I've Got the FEVER

Remember how I said that Rob hadn't been bitten by the show bug.......after that win; he had the initial symptoms for a case of the Fever!  Show Bug Fever!  He came back to the grooming area, heady with triumph; slapping backs with Chuck and Gary.  Football players in the locker room had nothing on these guys!  The boys all went out front to get ready for the Gun Dog Group event.  This is where Rob and Sienna, represent the Gun Dog Group for a chance at Best In Show.  That's huge, well to us it was, since we had only been in 3 shows (counting this one).  Illusions of Westminster like sugar plums danced in my head!

There was a nice showing for the Gun Dog Group, around 12 dogs.  Sienna and Rob looked polished and ready to show.  Okay, I have to say my husband is a very tall and handsome man, so when he enters the ring people notice.  Once again, I am sitting in the back so that Sienna wouldn't get a whiff or sight of me.  They really did look amazing as they glided around the ring. Rob's long legs, made Sienna reach out in perfect poodle movement.  I could hear the people around me making comments on these two; I was so proud!  The ring time seemed to go so quickly and now the judge was making his choices.  Three beautiful rosettes, flowed gracefully from his hand......Tension mounted.....who won this event went on to the coveted Best In Show ring.  Rob kept his focus between Sienna and the Judge.  The Judge awarded 3rd place, then stood back for a last look at the line up.  He moved forward, in slow motion for me.......stood in front of Rob and awarded Rob the 2nd place Rosette and then moved on to award the 1st place ribbon to the Golden Retriever.  Was I disappointed?  Well yes, I was although happy with 2nd in the group, after all we made it to Group.

How do you know you have Show Fever?  Some of the symptoms are:   A person has a skewed color perception.......you see in hues of BLUE!  Blue being the color of a 1st place ribbon!  As the fever progresses it can include Pink and blue color vision.......BIS Ribbon colors!  Some individuals have a heightened sense of being critical about oneself.  If this occurs, its advised to look in the mirror and say this mantra;' I did my best. I did my best.  You can't win every event. You can't win every event'.  In some cases of the disease you will begin to steal Rosettes from the show secretary tables or from a display of another handler.  If you notice an abnormal competitive drive.....( left untreated this can become dangerous), such as: pushing other competition or taking leashes and brushes from another competitor and yelling at the Judge. If you have the later symptoms, its time to seek professional help! The Disease is in its final stages.

I would say Rob and I were in early onset of Show Fever........I was seeing Blue!  Rob, left the ring very happy with his Red Rosette Ribbon.  We proudly displayed it on Sienna's kennel as we watched the BIS ring.  I noticed a heightened awareness of the BIS ribbon as it lay on the table; the biggest ribbon I had ever seen with long flowing tails......cue angel choir..and a beam of light..

The glorious Ribbon was awarded, everyone applauded and the lights dim on another show weekend.

Rob and I both talked on the drive home about getting to the BIS ring one day.....how that would be amazing.  He shared his disappointment in not getting first in the Gun Group and though he was pleased pleased with his performance; that blue ribbon was so close.  Stage one of Show Bug Fever!

I suspect Show Fever is HIGHLY contagious to anyone who is showing.........I probably should look it up on Web MD!

Best In Show (Part 2)

On our ride home from the Grinnell, Iowa show, you would have felt you were in Russian chess match as we strategically planned our next move.  We were giddy coming down from our wins in the show ring.  We decided to do a show closer to home this time and as I looked through upcoming events on my iphone, Rob drove.  

Now, I have to confess, at this point I am not so sure that Rob has been bitten by the show bug; on the other hand I had a raging case of showing fever!  Rob is my supporter and best friend; he believes in my dreams and sometimes gets caught in the current that rushes me down stream and into wild waters!  Ever the wise man, wearing a life preserver!

I did indeed find another show closer to home.  Again the agony of filling in the form........I really can't say that I am a lot better at it now, after all these shows!  My brain goes numb just looking at the blanks that need to be filled in :)  We had two weeks in between the Grinnell show and our next venue.  I needed to get into "fighting shape" (cue Rocky theme song!).  So every day I poured over handling videos; I learned don't stare at the judge.......move when he points to you! It was Practice, Practice, Practice!  Sienna stacking on the table and off the table.  Running up and down our driveway; our neighbors were probably thinking, "Why doesn't she just take that poor dog around the block!"

It wasn't long and Rob was packing up the Toyota again, as I gave Sienna the last blow dry and brushing.  We would arrive around 1 hour before the show, so I wanted her ready to go from crate to ring if I ran out of time.

