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because as bad as she's cheating the field now, she's cheating like a FIELD CHAMPION!
BIE Mahar's Reza of Mihdian FCh, SC
Part 18 in the coursing series - Reza completes her ASFA Field Championship!
Reza's Current standing: - ASFA Lure Coursing
- FCh - 103/(100) points, 2/(2) First Places, 0/(2) Second Places - Done!
- LCM - 18/(300) points, 0/(4) First Places
- AKC Lure Coursing
- JC - 2/(2) Completions, Done!
- SC - 4/(4) Completions, beyond JC, Done!
- MC - 4/(25) Completions, beyond SC
- FC - 10/(15) Points {2/(2) majors}
- AKC Conformation
- CH - 8/(15) Points {0/(2) majors}
This post will cover several trials with multiple pictures because I lumped a bunch of pics together in one purchase.
Bluegrass Coursing Club - BGCC - Chattanooga, TN
September 14th, 15th & 16th
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Metropolitan Atlanta Whippet Association - MAWA
Tara Afghan Hound Club - TAHC - Cartersville, GA
October 13th & 14th
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Bluegrass Coursing Club - BGCC - Columbia, KY
November 16th, 17th & 18th
This was the trial that finished Reza.
Ever since Reza had a couple bad experiences on the field, we've been trying to run her with clean running dogs to show her there's nothing to be afraid of. At the moment, whenever a dog starts coming up from behind her, she'll slow down, watch the dog, and let them pass her so she can watch them for attacks. Obviously, this isn't going to win her any points on the field, but she needs to beat other dogs in order to place and get her championships.
Lexy and I split a room in Kentucky for the three day weekend of ASFA trials. I really wanted to hit this trial because all Reza needed pretty much were placements in order to complete her championship. Jim Anthony was going to be there with two open dogs that are puppies and two FCh dogs, Hocus and Santi, the top two coursing afghans in the country. If Reza could place above at least one of the puppies each day, she would have her championship.
The first day, Reza is running much better than she had been in Cartersville a month ago, having come out of her post-heat, hormone slump. She's picked up cheating the lure alot, so she ends up placing 3rd in her stake against the two puppies. "Cheating" is when a dog has run enough to know that the lure isn't probably going to run into that fence, so cutting the corner will give a better chance to catch it. Most dogs after they've coursed a while figure out this game, and if they're lucky by that point, will have officially gained their Field Champion title. Another meaning for FCh is Field Cheater.
Reza also avoids confrontation at the lure when it stops. She'll let the other dogs run in and play with the bunnies, but will trot up and stay back about 10-15 feet which knocks points off her follow and enthusiasm scores. Once the dogs are done though, I encourage her to come up and play with the bunnies and she's starting liking the plastic bunnies and will play and rip them to shreds.
I did have to jump the 4-wheeler to catch one of Jim's puppies on Friday though when he failed to snag one of them at the finish. Thank god there was a pile of horseshit that she stopped to sniff. being smart, I walk up like I'm interested in the horse poo too and not catching the little pain in the ass. "Wow, look at that yummy horse p...." as I jump on the dog. Jim comes up and gets her and we head back down field.
So onto the second day. Jim Anthony has issues catching dogs, the puppies in particular. You pretty much have to pounce on them and snag their blankets to keep them from running off, up field. On Saturday morning, Jim wasn’t as lucky as he should have been, the lure breaks midfield and the two puppy girls started horsing around... literally. They started chasing each other on the field, playing, when they noticed horses across the electric fence. They bolt through the e-fence, unphased, and start harassing the two horses up the field. They're chasing, barking and running circles around the horses for about 15 minutes. The trial is on hold while people are running after the dogs so they don't get kicked or chase the horses through a fence. Meanwhile, Reza and I are sitting in the middle of the field, smoking.
They finally get the puppies back and the judges are not happy. They end up excusing one of the puppies and hitting the other with an 8 point penalty. Good for Reza so far.
Finals roll around and as long as Reza completes her course, she should have the qualifying first in the bag because 8 points is very hard to make up. The girls both complete their runs, but Jim fumbles the furball at the end and the little bitch is headed up field again. I walk Reza out as I see Tom jump the 4-wheeler up field to help Jim corral the puppy. I crate the bean and start heading back to Ridgeys running, Tom off the 4-wheeler and everything back to normal, but I never saw Jim come back. I'm thinking, "There's no way they left him up there, in a partially unfenced field, to get the dog himself and just continue the trial....
