Friday, October 31, 2008

Happy Halloween!


Bolt and Supergirl wish you a safe and happy holiday!
(Also known as Hawkwind's Golden Amber Onyx and Taylor!)

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Another Emerald Champion!

Annika is now Ch Hawkwind's Emerald Storm, going Winners, Best of Winner's and Best of Opposite Sex under Sharon Weston at the Sacramento Valley show today!

There is nothing like that first champion! Congrats to Jim & Kathy!

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Ray gets his first point!

Today Ray went Best of Winner's under Pat Hastings! After winning his sweepstakes class at the national, we knew it was time for him to win!! His brother is the headline picture on this page and plans are to repeat this breeding! His parents are Hawkwind's Sapphire Onyx and Ch Hawkwind's Mont Blanc BISS.

Congrats to owner Cherie! Ray is Hawkwind's Padparaja O'Fionntan.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Rhiannon is Best of Winners

In Lawrence, KS, Hawkwind's Citrine Clad Rhiannon is BOW...congrats to owner Lynda Townsend!

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Final day of SCA 2008....

2 Hawkwind girls made cuts; Ch Hawkwind's Emerald Comet (Haley) made 2 cuts, and going all the way INTO the finals was Ch Hawkwind Rocks the Gene Pool.

Haley is owned by Deb Stolz and the first Emerald Champion.

Friday, October 3, 2008

The story on Garnet....

I'd sent Indigo, my top winning bitch (2 national AOM's, 4 BISS wins, etc.) to Lightning. They tied twice....and seemed done. So home she came and no puppies.

I was looking to rebreed, but Indigo was too old by now.

The Idaho national dovetailed with Aster's season. "Aster" is Hawkwind's Alabaster Madonna, Madonna's daughter, out of Ch Hawkwind's Alabaster Carrara. She is from a litter of 4 boys and one girl, the top winning dog being "Summit," Ch Hawkwind's Mont Blanc BISS.

So we go early and get a breeding the first day....and another one. Then no interest. So we do one AI for insurance and go on enjoying the national.

Wednesday someone asks me if she is in season. (Wed is dog judging.) I said no, she was bred and is done... and turn to look around and see every dog turned and looking directly AT Aster...

Then, from across the field Lightning comes pulling his owner with determination that can only mean one thing. By this point it's pretty obvious what is going to happen so Linda and I dash into an agility tent to keep this breeding from happening in PUBLIC! (There must be SOME AKC rule about that...) They do continue to a normal breeding schedule and so Garnet was conceived at the SCA national in 2006. Idaho's state stone is the Star Garnet, and since Aster is a flower name and Silver Star is a kind of rose, and this was the 'silver' girl, she is named Hawkwind's Silver Star Garnet.

Garnet spends time with her beautiful brother,who will see a show ring someday, but for the most part enjoys skijouring. Garnet is a great sled dog and loves to go go go! We've tried her in weight pull with some success, albeit she is a young girl. Many people have commented on her great form as she instinctively leans into the harness and drops her head to pull.

There is a lot of intensity at the national. There were some lovely girls in the Winner's Bitch ring. I had no idea if the judge would like her, and she is the sort of judge who gives you NO idea what she wants until she begins pointing. Coming out of a tough open class, I knew Garnet's strengths. She puts her feet down with good timing, but she builds up to the rhythm. So I knew she might break gait a couple times, and she did. That 'rhythm' piece is far more advantageous on a trail than in a show ring, but the National ring IS big enough to bring some of this out. Garnet is absolutely clean coming and going, and has good reach and drive and excels at covering ground. Her desire to please is enormous, so it was just a matter of letting her know what was needed and I knew the more times we were sent around the stronger and more confident she'd get.

I also know Garnet never quits, which is a big plus at that level of competition. And she didn't quit this day either! She just got stronger and stronger.

The negative side of all that was I had to keep up with her! Yikes!

The judge had some lovely things to say, but what I most appreciated was about Garnet putting her head down and 'working' as she went around the ring. There are so many judges who like that 'head up' gaiting and it really IS incorrect. This is a working breed and Garnet is a real working bitch.

A special thank you to Linda Kitzman who helped Garnet get trained out of her habit of crossing in front of me. Since she mostly skijours, my first attempts with her in the show ring were scary. She kept going in front and the lead is not long enough to let her do what she wants, so I'd almost tripped every time!

Last comment....someone said he got chills watching Garnet and that she was a blast from the past. He said it was like watching Cubie decades ago now. I've never seen footage on Cubie; just some stills. But that is a huge compliment!

Garnet is Winner's Bitch at SCA 2008

On Friday's bitch judging, which began at 8am, the girls were out!

First in OPEN was Garnet.
Third in OPEN was "Copper," Hawkwind's Emerald High Peak sired by "Summit," Ch. Hawkwind's Mont Blanc BISS out of Ch. Hawkwind's Emerald Jade, owned by Jonathan Oakman & Susan Black.

Fourth in AmBred was "Alaska," Hawkwind's Fyr'N Ice Alaskan Jade sired by Ch. Wolf River's Chelestina Warrior x Ch. Hawkwind's Emerald Jade, owned by Ken & Ruth Ann
Alrick.

For the second time in SCA history a Hawkwind's bred Sammie girl won the big prize! The first national Winner's Bitch in 2001 was Garnet's grandmother, CH Hawkwind's Like A Virgin BISS.

SCA 2008's Winner's Bitch is Hawkwind's Silver Star Garnet, sired by Ch Wolf River's Moonlight Ridge CGC HCT WSXM and Hawkwind's Alabaster Madonna.

Later in the day Madonna was 3rd in Veteran Bitch.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

SCA National Day 3 - Dogs

2nd in Stud Dog is Ch Hawkwind's Moroccan Marble (Ch Echo's Just a Dreamer X Vanderbilt's Rock Anthem). This was Rocco's first litter, out of his "Glory," a beautiful Saratoga bitch. Congrats!

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

SCA National Day 2 - Puppy & Veteran Sweeps

"Ray" won his 12-15 class today at the Samoyed National Specialty! Judge was Kathleen Farlow. (Yesterdays judge was Dave Richardson.

"Madonna" wins 2nd in Veteran Sweeps judged by Hazel Fitzgibbons. Madonna is Multi BISS, National Award of Merit winning Ch Hawkwind's Like A Virgin, dam of CH Hawkwind's Mont Blanc and Hawkwind's Alabaster Madonna.

SCA National News Day 1 Futurity

Futurity 3rd place today at the SCA national is Hawkwind's Padparaja O'Fionntan, sired by Ch. Hawkwind's Mont Blanc BISS out of Hawkwind's Sapphire Onyx,owned by Cheri Rankin