It took some doing, but the new back yard & fence is complete, and is being enjoyed immensely by the dogs.
March was wonderful, as Rookie finished his Championship with 4 Majors, and Java won a HUGE Sporting Group her very first time out as a Veteran! I can't let March go by without acknowledging the birthday of my "Heart Dog", Tally. She would have been 17 on March 29th of this year.
April brought about my very first Agility Trial; this was SO nerve-wracking, but I'm so glad I did it! Rookie earned 3 out of a possible 4 Qualifing scores that first weekend, and I couldn't have been more proud. The next weekend was our first Rally Trial ever - two out of two possible Qualifying scores, a 93 and a perfect 100!
On April 13, Dixie gave us 6 beautiful babies - 3 girls, 3 boys! This was a repeat breeding of my wonderful Rookie.
In May, we made the looooooong drive out to Wisconsin to the English Cocker Spaniel Club of America's National Specialty. Next year it's in Colorado - I think we'll FLY to that one!
The BIG news for June was our very first Agility titles!! Rookie earned his Novice Standard and Novice Jumpers with Weaves title both on June 14th at the Corgi Specialty trial. I still can't believe we did it!
One week later, we welcomed an imported puppy from Denmark - "CC" is a very sweet (but very naughty!) blue roan girl. She *had* a long tail when she arrived, but we had it docked soon after. We swear she still barks with an accent!
In what felt like THE hottest July ever, Stevie & Rookie gave us EIGHT gorgeous babies - 5 girls, 3 boys; 7 orange and whites and 1 lone tri color. With so many oranges to keep track of, We had to use colored ribbon to tell them apart. Good thing she loves being a momma - this group kept her hopping!
We had to cancel the much awaited Reunion for this year, as the new grass in the backyard just wasn't strong enough to hold up to 80+ dogs! Next year should be a great one, so don't miss it!
July also saw Lacey finishing her Championship, earning that second Major just in time; she promptly blew all her puppy coat the following week, and hasn't gotten it back yet.
August was just spent watching puppies grow, playing with puppies, feeding puppies and cleaning up after...you guessed it - PUPPIES! :-) Oh, and Rookie earned his first Rally Advanced leg with a score of 97 and 2nd Place!
In September, we took a break from Dog Show trips, and went to Colorado for a long weekend to visit friends for Raoul's 50th birthday. Went to Estes Park, took in a Rockies baseball game, ate too much and hung with good friends. We had a blast, and can't wait to go back for the Nat'l next May.
October saw Stevie's litter start to go to their new homes; always a mixed blessing. We decided to keep Stella, the only tri color in the litter. The rest went to fantastic homes where they are dearly loved.
Also in October, we headed down to "Horse Country" - Leesburg, Virginia for the Middleburg Kennel Club dog shows. CC won her sweeps & regular classes, and went Best Puppy on Saturday!
In November, the big news was Rookie's first born son, RJ, finished his Championship at 15 months old. He is co-bred and co-owned with Maxine Raymond of Kittery, Maine, and was handled by Tracey.
November's events also included a milestone birthday - Ashbrook's very first litter turned 15 years old on November 22! Our own Sophie, Ashbrook Sweet Dreams, is doing very well!
December has been quiet so far; Rookie earned his 2nd Rally Advanced leg with a score of 98 and 1st Place! We're hoping the rest of the year is uneventful; time for a break.
Here's hoping you and yours have a wonderful holiday, and stay safe. See you at the shows in January!
