This morning I packed the car with all the equipment and pugs, drove 40m miles, narrowly missing being written off on the A19 by a land rover and trailer, arrived at the venue (which had no signs) but I found it OK, drove into the car park to find a sign saying judges only,had to reverse out between some very strangley parked cars, drive up the road to next car park, and arrived at my ring 10.25 which i was sure would be Ok, even after all the delays, after all there were 10 classes in my ring before Pugs, and show started 10 am.  Guess what = they were just calling the breed AFTER mine in!  Boy, was that quick judging or what!!!   So drove 40 miles home, getting stuck in a major diversion, and took pugs for a nice walk among the Autumn leaves in my local park.  Sometimes I wonder why showing is so appeallling?
bye
Gwen

OH Gwen, I can imagine the air in the car on the way home :-)) pugs will paws over ears ;-)

Really annoying. 

I once drove over 100 miles each way to a breed club open show on a Saturday (having also got lost on the way), only to find that the show was on a Sunday that year!  Fool that I am I did the journey again the next day because I had a very promising puppy, and only got 3rd.  On the way back I got a puncture and had to walk 30 minutes (with pup) along a dual carriageway with only a rough grass verge to get to a garage for a phone (those were in the days before mobile phones were the norm).

Yup, we're mad.

Oh Gwen...it is so reassuring to know I'm not alone!!

We had worked hard to prepare our mad mutt (white legs, face, feet etc!) for the most local of local open shows yesterday - venue is all of 1.5 miles away! (A Rare Event in deepest darkest South-West England!) 

Guess what?  We arrived as the class was just going in! DOH!

How secure we felt taking a rare lie in yesterday morning knowing the Judge had 16 pastoral classes , then the pastoral group before he judged a further 6 working classes before reaching our class......surely one would reasonably expect this "skillfull task" to take at least 2 hours??? Add in to this the respectful 2 minutes silence for Remembrance Sunday.....

I always try and work it out as about 10 minutes per class but don't include BOB's as it provides a safety net to make sure I get there on time and gives room for absenteeism...

Maybe I just had my "Sunday head" on and I should have moved a bit faster?!

The only consolation was that I'd forgotten how TINY the venue was and I'm not sure how my chosen giant breed would have dealt with the slippery floors and cages blocking every spare inch of floorspace.

Needless to say I will save my money and not be entering next years Autumn show.

Roll on The Summer!!!

I think this may have been the same show I went to.  I had entered as my freind lives local and knew she was entering.  In the event she had an Obedie4nce judging seminar on my Doorstep instead.

I always work on 5 minutes per class, even allowing for empty classes this seems to work.

On that basis we still arrived in time for the AVNSC Hounds.  We were delayed by over half hour though with my lifty getting lost picking me up.

Brainless,

5 mins a class seems much more reflective of the poor entries open shows are getting these days....if only they could identify improved venues but I imagine it's a "Catch 22" and if they don't attract the entries the venue still needs to be paid for.....??

Can't you just tell it's a cold wet Monday morning?!!  :-(

   ive done exactly the same myself gwen, kids were being a nuisance( dogs were behaving though) i missed both classses and came home 100 mile drive shouted at kids, then felt like a bad mother for dragging them to the show in the first place! i find it hard juggling kids and dogs! anyway treated us all to chinese that night!

The upside of it all was a lovely walk in the park.  It was such a gorgeous day for autumn,, and we were the only ones it the park!  Had it all to ourselves.  Teh pugs went wild in the drifts of leaves :)
bye
Gwen

Your mention of a walk in the park reminded me, Gwen - how's Jennifer doing?

