Buzz had quite a birthday week in March this year.
He turned 9 years old on March 1, then four days later, he made Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever breed history — again. Buzz earned his Rally Championship 2 title (RACH2) and did it in style – with three perfect 100 scores for the fourth time in his Rally show career.
So, after becoming the first Toller to get a Rally Champion (RACH) title on Nov. 18, 2018, he’s now broken his own record to attain his second Rally championship title on March 5, 2022.
By way of an explanation, to attain a RACH, he had to score higher than 70 out of 100 points in three classes on the same day 20 times, and along the way, earn 350 total points for his scores. Plus, 150 points had to come from the Master, or the highest level, class.
Not an easy feat.
Aside from in the show ring, we continue to have fun daily adventures as well. He went with me to Golling of Chelsea when I took his dog show vehicle in for an oil change. There, we trained – not just inside the waiting room but also practiced around the cars on display in the show room as well. I’m sure it was not the employees’ normal sighting on a work day.
He also showed his “City Dog” prowess spending one of the warm March days taking a walkabout in downtown Chelsea. Yup, with all the traffic, school buses, children on skateboards and in strollers. Not the things this “Country Dog” normally experiences. And, we also went inside one of the stores where he learned that although plants and pottery are kinda fun to look at, they aren’t to be sniffed.
Remember what you were told as a child? Look, but don’t touch; If you break it, you bought it?
In addition, later in the month, he received his official invitation to the 2022 Rally National Championships in the championship class. And, although we’ve spent the last year showing and training in anticipation of showing in this huge event, world events have changed our plans.
Instead of traveling to Ohio that weekend for the Rally National Championships and staying in hotels, Buzz will be joining hundreds of other dogs of his ilk – Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers – much closer to home in Monroe, MI for a three-day show. We can drive back and forth and sleep in our own home.
Called the Backyard Classic, this show originated in Saline and was founded by one of the first accomplished local Toller breeders — Evelyn Williams. She got involved with Tollers in 1989 and was an active breeder and contributor to the breed until her death.
In fact, I learned a lot about the breed from her. And it’s special that the tradition of this show continues in different locations throughout the Midwest once a year. Since it will take place in Michigan the same weekend as the Rally National Championships, I had a choice to make.
Buzz and I haven’t seen a lot of our Toller friends in a few years because of COVID, and I chose to switch gears and show locally, supporting the Ann Arbor Kennel Club as well.
There, Buzz will a reunion with his brother, Traveler, who he hasn’t seen since the two of them drove here in my van from Canada to Chelsea at 8 weeks old. I’ll be interested to see if they show any recognition of each other. Traveler lives in Illinois and they haven’t crossed paths in nine years.
To conclude his busy month, Buzz also earned all the qualifying scores he will need to be invited to the 2023 Rally National Championships. So, maybe world events will conspire in our favor next year, and we’ll be able to compete at this huge invitational event.
I’ll keep you updated.
