Publisher’s message: Back from a marvelous adventure

I am back from vacation and although it didn’t take place in an exotic location, my special memories from this trip will last a lifetime.

For those of you who may have missed my announcement, I actually took a week off and headed to Syracuse, NY to the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever National Specialty show, which took place Sept. 12-16.

It was the big stage for hundreds of medium-sized red dogs from all around the country and Canada.

Buzz and Ryan were among them.

For different reasons, I’m not sure which dog should get the most ink (or applause) because both were spectacular. So, I decided each dog should get his own column.

At 11.5 years old, this was Ryan’s first and most likely last, National Specialty and I’m still beaming.

As you know, my friend, Nancy Jennings shows Ryan, and he was entered in two classes.

Ryan started off the week winning his rally excellent class with a perfect 100 score. Which was terrific.

But it was what happened the next day that really made me smile. And cry. And smile and cry some more.

In fact, he and the four other old-timers in his class made a lot of people cry trotting around the ring tails wagging. There were few dry eyes in the place. Even Nancy was crying in the ring while showing him.

All I was hoping for standing outside the ring wiping away the tears was that he didn’t finish fifth – because then he wouldn’t get a ribbon.  

Instead, something wonderful happened. In that judge’s eyes, on that special day, Ryan’s “style” as she called it, pushed the old guy to the top of his class. He won his old man veterans sweepstakes conformation class, beating four champions and grand champions ages 11-plus.

He got to eat food in the ring, won a ribbon, a tile trophy and $15 check.

I think it might have been the biggest upset of the show because no one saw it coming.

Especially me.

Ryan, however, seemed to have other ideas. From the first time he entered the show building, he took one look around and acted like he owned the joint. He smiled the way only Ryan can express himself. And, his tail wagged the whole time. He was holding court and having a blast.

He even bravely endured almost an hour of grooming (done in short blocks of time over two days).

I cannot begin to adequately express enough gratitude to Robyn Haskin for the time and effort she put into grooming the old guy.

And it’s worth noting here that I just met her for the first time in person at this show – where she was not only running the event as the show chairman but also showing a number of her own dogs.

For her to expend that much time on the old guy shows just how wonderful a community Toller breeders are – willing to help each other at the drop of a hat.  

For Ryan and Nancy to win their rally class at the big National Specialty was wonderful, but for them to win the veteran’s sweepstakes class was beyond anything I could have ever imagined.

The old guy went out in style, just as the judge said.

Nancy has decided that she wants to get one last qualifying score in rally, so Ryan can attain his Rally Excellent title and then he’ll retire from the show ring.

She’ll continue to train him when he wants to participate but it will be on his terms.

Oh, he’ll still accompany Buzz to the shows when we go, but Ryan’s job will be to kick back, enjoy long walks around the show grounds, get fed special treats and take the time to smell the grasses.

At 11.5 years old, he’s earned it.

(Publisher’s note: You’ll have to wait until tomorrow to read how Buzz did. I think Ryan deserves his time in the spotlight and his own chapter.)