postheadericon Heading The Louisville Shows

I showed Rattlebridge The Crack of Dawn, “Sunny” at three of the four Louisville shows and won two majors which gives him 14 points with one more needed to finish his championship.  My friend Rosalind and I went together and had a ball.  We co own a gorgeous show worthy Golden Retriever puppy, Eggspaladociouss, “Poppins” so spent time at the Golden ring as well as the Cavalier ring.  Because of illnesses, I have not been at shows for a little while so it was lovely seeing friends and watching the shows.  While we were there I had “Sunny”s picture taken at fourteen months:

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I also made a collage of his development which is interesting to observe:

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The next show is the National in April in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.  Sunny is a delight to live with and to show. 

postheadericon CYBER DAWN’S WIN FROM FEBRUARY IS FINALLY POSTED!!!

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Cyber won Best in Specialty Show at the Meadowlands Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club in New York in February the day before Cavaliers were shown at Westminster in which Cyber was not entered. Under breed specialist, Mrs. Mea Askins Kendall from the UK, Cyber won over all the top ranked Cavaliers in this country with my short, chubby, arthritic legs trying to keep up with him.  He and I are a team and he is very patient with his “mother” as this dog could show himself!  I have not been back to New York from whence I originally came since Al’s last long term bout with cancer and his passing (probably over six years).

Because of circumstances in my present life which I will explain when I do another “Catching Up” entry, I have not really blogged in months and probably lost all those interested in following my blog and some of my political rantings. Anyway, Cyber and I have gone not entered the ring together since the Meadowlands but look forward to stepping out in the future. Meanwhile he and I are busy doing yard work (I plant and he unplants), raising lovely tricolor puppies (not his but his uncle Clooney’s), and vacuuming dog hair (he sheds and I vacuum).  I adore this dog as well as my others, but Cyber has a sense of humor and I am usually the target of his laughter! 

 

postheadericon PICTURES OF MY BOY CYBER

My darling boy Cyber wins the CKCSC of Central North Carolina with my stubby legs and I handling:

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And a photo of Cyber finishing his Championship:Cyber Finishing

Since I handled Cyber and finished Cyber’s Championship

from the bred by exhibitor class, Cyber and I have been

invited to show in the Eukanuba World Classic Dog Show

in Orlando, Florida in December.

postheadericon MORE EXTENDED FAMILIES AND NEWS ABOUT RATTLEBRIDGE CAVALIERS 12/22/2010

I am so far behind in posting extended family pictures that I may never catch up. Besides the pictures I have been sent on email, I have a huge folder of pictures that need to be scanned. ANYIONE WANT TO VOLUNTEER TO SCAN??  I have no idea when I will get around to doing this.  I am as proud of the Rattlebridge Cavaliers who go to wonderful pet homes as much as the show dogs, therapy dogs, and performance dogs.  Cavaliers have no purpose if they do not become the beloved companions they were created to be.  Without my Cavaliers, I would not have made it through my husband’s death.  Our extended families of owners of our Cavaliers keep begging me to not quit breeding because of the splendid dogs we breed. 

There is so much heartache in breeding dogs, but so much joy also.  A few weeks ago, I lost Ch. Rattlebridge Arch Rival to congestive heart failure. Archie finished his championship at ten months and shortly after our cardiologist, Dr. Linda Lehmkuhl found a click in his heart which was not there as a puppy.  Further testing revealed that Archie had the beginning of mitral valve disease.  He was a beautiful Cavalier that could have had a career as a show dog, but we never bred him and had him neutered so that there would be no accidents with our girls.  He lived a good life though not into his teens like most of our dogs.   He was one of my husband’s very favorites, but Archie loved me with his soul.  I picture Al scooping Archie up at the Rainbow bridge with Al’s Katie, Sammy, and Tia wagging their tails. 

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Ch. Rattlebridge Arch Rival at ten months.  He had such a sweet face!!!

