They take a table to the center of the ring with Patty standing there, and now they bring some tropies and ribbons. So, here we go.
Nancy Harper Mulvaney came by looking great. I see five ribbons in the center. There goes Joan Fox, all dressed up. Linda Bankhead just came by. At the annual meeting she set up her phone to stream the video. Carmen told her she couldn't do that, and she told him she could and just did it. It isn't easy to deal with strong women.
Now a bunch of women enter the ring and award the first Rally Victrix with two perfect scores of 100 each. A new award Zoe fought for, and Bunny got it.
Now in comes an all black,and the handler all in sparkles. Obedience Victrix. Lots of titles, so I won't list them. Also the Obedience Victrix in 2014. Kristin Jones. That is a great haircut, and she looks fantastic. So does the dog.
Jane Kerner got here and is smart with a heavy Winter vest. Now the arena is filling up.
For the past two years, the sound system has been terrible. So, I had a grand idea. I got permission from the ring steward, (I asked John Beamont, and he said he didn't care), so I turned the speakers towards the crowd. It solved the problem and now we can hear.
Now the memory of who has left us. I know it is important, but it sure sets a mood for the show, I would rather not have.
Martha Simonet is here now and Jennifer Root came by with a dog on a lead.
Into the ring is Helen Gleason. Wow, does she look great. In a long black skirt, and a black and white patterned jacket.
In come the male dogs. Dick Jennings just came by, and he too thinks the Host Hotel is also the pits. I see some dogs I like already. Of course, I like them all. Another good reason not to elect me to judge. I love the pigment. I don't care if it was just put on, it looks fine.
They just keep coming in and coming in. And, I see not end to it. The whole ring is filled from one end to the other. I think Black Bart should be up there, but I sure like the look of Morraco. Kent has him. Bart is with Bill Tank, and he is an impressive dog.
Helen is counting. If it were me, I would keep walking, leave the ring, catch a plane and go home. Bob Mahia just walked by and here is Christina, and Leanna New. Jimmie is talking to George who had Mike Tyson. I like that dog, and he should be up there too. Some of these dogs stand up. I see Rita sitting in front. They send most of the dogs out of the ring,and the first group is there. Amazing, there is a lull in the action. I thought it was going to be non-stop excitement.
The first group is there with ten. In front is Mike Tyson, and great mover. Now Mike for his individual. He will be in the top ten when it is over, or maybe the top five. There goes Sheree Moses, as always, looking beautiful.
Now I might as well just take a break. The seats are full and not an empty place. I wonder if they will kick me out of my seat. Helen already yelled at Sheree to not double handler. It was right in front of me. And, the beat goes on.
Bill Peterson came by with Nancy Hubbell. Nancy lost her bells, and what a terrible time to do that. She has her dog in for Grand Victor, and he is special in many ways. I told her to go out and buy some new bells. She didn't laugh.
Candy Espe is here asking for an announcement. Helen has announced she wants NO DOUBLE HANDLING. I wonder how that is going to work. I suspect it isn't going to work. This is one time out of the year, and after the show, you don't get another chance to go Select in 2016.
It is interesting to see people in the ring who have not been running before today. Karen Taylor is sitting here and talking to Dick. I see Art Sinclair with his number on. Sue Condreras is in the ring. She is one of the good handlers. Of course, she has Leslie to teach her. Helen is taking control of her ring.
She is placing them as she goes. I just figured that out, and will try to figure what she is doing. One more to go. Channing is in there with a solid black. I was wrong, in comes another. And, Helen asks how he is today. Being pleasant. No absentees in the first group. I see Ed Barritt is here and is being honored for 50 years of service. Just being alive has to count for something. Now Helen is talking to George and moves him into fourth. Scott, then Lennie, then Michael and George. And, they walk and I mean walk, slow. And again. I don't think I have seen anyone walk so slow, she must have laid down the law.
And, now the third pass. And now the fourth. This is going to be a long day, and show. I hope I make my flight on Sunday. Now John comes in to mark the placings, and in comes the next group. Nine in there.
