Exciting news!

It’s been a while since we last updated the blog, but things have been very busy.  We have some exciting news to share, and will hopefully have even more exciting news to share in two weeks!

This past weekend we attended a 3 day dog show.  Rosie, Creekwood’s Sunshine and Roses, FDC, BCAT, FITB, ATT won Winner’s Bitch and Best of Opposite all three days.   She also earned the AKC Temperament Test title, ATT, on Saturday with my daughter.  We had never done the temperament test before, but many of the elements, like walking on different surfaces, were similar to the Farm Dog test.  She passed the test twice, under two different evaluators, so she added a new title after name.

ZuZu, CH Creekwood’s Fireheart, FDC, BCAT, FITB took a group 3 in the Owner Handler Herding Group on Saturday, and then on Sunday she won Winner’s and Best of Breed to finish her championship!  She is now CH Creekwood’s Fireheart, FDC, BCAT, FITB, and we couldn’t be more proud of her!

And puppy Nolan, Creekwood Winterberry Rich and Famous, won a Group 1 on Friday, a Group 3 on Saturday and a Group 2 on Sunday in the Puppy Herding Group.

We are so proud of all three collies, they were showing their hearts out for us, and deserved all the ribbons they brought home!

A Day at the Dog show - part 2

The ring steward began calling the individual classes into the ring.  The first was the 6 - 9 puppy bitches, then the 9 - 12 month puppy bitches, and soon after he was calling in the “Bred by Exhibitor” class.  While you can enter whichever class you choose, there are certain requirements for some of the classes.  The age is a requirement for the 6 - 9 month puppy classes.  In the “Bred By” classes, the handler has to also be the breeder of the dog or bitch they are showing.  Our Addi was entered in the “Bred by” class, and she came in 1st.

The next class was the American bred class, which means all the bitches entered were bred here in the United States, and not in Canada or elsewhere.  After that, the steward called in the Open class, which is open to all ages.  I held onto Addi, while my daughter took Peyton’s lead.  Our Peyton was entered in the Open class, and my daughter was also her handler.  And Peyton wasn’t going to let Addi get all the attention, she also won first place in her class  This meant that both Addi and Peyton, along with the other 1st place winners, would be competing for Winners Bitch!

Since Addison won the Bred by class, my daughter had to stay on as her handler, so she asked her friend to bring Peyton into the ring.  The judge examined each collie, carefully considered all their virtues, and walked over to his table.  He wrote down a number, picked up the ribbon…and awarded it to Peyton!  This was so exciting, we were so beyond happy.  Peyton won Winners Bitch earning more points towards her championship, and because there were so many class bitches entered at this show, it was a major! A class dog or bitch has to win a total of 15 points to become a champion, but of the 15 points, they need two majors.  A major is a win of 3, 4 or 5 points.  The more dogs entered, the more points awarded for the win.

But it wasn’t over yet…after judging all the class dogs and bitches, and choosing his Winners Dog and Winners Bitch, the judge had one more task.  It was time to judge the smooth collie Best of Breed/Variety class.  The smooth champions are called into the ring, along with Winners Dog and Winners Bitch. This is extremely competitive, as everyone wants their collie to be chosen as the best!  Typically the judge chooses a finished champion as his or her Best of Breed, as they have all earned the champion title, and usually have a lot of experience.  But that day Peyton was perfect, you couldn’t take your eyes off her, and the judge chose her as his Best of Breed! 

What happens next?  Well, the Best of Breed winner gets to go on to compete in the herding group, against the other herding dogs that also won Best of Breed.  Then whichever herding dog is awarded a Herding Group 1st,  goes on to compete for “Best in Show” against the group winners of the Working group, Toy Group, Hound group, etc.  Sadly, the collies aren’t usually awarded a herding group 1, and they rarely win the coveted Best in Show.  But when they do, it’s a celebration for us all.  We didn’t win anything in the herding group that day, but nothing could diminish our pride in what Peyton had accomplished.…it was an exciting day at the dog show, one that we will always remember!  

***I wrote this post, to explain the judging at a dog show.  There is so much more happening than what you see on television.  We are usually up and on the road by 5:00 AM, if not earlier.  The outdoor shows are usually either hot or raining.  The indoor shows are usually crowded and very noisy with 600 - 800 dogs in one building.  And we wouldn’t change a thing.  The fun of competing with your dogs, catching up with friends, and the excitement when you do win, is something that’s hard to capture in words.   I hope this will not only explain the judging process, but maybe inspire you to attend a show.