I would like to introduce Rattlebridge Cyber Dawn who went to his first shows a few weeks ago to lovely wins in the three shows in which he was entered.  I have not shown a dog in three years; I have never been a great or even decent handler on some days, but handled my untrained boy very bravely as I was almost gimping around the ring with a sprained ankle on one leg and fifteen stitches in the other.  Oh, the will to win against all odds!!!   Anyway, Cyber took winners dog and then best of breed over champions all three days even garnering a Group IV.  Not bad for a 13 month old puppy that had never been to a show and was in my own unique style “ half assed trained.”  Now I am giving away my total ineptness on filling out forms online when I tell you that I had registered Cyber online and thought it went through, then entered him with his litter number which a couple of my doggy friends told me I could do.  NOT!!!  He was not registered as I must have hit a glitch on the online registering process and his three majors were taken away.  Oh, well,  we will just have to start over and have more fun and he is so much fun to show with his effervescent attitude!  His brother Rattlebridge The Dawnald who like his siblings was co bred and co owned by my friend and partner in crime, Sherri Meyer, and his sister, the wicked Rattlebridge Dawnatella lives with me; she chewed up a rosary tonight and could get me in real trouble with the Blessed Mother just before Christmas.  She, in the true sense if the word, is a little bitch and gets away with it due to her beauty and adorability (my newest coined word—don’t you love it?). She and her brother, The Dawnald, already have points toward their championship.

Rattlebridge Cyber Dawn

                                                                                                                                                                   Rattlebridge Cyber Dawn

AND NOW TO THE NEWEST EXTENDED FAMILY COLLAGES:

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postheadericon IN MEMORY OF TWO RATTLEBRIDGE GIRLS

In the past couple of months, we have lost tow of our older Cavalier ladies. Rattlebridge Time after Time loved and owned by Roxy Hayes since “Kelsey” was eight weeks old. 1155 

 

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Roxy bought Time after Time from one of our first litters.  Her sire was my beloved Bounce.  While she did not turn out to be a show girl, she was a wonderful producer beginning Roxy’s Roxian line.  She was also Roxy’s soulmate just as my Bounce, Bandi, and now Clooney have been to me.  Of course, no one comes close to me as my Bandi or as close to Roxy as her Kelsey Sue.  Bounce kids have always been special.

Two weeks ago, I lost my wonderful, yet sometimes annoying, Ch. Rattlebridge Rosie O’Grady, ROM.  Rosie and I had a power play going on since she was a puppy.  She loved me, but certainly would never give me the benefit of showing her utter devotion.  Yet she was devoted to me.  I was the only person who showed her.  She and I were a team and while in the ring she did all I asked, but step out of the ring and she took total control, barking “Yeah, Right.” at me constantly.  She died one month shy of fourteen and I will miss her for a long, long time.  Sleep well, my pushy girl, and give all my other loves a big kiss (in your own sparing way, of course). Tell them one of the benefits of my leaving this earth will be to embrace all my dogs once more as well as hopefully seeing The One who created us all.  rosieogradysmall[1]

 

rosie o'grady veteran

postheadericon November 19, 2007

I have been really, really busy since my last post.  I keep meaning to write every day, but always seem to be become involved in so many things.  I barely get email done.  I do have puppies available, mostly really pretty rubies who will go to pet homes once decisions about selecting show dogs is done.  Both litters are from our wonderful Ch. Rattlebridge Code Red. 

I am very involved in the pending legislation in Ohio.  Beside SB 173/HB 223, we also have SB 71 concerning the legitimate breeders.  This Bill would allow dogs living in abusive situations, such as dog fighting kennels, to be confiscated by law officials without due process being observed.  No one wants to see dogs living in abuse or neglect, but the worry is that owners’ individual rights may be at stake.  Walt Bebout, Director of Legislation, at AKC gave a very informative talk this past Saturday during the Lima Kennel Club show in Columbus.  We are forming an Ohio Federation of Dog Clubs to get clubs in Ohio to band together for political strength as we fight legislation which would seriously affect us legitimate show breeders who try our best to do right by the dogs we breed and own.  We have formed a steering committee to form the Federation.  I do hope we have enough club involvement to make the Federation go. 

