Warmen Flyball

As I have been a little negligent in my blogging I have 2 posts, from 2 different weekends, that each deserve separate billing. Here is the first. Mother's Day weekend, May 7th and 8th, saw us close to home in Warmen SK for the annual River Runner's flyball tournament. This year was a little extra special as it also marked our 1 year anniversary with Furry Flash. All our teams ran very well all weekend but there were a few special highlight moments that certainly stand out. Tov came back from a month break (due to a spay surgery) to run full time as the sole height dog on her team. She was solid all weekend and earned enough points to achiever her FDCh-S title. Kiwi ran part time with KAOS, a team from Regina, and never posted a time over 5 seconds. Her box turn seems to be coming along better and I am hopeful she will be ready to run in a more regular position soon. Sadie was great running full time once again and she even helped one of the younger handler in our club earn her Junior Handler pin for running her an entire race. Cali was once again my star of the weekend as she posted a new personal best of 4.65s on Sunday morning and then went on the achieve her FMX (10, 000 pts) title that afternoon. Considering she has only been running flyball for not quite a year and a half I am beyond proud of her. I will very much miss running her this summer once she has been bred as her enthusiasm and love of the game is infectious and always brings a smile to my face.

Spring has SPRUNG

With winter slowing releasing it's grasp on Saskatchewan and the snow receding for another year we can finally take the dogs outside to play a little. While the tans and browns of spring do not set the ideal backdrop for photography I was never the less anxious to get some action shots of my new addiction, disc. We have been fiddling around with a frisbee here and there in the upstairs training room this winter but I need a larger area to really test out the dogs, so I was on hiatus until my yard was once again usable. A little damp still, and sacrificing some lawn to do it (I will certainly have to reseed this spring) I got the opportunity I have been waiting for all winter, to really throw some discs for the dogs. They were all outstanding in their first practice and it soon became clear that it will be my throwing skills that hold us back not their catching! I look forward to having the opportunity to improve my skills and theirs this summer, and who knows maybe we will even make it to Alberta for a competition or two...

The best gifts come in small white packages

Through the generosity of my friend Diane of Pinnacle Terriers I am proud to welcome Dig It Obsession (aka "Robert") to Inseguire for the summer of 2011. As a rule I don't normally keep JRT males here at Inseguire since we are a small kennel and I prefer to move forward exclusively through my female line and not limit my stud choices in any way. On occasion though we are pleased to be able to welcome a "visitor" for a few months, especially when that visitor is a sweet and kind as Robert!

Robert is by one of my very favorite terriers, Shelmar Double Dose, and out of a JRTCA National winning bitch Little Eden Sassafras. He is a lovely individual and has many characteristics that remind me of his father, one of which is his super sweet personality. His littermates and siblings have been doing amazing things in the show ring the last couple of years and we are looking forward to having Robert out with us this summer.

So far he is fitting in well to our kennel and has already figured out where all the best lounging spots are around the house. He gets along very well with all our dogs, terriers and otherwise, and is becoming more comfortable initiating play with them. We look forward to getting to know this boy a little better over the summer and look forward to having some fun with him in the show ring and hunt field!

Flyball Season Opener

Last weekend was our first flyball tournament of the season and the very first tournament ever for Overdrive Dog sports. We drove to Edmonton AB with Sadie, Cali, Riley, and Kiwi listed on a team with Utah and Sarge from Wild. It was a bit of a hail marry team as it was Kiwi's first tournament, Cali was being handled by my friend Tiffany (she has never been handled by anyone but me), and Riley has never been asked to run full time but we figured whatever happened we would have a great time. The girls from Wild have always been very fun to run with and we were meeting our friends from Good 2 Go there as well so it had the makings of a very good weekend yet I was nervous and excited at the same time. The debut of my new dogs combined with the debut of my flyball team was a lot of excitement.