A day at the dog show - part 1

 It was already a hot, humid day, and we searched for a parking spot with some shade.   Pulling onto a section of grass that offered a sliver of shade, I parked and scanned the field.  Even though it was very early, all the exhibitors were busy walking and grooming their dogs.  Many had set up their grooming tables next to their vehicles, while others set up under the crowded grooming tent, hoping for some protection from the blazing Summer sun.

Hopping out of the car, my daughter and I quickly began setting up our grooming area.  As we had been traveling to shows for 20 years, we set up our area without comment, it was just routine for us now.  The first thing we set up was our canopy tent, to try to keep the collies as cool as possible, their comfort always came first.  Next the x-pen, water buckets and grooming table were set up.  Checking the time, we immediately started grooming one of the collies, even though it wasn’t yet 7:00 AM, on a dog show day there is little time to waste.

When one collie was ready, my daughter put the next one up on the grooming table while I headed over to ring 5, to pick up our exhibitor numbers.  It was an all breed dog show so there were 10 rings set up, where all the different dog breeds would be examined by the assigned judges throughout the day.  Finding our correct ring, I approached the ring steward, and politely requested our numbers.  He scanned his catalog, and found the numbers assigned to our collies and handed them to me with a murmured “good luck today.”   Grabbing two rubber bands, I thanked him and headed back to the car.

I took over grooming our second collie, while my daughter grabbed her suit and ran to the bathrooms to change.  Even though it was an outdoor show, and already 80 degrees, the handlers still tried to dress as professionally as possible.  As I was finishing up grooming, my daughter returned.  “Peyton is #10 and in the Open class, and Addison is #12 and in the bred by exhibitor class,” I told my daughter as she secured the numbers to her arm with the elastic bands.  She placed Addi’s number 12 on top, as the bred by exhibitor class is always judged before the open class.  “How many breeds before collies?” She asked.  Looking at the judging schedule, I told her there were 5 Aussies, 2 Canaan Dogs, and 7 German Shepherds being judged in ring 5 before the smooth collies.  “We should head over in about 30 minutes.”

In nervous anticipation, we brushed the collies once again, making sure they looked their very best.  The time passed quickly, and grabbing the treats, we headed over to ring 5 with our girls.  Passing  ring 2, I watched the Dalmatians run in a circle, one after the other.  Arriving at ring 5, we could see the judge was just making his final decisions, and awarding Best of Breed to one of the German Shepherds and her ecstatic handler.  The smooth collies were to be judged next.  

At dog shows, each dog breed has multiple classes the owner can choose to enter.  The males are judged first, followed by the females.  The first class of smooth collies was called into the ring, “ puppy dogs 6 - 9 months into the ring in catalog order, “ the steward announced.  A bouncy, sable and white smooth boy was brought into the ring, followed by a more hesitant tri color.  Both handlers quickly set up their puppies, getting them standing correctly, waving treats at them to keep them attentive and focused.  “Take them around,” the judge directed the handlers.  Moving together, single file, both handlers moved the puppies at a quick pace in a circle around the ring, this was done to show their movement.  Stopping before the judge they quickly stacked their collies, to show off their outlines.  The judge approached the first collie, and gazing into the collies eyes, he gave a soft whistle to see the puppies expression.  He then asked the handler to show the bite, so he could determine if the collie had the correct scissor bite which is required for the breed.  The judge then ran his hands softly over the collie, checking for proper body structure.  Stepping back he visually examined the collie once again, before asking the handler to take him down and back.  The handler, adjusting the lead, began running with the collie to the corner of the ring, and then back to the judge.  I had to smile, as the young dog thought this was a fun game, and jumped up on the handler to express his joy.  The handler was patient with the puppy and the judge sent them around the ring, and examined the tri color puppy next.  He repeated all the previous steps, and then looking back and forth between the two, decided to award 1st place to the tri color.

The next classes were called, and the handlers led their collies into the ring, each hoping for that 1st place ribbon.  After all the class dogs were judged, each 1st place winner was called back into the ring, it was time for the judge to pick Winners Dog.  There were four smooth collies standing in the ring, and all four males were very fine examples of the breed.  The judge went through all the steps again, examining each collie, one at a time, and then having them move around the ring.  He returned to the table, wrote down a number, and picked up two ribbons.  Then smiling, he walked up to a pretty blue merle, “ you are my Winners dog today,” he said as he handed the purple ribbon to the collie’s handler.  He then turned to the tri color puppy, “you are my reserve winner today,” and handed the puppy’s handler a ribbon too.  Everyone clapped, and congratulated the blue merle’s owner.  