This past weekend was the fall cluster of Columbus, Ohio shows.   I judged on Friday: Dobermans, Mastiffs, Rottweilers, Samoyeds, Portuguese Water Dogs.  I had a full day’s work and enjoyed every minute of it.  I cannot take as many judging assignments as in the past because of Al’s need to have me home, but I do so like to judge.  I saw some very good dogs.  My wonderful friend and co owner, Margaret Valentine, flew up from Texas to spend five days.  As always when together, we had a great time watching the show the days that I did not judge and operating as the fashion police, very quietly and respectfully  of course.  We also had the chance to spend time with our great friend and co owner Sherri Meyer and her daughter Nicole Newkirk.  Sherri and Nicole finished the championship of their black Italian Greyhound “Walker,”  a really lovely IG.  Margaret and Sherri co owned our last two Best in Show  and number one Cavaliers with me.  Margaret is the co breeder and co owner of Ch. Rattlebridge From Dusk ‘Til Dawn and his sisters except for Ch.  Delta Dawn who is co owned with Sherri Meyer. 

Meanwhile back at the farm, we have recently housed a few Humane Society dogs in the back kennel.  We also have a young and very pretty stud pony that was picked up running the roads of our county.  One of our mares is totally in love and in flaming heat with this pony and cannot understand why we will not let her have access to her boyfriend.  We want no unplanned breedings here!  We are running a “found pony” ad with absolutely no calls to claim him.  How can someone not notice the loss of a pony?!!He is not staying as cute as he is.  I am presently doing all the horse chores since Al has had his shoulder surgery and another equine body is one too many. We need homes for the Humane Society dogs and the pony. I do hope they all can find wonderful forever homes.  We have our own rescue dog and there is no more room in our house since the Cavaliers are still hanging from the chandeliers!  Want a beagle mix or two, we have it.  Want a border collie mix, we have it.  We have designer dogs whom no one created on purpose, but I believe that all of these dogs deserve the same wonderful homes as my Cavaliers get.  I am on the Humane Society of Morrow County Board and am the public relations director.  The Humane Society takes many hours of time from the whole board.  We do not have a shelter and do not have the money to fund a shelter in the near future.  We depend on foster homes which have been very scarce lately, hence the gang of dogs in our back kennel.  Working for the Humane Society is hard as it is difficult to see so many animals in trouble. If you wish to help animals, volunteer at your local humane society.

One of the very odd things happening in shelters around the country is the importation of puppies from other countries.  Our country is really making a effort to spay and neuter actually reducing the number of animals in shelters in different parts of the country.  So now certain shelters, which depend on adoption fees, are actually bringing in puppies and dogs, sometimes from other countries, to make available for adoption.  Our humane society has a voucher program to help people neuter their cats and dogs and we do not make any animal available for adoption which has not been spayed or neutered.

My Clooney is back from Canada and on my lap once more.  I keep being asked if we are going to send him out to be shown to be ranked in this country, but I do not think that I can bear to have him gone from me.  He is the best little companion.  His sister Delta Dawn is back home from Sherri Meyer to be bred. She is so beautiful.  I am so excited to do this breeding with Sherri. 

postheadericon September 14, 2007

Well, my darling husband who was all set to move, has decided not to move–this is after I started the huge task of sorting through every hidden hoard of “STUFF” in the house. The property we wanted to buy that started all this moving business turned out to have serious flaws and we simply cannot find anyplace nicer than our place despite the work of this property. Al is now facing a couple of possible surgeries and now is not the time to take on the physical tasks that come with moving. I do not know how we will ever tackle cleaning out all Al’s stash of baling wire, string, tools, nuts, bolts, pieces of lumber he might just need “someday,” farm equipment, the hay elevator (which I bought for him for his birthday we first moved here–how romantic but you should see what he buys for me! This year I got a Mantis rototiller!); fencing; fence posts, lawn equipment; old lawn chairs that he might need someday–the list could go on. Al says not to worry, he will “take care of it.” Yeah, right! Men say that women are pack rats, but at least what we keep makes some sense. I have gone through years of dog magazines; clothes from my skinny days, to my really heavy days, back to halfway skinny days, back up rotund days, and now wherever the hell I am size wise;old books; notes from high school classes; old term papers; years of dog pictures of assorted breeds, furniture that just may have a spot someday; piles of clutter and more clutter. If I cannot fill up every horizontal surface of the house, I do not seem to be content. I am making a real effort to declutter, but not being as successful as I would like I am afraid. Still, in case we ever do move, I will be prepared . . . HAH!

