Sunday 22 June 2008

Day One at Blackpool...

Have had a pretty terrible week, been off work sick for a couple of days with terrible blinding headaches, Doctor thinks just a virus so fingers crossed back to normal quickly.

I didn't think I'd make it to Blackpool with Squirrel on Friday but after a bucket load of painkillers for breakfast we left home just after 8.30 to get to the show in good time for judging starting at 9am (good job we live so close! lol). It was a lovely bright and sunny day, if a little breezy but a nice sort of day to be out showing dogs.

I've never really watched Parson judging here (have attended a few shows on the continent with a friend who breeds and shows parsons though) as they are very rarely shown the same day as border collies...with my typical sort of luck Squirrels's class (Puppy Bitch) was the largest of the day with 10 entries and no absentees (only 1 entry in puppy dog!), she stood nicely but didnt' move well at all, trying to sniff the floor and then having a little 'hissy' when I tried to pull her head up! It is entirely my own fault because stupidly I have been lead training her on a loose lead like a border collie and not with the lead pulled tightly behind her ears like you should with a Parson (doh!) so she didn't like it very much when I did it. Needless to say we got 'binned' but I have to say I think Squirrel enjoyed herself, she was certainly very friendly and ethusiastic! lol More lead training required if we enter again me thinks! Unfortunately Paul (Squirrels's breeder) couldn't make it but I was very kindly looked after by his friends Gladys and Douglas who had brought Sally (Squirrel's mum) and we were delighted when Sal, handled by someone other than Paul for the first time, won the reserve ticket! Sally already has 2 tickets and just needs that last one to get her title...so close..maybe next time!

Having remembered my camera with fully charged batteries this time imagine how stupid I felt to discover I'd left the memory card at home (Argghhh!!) No pics of Sal looking so beautiful in the ring so you'll have to make do with this one of her winning her first ticket and BOB at Leeds last year...


I had a lovely morning anyway and how novel and jolly civilised to have watched all the judging and be home by 11.30am, plenty of time for an afternoon nap! I think I might stick to showing parson's in future!! lol

A day off Saturday and back again on Sunday with the collies...

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