In the spirit of Friday cat blogging and Good News Saturdays (both) -- UPDATE: And also the 129th annual Westminster Kennel Club show next week - here's a picture of some of my favorite dogs, including a famous old lady.
From the left, Bohem Golden Delicious "Goldie", Champion Bohem Resounding Commotion "Lars" and multiple Best in Show / multiple Best in National Specialty winner Champion Jaybriar's Heretic NA ECM "Witch".
I co-own whippets Goldie and Lars with my friend and mentor in showdogs Judy Corbett-Bauer. Goldie usually lives with me but is off with Judy to learn the show biz ropes. As you can see, it's a tough life.
Lars settled in with Judy and has stayed to keep company with Witch, who's rather famous in the show dog world. She's pretty much the top winning female in the history of the English Cocker Spaniel breed here in the U.S. That photo, by the way, shows her winning a Best in Show at age 12 - which is the equivalent, more or less, of a 60+ year old woman winning a beauty contest and running a marathon against young competitors. Bred, owned, showed and loved by Judy. Here's a pic of Lars as a pup beside his favorite old gal and one of Goldie racing the wind at 11 weeks of age. Her mom is a coursing champion as well as a show champion and the lineage shows - the rabbits here have learned she's a LOT faster than the cockers so they mostly stay outside the fenced yard now. Maybe I can actually grow some veggies this year. The last time I tried, my garden turned into Bunny Buffet.
And here is Witch's daughter Rowan (Champion Jaybriar's Rave Review), who owns my heart and is the mother of several champions herself here at Laurelwood. I think Rowan's sister may be competing at Westminster - if you watch, cheer for Ch. Jaybriar Sweet Romance to win the English Cocker Best of Breed award and more! Roma won the breed last year at this prestigious show, as did Witch when she was younger.
A grand old lady at 13+ years of age, Witch has retired from the show ring but still wins Best in Bed awards, although the Whippets are giving her a run for her money (or should that be, a cuddle for her money??) More dog blogging some Saturday after CPAC, maybe ....
UPDATE: Stephen Bainbridge has a complaint ..... heh. Sorry, sir - while goldens are okay, the spaniels RULE! Some of the time, anyway ....
My dad used to raise collies and a Hungarian breed called a kuvasz when we lived in Alabama. Try washing that red clay dirt out of that white kuvasz fur the day before a show!