Best In Field!

Here are the pictures from Zephyr's Best in Field trial with the Basenji Fanciers of Greater Phoenix on November 9. There are lots of pictures but I had to post them all because he's my only dog and of course I think he is stunning in all of them. By the way, my arm and shoulder hurt for two days after the trial from Zephyr dragging me to the start! I loved it all! It was all such a surprise. I had just planned on having him run alone in the breed trial, he was the only greyhound, to gain confidence. In his previous trial he was bumped by another dog in both runs on the first day and this made him a nervous. They weren't bad bumps but it was basically his first time running with other dogs so I think everything combined together to make him nervous. He was looking over at the other dogs and even moving over to let them pass. He ran two great runs by himself, most of the pictures are from those runs. Luckily after those runs a few people encouraged me to watch the breed run offs before I decided against entering him in the BIF run. So, I watched and thought he would have a good chance and decided to enter him. Then it turned out that everyone except for the whippet owner decided against entering their dogs in the BIF run. Zephyr is really great at following the lure! He doesn't cut across corners and is able to make nice tight turns. It is so fun to watch him. His instincts turn on and he knows exactly what to do. He barks his head off when ever he sees the lure, even if it's not moving! And of course pulls me up to the start. He is so happy when he gets to run, I have to say I just love it all.

Here he is in the first run. I love these pictures of him all tucked under. He looks like he's floating.

Isn't he a hotty flexing his muscles in his muscle shirt!

Kangaroo boy in his second run. I like this one because he's really stretching forward with his back legs and pushing back with the front.

Here he's turning. He looks so balanced and strong, kind of like he's telemark skiing.

Yes, I know this shot looks familiar now but I couldn't help it, he looks too happy.

Here's the BIF run. At the beginning of the course there was a left turn that the whippet, Ricky, missed and then he cut across and was in front of Zephyr. Poor Ricky then wiped out, he was okay though. Zephyr was able to overtake him.

He stayed on the lure and followed it all the way in to his first Best in Field!

Here we are with the very nice judge Jennie Behles! Zephyr immediately loved his new big red bed! You can't see it in this photo but he also won a ceramic rabbit-bank to save all his allowance for more trial entries! And then he decided it was time to Go Coursing Again! Actually, we are headed down to Gilbert again for a trial this Sunday. This time there will be some other greyhounds running. Yeah! It gets a little lonely being the only greyhound at the events here in Arizona. I hope he runs well with the other greyhounds and doesn't get nervous again. I just want him to have fun when runs. Caron

BIF!

Last Sunday Zephyr and I went to Gilbert, Arizona for a lure coursing trial at Nichols Park. Originally I had planned on just bringing him to practice and gain some confidence, he was the only greyhound so he would run alone. Well, to make a long story short I ended up entering him in the Best in Field run and the little beasty boy won!!! I was, and am, so excited! And, of course he loved it all! I don't have the pictures from the trial yet, have to order them from the photographer, but I will post them up as soon as I get them. Zephyr won a ceramic rabbit piggy bank and a big red dog bed, plus a 5 point major! I just wanted to share the good news, will post pictures soon.

Caron