The boy done good, but.....

Yesterday was our County Show, Kali's "Big Day". He went into the ring, looking beautiful, clean and tidy as always, at about 10.30 a.m., to compete against another 8 Border Collies.

The judge came to him first, asked how old he was. My response, "Ten." was greeted with an incredulous "TEN??????!". She patted his bum once, stroked the top of his head, called him "Old Blue Eyes" and then moved on to the next dog. She didn't look at him again, even when she was examining the lineup from a distance . We never expected a place, but she could, at least, have gone through the motions.

Despite our initial plans to keep putting him in (just for the fun of it) for as long as possible, we are going to reconsider. Given that handling him is becoming increasingly difficult (my arthritis, not his behaviour) and that he knows he hasn't succeeded and gets "depressed", it may be time for him to retire.

Regardless, in the knowledge that he was really the best dog there we made a fuss of him, and gave him a special dinner, followed by a "Jumbone", which he loves.

The highlight of the day was a display given by Top Lodge Dancing Dogs, whom some of you may have seen at Crufts. There were one or two problems with the sound system (Orkney being unused to things that don't run on paraffin or steam!), but once those were overcome, the show was stunning - especially when one considers that one of the dogs is a 12-year-old epileptic and that another was a rescue who had been beaten so badly by a previous owner that it was still brain-damaged. Add to this the difficulties of performing in long-ish grass and sharing the field with a group of Clydesdale horses :scared: and we had a truly professional entertainment. I have pictures, but they are still in the camera (non-digital), so it may be some time before you can see them.

Glorious hot weather; the dogs behaved perfectly and were much admired (except, perhaps, by the judge), just a bit busy later on for a pair of hobbling wrecks. The finishing touch - a free glass of "Northern Light" from the Orkney Brewery!

Snorri

Aww he should of been first! *pokes tongue* @ the judge!

Glad you had a good time tho and I bet it was worth it just for his Jumbone!

Never mind Snorri :P you all had a good day out and who gives a flying pig what the judge thought You know and we all know that Kali was the best dog there! :smt041 :smt026 :smt041 :smt026

sorry I could only find a Boxer

Yeah Kali....you are the best.

Now Bon all we need to do is get your dog pic on my rosette and we will have done it !! :smt043

sorry tried to do one but beyond my poor computer skills

sounds like a good day Snorri, you took the best dog home at the end of the day.

LOL Mini.

Here you go Kali!

Oops, it won't make an image... Oh well, its still there!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...ver03/best.bmp

Best I could do, Sibe! Nice image!

Thanks, all - Kali is still a bit fed-up, but I'm sure he'll be fine tomorrow!

Mrs S and I are absolutely certain that he knows what the show appearance is all about - he walks round in a circle, someone says hello to him, and gives him a ribbon: after all, that's what has happened so many times before. He seems to think he has done something wrong if he doesn't get a ribbon, silly boy, so he sulks.

While we were watching the dancing dogs, he just lay under the bench and whined, even when he was given a chunk of beefburger. Not a bit like his usual attitude

He may be a bit silly on occasion, but he's not stupid!

Snorri

P.S. - do you use a Mac, Sibe? That image is coming up in QuickTime.