As Saturday got underway and the dogs were running near flawlessly I was able to relax a little more and just enjoy the game we all love. Kiwi debuted like she had been doing this her whole life. Her turn needs a little work still but she LOVES the game and that enthusiasm is infectious. Cali ran super for Tiffany and Riley never missed a beat. Even Sadie, a year to the day from her accident, was pumped about the racing. Utah from Wild earned his ONYX on Saturday and Sarge debuted and earned his FD and FDX like a pro. The whole teamed gelled amazingly well and the full time dogs earned over 500 points apiece. What more could a girl ask for? The only down side of Saturday was a friend's dog got injured, thankfully only a minor injury, but it would preclude her from racing for the rest of the weekend. They had traveled a very long way to attend this tournament and had not brought any extra dogs which meant they were going to be a dog down for Sunday. After talking it over with the rest of the team we decided to lend them Tov. It would be her first tournament run but they had another very green dog she could share the spot with in case one of them had trouble.

A little power shopping at West Edmonton Mall with Tiffany Saturday night and a good night sleep, facilitated by now tired dogs, had us up early and recharged for Sunday. Once again I was thrilled with my crew, they ran their hearts out and had very few unclean runs. Tov was the real star though. She had very little time to warm up on Sunday before being asked to run her first race but she never missed a beat. She earned her FD and FDX handily and put up some pretty good times. As I sat on the floor, eating my lunch that day, surrounded by my dogs and friends I couldn't help but think I am truly blessed to be able to do this. What a fantastic weekend, I cant wait for the rest of the season!

Playing in the snow

It has been a while since I have had the time to really sit down and write an update. Things around here are pretty normal for Saskatchewan in the winter time. We hide indoors when it is cold and venture out bundled in our jackets when it is above -20. One new change this year is a dog swimming pool has opened up in the city and despite the hefty membership cost we are thoroughly enjoying spending a few nights a week there. It keeps the dogs working even when it is too cold to venture out and they LOVE swimming so it is a real treat for them. Flyball season will be starting again soon and we have both Tovy and Kiwi to look forward to debuting. In the interim Cali and Tovy have started agility training to challenge them a little more and it is something I have always wanted to do. They are doing incredibly well and both are mastering the basics with ease. Once Kiwi is a little farther along in her flyball training I may enroll her in a class as well. Other than that thins are pretty normal, trying to stay warm and keep the dogs from going stir crazy!

JRTCA Nationals

Kiwi and Cactus

Grandmother Cairnbrae Image and Granddaughter Inseguire Keepsake

Although this post is slightly delayed in coming I can assure you that the excitement of the 2010 JRTCA Nationals has far from dulled at this house. At the end of October Kiwi and I flew to Ottawa to meet up with Sandra and the Brockwood Terriers for the drive down to Gettysburg Pennsylvania. Our trip was a relaxed one and I enjoyed Sandra's company immensely as I normally make these long trips alone. Kiwi travelled very well and, as usual, settled in to the hotel quickly.

Traveling with just one terrier was also a unique experience for me and while it was much less hectic I will definitely bring a few more to the 2011 Nationals. The decision to leave everyone else at home was not one I made lightly but the logistics of sending 2-3 more terriers by plane cargo when it is winter here was just not feasible.

The National Trial is 3 day event with racing on Friday, Working and Puppy Conformation on Saturday and Open Conformation on Sunday. This was the first yer the trial was to be held in Gettysburg PA and picturesque setting could not have been found. Gettysburg is a beautiful city rich with history and the trail site was no exception. set in the rolling hills surrounding the city a backdrop of fall colors surrounded us as we kicked off the 2010 JRTCA Nationals.

Friday morning saw Kiwi and I up bright and early for racing. With so many terriers in attendance racing has a whole day devoted exclusively to it. This was the first time Kiwi and I had ever experienced multiple heats and multiple runoffs before the divisional finals and while I knew she was pretty fit there was defiantly going to be a LOT of racing for her that day. Kiwi has never been officially "trained" to race, I honestly just popped her in the box in Nebraska so she would settle down little for the conformation ring later that day, but she loved it so much we continued to enter. she has steadily improved over the course of the year learning to wait patiently in the starting box, so as to have a cl en start , and that the whole goal is getting to the other side of the finish hole first. Kiwi loves to run though, loves it, and the Nationals would put to the test everything she had learnt throughout the year. The flat races went well and Kiwi earned herself spot in that final. An unlucky draw saw us in box 1, meaning the longest wait until they are sprung, and her start suffered little for it. she managed to come in a respectable third but that is not enough to make the final championship runoff - only 1st place finishers get the chance to compete for that.