It was now time for the smooth bitches to be judged…

CH Black Hawk of Kasan

 When you research the history of the collie, you will find countless stories about the rough collie.  There are many well documented stories and books written about the famous rough collies that were imported and used as the foundation of the American collie.  I’ve found many articles written about the top winning rough collies of the past, and the top collie breeders of the past, but very little has been written about the smooth variety.   Even the beloved fictional books, like Lassie Come Home and Lad of Sunnybank, feature only rough collies.  So it’s easy to see why the smooth collie is overshadowed by the rough collie.

Hawk’s Pictures are from Facebook and Google

The smooth collie has never received the attention and adoration of the rough coated variety.  Both varieties share the same gentle and loving temperaments.  Both the rough and smooth collie make excellent family dogs, and are versatile companions who excel in herding, obedience and a wide variety of other dog sports.  They are both beautiful and graceful, and both possess the carefully developed intelligence that makes them ideal working dogs.  Both varieties are double coated, the only difference is the smooths have the shorter coat length.  

So in the hopes of helping people get to know the smooth collie better, I decided to share some famous smooth collies of the past.  The first smooth that has to be recognized is Hawk, or CH Black Hawk of Kasan.  He was whelped (born) on May 13, 1966.  He was owned by Sandra Tuttle of Kasan Collies, and his handler was Les Canavan.

Hawk was the first smooth collie to win Best in Show at the Collie Club of America National Specialty in 1970.  Hawk was a beautiful, tri color smooth collie, and also won the smooth Best of Variety at the National on 6 other occasions.  Hawk was the first smooth collie to win Best In Show at an all breed dog show as well.  He was so influential, that he produced 78 champion offspring!  With his winning record, and impressive list of progeny, Hawk definitely helped promote the smooth collie.  He inspired many people to take a closer look at the smooth collie, and he was one of the reasons my family started showing smooths.  I wish I  could have seen this handsome collie in person, but I am grateful for the legacy he left behind.

Dreams do come True

 When you begin to compete at dog shows, you either become obsessed, or you decide that it’s just not for you.  There are very few who fall into the middle, those who enjoy it, but are not committed to the sport.  When my family members first started showing collies, I didn’t understand their ardent dedication to these competitions.  This was partly due to a lack of understanding on how dog shows worked.  All the different classes can be a bit a confusing.  I have always been a dog lover, and loved to watch the Westminster dog show each Winter when it was on TV.  But on TV they only show the judging of the groups and the Best in show judging, not everything that happens beforehand.  (I think I may write a post, to explain all the classes, and how the dogs earn points and titles, for those who are interested in learning more.)

So not having much understanding or interest in dog shows, I didn’t undeestand why my family was excited about the competitions.  Then one day my 9 year old daughter went to a handling class with my sister, to learn about junior handling, and decided she wanted to try competing at dog shows as a junior handler.  We started going to shows, and had so much fun, that we ended up developing a serious interest.  Eventually, as we became more involved in the competitions, my sister gave us our first collie puppy….and we were hooked.

When you start showing dogs, you can’t help but imagine what accomplishments and titles you might achieve with your dog. As you watch the big winners at the shows, you may catch yourself dreaming of your own dog earning that kind of recognition one day.  I’ve had a few of those daydreams myself, and this past weekend one of those dreams came true!

On Saturday, my daughter showed our Addison in the bred by exhibitor class at a dog show.  Our Addi won her class, and then competed against the other class winners for Winners Bitch, and won Winners as well!  As there were so many smooth class bitches entered, this win counted as a major.  A dog or a bitch needs a total of 15 points to become a champion, but of those 15 points, they need to win two majors.  (That’s a win of 3, 4 or 5 points.) Addi had already won 7 points from previous dog shows, and this was her first major, so we were so excited!  This gave her 3 more points, so she now had a total of 10 points. 

Once the smooth judging was over, my daughter showed our rough collie, Rosie.  This was her first real show, so we weren’t sure how she would do.  And we were so happy when she won her class!  Then when all the class winners went back in, our Rosie won!  It wasn’t a major, but it was her first 2 points.  I had dreamed of going to a show and our collies winning both smooth winners bitch and rough winners bitch, but I never expected it would actually happen!  It was a very proud moment for my daughter and I.

