Oh Yeah, You Blend

Today marks the end of the qualifying period for the Invitational. The AKC website is current to June 8, at which point Nina was 12 points behind the #5 dog. She’s had some Q’s since then, so now all we can do is wait.

Because we missed 6 months of trialing (Zhora still managed to be in second place with 1,114 points in just 6 months), I decided to head to North Olmsted, where we haven’t been in a couple of years, to try and eke one more Q out of Nina, plus the judge was Alex Davis, one of our favorites, and we missed her at the last trial. We only got in today, and hotels in Cleveland were over $100 this weekend, so I decided to get up at 3 AM and drive.

Zhora earned QQ # 74, Nina double NQ’d. So now we wait.

Nina Jumpers (NQ):

Zhora Jumpers (part 1 of QQ #74, second place to super fast Papillon Blitz, 16 points, 4.44 YPS):

Nina Standard (NQ):

Zhora Standard (part 2 of QQ #74, second place and LESS THAN A SECOND behind super fast Papillon Blitz, 28 points, 3.9 YPS, the dog who came third was called “Bug Powers”, which seems unfair because Spider-Man….):

We headed off to one of our favorite trial sites in Niles Ohio this weekend.

Zhora loves trialing there, and LOST HER MIND. It’s a good thing to NQ because your Steady Eddie dog is in berzerker mode! Friday we had no Q’s at all (either dog), Saturday they both got Jumpers, and then today was DOUBLE DOUBLE Q SUNDAY! Nina QQ # 24, Zhora QQ # 73!

Judges Suzi Schmitz and Cynthia Tilly designed some challenging but fun courses, and I had some really nice fast runs with Zhora. In fact she was only ONE SECOND behind Nina in Standard today! Blind crosses are her friends.

Nina Friday Standard (NQ, biting my shoes on the way in means rabies mode…):

Zhora Friday Standard (NQ):

Nina Friday Jumpers (NQ):

Zhora Friday Jumpers (NQ, oh but I loved this run!!):

Nina Saturday Standard (NQ):

Zhora Saturday Standard (NQ):

Nina Saturday Jumpers (Q, 19 points, 5.125 YPS, she is MUCH better if I carry her in if it’s a tunnel start…):

Zhora Saturday Jumpers (Q, poky start but picked up, 14 points, 4.4 YPS):

Nina Sunday Standard (after a false start from the timer. QQ #24, 31 points, 4.04 YPS):

Zhora Sunday Standard (QQ #73, 30 points, 3.989 YPS):

Nina Sunday Jumpers (not recorded, but QQ #24, FOURTH PLACE with some of the fastest 8″ dogs around running, 18 points, 4.95 YPS)

Zhora Sunday Jumpers (QQ #73, 15 points, 4.49 YPS):

Judge Mark Upshaw…he talks fast, calls faults like there’s no tomorrow, but his courses are fun and very challenging.

Zhora went 3/4 (not counting FAST), I sent her to the backside of a not-backside jump today and cost us a QQ. Nina went 1/4 but had a lovely JWW Q today.

Nina Saturday Jumpers (NQ):

Zhora Saturday Jumpers (part 1 of QQ #72, 13 points, 4.4 YPS):

Zhora Saturday FAST (NQ, thought she was committed to the tunnel….she wasn’t):

Nina Saturday Standard (NQ):

Zhora Saturday Standard (part 2 of QQ #72, first place out of five qualifiers, including some really fast dogs, she was on fire! 29 points, 3.78 YPS):

Nina Sunday Jumpers (Q, fourth place, 5.05 YPS):

Zhora Sunday Jumpers (Q, just a second behind Nina! 4.986 YPS, blind crosses are really the right choice for her!):

Nina Sunday Standard (NQ):

Zhora Sunday Standard (NQ thanks to stupid handler trick):

Judge Mary Mullen designed Mary Mullen courses for us. Fun, flowy and fast. Zhora had her second perfect weekend in a row. Nina had a nice Standard Q and a Jumpers Q, unfortunately not on the same day…it’s going to be very close for Nina for the Invitational this year….skipping 6 months has taken a toll on her standings!

Zhora is a MACHINE just now, and already over half way to MACH4. She’s amazing.

