BIG News!

I have really BIG news that I need to share :-)

Last Sunday we headed off for the CACIB show in Groningen (NL) with Flirt and Tia and had no expectations at all about how we would do
All I knew was that this was one of the few chances I had in the coming months to show Flirt in The Netherlands as we have a lot of Dutch judges coming up and it is no use to enter her under them despite the fact she is very moderate.
She will just never win because she will only be judged on where she comes from, waste of money and time so we will go abroad: much more fun and less irritation.

Anyway, in Groningen 44 Shelties were entered and Tia was the first of my ladies to get into the ring.
She got 2nd with 'Very Good' as the judge said she was carrying too much weight, in her report she said something about mamma being a good cook but it is more a matter of Tia being a good thief......
Anyway I didn't mind, with what she had done in the males I already knew Tia would not be what she was looking for, she looked lovely despite the fact she dropped her coat last week and I bathed her without grooming first so it was one big mess and I had to take all the undercoat out.
This picture of Tia in the ring was send to me (thanks Ineke!):

Than it was Flirt's turn in championclass in which she was alone, she got 1st Excellent and had to get back in for the challenge.
She won Best Bitch with CAC and CACIB (CACIB was withheld in dogs, the winning male was too young and the reserve male did not get it).
She than had to compete against the Best Male which she also won (thank you Beate for raisig such a gentleman, leaving victory to the ladies LOL).

Best of Breed winners are obligated to compete in the group competition here in The Netherlands, in lots of countries it is your own choice if you do or you don't.
I hate it to be forced to stay as Shelties are generally not taken very seriously in the group.
This time it was different, Flirt was with the last 9 of the group, another 4 had to leave and she was still in!! The last 5 were being placed so we were at least among them.
5th place was given, 4th place, 3rd place and we were still there.....
Than 2nd place went to the other dog and it was just me and Flirt standing there so we were 1st in that very large FCI group 1 !!!!
Little Flirt never put a foot wrong, showed her little socks off untill it was time to take pictures :-(

If I am not mistaken this is only the 3rd time in about 8-10 years when a Shelties wins this group in The Netherlands.

We immediately had to go back to the collection ring for the Best in Show judgement and in we went again with the other groupwinners.
Another judge so he had a look at all the dogs again and than came the placement from 10 to 1.
Flirt got 6th out of the final 10 dogs and we were really over the moon!! 2300 dogs and she got 6th!
We are so thankful to Guy and Mark for letting her come overhere, she's the most wonderful little girl to live with and loves to show off.
Here's a picture of Flirt in the big ring:
Flirt's next shows are already planned but whatever happens, they do not take this away from us anymore!!