I talked to Flower Boy and his wife. She is an author, and damn good. I read an article she wrote about Ed's family. Very interesting.
Jessica is there. My flight home in Sunday morning. I am worried I might not get there because the show won't be over. Cindy Flaut is here and looks good. Trisha Wylie is in there. She gets better looking every year, and always has been a great handler. Still nothing absent, but there are some later in the catalog. She put Deck The Hall in fifth. He can move.
Some more stuff going on, and then some. Helen has started to move faster. I have decided I have the best sport coat on, but Liv is a close second. There goes Cappy. I saw Helen direct a dog into a placing before she went around. I know she saw her before the individual in the group, so maybe that was her decision. It is going to be a long day.
Now the last in this group. She has finished her third group and it is ten thirty, so the timing isn't that bad. Helen takes a long time to talk to the handler, and tells him to go down and back again. Mike is out there with Lindel Time Traveler. I do like the style of that dog. I hope he doesn't bite Helen and can move.
Off they go walking. I liked Mike's dog best, but Jeff has Single Action and he is special too. Only one pass and she now tells them to walks again. And, again. Helen tells them to stop and she looks them over and has John list the placings, and in comes another group.
Top Hat's Gentleman Quarterly is in there. There are so many good dogs, and all with dreams of going Grand Victor, so they can get rich from the stud fees. I am not sure that is a good plan. Linda Trip just walked by; and the process goes on, down and back. I just talked to Dave Rinke and he compared it to watching paint dry. Every dog has his supporters. And a minute of fame.
Kelly now has an all black, a large solid looking champion. Joanna Rand is here and was talking to Tedi. Helen is moving dogs up and just put Malcolm up to second so far. She puts Top Hat's Gentleman's Quarterly in front. Debra and Susan are having increased heartbeats right now.
Name of The Game, and he is super. He was Bob's second in Canada, and goes to number two behind Art. Nadine does a good job with him. Now California Chrome, one of my favorites. He is with Zac. I think Helen will like him. Paul Root just said a few words. Helen does nothing with Chrome. Now the next to the last in the group, It is Fire Inside and I like the handler's shirt. I am easily entertained.
And, now Morocco. Bob is sitting next to me, so I have to say I like him, since it was his Canadian Grand Victor. He is a pleasure to look at. Helen wants to see Kent again, for the third time. Helen puts him in second. And, now the last in the group.
In comes a new group. Midas Touch is first up, and looking good. Next is is Giovanni, and The Heat in this group too. Good group. I went and got some nachos, with Jalapenos. Man there is such a thing as too hot. That is the most exciting thing so far today. Black Bart is up next, and I think Helen already put him up for something in the past. Bart goes to first in the group.
Now Arson. And he goes to third. So, it is Black Bart in front, then Midas Touch and then The Heat. The last of the group a Bi. And the end of an era, (or at least this group). Some walking, some running and some joy, some tears.
In comes the two Veteran, the Winner's Dog. She puts the Winner's Dog in third. The first now is Galaxy the Veteran Dog, and he goes to first. He was twice the number two Select, so this was a crowd favorite. Now the other veteran. Now Helen walks up to the group and looks them over. She tells them to go,then changes her mind and watches them walking.
She walks to the front, and tells them to walks again. I think Galaxy looks good that way.Hen wants her notes so all the ring stewards are in there talking with her. The individuals are done,and it now comes down to the real work. They are checking the numbers and is marking them down, so no one has to remember where they are, and Helen doesn't have to control all the groups.
Now, all the dogs into the ring. They called the owner of a dog to come into the ring to pick up after her dog, and that is wrong. You are identifying an owner. There goes Joanne Conroy, and while it is not double handling a lot of owners are walking outside the ring.
As much as I can tell, they are being put in rows, and I have never seen this before. It is going to be interesting. They are all facing the right side in the order they were in. It looks like pandemonium right now. Now they turn the other way. And now they face the other way. It sort of reminds me of a farce, but all the dogs are in the ring,filling it up. I hope someone gets a picture of this. Amazing.