Zhora Friday FAST (Q, first place):

Zhora Friday Standard (part 1 of QQ # 69, second place to World Team Keebler, 27 points, 3.688 YPS):

Nina Friday Jumpers (NQ):

Zhora Friday Jumpers (part 2 of QQ # 69, second place to WTK, 17 points, 4.41 YPS):

Nina Saturday Jumpers (NQ, nice run):

Zhora Saturday Jumpers (part 1 of QQ # 70, second place to WTK, 17 points, 4.576 YPS):

Nina Saturday Standard (Q, second place to WTK, 33 points, 4.29 YPS):

Zhora Saturday Standard (Part 2 of QQ # 70, third place, 30 points, 3.98 YPS):

Nina Sunday Jumpers (Q, first place, 20 points, 4.959 YPS):

Zhora Sunday Jumpers (part 1 of QQ # 71, second place, 17 points, 4.48 YPS):

Nina Sunday Standard (NQ, nice run, needed to push further out for weaves):

Zhora Sunday Standard (part 2 of QQ # 71, second place to WTK, 28 points, 3.812 YPS):

Zhora had another PERFECT WEEKEND (the first since the puppy break)! Oksana Syrkin is one of our very favorite judges, her courses aren’t easy, but my dogs love them. If I had repositioned Nina at the start of Saturday Standard, she likely would have stayed and not missed her weaves, when she gets into hyperfocused stare ahead ignore Amanda mode, I know she isn’t really connecting with me. And we might have doubled. Oh well…that one didn’t get recorded, so maybe a good thing.

Nina Saturday Jumpers (second place, 23 points, 5.5 YPS):

Zhora Saturday Jumpers (part 1 of QQ #67, 18 points, 4.7 YPS):

Zhora Saturday Standard (part 2 of QQ #67, 3.8 YPS, 28 points):

Nina Sunday Jumpers (5.2 YPS, 22 points, nearly had a runoff with Dana but were in fifth):

Zhora Sunday Jumpers (part 1 of QQ #68, 4.9 YPS, 20 points):

Nina Sunday Standard (AUGH! THERE ARE 12 WEAVE POLES! She gets through all the tough stuff…):

Zhora Sunday Standard (part 2 of QQ #68, 4 YPS, 31 points):

Cora RATN!

Cora (AKA Popcorn), Alkemi Corona del Roble LS just became Alkemi Corona LS RATN! She earned her first title today at age 8 months (the first title for any of the C litter puppies): Barn Hunt Novice!

Cora lives with her uncle (Zhora’s brother) Lobo, Alkemi Beowulf del Roble LS, who was the first Swedish Vallhund to earn the Barn Hunt Open and Senior titles, so little Cora comes by it honestly.

Congratulations to Cora and her owner Jan! The Zhoraberts are kicking butt already!

Alice Best of Breed 5/18/18

Alice (Alkemi Clear Air Turbulence LT) earned her first Canadian Kennel Club championship points today under judge Tony Monk at the K-W shows in Kitchener, Ontario. And she did it it style too! Winning Best of Breed over two specials and two class dogs for (I think) two points (that’s her CKC major out of the way with her first win!).

Yesterday she showed well but Ulla’s Winni (Nina’s half sister – they are both Bibi daughters) won breed and then a group 4 under Swedish judge Wera Hubenthal!

Today she showed really nicely, we worked well together and I think I did a better job with her too. I was thrilled with her. And the judge said very nice things about her when we were getting the picture taken (nice proportions, looks like she could do the job she’s supposed to do, good bone, etc.), and then the photographer dropped a big handful of plastic signs right in front of her (the ones that say what the win was), and she just sniffed at them, and they both commented on what a great temperament she has, no spook at all. Hooray for good genes and Puppy Culture! And kudos to the judge for checking the standard when he wasn’t positive about tails before he made his selections! All the other dogs were bobtails and all came from Ulla, so Alice looked very different, but the judge found her and liked her!

Judge Lavonda Herring is always one of our favorites. Her courses this weekend were pretty tricky, especially for Lavonda, and we didn’t have our greatest Q rate ever. But the dogs and I had fun and that’s what really counts as always!

Zhora Saturday Jumpers (third place, 19 points, 4.9 YPS, me blind crossing like a maniac):

Nina Saturday Jumpers (doing her usual “rabid badger” impression because of the tunnel start, NQ, there are 12 weaves Nina…I know you want to get a move on, but THERE ARE 12 WEAVES):

Zhora Saturday Standard (NQ, I was a “moose” and she didn’t see the teeter until she couldn’t get on safely):

Nina Saturday Standard (second place, 31 points, 4.029 YPS):

Zhora Sunday Jumpers (third place, 16 points, 4.6 YPS):

Nina Sunday Jumpers (if she hadn’t broken her start line stay, this would have been an awesome Q):

Zhora Sunday Standard (CURSE ALL THAT SENDING TO THE TABLE WORK!):

Nina Sunday Standard (the only bar she dropped all weekend):

Can we just take a moment to admire this handsome devil? Pluto (Zhora’s son Alkemi Crusader LT, formerly known as Chex) lives in Los Angeles, his owner Pat is an amazing dog trainer, and maybe he’ll get to be in the movies some day! So happy he has an amazing home, and I can’t wait to see what he and Pat do in the future! He’s growing up very nicely!

Orbit (Alkemi Cosmic Curiosity LT) won best puppy at the Kandasaga AKC match today! Awesome work again Ruth and Jim!