In 2015 I went to the National Specialty of the Collie club of America, and I never posted a blog on that. So here is a throwback Thursday to the National Specialty show in Oklahoma city. Since I had such a great time over there, I wanted to share it anyway, eventough it is a few years ago.
I will post it in several stages because otherwise this will be maybe a way to long story in one time.
My adventures always seem to have a very interesting start, this one also. I think it was the Winner show in Amsterdam in 2013 and I had in my mind already won this show, I know it doesn't work like that, but I googled the Judge and he seemed I was ok with my youngsters. I terribly wanted to win this with my girls because at Crufts 2014 was a Judge I was really curious about so there was no other plan then get that qualification. Well that mission failed. All of my girls were awarded very good, and that was exit Crufts 2014, ok I went there but without one of the girls.
At home I was so mad and dissapointed and everything I was saying, well if they don't like my dogs over here, I'm gona go to the United States and go watch real beautifull collies.
You can imagine my parents tought I was getting crazy, but when I talked about it for the whole week, my dad came to the conclusion if you go, then why not take Vivien with you. And that is how my adventure started.
It was too short a time to get a plane with a dog before the Nationals of 2014, so we set our goals to 2015 in Oklahoma city!!
There was a lot to get aranged, and the hardest part was getting a place for Vivien, not all flyingcompanies take dogs. So after a lot of calling and mailing everything was settled and we could go.
And then came februari 2015 almost 2 weeks prior to show, and Vivien decided to drop her coat, totally, and I mean totally, she was looking like a smooth collie.
I was so sad, because I really wanted to show her. So 1,5 week before departure we called our traveling agent to cancel Viviens flight, we where going, but now whithout her.
our plane
Finally it became march and I was looking on my Facebook as I sat at the airport, and most of my friends where heading to Birmingham to watch the Crufts dogshow, and I was waiting for my plane to the USA!! I was so exited, I never flew before so that was a new experience for me. And I loved it. Our trip was super, no humps and bumps along the way, only a little delay in Atlanta where we had to take another plane. And finally after an exhausting trip of almost 12 hours we arived in our hotel in Oklahoma city.
Welcome OKC
The first few days where just for sightseeing, we had some extra time before the show because of Vivien, but now we didn't really need that extra time, so we went to go see the Botanical gardens, Bricktown and the Will Rogers park, that where some of the attractions that where a mustsee in OKC.
On Tuesday the real stuff happened, we had a lecture on breeding by Doctor Cindy Bossart, It was really interesting, but also hard, because my main language isn't English so there where some technical things I had no idea what they where talking about. What was very nice that I met a really sweet Judge who judged my dogs in Denmark the year before and she was making me feel comfortable, whenever I found it a bit to difficult she would explain and if I was feeling shy to ask anyone a question I could go to her. That was a start of a nice friendship, eventough she wasn't that much impressed by my dogs the year before. (she was right a little bit, I was showing her coatless kangaroo's at that time, now they have more coat and their brains are turning normal)
The lecture was a long one, we started early in the morning, I think about 8 o'clock am. and it lasted until after lunch. I'm always a bit of a picture thinker, so after 2 hours of lecture I started to get nauseus, afterwards I could laugh about it, but it was actually not so funny.
They had nice videomaterial of c section and that was to much for me. So lucky me they made a dvd of it, so I rewatched several times now at home.
After this nice lecture we where planning to go back to the hotel, but we found out we could go into the exebition hall where everyone was setting up their stuff!!
Wow, it was beautifull, people really made their x-pen's and stuff stand out, so you could recognize them easily! And what i'm not used to at home that people where bathing their dogs on the showsite, amazing. And then again I met some really friendly people, and many I knew only by their Facebook profile and now they where becoming real people. Many of them where so happy I finally took the time to go to the Nationals so I could see for myself if I liked it or not.
After going though the hall a few time, taking to people and watching the collies that where already there, we where really exhausted, we where there since 7:30 am for the lecture and we went to the hotel I think round 4 pm.
We where already so overwhelmed and then the real show wasn't even begun.
More on the Nationals will come soon
