Leeds Ch. Show

With Kaiah and Ross chucking their coats and the escalating costs of Champ show entries I decided to only enter Sammi and Loki and Leeds. I was disappointed to not be taking Kaiah as the judge had loved her as a minor puppy, but maybe her day will come again?
With the weather being so warm I kind of gathered Loki would not put in a great performance, but to be fair the boy did OK. The photo shows his huge length of stride .. if only he put more effort into it!  He was considered for 2nd but she left him in 3rd place out of 4. I have to be honest and say that maybe it was the right position for him on the day.
With Sarah double book I was taking young Kasey into the ring for Ian and we got a credible 2nd. Kasey went very well for me and I was really chuffed when I was later approached by well respected breeder and Ch. Show judge who told me that Kasey would have been his winner!
Sammi was entered in Open Bitch, the top class of bitches, she was in with the Champions and multiple CC winners. I kind of expected to be last. Not meaning to be detrimental to my lovely Sammi or to Sarah but I'd looked at the class on paper and was kind of prepared for it. To my delight Sammi put in the performance of her life and was pulled out second and stayed there. I was so so proud of her, so emotional I cried. Sammi is special, after Louis there was a huge hole in my heart and she was the one who found her way in to fill the void.  I love all my dogs ... but some of them just get to me just a little bit more!
I knew by being second in open that Sammi had won her Stud Book number, hell I know the rules and qualifications .. but I still couldn't help but check when I got home! "A Stud Book number is achieved when either a dog wins a Stud Book qualifying award at a Championship show or a dog obtains a Junior Warrant. It also qualifies a dog for Crufts for life. "German Shepherds are in BAND C which means they can qualify by being "1ST/2ND IN OPEN CLASS OR 1ST IN LIMIT CLASS." That's why last year I was proud of her 3x2nds in limit, but also disappointed not to win and get the stud book number. Open is a hard class, the hardest ...this has to be her top achievement, the first bitch here to get her stud book number since Nikki. Yeah she did me so proud!
I have no photos of Sammi from yesterday yet, but a new friend took quite a lot so here's hoping I'll have plenty to share later. Also I have a lot to think about as I've had a proposition made to me about Sammi ... quite a quandary really, a proposition that needs a lot of thought ...