Liddie and Cali will be competing at the 2008 English Springer Spaniel National Specialty in Arlington, Texas at the end of October! This is THE big event for Springer Spaniels in the United States, and Liddie and Cali will be there to compete in multiple events. Cali will be competing in Open Obedience, Veterans Obedience, Rally Advanced and Rally Excellent. Liddie will be competing in Veterans Obedience, Rally Advanced and Rally Excellent.
Both girls will also (probably) be competing together in the ring in Brace Obedience! We haven’t really trained for brace, but we’re pretty confident that we can get them to the point of not embarrassing themselves (or us) pertty quickly. Now that’ll be a photo op! Mother and daughter rescues together in the ring at the National Specialty just two years after being pulled from a shelter, sick and homeless. I get kind of choked up just thinking about it. I’m so proud of the girls and all that they have accomplished already.
Now… of course the main reason were going to Texas is to support English Springer Rescue America. If it wasn’t for the wonderful people at ESRA Liddie and Cali might not even be alive today. It was ESRA that took them in when their owner / breeder died back in 2006. And it was ESRA that eventually brounght Liddie, Cali, Michelle and I us together. Liddie and Cali truly changed our lives in amazing ways that I could never have dreamed of two years ago, thanks to ESRA. So we’ll be there working the ESRA booth and helping with whatever else is needed. And the girls, of course, will be acting as ambassadors and spokesdogs for ESRA and senior rescue.
The highlight of the week will undoubtedly be the Parade Of Rescues which will be held just prior to best of show judging on Saturday. Liddie and Cali will join 18 other ESRA rescued Engine Springer Spaniels to strut their stuff under the lights in the “big ring”. Who would have though that a couple of homeless dogs would be in the spotlight in front of their peers at the Nationals. Liddie wasn’t even supposed to survive, let alone win multiple obedience and rally titles. To have her and her daughter in the ring together as examples of the potential of homeless senior dogs is nothing short of amazing to me. I’m sure I’ll bawl my eyes out the entire time I’m out ther in the ring with them!
One final note… Liddie’s recovery from her surgery 2 1/2 weeks ago has been remarkable. She’s doing great and was out doing demos at the Rally class we teach for Old Pueblo Dog Training Club here in Tucson last Wednesday. There’s no reason to think she won’t be 100% for the Specialty!
