ESSC Champ Show and the Working Sheltie

The Working Section of the English Sheltie club was started many years ago (30?) by Rosemary Seys. Rosemary was at the show today, signing her new little book called "The History of the Working Shetland Sheepdog: The Marriage of Brains and Beauty". Rosemary has such a great spirit and knowledge of the working sheltie. At 90+ years young, Rosemary looks great and she just wrote a book! I can only hope that I will be so strong in mind and body at 90 years old! Rosemary has a passion for the working sheltie. I think you need passion for something (anything!) to keep fit mentally and physically. Hey, I would be 30 pounds heavier and a huge couch potato if it wasn't for agility!

This is a photo of Rosemary, Hex and I. Not the best photo of Hex, but Rosemary looked great and she was worried she doesn't photograph well!

Hex had her obedience debut today at the show. I like to support the Sheltie club and enter someone in obedience, whether they are ready or not. As usual, when I entered this show 2 months ago, I had great intentions of actually training Hex in obedience. But trips to the US, weddings, breedings and life seemed happen and thus, no training for Hex! So last week, Hex and I worked intensively (ok, well not really, maybe 5 minutes 2x per day) on teaching her heelwork and polishing up the retrieve and recall. Then, at the show, I realized we have never actually done sit/down stays in a group! Talk about being prepared... NOT!

Well, bless her, little Hex pulled it off. She won 2nd place in beginners, only 1/2 point behind first place. She did a perfect retrieve, really flashy but not very accurate heelwork and perfect sit/down stays. Not bad for her first time in a ring and the first time doing obedience in public. She lives up to her Ms. Perfect name again.......What a blast she is to train, she makes it easy for me. My wicked wicked little Hex. Here is a photo of her with her trophy (ignore the funny shade of her eyes, the flash does that).

This may be the extent of Hex's obedience career, as she soon turns 18 months and her agility debut is coming up next month. Agility will soon take over and I am not sure we have it in us to train obedience so seriously. It takes dedication to train and fuss about each step of heelwork. I think agility will soon again take preference. But, hey, we can always end her obedience career/ debut on a high note!

We also went confidently (haha) into the breed ring with Hob-b. Adorable Hob-b is not looking her best right now as she has gone into her first big shed and looks quite hairless. This is why I haven't posted any new photos of Hob-b recently! But, again, it was the sheltie show and I also like the judge. He is very knowledgeable and I respect his opinion. Hob-b showed lovely and I was proud of her for our first time together in the breed ring. She ended up with 4th place in maiden bitch out of 23 entered in her class. I would have liked to have shown a beautifully coated up Hob-b and seen if we could have done better. Maybe not, but I can dream! My dogs look so different from the "English type" shelties, that I am always happy just not to get thrown out the ring! I think I have higher expectations with Hob-b though, as she is the least "american" looking of all my dogs. Time will tell if she is competitive at all.

These are some photos Dennis took while we were in the breed ring. Hob-b is so little you can hardly see her!

No matter what ribbons or trophies we won or didn't win today, I still left the show with the best dogs in my car! And the husband driving isn't bad either!