Well it's been an interesting 10 days!

On the 17th we went to an open show. I'd entered Ria in Rare Breeds and AVNSC Gundog Junior and Elton in the Open Papillon class. Rare Breeds was on first and Ria was 2nd, so as I then ended up stewarding she didn't go in her AVNSC class. Elton won his class, Best of Breed and Group 4 :-D So very pleased with him! He actually didn't show too badly either...better in breed than group, but c'est la vie!

Two days later I'd entered a champ show with Elton, but mum slipped over at the previous show, badly bruised her arm and couldn't drive. So as I can't get a lift with anyone else, I couldn't go. I ummed about what to do with Elton and he ended up going with his breeder, as I couldn't think of a good reason not to! Nobody else has ever shown him but me, and we encounted a problem I hadn't thought of when she took him in the ring - he was worried about feet! He's gone for "normal" walks before, but as I say - never been in the ring with anyone else. A couple of people that know him commented that he wasn't that happy, so he obviously didn't show brilliantly. Nothing there. Then he came home on three legs! No idea what he'd done as he was fine when they arrived home - he must've twisted it playing in the 10 minutes they were all out together before he was brought home!

On Sunday dad drove us to a companion show, which was fab! Ria had a 2nd in AV Puppy (to a Great Dane!). They had a heelwork to music demonstration with Richard Curtis, and afterwards he did a quick masterclass which I participated in with Ria :-) They also had a proper size agility course (just jumps/tunnels) which Ria did with poles on floor!

I ran it like a normal course with her and she was fabulous! The only problem was the chute, which she's never seen before....very unfortunately she was quicker than they counted on and just as she got to the entrance the woman grabbed the end, it made a noise and scared her...she wouldn't go near it after that. Arrgh! Will have to see if I can borrow one at some point, the boys could use a lot of work on it too. Solei will do it as long as you hold it wide open but not if he has to push at all, and Elton has never seen one!

There were also two classes of obedience...I entered Solei in both classes and Ria in the easier class - leaving Elton out because although much improved I wasn't sure if he was totally sound. Ria's heelwork wasn't too bad except for as we were coming along the back side of the ring, where there were people sitting ring side on a straw bale eating burgers! She saw those and concentration was gone....sooo glad it was heel on lead! :-X Solei's heelwork wasn't bad, but he went into shut down on the recall again and refused to come! So that blew that.

As Elton seemed ok and Solei was evidently not, they let me substitute so Elton did the harder class (poor boy lol) in his place. He decided he'd do his flattening to the floor again at the beginning of HOL (fine for HF), but after that was very nice, it was a bit dodgy because the ground was on a slight slope and the new chair (which is meant to be so brilliant on that kind of ground :-P) hated it and literally stopped every time I tried to corner, which obviously messed up things a bit...and he sat up on return in the down stay (this is another problem we're having at the moment!). He was just out of the placings! Pity I hadn't entered him in the easier class because I think he'd have done very well there.

Then today Ria has been on a real adventure! Mum still can't drive, and I'd entered an open show...but this one was not far and I could get cheap train tickets, so we decided to take the train! I took Ria to the station on Thursday because I had no idea what she'd think (this is my baby that when she was younger wouldn't go within a few metres of a speaker system and was petrified of engines!). She seemed ok, but that's a bit different to travelling on one!

So this morning mum, Ria, Elton and I caught the train down, walked to the show and then Elton's breeders brought him home whilst we caught the bus back, a shorter walk and another train! I was sooo proud of Ria - she handled the whole thing with no problem, such a star :-) The show was sort of a disaster - Elton got binned in open, though I handled a puppy to 3rd in the graduate class. Ria got Best Puppy AVNSC, but she was the only puppy....not sure if she was an anti-puppy judge or if it was cos she didn't know what she was or didn't like her, but she didn't go over her as she did the others (it was an open class, Ria was the youngest by over two years!) and seemed to discount her from the beginning. So she was 4th of 4! Nothing in the puppy group.

And I think Ria has hit the awkward obnoxious stage :-( arrrrrrrrrragh!