Monday 10 March 2008

Well we didnt win:)))

...it nearly was a disaster actually!

Left at 4pm Saturday the first 100miles flew then the rain started and it was torrential at times.Could barely see where I was going even with windscreen wipers on full belt.Eventually arrived at 7ish but then couldnt find the hotel we'd managed to drive straight past it even though it was a massive place.After half an hour driving around looking for it the thought entered our heads to ring the hotel and get directions:) found it easily after that!
After settling into our rooms we went out for a walk and to let Mouse go to the loo before bed.Thats where it went a bit pear shaped,Mouse started limping badly.I carried her back to the hotel couldnt find a thing so washed it and put some sudocreme on(my fail safe for everything) hoping it would be okay for the morning.
Had a rather sleepless night as Mouse kept barking and growling everytime someone walked past the room or she heard noises.She was still lame in the morning so I didnt think we'd be going in the ring but knew there'd be a vet at Crufts.
Saw Peter the breeder when we arrived and he manged to squeeze a bit of blood out of her pad she'd obviously stood on something so it was looking doubtfull.
Found the vet area and they gave her a injection of metacam.
I carried her around for most of the day to keep her off it and she was loads better time her class came up.

Anyway I wasnt hopefull as i'd noticed the dogs he was picking were a different 'type' to mine and we didnt get anywhere as expected ..not that I was expecting anything anyway:))
I was slightly suspicious as last year all the dog's were stripped out completely where-as this year lots of them were unstripped and they were getting placings plus the judge was Southern and a LOT of the accents of the placings were Southern.
Its the same up here at the local shows to be honestThe people who are showing may be judging the next week so they are showing and judging each other, stands to reason there's a fair bit of you scratch my back and i'll scratch yours.
But no complaints thats the way things go and Mouse has done incredibly well to qualify for Crufts twice we arent exactly hardened breeders or show people.

No horsey news obviously other than they seemed pleased to seem me tonight and I had loads of poo picking to catch up on.

7 comments:

Claire said...

h dear, glad mouse was ok! what an awful drive, hence my concern in last post....

did you get your suit then?

Nicola said...

It was pretty rough Claire thats for sure seems to be the case whenever i head South,although the 'attempted' drive down to see Ali takes some beating!
I borrowed a jacket from my Mum and just wore black trousers and top.They werent quite so dressey actually so maybe they save the smart stuff for the tv stuff?:)

Reading back the bit ive posted about the showing sounds i realise sounds pretty cynical but this is my third year and im recognising people and picking things up now. When you see the person who judged you the week before laughing and sharing sarnies with a group of the people he was judging(and placing) it tends to make you a bit cynical:)
The way of the world i suppose.
I did see the little old lady who gave Mouse her 1st last year which qualified her for crufts..she was showing too:)

Jean said...

Sad, but true...politics and favors seem to affect judging in so many kinds of competitions. I hate it when the "Best of Show" judge, for example, is a poodle expert and sure enough the poodle wins. Just looks bad, even if it is on the up and up.

As far as the grooming standards go, I guess you need to be out there showing every week to keep up with the trends.

If Ms. Mouse did not bite the judge, if you managed to stay on your feet and do the right show pattern, then showing in one of the most prestigious shows in the world for the second time was more than an impressive accomplishment.

I do hope Mouse is feeling better, but it sounds as if she came through for you, regardless. What a sweetie to be so protective in the hotel room.

Congratulations for a job well done and on getting home safely! Give Mouse a hug from an overseas admirer--ME!

Muriel said...

I watched Crufts all sunday evening!
I did see your class, but the "best of all group". If I had been there I woudl have come back with a puppy.
I love dogs.

I can understand you being cynical about judging. That is why I do not like showing. I do not think it is very fair.

But well done for being selected to Crufts. It must be an amazing atmosphere!

What do you mean by stripped and unstripped???

BTW, Jean has published teh articale about you. You are 35 ! Woaw I gave you 28 yrs old ... well you write "young"
^-^

Nicola said...

////TW, Jean has published teh articale about you. You are 35 ! Woaw I gave you 28 yrs old ... well you write "young"
^-^////
That your way of saying I sound nutty lol.Im young at heart...got to be with my job spend half my time winding kids up:))))
I am usually updating blog in a mad dash or whilst doing 3other things at the same time so I realise I make hundreds of errors.
Funnily enough I was on a course yesterday for work and one of the girl's is a good 10years younger than me she wouldnt have it I was 35 and said I was too much of a nutter to be all grown up!

///What do you mean by stripped and unstripped???//
Border's have two coats and depending on the time of year you strip out the top coat which leaves a short tidier coat underneath..basically you pull it out by hand.This sounds cruel but when their coats are ready for stripping it comes out easily,I tend to do it over the course of a week so they dont get fed up and cheat cliping their sensitive bellies but other than that mine dont mind at all.Infact Minx pushes the other two out the way for her turn.

She was so good considering everything Jean no complaints.

cptrayes said...

Well I hope you had a nice break anyway. Can't abide showing,
myself! Too much one person's opinion for me.

C.

cptrayes said...

Ah but she LOOKS that age too Muriel! Makes you sick :-)))

C