2009 VCA Nationals

So, being the glutton for punishment that I am, I volunteered to chair the 2009 Vizsla Club of America National Field Trial, which will be hosted by the Old Dominion Vizsla Club and held the week of November 1, 2009, at the Cloverdale Farm near Sutherlin, Virginia. A separate blog has been set up to document the event: 2009 VCA National FT Blog. I have posted pictures of Cloverdale Farm, taken during the AKC Pointing Breed Gun Dog Championship held there this past March.

Spring update

Things have changed quite a bit this past month. I have found employment once again, now working on contract at Dominion Resources Services in downtown Richmond. Working downtown is a bit of an adjustment for me. Gone are the days of wearing jeans to work everyday. And then there are tolls roads, parking garage, a three block walk to and from the car, working on the seventh floor of a high rise building, getting lunch from a street vendor, all sorts of changes. But I'm enjoying the work and the people are all great.

Dixie finally came into season, unfortunately keeping her from competition the last few weekends of this field trial season. But she has been bred to Dylan, so now the wait begins.

Catching up

Shame on me! It's been way too long since my last entry. So much has happened since then.

Last fall Joey and Dixie competed in gun dog stakes, both earning placements. I am hoping this spring will bring some blue ribbons for the pair. Sara and Dylan began training as gun dogs last summer out in North Dakota, but aren't quite ready for prime time just yet. Buddy has become a useful field trial horse now. I've judged , scouted, planted birds, and handled from him now. He's doing it all.

This winter, the company for which I have worked for the past eight plus years, Circuit City, closed it doors for good, leaving me in unchartered waters - unemployed. All I can tell you is that searching for a job may be harder work than actually having a job. I'm hoping the economy turns around soon.

Lastly, I am planning another litter this spring - Dixie to Dylan. This should be a very nice breeding of pups with great field ability and wonderful temperaments.

Mid-summer blahs

OMG! I can't believe that it's the middle of July already! It seemed like just yesterday that all the "kids" came home, and now they are headed out to North Dakota with trainer Dave as I type. I think they were ready to go though... they were getting rather bored around here. Going to summer camp, as I call it, means ample time for running and working on birds. And summer in North Dakota is much cooler than summer in Virginia. Chase, the pup I was boarding for a few months while his owner was on temporary assignment, as rejoined his "mommy" now. They are in the DC area now, soon to relocate to Texas.

I have spent much of my time this summer learning first hand about pasture management. I divided my pasture into two parcels with temporary electric fencing. The key word there is TEMPORARY, because it seems like the horses, deer or goblins end up taking down the dividing fence every time we have a good thunderstorm. What amazes me is just how far the insulators will fly off the fiberglass posts when the fence is plowed down. Anyhow, my intent is to rotate the horses from one side to the other on a regular frequency to allow the grass on each side time without horses on it to build back up. We'll see how well this works.