Addison

Then Sunday came, I got up at 5:00 AM, to get ready and drive to the dog show.  (Dog shows always start very early!) We arrived at the show and started grooming Addi, as smooth collies are always one of the first dog breeds judged for some reason.  My daughter took her into the bred by class, and Addi was perfect.  She was completely focused on my daughter and she looked beautiful.  They won the class!  Then when it was time, they went back in to compete against the other first place winners, and Addi won winners again!  This was her 2nd major, so we were beyond happy.  After winners were judged the finished champions, along with the winners dog and the winners bitch, get called into the ring.  The judge examines all the entries individually, and decides which dog or bitch is the best example of the breed, or “Best of Breed.” Usually Best of Breed is awarded to one of the finished champions, but that’s not what happened.  The judge kept looking at our Addi, and she ended up giving Addison Best of Winners, Best owner handled and Best of Breed!  This gave Addi 4 points, so she now has 14 points and both majors.  She only needs one more point to finish her championship!

Rosie

My daughter showed Rosie again in the afternoon, and Rose won reserve winners bitch.  (Which is kind of like winning first runner up). The judge kept looking between Rosie and another bitch, we could see she was having a hard time deciding, so it was very close.  While it would have been amazing to win rough winners bitch too, we were still appreciative of the attention and consideration our little girl received.  A dog show weekend is always fun, but this was a weekend we won’t ever forget.

The collies are getting it done!

Fast CAT in our area is over for the season, so we have been concentrating on both dog shows and Barn Hunt, and have some happy news to share.  

We recently did a Barn Hunt competition, the first in many months.  We took Sophie and Sorsha, my daughter’s collie.  Sophie ran out of time the first run, but quickly remembered what she needed to do. On her second run she did the tunnel, climb and found the rat, qualifying her for the first of the ten required wins to earn the next title, RATNX.

Sorsha on the other hand remembered exactly what to do, and she was so fast she earned both her RATN title and went High in Class.   Then she qualified again on her second run, earning her first out of the ten Qs for the next title RATNX!  It was so much fun getting back into Barn Hunt, we forgot how much the collies enjoy it.  And Sorsha’s RATN was the 27th title our collies have earned this year, they have made us so proud!

We have a four day dog show coming up, and Addi and ZuZu are both entered.  Addi is entered all four days, and ZuZu is entered for two of them.  If ZuZu goes Winners on two of the days, she could potentially finish her championship, as they are both 4 point majors.  If she wins just one of the days, it will give her a 2nd major, and she will just need four single points to finish.  It would be amazing to have a third collie finish her championship this year.  It’s beyond what we hoped for back at the start of the year.  Addi could also finish, if she wins two of the majors instead!  Not sure what will happen, but the possibilities are very exciting! And Addi’s recent show picture came.  We had to do it without the judge, as she had a full schedule. (She was covering for the original judge who was absent). But I loved the background and wanted a picture, so we went ahead and did the picture anyway.  Addi had won Winner’s bitch twice that weekend, giving her two more points towards her championship, so we needed a new picture to celebrate.  

Another fun weekend with the collies!

It was another busy weekend, and the collies had a lot of fun.  On Friday we attended another Fast CAT event.  This one was out of state, but my daughter loved their Halloween themed ribbons, so we packed up Sorsha and Rosie and drove to Pennsylvania.  Both Sorsha and Rosie were one run away from earning their BCAT titles, and actually did their best times at this event.  Sorsha even dropped 2 seconds off her time!  I’m not sure if it was the new location, or maybe it was because it was a more open track, but they loved running at this event.  And both brought home a new title and ribbon!

Halloween is in two days, but since it falls on a Thursday this year, our town held its annual trunk or treat event this past Saturday.  We signed up to participate again, as we had fun last year.  I used the same trunk decoration, and added some cobwebs.  Ryder also joined in with the theme, and wore a spider costume.  Everyone loved him, he was definitely the star.  A few families asked what breed of dog he was, and where they could get a collie.  It’s sad that people no longer recognize a collie, but then I get to introduce the collie to new generations, and  help promote this sweet, beautiful dog breed.

On Thursday and Saturday we attended a dog show, and Addison did some winning! She won Winner’s Bitch both days, which gave her 2 more points towards her championship.  I thought she looked beautiful, and she was trying her very best.  I guess she doesn’t want her sister, Peyton, to get all the attention!

