As you know, training our Vizslas and traveling to play the various show/field games with them is one of our greatest passions. Recently, Aaron's old knee injury got worse and rendered him barely able to walk. This, right as our spring field trial/hunt test season was to begin.

Although I'm involved with 100% of our training, I'm only now learning to handle at the more advanced levels with Suede (CH Boulder's Power of Persuasion CD RE MH VC) and Amante (CH Boulder's Bolder Amante SH). Aaron has been the one to handle at the more advanced levels. I think it shook out this way because I really enjoy the training while Aaron really enjoys the handling (in the field) and is very good at it.

We had several big field events scheduled this spring prior to Aaron's knee injury getting worse. The doc said he needed surgery immediately so we had to cancel one of the trips but decided to go to Missouri to run the dogs in the Show Me Vizsla Club walking field trial with me handling. This was my first time handling in the 'gun dog stakes' and my first time handling my boys Remus (CH Shakin' My Booty Rezzamatazz CGC SH) and Kosmo (CH Derby's Read Em And Weep MH) beyond the Junior Hunter level.

What an experience...

Through all of the 'downs' I experienced and the many B-I-G mistakes I made over the weekend, I had a couple of very bright spots. The first, and most special is the second placement Remus was awarded in the Open Gun Dog stake. He ran among a group very talented dogs in this stake who were being handled by those much more experienced than me. I readily admit I was so intimidated we were braced with a professional trainer/handler/judge and his big-running Pointer in the Open Gun Dog stake. The fact Remus gave me my first gun dog placement is a memory I'll cherish forever. While I prefer the blue of the first place wins, the red of our second place win couldn't be more meaningful to me because it was with my 'once-in-a-lifetime' boy, Remus. I have no words to adequetely describe how special this ribbon is to me.

The other bright spot was the success we had with our newest Vizsla-baby, Trip. She just turned a year old the end of January and is still so much of a puppy. I handled her in the Gateway Vizsla Club Specialty show on Friday and she was awarded Best of Opposite in Sweeps! This was a very big win (for me) because I'm also a novice handler in the show ring. Then, on Sunday I handled her in the Open Puppy stake in the Show Me Vizsla Club's walking field trial. She was running among pups with very strong field-bred pedigrees. She was awarded 4th place! This is Trip's first field trial placement. The coolest part for us, is that over the course of the weekend, she won in BOTH the show ring and a field competition. Her wins reflect exactly our belief that our dogs must be of 'dual' quality (structurally sound enough to show competitively AND talented enough to hunt with passion and drive!).

Check out the pictures of the me with the V-kids from the weekend. The smile on my face tells the best part of this story, no? Hopefully, you too will always try to discover things that keep you learning and make you smile from ear to ear!

Remus Open Gun Dog 2nd place - Show Me Vizsla Club 2009 walking field trial