She is doing fine thanks.  No lingering psychological effects at all, so far as I can see.  However, her bite has to be seen to be believed!  If anyone needs a demo dog for a reverse scissor bite Jennifer is your girl!  Only redemming factor is that at least I know waht it looked like before the fracture.  However,  it works beautifully, which is all that matters ;)
bye
Gwen

they must have gone through the classes like i dont no what sounds like your pugs got the better end of it with a nice walk
we nearly done that at crufts once the year there was a traffic jam we just got there in time i went in and won the class couldnt belive it :)
gwen what happend to jennifer ?
fiona

Jennifer was attacked by a dog while we were walking in the park (on her 6 months birthday)  Her Jaw was fractured, and we had weeks of the poor little poppet in a sort of muzle contraption, in an Ex pen!  However, she behaved beautifully, and healed up fine.

bye
Gwen

hi gwen
i am glad to hear she is ok  will she be able to be shown if you were going to poor girl its a shame what could go wrong on a nice walk.
oh gwen did you get my pm a few days ago i done it mum hasd now posted the cheque a few days ago so should be with you soon if it isant already.
fiona

Hi Fiona, no she cant be  shown, as the jaw sset she has ended up with the worse reverse bite ever!  But I am jsut glad she is OK, it was a horrific attack.  However, is is so sweet, adn has the prettiest head still - if you were at Discover Dogs at Crufts hers was the pic of the Black Pup head, looking very appealling!   She is on one of the Christmas cards too.  Her brother i Mr July in the Calendar. However, she is going to be able to carry on being a littel show aff, as she is going to be a Grooming comp model!  She has been pet passported and is all ready for her first trip next spring.  And yes, thanks, I got your Mum's cheque, and the claendar and year book will be in the post next week.
bye
Gwen

I travelled all the way to Wales for an Open Show on a Sunday to find out that it was the day before!  Car blew up on the way home !  I did have a friend once who travelled all the way to Scotland and once she got there realised that she'd forgotten her dog, it was a Chihuaha by the way :d

hi gwen
oh poor girl i remember the puppy head looked so sweet was her brother jerry i look foward to seeing mr july.
yes hetties used in grooming comps and she loves it its a shame i cant get abroad to do some i would love it
i am glad the cheque came ok i look foward to reciving them both and cant wait to have a flick through sorry the cheque took so long do you no our correct house number?
thanks gwen
fiona

Hi fi dopnt worry, It took me to last week to send chq. You really dont believe how busy your life is until you have 2 dogs instead of 1!!!!!!!!!!!! (oh and 2 boys plus buck rabbit!!!!!!)
Lea :)

oh sounds like you are in the mad house lea oh i am excited hettie is due i week from this monday coming i cant wait shes got something there but i dont think many ok this my sound daft but we mesure them round there tummies she was 16 at the start now she is 21 so shes put on 5 inches lol
fiona

Gwen I thought of your story this morning while stuck in a traffic jam..

My puppy dog ( westie) first show today near Blackpool so he was beautiful if I say so myself. I have spent weeks getting his coat looking good. As I went off to bed last night I took one last satisfactory look at him before switching the light off.. :-)

5am ish I hear barking , get up to look. My backdoor was " somehow" open about 8 inches and who is outside have a garden party himself !!! Yip my puppy dog. grr

I had to bath him drying him etc etc at 7am this morning before heading off.

30 mins into the journey I approach a smash, luckily I could get around another way although adding 30 miles onto my already 230 mile journey.  Then I get on the motorway and straight into another one. I was stuck there for hours.  I actually only got 50 miles from my house and it took me nearly 4 hours to get home :-((

Should have stayed in bed.

Oh waht a shame, and his first show too!  At least I only had a few miles wasted, not your trip!
bye
Gwen

I was still laughing this morning at my puppy dog looking as me as if to say, " look at me my I have been in the garden having fun"..  :-))  

The grooming room at the crack of dawn is not the warmest place when it is -3c outside LOL.

I keep saying we must be mad.. Wait a min think we ARE mad.

BFN Pam

Gwen,

I was at the Supreme (Cat show) on Saturday and I only spotted 1 familiar face amongst the crowds...Mike Gadsby!  Does he have an interest in show cats?

Christine (Lily Munster)

Its as bad as when judging now I was judging at an open show and they sent me details I said can I have a rough idea when to arrive the answer was no so ten clases befaor me I though ok about 11 am but wnet early and its a good job as there were many absentees the gWP judge only had 4 entered and Im watching them and the stewerd said can you come your class is waiting  so take no notice whats in the shedule

Hi Christine,  He does indeed,  he is now the proud owner of 2 Siamese.  As the proprietor of a cattery he thought he should show an interest in the cat world.

bye
Gwen

Aaaah interesting that he chose a breed that are really dogs wearing catsuits.