These collies are doing so well, and earning so many titles, I couldn’t be happier or more proud!  Fast CAT is over until the Spring, unless we want to drive out of State again.  But there are quite a few dog shows coming up, and a Barn Hunt, so I think we will wait until Spring to try Fast CAT again.  November is fast approaching, so it’s time to start slowing down on dog events.   It’s almost time to catch up on reading, Christmas movies, and spending time with family…

Peyton did a thing…

We have some very happy and exciting news to share!  This past weekend our pretty Peyton did some winning!  On Saturday she won Winner’s, which gave her enough points to finish her Championship!  But it didn’t end there.  The collies who win Winner’s Dog and Winner’s Bitch get to go back into the ring to compete against the finished champions, which are called Specials.  And the judge loved Peyton so much he gave her Best of Breed over the Specials!  

By beating the finished champions, Peyton actually earned a 4 point major!  A dog needs need 15 points to become a champion, and of those 15 points they have to win two majors.  A major is a win of 3, 4, or 5 points.  And the points are calculated by how many other dogs they beat at the show.  Peyton already had her two majors, and a total of 14 points, but this exciting win gave her a third major.  I’m so proud of our girl!  

 

And this was actually the second title she earned last week.  On Sunday she earned her BCAT and on Saturday, her Championship!  And what made this new title even more special?  Peyton is our very first Winterberry Champion!  All our previous collies were cobred with my sister, so even though they were our collies, we registered them under her kennel name.  When my sister retired from dog shows and collies, my daughter and I created our own kennel name, Winterberry Collies.  So this is a very special title, and means so much to us.

Autumn’s Arrival

This weekend we were at an outdoor dog show, and the weather was beautiful.  It was a perfect Fall weekend, with temps in the 70s, a slight breeze and lots of sunshine.  The leaves are just beginning to change color, and pumpkins are beginning to appear everywhere.  This show was held at the fairgrounds of the prettiest little New England town.  And at the dog show our Peyton did some winning, which made us very proud.

Peyton is second in line

On Saturday, Peyton won Winners, Best of Winners and Best of Opposite Sex, which gave her two more points.  It was a special win for us, as the judge is a collie speciality judge and a well known collie breeder.  And Peyton won Best Opposite over two finished champions, which was very exciting!

Today Peyton won Winners again, which gave her another point towards her championship.  She just needs one more point and she will be a champion!

Today is the official first day of Fall, so I did get out and take some new Autumn pictures, but I’m going to save them for tomorrow.  Peyton deserves to be the star of this post.

Westminster Loyalty

As I am sitting watching collies in the Westminster herding group on the television, I thought I would share our post from 2012.

Probably the most well-known dog show, in the United States, is Westminster.  I grew up watching this dog show every year on TV, and I was fascinated by the glamour of it all.  What I didn't know, and didn't discover until many years later, is that what you see on TV is a very small part of that show.  Behind the scenes are the breed rings, where champions of every breed compete for Best of Breed and the chance to compete in the Group ring.  Also behind the scenes are thousands of spectators wandering around, trying to pet the dogs entered in the show.  Westminster is a benched dog show, which means unless you are in the breed ring competing, your dog has to be on display in his or her benching area. 

Westminster 1877

Westminster 1927

The benching area is a very small cubicle, where the dog is kept throughout the day.  The dogs are not permitted to leave the show until the end of the day, not even to go outside.  They have x-pens set up, with shavings, for the dogs to relieve themselves.  And the people who attend the show as spectators are everywhere.  Thousands and thousands of people, so many people that it is difficult to even walk from one area to another.  So many people, including animal rights groups, that the owners of the dogs fear to leave their dogs unattended for even one second.  At Westminster you can actually hire a guard for your dog.  And all of this is hard on the dogs, it's a very hot, very loud and very long day.

(photographer unknown)
But it is the premier dog show in our country, and an invitation for your dog to attend is a coveted honor.  We have entered Westminster twice, and I am not sure I would do it again.  So why would people enter their dogs in this show if it is so stressful?  Because to win Best In Show at Westminster is considered the "greatest honor in Dogdom."

My daughter, showing our collie, Holly, at Westminster.

In all the years since the Westminster dog show first began, a collie has only won Best In Show once.  The collie's name was Laund Loyalty of Bellhaven.  He won Best in Show at Westminster in 1929, and he was only 9 months old at the time.  Loyalty was imported by Mrs. Ilch of Belhaven Collies, a very well-known kennel of that time.  He was bred by R.F. Roberts of Ashtead Collies in England.  He was sired by Lucas of Ashtead out of Jean of Ashtead.  In his pedigree were multiple crosses to CH Magnet, from whom my own line of collies also descends. 