After a short lunch break, and a little shopping on my part, we were back over at the lanes for the hurdles/steeplechase portion of racing. True to the versatile nature of these terriers they are required to be exceptional on the flat as well as over jumps to qualify for the championship. This has always been Kiwi's event, she seems to excel over the jumps and always moves up a few placings from her flat races. My heart was in my throat as I watched her win her heat, then have to re-run as two of the dos in the race got sidetracked with each other. she repeated her success in her heat and we were in the final, in a must-win situation to earn a spot in the championship race. I loaded her into the box and crossed my fingers as they sprung them. she got a clean start and maintained her position at the top of the pack the whole race. Over the last hurdle, and just before the hole, Kiwi showed her determination to win by accelerating even faster and ducking in a length the better! Our first National blue ribbon!!

I spent the next few hours waiting for the championship run off alternating between excited and nervous. Kiwi is n exceptional athlete but these are the best of the best and it is just a honor to be in their company. Finally the time came and we loaded the three competing terriers into the box, the flat winner from the 9-12 mo overs, the flat and hurdle winner from the 6-9 mo overs won by the same do, and Kiwi. This final was to be run the first half on the flat and the last half over hurdles so as to give everyone an equal chance. Before I knew it they were off, packed together as they raced down the lane. They hit the first hurdle in tight bunch, Kiwi in third, and took the next two about the same way. When they hit the final hurdle and Kiwi saw the lure disappear into the hole she kicked into another ear and sprinted away to claim the 2010 title by 3 full lengths! I had tears in my eyes when I picked her up from the catchers, I was so proud of my little girl.

The euphoria lasted the rest of the trip. Saturday morning came way too early, as the second day of any trial seems to, but I was not nearly a nervous I have been walking Kiwi into the conformation ring. she showed beautifully and even with a hue class of puppies remained focused until the very end. I was thrilled when she was picked out in the top 6 and even more elated when she received a third behind two very nice terrier as she had even more exceptional terriers behind her. Beauty, brains, and athletic ability - what more could I ever ask for?

With all our main events over and just some fun ones left I spent the rest of the trip cheering on my friends and oohing and aahing over all the beautiful white dogs surrounding me. I had the opportunity to meet Sadie's mother Image for the very first time and spent most of my Sunday with her tucked under my arm. My other big thrill of the weekend was to watch Kiwi and Glenlidi Cactus Flash be expertly handled by Penny Jukes to a win in the matched pairs class. Cactus is a stunning dog who went on to take Reserve best Open do on Sunday and is Kiwi's identical twin in many ways despite the fact that they are only distantly related. What a wonderful trip it was to see all my friends from both sides of the country, not to mention Canada, and make some new ones. The memories will hopefully last me the long, cold, Saskatchewan winter until I can get down to Nebraska again in the spring and start my 2011 season!

The True Cost of a Dream:

20 Thousand Miles

10 Oil Changes

16 Nights in a Hotel

2 Rental Cars

4 Plane Tickets

6 Dogs (give or take)

3 Months off Work

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Winning a National Championship - PRICELESS

Duck, Duck, Goose!

As fall, and with it winter, fast approaches I have been sorting through all my summer shots. Some of the best times we have had this summer have been down in the pond at the facility where I board my horses. Sadie has LOVED the water as long as I can remember and will use any excuse to go for a swim. More than once when she was out while I was working with a horse she would take off, full speed, down to the pond for an unauthorized dip. Both Cali and Riley, having been exposed to water before, were excited to fetch things out of the pond and all this eventually led us to invest in some lovely neon-colored plastic fetch toys. Of course we would own 3 by years end, one for Cali, one for Sadie, and a bigger one for Riley.

Having such convenient access to the pond also allowed us to introduce the puppies to the water. Kiwi was hesitant at first but once she discovered that the water was simply part of the greater game of fetch she would dive right in. Tovy, always the surprise, did not even hesitate for a moment the fist time I brought her out and jumped in after the lure like she has been doing it her whole life! Unfortunately Patton was still too young by season's end to have the confidence to leap in after the older dogs but he did wade right up to his chin in his attempts to recover lures just off shore.

All in all this pond was the sight of many summer memories for the Inseguire gang and we will look forward to spring and the chance to play in it again!