Dog wise, we are raising a couple of lovely litters and may let a couple of puppies go to show homes as we are serious about not showing dogs. I am looking at a couple of really super looking puppies and when I feel myself weakening, I just remind myself that the last thing that we need right now is the effort it takes to show dogs at the level we have shown. We have just let a few puppies go on our regular spay/neuter contracts to spectacular pet homes in Florida, Oklahoma, and Ohio over the last month or so and gritted our teeth as we kissed the puppies goodbye as they were really nice show prospects that we would have liked to evaluate longer. One of them went to our friends Melissa and Marshall Gimple who just lost their Bounce son at over fourteen. So now they have a ruby Bounce son in their home to be company to their ruby girl “Tessa” who they got from us several years ago.

We have never sold many show dogs as we keenly feel the responsibility of protecting this breed and have been control freaks about where our dogs go. Sadly I have made grave mistakes in judgment in choosing a few show homes; even on co ownerships one cannot control what others do once a dog leaves one’s property. One can hear horror stories in all breeds about co ownerships and selling show dogs; sadly many of the stories are true. I have also been so lucky in continuing to co own dogs with Margaret Valentine and Sherri Meyer who have become very close friends and great partners. Cindy Chandler and Jeff and Tami Byroads have also been wonderful to work with our dogs in continued co ownership and friendship. There are a few people out there whom we consider totally trustworthy enough and we look forward to perhaps seeing a few Rattlebridge dogs continue to be shown in their hands. Of course the puppies we are looking at for show prospects may not turn out to be show dogs and we may then be looking for wonderful pet homes for them.

I am now deep into working on HB 223/SB 173 which is being proposed in both houses; termed the “puppy mill” bill, this bill has real ramifications for legitimate show breeders. My friend, Bobbi Brady, AKC delegate from the Central Ohio Kennel Club, and I have succeeded in meeting with two Ohio Senators, including the sponsor of the bill. We will meet next week with the sponsor of the bill in the House of Representatives. Walt Bebout, director of legislation for the AKC has been most helpful to us. So far our legislators are at least willing to listen to our concerns. The wave of anti dog and anti breeding legislation throughout our country is very scary. The so called animal activists are well organized and well financed; our ability to own pets is being challenged as if one reads the fine print in Peta’s manifesto one would see that Peta is against any ownership of animals.

Enough for tonight. Thank you to my friend and webmaster, Roxy Hayes, for continuing to monitor our website and news items.

postheadericon July 22, 2007-new champion

In very limited showing and with several major reserves to his credit, Ch. Rattlebridge Up In Lights, our wonderful ruby boy, finished his championship yesterday in Houston the home of his co owner and my dearest friend Hazel Arnold who died last December.  “Marquee” is also owned by my buddy Margaret Valentine.  He was shown by Lenny Brown, who is Jim Moses’ assistant.  Jim and I have been friends for too many years to count.  I appreciate his continued support and help.  I was 63 last week and Al was 78.  We cannot breed and show dogs forever; thanks to our friends, we have been able to continue as long as we have.  Until next time . . .

postheadericon June 5, 2007

Today AB 1634 was passed and retained which means it is tabled until later in the week because evidently Levine, the bill’s sponsor, did not have enough votes to pass it. If it is not voted on by Friday, the bill will not appear again until next session. It is interesting to note that Levine was not available today. The battle is not won yet, but the opposition is finally being heard.

Now on another note, Ch. Rattlebridge Delta Dawn went to the World Show winning Best of Breed two of the four days. Delta was co bred with my great friend, Margaret Valentine, and is co owned by another great friend, Sherri Meyer. Delta was shown by Sherri’s lovely daughter Nicole Newkirk. Way to go! Judge is Mr. Norm Patton. Ch. Rattlebridge Delta Dawn

postheadericon June 12, 2007

Melissa Charbonneau, new owner of Rattlebridge True Spirit, has been visiting us since she was twelve years old to learn about Cavaliers. Melissa is now sixteen and spends many of her school vacations with us. She is vitally interested in Cavaliers and wishes to breed them when she is finished with med school, a goal she will fulfill as she is a top student. She is beginning to show “Spirit.” She has waited four years for a dog from us and her little Spirit is the perfect dog for her. Picture of Melissa and Spirit at the National: (click on picture to enlarge)

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