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

Alba the Model Barbet

This beautiful dog, doing her best imitation of the Club Barbet Canada National Specialty logo, is Ch Quaciendas Alba Aqua-Aura. She is the mother of our Nessa, and she is one of the best quality Barbet in the world. Bred by the Quaciendas Kennel in The Netherlands, she is owned by Anne Plomp and Wouter Lemmen. We are so grateful that they shared Alba's lookalike puppy, Nessa, with us.

Simple Pleasures

Late summer is a wonderful time for the dogs. The temperatures have cooled, and the pace is less busy. I really enjoy taking 3 or 4 of the dogs out for a walk through the fields each day and watching them run, play, and explore. Our newest Barbet puppy, Nessa, enjoys this chance to check out her new American environment. She races up and down the hills, plows through the grasses, and watches the hawks that often fly overhead. Here she stops to smell the flowers :)

Solene is Our Newest Barbet Champion!

Ch. Hickory Tavern Intl Intrigue
Carnation City Kennel Club
September 9, 2012
Judge Barbara Lauer

 
We are so proud of Solene...she finished her UKC Championship in just one weekend of shows by placing four times in the Gun Dog Group. She is only 8 months old, and we really look forward to her future with us. We are very pleased with her pretty head, moderate size, and nice angulation.

Bango du Pre de Redy x Multi Ch. Neigenuveaux's Ermagarde

Barbet Dogs Featured in Best In Show Daily Online

Last month, Christi McDonald of Best In Show Daily featured the Barbet in a well done article about the history and status of the breed in North America. To read the article online, go to Best In Show Daily 

Club Barbet Canada - First National Specialty in North America for our beautiful dogs!

Judge Jim Bricknell awards Solene BOS Sweeps

Judge Dr Francisco Chapa placed Solene First in the Jr Puppy Bitch Class

This past weekend, an historic event was held in Long Sault, Ontario, near Ottawa. Club Barbet Canada sponsored the First National Specialty for the Barbet in North America. With an entry of 34 dogs from Quebec, Ontario, and the United States, the competition was the largest group of Barbet ever assembled in North America. When the Specialty was first announced, Solene and her sister Hanna were just a few days old. Now at close to 8 months, they were both old enough to compete in the Specialty weekend. Solene won her Jr Bitch Sweeps class, and BOS in Sweeps to Florence Erwin's lovely male Bogart. In the Regular classes, she won the Jr Puppy Bitch class. Her sister Hanna, owned by Veronica Matthews and Florence Erwin, won WB and Best Puppy twice during the weekend. I was really proud of my girls!

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

Settling In

Nessa and Isabel

Nessa is adjusting to her new life beautifully. She is so confident and self-assured, and is enjoying exploring the farm and playing with the dogs. She has such a knowing, wise expression and has proven herself to be quite a smart girl.

The Newest American Barbet Citizen

Today I have copied Anne Plomp's Nuphar's Blog post with translation by Google. Anne speaks perfect English but Google does not! Anne had a really big heart and entrusted her baby to the care of Zoo Logistics and KLM to safely deliver her to me. We flew her from Amsterdam to Washington DC (Dulles) so that she did not have to deal with changing planes. We wanted to make her travel time as short as possible. By driving 5 hours to Dulles, I was able to let Nessa eat, drink, and exercise before we headed back to Pittsburgh. She traveled like a pro, and bounced out of her crate when she was finally cleared through customs. She is a testament to all of the hard work, love and devotion given to this litter by breeder Anne Plomp.

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=nl&langpair=nl|en&u=http://nuphars.wordpress.com/

A world for Nessa

August14

Yesterday we have a long, exciting day behind. It started early in the morning when we have Nessa to Hoofddorp, where they by the people of Zoo Logistics was collected. This company ensures that animals must travel by plane to go well cared for. Nessa has given the car does not beep and also in the waiting room at the office while we were handling the paper trade, she was very good.

We found it extremely hard for her to give, how well you know they know very well what they do and this is much better than himself transferred to the airport. Therefore, I have cried a lot on the way, I will admit. 
The rest of the day there is nothing useful came out of my hands, except regularly look at the flight-checker how far they have had and whether they were still on schedule. I got an email nicely after the plane had departed, she was on board and that everything had gone well. Judy was called again to check that they meet Nessa came off. 
Luckily I have all day contact with Judy, who of course in America just as nervous as I was waiting.

Last night was the redeeming word they landed and delivered at the desk. After a lot of paperwork then came the first picture of Nessa with Judy in her arms. Again reason for tears, though I have not had enough to flow but this time of relief! 

Nessa has it all brilliantly: her benchje was only a puddle after another clean, they even had water and she showed no sign of stress. Good Girl!

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This entry was posted on August 14, 2012 in Pups and tagged Alba , Barbet , Breeding , Photos , French Water Dog , N. Gift-Wrapped , Nessa , Ooli , Pups .

Barbet on the Dutch Farm

Nuphar's Gift Wrapped

After a busy week racing in the park and making a final trip to the vet to get her traveling papers in order, Nessa got to visit her brother Thibault at his farm residence. There, she and her 3 sisters met horses, sheep, chickens and bunnies. It was an exciting outing for the girls. I am now in countdown mode...Monday afternoon our new baby girl will be an American citizen!

Nessa Wags While Seeing the Bunnies

The New Miss America

Home Grown Barbet Puppy

Nessa poses at her photo session in Holland in a crate marked "Home grown" in Dutch. Nessa was bred by Anne Plomp and she is out of the beautiful Alba, one of my favorite Barbet. In one week she will be a resident of the United States.

Exhausted little Barbet dog

Here is Nessa all tired out from her visit to the Puppy Playground in Holland. The pups were all able to enjoy this special outing before they begin departing for their new homes. I am lucky that Anne takes such beautiful pictures of the puppies. Only two more weeks until Nessa travels to America!

Solene Swims!

This week Solene learned to swim at the lake. She easily took to the water and retrieved many toys. She even jumped in from the dock to get her favorite turtle toy. It was fun watching her natural water instincts take over.

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.