In Novice B, at the Laurel Highlands (Thursday) and Upper Potomac Vally (Friday) shows in Cumberland, MD, Surprise (CH Iconic Jack in the Box OAJ TKN CGC WC) qualified and took second place both days. Thursday, his heeling was not his best and his score was 184. Friday, he was a whole different dog and his score was 196. That’s the best score I’ve ever gotten in Obedience!

CH Shalyn’s Pink Ice Diamond CD BN RE FCAT ACT1 ACT2J SWN SCN SIA SEA SBA RATS TKN FTN – Pink owned, bred and handled by Sherri Lilley-Peck picked up Master Rally Q number 6 with a 4th place and score of 99 out of 17 dogs entered at the Tideland Rally and Obedience trial.
Breeze was unfortunately in season and Pink ran one day and then she came into season too.

At the Upper Potomac Valley Kennel Club show Grey, Sedgeblac Son of a Lady RN FTI WC, went Best of Winners for a point. He also won Best of Opposite Sex and Owner Handled Best of Breed. A bit later in the afternoon he qualified in Beginner Novice with a 193 for third place. It was a challenging environment since groups were being judged on the other side of the curtain with a lot of noise and clapping. Grey had fun.

Cabbie, CH MACH2 Blazin’s Questionable Drive’R CD BN RE MXC MJC MXF T2B4 FCAT ACT2 ACT2J DSA TKN CGC, finished her Master Standard Century. Cabbie is owned and loved by Dawn, Marty, Bryce & Colin.

UKC CH AM GCHB CH Shalyn’s Sweet Virginia Breeze CD BN RE RAE DCAT ACT1 ACT2J SWN SIA SCA SEE RATM CZ8B TKN FTN CGC SBN – Breeze owned, bred and handled by Sherri Lilley-Peck earned her Scent Work Exterior Excellent title at the Merrimac scent work trial. Breeze needs one more advance buried leg then she is fully in Excellent in all elements.

CH Shalyn’s Pink Ice Diamond CD BN RE FCAT ACT1 ACT2J SWN SCN SIA SEA SBA RATS TKN FTN – Pink owned, bred and handled by Sherri Lilley-Peck earned her Scent Work Buried Advanced title with placements. Pink needs one more advance container leg and she will also be working all Excellent elements.

Athercroft is proud to announce new *Champion* Athercroft Bat in the Saddle Again, “Tonks”. Our brown girl has had quite the run this year with majors at Supported Entries, placement at the National and then finishing with two more majors in July.

At the Independence Cluster, Norma, *CH* Blazin’s Sunset Boulevard STR, was Winners Bitch, Best of Winners, Best Bred By and Owner Handled Best of Breed on Friday for her Championship!! She added a Bred By Exhibitor Group 2!! Saturday she was Select Bitch and Best of Breed Owner Handled for her 1st GCH point!! Her brother, Irving, Blazin’s Sleepy Hollow STR, was Winners Dog both Friday and Saturday including Best Bred By and a Bred By Exhibitor Group 3!! Norma and Irving are owned by Dawn, Marty, Colin and Bryce!

Well, I don’t brag often, but when I do it takes a while. Quinn had a long layoff after completing his NACSW Elite Championship last year. That award enabled us to enter Summit League trials. We missed getting an entry last year but found our way into two this year (two trials are the limit per year). Our first try was in Emmitsburg at Mount Saint Mary’s College in Emmitsburg, MD on Memorial Day weekend. These trials are two day events with usually four search areas per day. It was great to get back to work, and Quinn was amazing. He received four search placement ribbons for the weekend. We just missed a SMT title. I blocked him from a hide that would have put us into the title positions. To give you some perspective of what Summit trials are, in this particular search we were covering the entire first floor of the Admissions building, to find an unknown number of hides. He blew past the first room to find the most difficult hide first in the second room. Since we only had 5 minutes to cover the area, I directed him back into the first room as we would not have time to come back. When I did that I inadvertently blocked him from the one hide we needed for the title. It was nice to get those placement ribbons but disappointing not to get that title after he had worked so hard all weekend.

On 6/20 we went to LaRouche University in Pittsburgh. We had a slow start there due to his handler being vision impaired by a migraine. Our first search was not a disaster, but was not great. I got upset with myself about it and really focused on getting back in contention the rest of the day. Our second search was not perfect but I pulled a good tactical move to call finish and leave a hide there. Two hides close together, one deep inaccessible, and he was having a little trouble with it. From there on out we were pretty much perfect, but I felt like we were way out of contention when we finished up on Sunday PM, even though Sunday had been a killer day for us. We ended up with five search placements there out of eight searches. Once I had all those ribbons in my hands I started thinking that we must have gotten enough points for the title, and we did. In two trials, nine placements out of a possible sixteen. He became just the third FCR to achieve an ELT-CH SMT title in the history of NACSW. As of today, he is the only living FCR with this title. This is still sinking in for me. He’s just a fantastic dog. Part circus clown, part pure professional, the more people there that are watching, the harder he works. People who volunteer to work at the trials are always trying to get a chance to see him in action. I am so fortunate to have the chance to work with him.

At the FCRSA Specialty in St Louis, MO, Cabbie, CH MACH2 Blazin’s Questionable Drive’R CD BN RE MXG MJC MXF MFB T2B4 FCAT ACT2 ACT2J DSA TKN CGC CL3, finished her Rally Excellent title!! Not to be outdone, Azula, BISS/BOSS GCHB CH MACH Grousemoor Blue Flame A Blazin CD BN RA MXS MJS MXF T2B2 ACT1 ACT1J FCAT CGC, finished her Companion Dog title!! Cabbie and Azula are trained, owned and loved by Dawn, Marty, Colin, Bryce & Helen.

Athercroft had a very nice National Specialty with placements across the board!
Ch Athercroft Lettuce Prey. “Harlow” had a third in veteran sweeps and then a veteran bitch class placement.
CH Athercroft Taco Dirty to Me “Dizzy” scored a Made The Cut in breed competition
Athercroft Vineders Keepers “Tebo” was third in the BBE class
Athercroft Bat in the Saddle Again “Tonks” was third in her BBE class
Athercroft Vineding the Freedom to Dream. “Beckham” placed in his AOH class