The Peoria Opera House is a unique place to hold a dog show.  I was excited because it sounded oh so grand.  When we arrive and walk in, the large stage was decorated so beautifully with a harvest motif.  This would be a 2 day event with 4 shows again and it was really just as far away as Des Moines had been.  Rob didn't say anything about the miscalculation on drive time to me; but we arrived as the show was beginning!  I quickly changed as Rob brought in all our gear and set up.

The Peoria show always draws a lot of Poodle people from all over the Midwest; so the competition was there.  Ring time and we were all lined up to go in when called.  If you had touched me, your hair would have stood on end from the static energy vibrating my entire body. Sienna must have felt the lightening, with the leash acting as rod; poor thing was fidgeting all over the place.  "Number 101 to the ring", the ring steward called....that was me!  We entered the ring with 5 other poodles, each one decked out in the their Sunday best.  No gloves or hats but amazing cuts and top knots.  Each of us going through the hoops, the Judge in my imagination wearing the top hat and coat of a Circus Ringmaster and that made me the clown!

When your in the ring you really only have around 3 minutes total to show off your dog in the best possible light.  Thinking of a Circus again, it's the lady with the white horse going around the circular center band, a bright spotlight on HER.....than she rides out of the ring........done!  So you have to focus on the dog's movement, the stack, head and tail; keep that tail up! It was our moment in the center stage; Sienna wouldn't stand still for her stack and when the judge went over her body she squatted!  "Don't touch me!" she would have shouted.  He motioned for us to do a down and back.  Sienna did move, like we were on a stroll in the park rather then a brisk, elegant gait.  As we did our last go around, I knew, I knew I had blown it.  The judge went down the line for the last time and we didn't make the cut.  I was so disappointed and I believe Sienna was too.

There was one more show to do and it was a better performance but we still didn't make the grade.  With my tail between my legs; we loaded the few items we would take to the motel and left.  I licked my wounds all night and didn't sleep to much.  Instead, the circus music would play and I could see myself the clown stumbling around the ring and poor Sienna, with a large red Rudolf nose prancing beside me!

Waking the next morning exhausted!  Rob came into the room with cups of coffee and a cheerful 'well its a whole new day!'.  I started to sit up to take my steaming cup of java but instead I could't move!  My back was out!  A little background on that :)  I had bone cancer and it spread to several locations; one being my back.  Since then my back is very temperamental and it decided that after standing on the sloping opera house floor grooming and then running around the ring up hill and then down hill that IT had HAD enough!  So there I lay......inhaling the aroma of my morning brew, wondering what I was going to do and how we were going to get Sienna into show mode.  Picture a cartoon bubble....... light bulb went on over my head!  'Rob, you have a suit!  You are going to show Sienna!'  Brilliant! is what I was thinking; however the aghast look on my husband's face said something totally different!  FLIGHT!  RUN!  Two left Feet!  Being a woman I just looked at him with that, 'your my knight in shining armor' ......please look.  

As we drove to the show location, Rob in his suit, I was encouraging him.  Actually, I should have had a cheerleader outfit and pom poms!  When we arrive, 2 show friends greeted us; as I gingerly removed myself from the SUV.  Gary and Chuck immediately knew something was wrong.  I pulled the guys to the side and explained that Rob needed the cliff notes version of dog showing quickly!  These two angels jumped in; took Rob and Sienna outside and gave him run down on Dog Showing 101.  I could tell from Rob's face 20 minutes later he felt some relief and was joking about the movie, "Best In Show".

It was SHOW time!  I couldn't stand ring side for two reasons; the minute Sienna saw me she wouldn't focus for Rob and I just couldn't stand.  I had a good vantage point from my seat.  Rob and Sienna were called into the ring.  I held my breath..........this is it, sink or swim.  They went through the paces; poodles whirling around the ring.  The Judge examining each one and then resorting the group.  Rob and Sienna were assigned the second location on the go around.  It was now decision time..............On the final uphill lap the judge awarded Rob and Sienna 1st place!!!!  She was a Champion but also would go to Group!  Amazing........!  Rob who isn't one for shows of public affection bent down and kissed Sienna!  Taking the ribbon, I thought I heard the music from Chariots of Fire playing :)  

Best In Show (part 1)

As I promised in my earlier post the "Best In Show" story.  If you have ever seen the mocumentary by Christopher Guest then you know my reference; if you haven't seen it well, its a must see for dog lovers!  Anyway, I decided when Sienna was 3 months old to enter into a dog show.  Now I had only taken one handling class in my life, back oh 27 years ago for fun.  So you can see that I was no expert on dog shows.  The breeder that I had purchased Sienna from was a great cheerleader and encouraged me to give it a try.

