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!