2 phenomenal weekends!!

I haven't had much chance to write lately, we have just been too busy! Some of you may have gotten some updates from Andrew's blog, the Regal Vizsla. He nicely has updated people for us when I am slacking on the blog front!

For starters Rogue spent last weekend competing in East Windsor, CT at the Nutmeg GSP club field trial. She placed 3rd both days, the second day being Open puppy. It was a horseback stake, but I walked the brace instead of riding.

While Rogue was running in the field trial, Kyler was entered up in Springfield for a 3 day show. Happily, on Friday, she took a 3 point major! This means that now she has 10 points towards her show championship. You need a total of 15 points with 2 majors (a win of 3-5 points, basically they have to win out of a certain number of dogs at once). So, she needs a major and a total of 5 points. She is being handled by Alessandra Folz, who is probably one of the top show handlers in the country. She does a great job and makes Kyler look amazing! (which I know she is, but it is nice for other people to see too) When I am able to get the picture scanned into the computer I will post it here!

Then, this weekend we were planning to be in Belchertown at the Swift River Sportsman's Club for the Central New England Brittany Club hunt test. I was judging Sunday but entered both girls in tests. Kyler was to compete in her first Master Hunter test and Rogue in her first Junior Hunter test. I am happy to report that Kyler passed her very first MH with flying colors! We are so proud! Sadly, this is the best picture that I could get as it was cold and rainy, both of which Kyler hates! She hunted like a pro and had a somewhat decent honor, which is the most difficult part for her, I think. When she went on point in the bird field it took them a few minutes to set up for a proper shot just based on how the bird was located. Mike had to move around so that the bird wouldn't fly right over the trucks of the gunners and the gallery. They flushed the bird (or Mike did, as the dog has to stay steady) the bird flew and flew, probably a total of 6 shots were fired. Apparantly the bird finally went down at the far end of the bird field. When I say the far end of the field, I mean the complete opposite end of the bird field just about into the woods. The judges told Mike to send her to retrieve despite the distance. Kyler shot out on command to find the bird. She went most of the way to the bird and searched very hard for it. She started to come back after a minute of not finding it, Mike told her to go out, hoping she would travel a bit further. Kyler went back out and cast a bit further this time. She came across the scent and began to track the bird. She found it within a matter of seconds this time. The obstacle now was that it was injured and running in circles cackling. Kyler, being the phenomenal dog she is, eventually was able to grab the bird and shot back to Mike with lightning speed to put the bird directly into his hand!! She was the talk of the weekend between the spectators and the gunners. It has been called the "most amazing retrieve we have ever seen"! That's our girl!!

Rogue had a decent day as well. She passed her first Junior Hunter test, despite going missing for a full minute on the back course. (I think she was on a bird deep in the woods) She had several finds, probably about 10 from what I can gather. She had nice stylish points and held for an appropriate amount of time for a dog her age. Her lowest score was in trainability, since she completely ignored me for most of the brace! She got very good hunting, pointing and bird finding scores.

She isn't quite as miserable as her mother in this picture, but still not happy because of the rain.

On Easter Sunday I was scheduled to judge my first Junior Hunter tests. Rogue was entered in a field trial with Andrew handling her. It was her first time being handled from horseback. While she didn't place she was apparantly quite good considering her human was on top of a horse for the first time! Kyler did compete in another test on Sunday but due to a very tempting situation she broke on the shot of the other dogs bird. On her behalf, however, she honored on her own from extremely far away, which was a first for her! Mike hadn't made it up to her side yet when the other gun went off and she broke. Oh well! Can't be perfect all the time!

Next weekend we are off to Connecticut again for the Connecticut Valley Vizsla Club's field trial. We plan to spend the weekend camping and having fun with good friends!