Back to the Whippet Ring!

I was thrilled to return to the Whippet ring after an absence of several years to win Best of Winners Thursday with Bo-Bett Lainies Surprise under judge Dr Steve Keating in Canfield, OH. Lainie Jane is, of course, bred by my great friend Carol Harris and owned by my sister Dr Jan McMaster and me.

Whippets will always be my true love in the dog world.

Whippet Calla is 3 Today

Our stunning Whippet Calla is celebrating her 3rd birthday today. Although it's been a rough year for her with her leg injury, she is recuperating beautifully and is now enjoying more time outside. We feel so lucky to have her in our home; she is an absolute treasure.

Barbet Beach Bum

California girl Annique (Hickory Tavern On The Beach) is a happy and smart girl now living in Marina Del Rey with Dianne and Bob. We will be planning a trip to the West Coast to visit her from time to time.

Happy Wednesday!

Happy Wednesday!

Carol Harris of Bo-Bett Whippets and Italian Greyhounds

My hero, mentor, and dearest friend, Carol Harris, is featured in the new issue of Purina's Today's Breeder magazine. Her outlook and knowledge that she generously shares have taught me so much over the years. In addition, there is no one more fun to be with!

UKC Premier 2013 - Lots of Fun, Lots of Winning!

The UKC Premier is the highlight of the UKC dog show year. Held every June in Kalamazoo, Michigan, the show is a festival of dogs that include Breed Specialties, Top Ten Competition, 3 Regular dog shows, and Agility, Rally, Obedience, NoseWork, Terrier Races, Lure Coursing, and Dock Diving, among other events.

This year, the very first American Barbet Specialty was held, hosted by the United Barbet Club. With entries from Canada and the United States, Barbet fanciers were able to meet, talk, discuss bloodlines, and go over each others dogs. Everyone had a great time, and the dogs all looked fantastic.

We loaded up our new RV with 5 dogs, 4 of whom were entered in the show. We had a great week and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly!

We had a very spacious campsite!

Ch. Hickory Tavern Intl Intrigue - Solene - won the Champion class and Reserve Best In Show at the Specialty

High Flyer Turbo of HTF - Bob - won Division 1 Agility, scoring 198/200

CallaLily O'Hickory Tavern Farm - Calla - won Best of Winners both days she was shown

Ch Nuphar's Gift Wrapped to HTF - Nessa - won the Award of Excellence in the Top Ten Competition

Nessa also won Best of Breed, completed her Championship, and won a Group 4 in the huge Gun Dog Group on Sunday

Enjoying Spring at Hickory Tavern Farm

 Beautiful Calla Lily

 Napa and Ava exploring the farm. Ava is always a wonderful nanny to the puppies.

 Solene enjoying the river ducks in Pittsburgh during the Pittsburgh Marathon

Stunning Napa at 9 weeks

The Lake, the Whippet, and the Barbet Puppies

With our warm summer weather winding down, we have been busy going to dog shows with Calla the  Whippet and Solene the Barbet, Agility training classes with Bob, and preparing the lake house for winter.  Calla has finally gotten her first points, after a long year dealing with her broken leg, repair at Ohio State Vet School, and lengthy rehabilitation. Seeing her finally entered into the AKC records was a gratifying achievement. There were many months when I doubted that she would ever be sound enough to show. Huge props go to Jonathan Dyce and his team at the OSU hospital for their tremendous work repairing Calla Lily's leg.

Calla Lily wins Winners Bitch at the Butler County Kennel Club

Bob, our 7 year old Pembroke Welsh Corgi, is showing a lot of promise at his Agility classes, thanks to our wonderful instructor, Irene Barrie. We still have a lot to learn, and I'm trying to figure out the intricacies of agility handling, but by spring, I think we will almost be ready to try our hand in competition.

Bob practices his jumping skills

Last weekend we spent a beautiful weekend at Deep Creek Lake, MD, visiting with family and friends, and preparing the house for the winter. Unfortunately it was time to pull the boat from the water, but David did manage to squeeze in one last run behind the Mastercraft. It was some of his best skiing of the year, and he is always sad when water ski season is over.