Westminster was Loyalty's first show in the United States.  Loyalty was handled by the Bellhaven kennel manager, Mike Kennedy.  He competed against 125 collies, and won Winners Dog and Best Collie.  Back in 1929, the collie was still part of the Working Group, and it was highly unusual for a collie to win this Group.  Best In Show at Westminster was usually judged by "Terrier Men," so terriers had won the show for many years.  But in 1929, the Best In Show judge was Dr Carlton Ford, a collie judge! 

Dr. Burrows, a columnist at the time, wrote a description of Loyalty for <i>Dog Fancier Magazine.</i>  He described Loyalty as "he is in full bloom, full of life, and has a sweet expression, carries a wealth of coat, good head and ears, is sound all over, and a good mover."  Mike Kennedy wrote about the experience, "I knew I was in the running for the cheers of the people told me that.  I showed him on a long lead, and that is the way you have to show a collie.  There is no posing or holding your collie's tail.  What there was to see of Mrs. Ilch's collie, everyone could see and that is why I am the proudest kennelman in the world today!  Loyalty was shown with a free hand - a long lead.  His tail and chin hadn't to be held.  The puppy won on his own merits."

What is heartbreaking, is that this was Laund Loyalty of Bellhaven's only American show.  He retired after Westminster, and never finished his championship.  He retired amid threats to his life and rumors that acid had been thrown into his eyes.  Mrs. Ilch wrote a letter on September 3, 1974 about Loyalty.  "He was as near perfection as any collie could be and to think that after his great win, he was blinded, never to be shown again.  Someday I will hunt up a clipping of the dreadful death of the jealous fiend who did it - a person who from my first success, tried in every possible way to drive me out of collies."  No one knows the true story of what happened, or the name of the "fiend" who blinded the beautiful puppy, if that is what actually happened.

Loyalty, who was called Don, was not used much as a stud dog.  His stud fee was so high, that during that time, the time of the Great Depression, few could afford to breed to him.  (his fee was $150.00)  Laund Loyalty sired only one champion, a dog who played an important role in founding the Tokalon family of collies.  His son, CH Bellhaven Loyalty II, sired Tokalon Loyalson. (CH Bellhaven Loyalty II x Phyllis of Beechtree) Tokalon Loyalson is behind almost all the Tokalon collies. 

Even though Laund Loyalty never became a champion, he will always be remembered because of his famous win, Best In Show at Westminster.

Holly, on the train ride home from Westminster.

Exciting news!

It was a beautiful Spring weekend, and we had perfect weather for an outdoor collie specialty show on Saturday.  This show is one of our favorites, as it is held on a horse farm!  The view in every direction was just stunning.  The weather was perfect, with the temperature about 66 degrees, it was a lovely day. 

But want to know the best part of the day?  Our youngest collie, Scarlett, won Winner's Bitch and Best of Winners, which finished her championship!  I'm so proud of Scarlett and my daughter! Scarlett isn't the first champion in our family, my sister has bred many others over the years.  And my daughter and I have two champions that we raised, Abby and Holly. But Scarlett is the first champion that my daughter and I bred, so she is extra special to us.

And I'm also proud of my daughter for another reason, she is the 4th generation in our family to raise, and show, collies. It's so wonderful to see her carry on this tradition!

Scarlett

Kori was entered in the show too, and she won Reserve Winner's Bitch.  It was very exciting to have both our girls win Winner's Bitch and Reserve Winner's Bitch!

Kori in the front, Scarlett in the back.

Kori and Scarlett

Kori

Kori

When we took the collies for a short walk, we noticed that in one of the pastures a young horse was watching us. 

We walked over to the edge of his pasture, and he immediately trotted over to say hello and get a look at the collies.

He was so curious about them, and Kori was equally curious about him.  They both leaned down to get a good sniff!

He must have liked her, because when my daughter took Kori for a walk, the horse followed along, on his side of the fence!  It was very cute, and he was such a sweet, gentle giant!  After my daughter and Kori walked out of sight, he came running back over to me, and then started running around his paddock.  He really seemed to be enjoying the warm weather and sunshine. (and maybe showing off a little too)

It was such an exciting day, and I am so proud of my daughter and our collies!