Buzz made a triumphant return to the Rally Obedience Ring after a two-year hiatus Memorial Day weekend.
(For those new to Chelsea Update, Buzz was one of first dogs in the country to achieve a RACH (Rally Champion) title in 2018. And in doing so, he made the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever record books as both the first of his breed to be a Rally Master and subsequently a Rally Champion.)
We began showing again Memorial Day weekend and true to form, he didn’t miss a beat, winning all three classes, as well as the the distinction of earning the highest combined score as well as the highest triple combined score. Out of a possible 300 points, Buzz scored 297.
The next weekend, we headed to Toledo where our placement results weren’t quite as good, but our scores were.
Last Friday and Saturday, we went to Monroe to one of our favorite shows and sites — the Ann Arbor Kennel Club Dog Show that’s held at the lovely Monroe County Fairgrounds. And once again, Buzz earned terrific scores and was awarded a couple of toys, and two huge highest scoring dog rosettes and I won a couple of gas cards, which will come in very handy for upcoming shows. Out of 300 possible points, Buzz received 293.
And that brings us to last Saturday when he topped the mark of the last score he needed (98 out of a possible 100) and qualified for his third Rally National Championship. The date and location in 2022 have not yet been announced, but we intend to go. For the first time, Buzz and I will compete in four rings in one day and vie for the title of national champion — against the very best of the best dogs from across the country.
When doing so, we will be representing the City of Chelsea and the State of Michigan.
I had planned to keep it a secret, but Buzz insisted that I let readers know: Chelsea’s favorite Rally Obedience Dog has qualified for this national competition once again, (pending AKC notification), and we will do our best to shine a bright, positive spotlight on the City of Chelsea when we compete.
