Soooooo…..Anyone who knows me knows I will do just about anything for a friend if they ask me to. Even the sketchy stuff! So when I was asked to show two Lakeland Terriers for a very special friend who was unable to I said yes! I even picked them up and kept them with me at my hotel for the weekend. Now I am not a great handler – I mean handing dogs does NOT come natural to me and I will never hesitate to state that fact to anyone. I love dog shows and the people but I am not 100% comfortable in the ring. Any breed I have ever shown other than a Chihuahua was under the close guidance and direction of their owner/handler. To groom, prep and then show these two dogs was 300% out of my comfort zone! But I Did it! And…it was a truly memorable event for MANY people!

It started with me standing ringside on Saturday afternoon with Roadster and Curtis. I was given their armband numbers and classes along with the plan to have them ready ringside for Darius to show. I would hand each one off and then help bring them back in for Breed. Unfortunately the judge in their ring went much faster than we anticipated and the judge for Havanese went much slower. Hence….They called in the Lakelands and I was standing their dumbfound and unprepared!

Holding the leash for two difference dogs in one hand and their armbands in another I wasn’t too sure how to proceed so wit the judge looking at me with a kind yet inquisitive expression I just handed him the leads and said “Can you hold these please?” as I put on my rubberband and the first armband. (which I eventually discovered wad the wrong one) As he handed me the Roadster, the judge was kind enough to hand Curtis to a bystander and then adjust and secure my armband. I will forever be thankful for the amazing Mr Cole!!!

I then walked into the ring with Roadster without any knowledge or understanding of how to even show this breed. Like their speed, how to hold their lead, how to present them – NOTHING! I figured I would follow his lead. Roadster was trotting so I trotted. More like a very fast walk with a hop here and there. Or a jog perhaps? Yes, we jogged around the ring. Without skipping a beat, the judge watched us go around the ring and then had me lift him up onto the table. Roaster was awesome and stood their like a perfect gentleman. We then jogged around the ring again for us to get our first place ribbon. I switched dogs and then came back into the ring with Curtis.

Curtis was a tad more animated and he RAN – so I ran! So much so that I thought perhaps Roadster – being what I thought was the puppy (he wasn’t) – was gong too slow and that Curtis was gaiting at the correct speed so I relaxed and just went with it. Now he was also more aggressive on the table – More than any Chihuahua I have ever shown. I grabbed him by the beard and tugged. Not sure where that idea came from but I went with it and it seemed to work.

As I was given Curtis’ first place ribbon, Darius walked to the ring and was able to help us go back in for breed. With he class and style only Darius has he didn’t skip a beat and we presented the dogs with Roadster – the dog Darius was on – taking breed. I noticed that he was much further behind me in the ring – not running like Curtis and I were but merely walking? It wasn’t until we were out of the ring and well away from the judge that Darius politely asked me, “Why were you running in the ring?

My response?

Because they ran???

Needless to say, as I proceeded to share the story of my adventures in the show ring I don’t know if they were tears of embarrassment or of laughter but many were streaming down both of our faces. From my handing the dogs off to the judge for him to hold to me simply running around the ring with a walking breed, I took it all in stride and just went with it. Nothing else you can do but laugh right? Apparently it was quite entertaining for those outside the ring of as well. Rumor has it that it happened so quickly that no one could get their cellphone cameras out fast enough to record the sight before them. Rumor also had it that if I was stuck showing them today that many cameras would be fixed upon me. The question was, would I run two days in a row? I had to keep everyone guessing of course. Maybe I would, maybe I wouldn’t!?1?

Now today I was lucky enough to have friends waiting ringside with me. Thank you so much BrandyBen Victor for volunteering and taking the Terriers in for me. Darius was again held up with Havansese but made it for Breed and this time the correct dogs were shown with the correct armbands in the correct classes! A win win WIN! And no videos of my running around the ring 😉

 

 

 

 

 

Best Op and Lots Of Leash Holding
Comfort Food With Friends