The early morning fog on the lake -- Worth getting up early

David gets one last run on Deep Creek Lake, MD

Solene, Nessa, and Calla came with us to the lake, and the Barbet girls were very happy playing in and around the water. Calla? Not so much :)

Nessa soaks up the sun

Curious Nessa

Solene with her little partner in crime hiding in the background

Solene and Nessa

Nothing demonstrates great conformation like a wet dog

Calla's Ring Debut

Bo-Bett O'Calla Lily of Hickory Tavern Farm

This was a very special weekend for us. Calla injured her front leg last November, and eventually it required surgery in April. 6 weeks of total crate rest was followed by several more weeks of hand walking. In the summer, she was given clearance to resume exercising on the leg and her first weeks found her very short of breath after running. My heart stopped every time I watched her jump off the sofa, but Dr Dyce had given the ok for her to resume her previous activities. It was hard to watch! I felt like her plated leg was more fragile than it really was but I eventually learned to let her play hard and run fast. She got into beautiful condition, stayed sound, and I finally entered her in a few dog shows.

With a tear in my eye, I proudly showed Calla to RWB at her first two shows, starting her show career after a long and questionable layoff. For months, I was uncertain whether she would ever recover enough to be a show dog and prove to the world just how beautiful she is, but this weekend turned a corner for Calla and me. Now it's time to hit the road in pursuit of her Championship.

Calla

Justin Smithey with BIS GCh. Bo-Bett's Speed Demon and sister Calla.

Calla

Demon

Justin in the Best In Show ring with Demon

Old Horses Are The Best: Maximum Lark

Maximum Lark

In the late '80's, this beautiful gelding was born at Bo-Bett Farm in Ocala, Florida (our lucky mares spent the winter in sunny Florida while we stayed home freezing in Pennsylvania).  Maximum Lark was our 5th colt sired by Rugged Lark, and he always had the sweetest, most willing disposition imaginable. Carol Harris and the Bo-Bett staff always took great care of our mares, and we were thrilled with the newborn pictures that Carol sent us of this particular colt. Big and stout, he grew into a truly beautiful horse with a sweet little jog and a wonderful, smooth and fluid lope. We won a big Non-Pro Western Pleasure futurity when he was a two year old, and I also showed him a bit in the three year old futurities, and he always placed well. David and I started our own family, and Max wasn't shown again until he was 15. At that time, our son Sam started riding him, and we learned that Sam was a natural on a horse. They won a lot together, then later our daughter Isabel showed Max in the walk-trot classes. They made it look easy, and Max always took great care of Isabel. Now 23, gentle Max spends his days with his older full brother, Lark Seven. I am incredibly lucky to have these two special horses, who are among my favorite of the many horses I've bred and owned.

Whippets...Living Art

Calla's Lassie Impression

Today at the Farm

HTF

Maximum Lark and Lark Seven - Great old Quarter Horse Geldings by Rugged Lark

Our new shop. Amazing what a hard working crew can accomplish in 3.5 days.

Smiling Ava

Skylar

Even bigger smile from Solene

And Calla is wishing someone would let her out into the big yard...

A Little More Freedom

Calla had her 5 week check-up today at Ohio State and her bones are healing very well. Dr Dyce is very pleased with her progress and will now allow Calla to add unlimited leash walking for the next few weeks. She can also be loose in the house and she is very happy to have free access to her toy basket and the furniture! Calla has been the perfect patient and we are very grateful to the staff at OSU.

House Arrest

Calla is counting the days until she is allowed off her lead and is able to run! (or at least a long walk)

Bo-Bett Crew Chief

Ch. Tekoneva's Dario x Ch. Silver Bluff Winning Colors

October 10, 1996 - May 10, 2012

Rest In Peace, Little Guy

The Incredible Rugged Lark

Lark at 22

Any visit to Bo-Bett Farm is a reminder of the many, many great animals produced by Carol Harris. None of them have had more success and fame than Rugged Lark, the beautiful bay stallion who won so many awards, then toured the country entertaining crowds at the Olympics and major horse shows. Carol and Lynn showed the world how a properly raised and carefully trained horse could change people's perceptions of a Quarter Horse. Lark had an incredible presence, a knowing personality, and the most beautiful head and eye I have ever seen. I am lucky to have two of his sons still living here on the farm, and they have the same inquisitive nature and soulful eye of their father.

Carol let me saddle Lark up and ride him all over her farm. I'll never forget what a thrill it was for me, riding this priceless and famous horse, as he silently cantered over the sandy ground swapping leads every few strides. I'd stop him, spin a few times,then lope off again, smiling to myself and enjoying how incredibly lucky I was to be sitting on top of this magnificent animal. Truly one of the highlights of my life!

This video was taken from Lark's Farewell Tour in 1997. It is a true demonstration of trust.

My parents with Carol in front of Lark's Memorial

Rugged Lark's grave at Bo-Bett