nice to be able to help make majors for the area (currently we need 10 girls) but I will have to contribute my one or two instead of almost 1/2. Trying to show so many is like throwing pasta at a wall and hoping that what ever sticks will be a winner. When Cody was available to help it was easier but Cody has now branched out into her own venue and she needs to be able to concentrate on her dogs. Of course Harry and I back each other up but when we are both showing and maybe winning a class we can’t do that either.
So I am currently mapping out my plans for the fall show season. Spring is almost over for me already with the litter and the Nationals trip we are only showing at one cluster which is the High Desert Cluster in Albuquerque next month. I have one or two girls entered each day there and based on judges and possible points available in the fall I’ll chose who is shown where in the fall.
Gee, I remember when I had one dog, a leash and a chair and it wasn’t all that long ago LOL!
Take that FiFi!
Tell Fifi – nany-nany-boo-boo- mine are up – I am tape free! Love Mandy B
Solstice Kennels 