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27JUN07
We just got back from the last of the eight days of Montana shows. It is good to be home. We were fortunate that we were able to go home at night during the two Great Falls days in the middle. Lorianne Amadeo from Surrey, BC stopped through Great Falls on her way to Billings and took Cat down there for us. We weren't able to get away the first day. Since there were only 5 girls entered that day, if Cat wasn't there, there would have only been four and therefor no major win for anyone. Tracy Farmer from Custer Washington suggested Lorianne so we contacted her. She doesn't consider herself a pro handler but does show other peoples' Afghans. She was going to be at all the Montana shows and was committed to another open class girl from Texas who also had nine points - needing two 3-point wins like Cat. I thought if she could take Cat to Billings, maybe the open class girl could win and get out of the way faster so Lorriane could then concentrate on Cat. Lorianne showed Cat and got a 3-point win that first day. We were thrilled to hear the news. The Texas girl didn't get out of her class. After we got there Wednesday, Punkin beat Cat and Tracy Farmer's Spirit who beat us in Coeur d' Alene in the 12-18 class and then Punkin got Reserve Winner - very close. Cat won class again on Thursday but no Winner.
Friday, the first day in Great Falls, Cat won big again - another 3-point win and her championship. Very exciting! She is finished in fifteen months! What a beauty! It may have been a 4-point win because there were 9 girls entered. I can't remember if they all showed up. The open class Texas girl Lorriane brought was not even getting out of her class. Because a black boy from Seattle (Lorriane was also showing) got the Winners ribbon, she showed him and Laura showed Cat in the next round. Cat got Best of Winners and Best of Opposite Sex- beating the Seattle boy. We did not get Cat changed over to a Special for Saturday but Punkin again got Reserve Winner behind a different older girl. Gwendolyn also showed in 6-9month puppy class in Great Falls. She was pretty out of control with Laura's 12year-old granddaughter Destiny handling - slipped her collar the first day but finally got through her class behind Erin Davis' 8 1/2 month old girl from Boise, Idaho.
The three days in Missoula were not productive except Gwendolyn got more comfortable in the ring every day (except the last one). Laura's daughter Carmel handled her one day. Several people told us Cat should have been picked Best of Breed the last day - yesterday - but the judge obviously liked black dogs best: Lorianne Amadeo got the Winner ribbon with the black Texas girl who had never got better than 2nd place in class previously. Lorianne also got her first BOB of the trip yesterday with the black boy from Seattle who had been in all eight shows. We had the only Montana owned Afghan Hounds at any of the shows. The other twelve were from all over the western US, British Columbia, and Alberta. Anyway, we couldn't have expected to do better - with Punkin's raggy post heat cycle coat, Gwendolyn's inexperience, and Cat's sporadic sidewinding. We met alot of nice people, got alot of compliments on all four Affies, including 6-month old Falco, who went along for the ride - the weather was pretty nice - no vehicle breakdowns - all in all a very good week.
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