Helen is pulling someone and putting them in a corner, (no one puts baby in the corner), but Helen does, and I think she is putting the others in a row, and around some go, getting ready to be dumped with three other groups in the center. It is entertaining to us, not so much to most of the handlers. OK. I got it. She pulls her first four or so, then send the rest to the side an around, but not out. The losers, in the nicest way, run around the rest who remain in the center. They are running around the other dumpees. I am sorry, but it does make me laugh, because there is no way Helen can see them, she is standing in the middle of the other dogs. We can't see them either. It is interesting but silly.
All what seems to be the dumps are off to the side and there goes the last of them. Helen walks towards what is about 50 dogs and shakes her head, and out they all go together. I find it dissettling. Helen kept none of what she didn't pick. Now there are 16 who made the cut.Now she stand the different groups in a row, facing the audience and takes the three or four, or in one case two around. The first two go, and three in the next grop and they go around and back to the line,and now two. The rest are still standing in line,a nd they go back. The last group has five and they take a pass. Now five lined up facing up.
Time to cut. Helen looks them over and she sends Scott to the corner,, then Jeff, then Liv, and Lenny. All the top handlers, and now Rachel, Bill Tank, Mike, Bill Basu,and walking back and tells what she pulled to stand back and send Lindsey to another corner then Kelly, Diane, and Art and more including Kent. And they take a full pass, and some I like in there. Helen does give them a good look and walks down and send Kent up and goes over him now in third and send them to the corner again. In the front runner she has eight, and it looks like those are her Selects, Scott with Galaxy and then Jeff, Liv and moves Lenny up and Rachel behind him.
There they go and the crowd comes alive and forget the no double handling. She walks to the end and moves Bill Tank up. Now she goes to the "dreams dying fast" group. Eight in there with Lindsey in the lead and then KIelly and Ken, and she want to look at them, and YELLS Walk Walk. And they walk. Lindsey is doing a great job, and some good ones in there. Calls up Kelley to the front then Kent, and Lindsey. Then Diane. The dogs are starting to tire. She might pull something from there, but I can't see from her face what she is doing, she pulls Kelly and Kent. Now there are ten. She goes and looks over the other six. She tellsl the first group to stand back and wants to see the rest again.
Midas is leading the group, and leads them right out. Those are the ten Select, and now to find the right order. She goes down the line to looks at each of them and walks over to the table and tells everyone to walk.
Galaxie doesn't walk at first but then settles down, and she shouts, WALK! Helen wants to see them again, and this time walking. The crowd is happy wth what she has in there and she says to slow down,and moves Rachel to number three. And they walk some more and she stops them again and move Bill Tank to number four. Off they go. Helen give them a look, and seems not to look back, but moves Mike to six. Kent is still in last place. Helen walks to the front and instructs them to walk some more. They could have walked home by now.
Off they go and that is it!
Number One Grand Victor is 2X Select Ch Wolfcreek Galaxy of Mivern
Number Two is Number is GCH Stuttgart's Single Action ARmy V Hammersmith,
Number Three is GCH Harmonia's Name of The Game,
Number Four is EX GCH. Ch. Laslar-Candia's Black Bart RN (Yea Evan and Tedi Ginsburg),
Number Five is Ex GCH Karizma's Malawi Kaleef Von Loar, PT, RN,
Number Six is Ex GCH Campaigner's Lindel Time Traveler RN, CA, CGC,
Number Seven is Ex Ch. Bloomsberry's Amadeus,
Number Eight is Ex Ch Bomar Agon De Rancho Backachers
Number Nine is Ch. Lindenhill's Martello V Gracelyne, and
Number Ten is Ch Kenly's Malachi
It is great to see a dog go Grand Victor out of Veterans. After twice number two Select, that is a great win for Galaxy.
We all miss Tammy, but maybe next year
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