I spent days getting ready, making check lists to not forget anything, hotel reservations and then .........filling in the entry form.  Now if you have never entered into a dog show then you can only appreciate a newbie's confusion as that of doing your taxes for the first time!  After about 8 attempts to fill in the form, I thought aha!  I have it.  Mailed it off in triumph..... I Did IT!  

A week later my cell rings......."Hello, this is the UKC entry division.  I have a form here for a poodle puppy."  So much for my aha moment.  The very pleasant woman from UKC corrected my errors and now I was officially entered into my first show!

The day before the the show I spent grooming and re-grooming poor SIenna.  She was so patient with me, I am sure she was wondering if I had lost my mind!  Then the big crisis!  What to wear or What not to wear!  You can not imagine what a woman goes through to find the right outfit to enter into a Show Ring......really!  Think prom plus 3!  well maybe not that bad, but that's how I felt.  Rob reminded me it wasn't a beauty pageant for me....Ha Ha, but rather for Sienna.  So my nerves relaxed and I picked out a suit; Laura taught me to always, out of respect for the judge to dress up for the ring.  

My husband and partner is so game when I want to explore something new and so we loaded up the car and headed to Grinnell, Iowa for our first dog show!   I used to think packing to take the kids on a trip required so much "stuff".  Let me tell you that's a cake walk compared to the dryers, tables, kennel, chairs, gear, floor mats and food needed for just one dog!  The show, which is a 2 day show so that's 4 events and Grinnell is about 2+ hours from our home and my guts said, "this feels like the first day of middle school!'  I felt like a rubber band ball and my rubber bands were snapping one at a time!

We arrive, my husband still with me!  We are early, I'm always early and set up a grooming spot. I find the event secretary and she gives me my armband.......cue angel choir....no really!  I was doing it!  I had an armband and rubber band.......I felt so professional!

Then is was show time!  OMG......which ring?  When?  What do I do?  All those youtube videos, I had study for 3 weeks before came flooding back.  If I get nervous its like lightening down the lead to the poor puppy!  That first ring event is like walking in a coma, truly a blurred line!  Rob said we did great, and we must have done okay because we received a 1st place in puppy class! Which means we move onto the Breed class (if you haven't shown before there is great information on both the AKC and UKC web sites).  Now we are up against all the other poodles who had won their class.  Deep breath, the nerves are making me hyper-ventilate!   Rob, my team mate has a camera stuck in my face; trying to capture every moment......my moment was thinking I would really hurt him right now!  But there wasn't time for that.....I needed to be in the ring and off we go again.  Stacking, running the ring, examination of the dog, up and down, stack again, SMILE! act like this fun! then around the ring as a group.  At this point I just wanted to get of the ring!  But WAIT......hold the presses.....the judge is picking his winners and rearranging us......he's pointing at me?  REALLY!  I just sort of stare at the man, he again motions for me to move behind the Champion Dog....well okay, if that's where you want me.  Off we go again, a carousal of poodles around the ring.  Then the Judge as he stands in the center points and says......1,2,3...............Yes!  we just took second in Breed!  Okay, so most people may not be that ecstatic about a 2nd but I sure was!  A newbie, with ribbons under her belt.....now THAT is heady stuff :)

That weekend was true magic for us.....Sienna ended up going to Group 3 times out of the 4 shows.  She won a Group 2  and a Group 3.  This gave her 100 points toward her championship!  It also gave her 2 of the 3 legs she needed to become a Champion!  Rob and I spread out our ribbons as if they were gold doubloons....Pirates that made a fantastic raid.  We were off, hurled into the unknown world of dog shows!

As yet, Sienna is not a champion and need to acquire one more leg before we grasp the brass ring on the dog show carousal!

What's with the Poodles?

We so often get asked, "Why Poodles?"  Actually that is a good question and I will attempt to answer it.  When I turned 'sweet sixteen' I wanted a poodle puppy for my birthday.  I grew up in a home where ALL dogs were outdoor dogs and I wanted an indoor dog.  Well my Dad relented and I was on my way to pick out a toy poodle puppy!  I picked the spunky black puppy with a mismark white spot on her chest; I named her Gidget.  She captured my Dad's heart and became a cherished family pet.  

So as you figured I am Way past the sixteen mark :)  and have owned been owned by 2 amazing Yorkies; Miko and Noah.  They were getting up there in years and I went through several years of cancer treatments for bone cancer.  Due to the treatments I now have sever allergy issues and was looking for a non allergic service animal.  

When I first laid eyes on Sienna, a beautiful red poodle out of Canada; I was enthralled!  I never realized all that this breed was capable of doing!  Rob, loved the attitude and loving nature of Sienna and he decided that he too wanted his own Poodle to take for walks with us.  So that is the beginning of the "why Poodles" saga!

You'll want to stay tuned for the "Best In Show" Blog!!!