Yeah, they did. I'm pissed at that point because the safety of the dogs should be everyone's #1 priority at a trial, that means runaway dogs too. So I hop on the 4-wheeler and haul ass upfield right after the ridgey course lands. I pull down the e-fence, like the day before where I helped him snag one of the girls and find him on the far side of the hill hoofing it after an afghan that is over 100 yards away. I'm running parallel to the afghan, trying to cut her off and slow her down until Jim can come up to her for a snag. We end up catching her, but damn if it didn't take a while and we were afraid there was going to be another delay of course with the OTHER puppy being excused. Thank God that the judged knew that this was all that Reza needed to finish her FCh, so they let the bitch stay in and scored her.
Sunday was pretty unremarkable for me. Reza ran pretty well, had a good time, but placed 3rd under the Top 2 in the country as expected. No big deal, who gives a shit, she finished this weekend.
Sunday was pretty awesome for Lexy and Bridge, who took Breed over Sailer, the winner of the Gillette Stake at the II.
In a professional capacity, I did get to run the lure for many breeds all weekend, including whippets on Sunday. I got several complements on my op'ing, including one of the judges who did the AKC National Lure Coursing Trial. Lexy did tons of Hunt Mistressing, giving me a reprieve from the duties, which was nice in between standing on the ladder, working on the equipment and chasing dogs on the 4track. Also, Friday was a drag lure meaning that we had to restring the course EVERY time it was run... Lexy and I did tons of restringing; I'm so proud of her and how much responsibility she's taken on at the trials.
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I had to buy one good one of Lexy and Bridgey:
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Reza's FCh finishing shot with the two judges:
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Metropolitan Atlanta Whippet Association - MAWA - Calhoun, GA
November 23rd, 24th & 25th
This last weekend, we hit Les Pekarski's new backyard for a trial in Calhoun. Lexy couldn't make it to this one, but Selma did! Selma was taking on new roles of Field Clerking (fucking paperwork, I don't even know how to do that shit) and Hunt Mistressing. It was good having Selma come out because with her MEDSCHOOL schedule, she has to skip most weekends to work or study.
Friday, Reza was up against three of Linda Shipley's bitches. Reza got 4th because of a combination of her fears of other dogs running up on her, Reza's cheating and Linda's bitches being new to the sport and not cheating. Saturday and Sunday, Reza had no competition and took firsts/breeds both days. We ran her in Best in Field on Saturday for experience and rehab running with clean running dogs, but she didn't win.
Joey made it out and had fun out there stalking the lure and goofing around.
Saturday was fucking tragic for other reasons. Basheera, our good friend Carol and Russ' Saluki, ran into the line, got wrapped and was severely injured during the Best in Field run. The line had cut through her Achilles and separated the muscle from the bone higher up on her leg. Selma can tell you all the medical shit, but it was bad, very very bad. They're looking at thousands of dollars in surgery for her and it will be probably a year before she runs again, and that's if she can run again. She'll probably never be shown again because he gait will be uneven.
I wasn't hunt mastering or op'ing at the time and was several yards from the machine. I remember watching Basheera and the whippet come across a long straight, high up on the field. Basheera was low and on the inside, running abreast of the lure, and coming up on a rounded 50 yard about turn. Basheera made a take as the lure came into the turn, hit the line and was caught up in the line. She began howling in pain and trying to run from the line, possibly doing further damage. People were screaming cut the line, and being about 40 yards away, I haul ass in a spring and dove, knife first into the line and was still the first person to cut it, something I was NOT happy about.
I ran over to the golf cart and get out there with Carol and Jan to see the carnage first hand and cut the line off her foot. They cart Basheera back in with Carol in tears and rush off to the vet after a vet on the field took a look at it and stabilized it some. On Sunday, to benefit Basheera's vet bills, MAWA held a 50/50 raffle. They were talking about donations and Selma and I agreed on $100 because they're probably our best dog-people friends. They then announced the raffle, and I was upset all the money wasn't going to them, but still bought $100 in tickets planning to donate it back to the fund. Well, when they drew, we didn't win and I was even more upset that someone was going to take the money.
The Pharaoh lady that won the draw, out of the corner of my ear, I could hear, "I'm going to respectfully decline..." I teared up. After the ribbons, I walked over to Howard, who was organizing the draw, asked for confirmation that she donated it back, and had Les announce what she'd privately done. There was a huge round of applause for her generosity. Selma and I walked over afterward and thanked them personally. She said that pretty much everyone had agreed to donate it back among all of the breeds. I was so busy on the field, I had no idea. And that's what it's all about.
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