The National trek

Each Spring, we load the Sprinter to the gills with clothes, equipment and four or five of our best dogs, and head to the National Specialty, wherever that may be. This year it was Hunt Valley, Maryland, a suburb north of Baltimore.

The first event was ASFA lure coursing, with Pico our sole entrant. Between our busy travel schedule and the high temperatures of April and May, he was not in the hard condition needed for his very best performance. Still, on a water-logged field, he ran in the ribbons, a point behind the phenomenal Best in Field winner, Aliza.

Tuesday, Pico competed in Rally Novice earning a perfect score of 100, but was a fraction of a second slower in time for second place. In Novice B obedience class, he was again the runner-up, with a score of 192. Since Pico was competing with 18 other Borzoi in the Triathlon, his good scores in coursing and obedience put him a close race for first with two other good working dogs.

On Thursday, the Triathlon competitors were scored on their conformation in a special class by the the Specialty judge. Pico's score there put him over the top to win the 2017 Triathlon, a goal we'd worked toward for over two years. Love this dog!!!

The conformation judging started Tuesday evening with the Futurity, open to dogs who are nominated before birth. Breeders or owners pay a small fee every three months to maintain eligibility, and the age limit is 24 months.

Our entrant was 11 month old Pixie, who won her class, the Junior age division, and went on to Best in Futurity. A great start for a favorite puppy...