Photos of Morgan at MAHA Show

The photos of Morgan are finally in. Below are those taken after BOB and Group 2 placements at the MAHA Hound show in Raleigh, NC on May 11th,2008, taken by CC Photography.
Thanks again Judge Dana Cline. I am so proud of this 9 month old girl! They grow up too fast!

Morgan receives a Group 2 placement in Raleigh, NC

Group placements- Judge Dana P. Cline handing out ribbons.
Morgan on Saturday - during sweepstakes in the outdoor ring.


Well, it has been quite a week here at Cali Whippets. My baby girl has made me very, very proud and I think the reality of it all is still sinking in. I know how lucky I am to have this experience and I will cherish it for a long time as I have been told it is quite an accomplishment for a new handler and a young puppy.
I have to say, as the weekend progressed, I was happy that Morgan was showing well and excited to win her class again over some very tough competition. She had just turned 9 months old and just moved up to the 9-12 month puppy class. This is exactly how I wanted her to be showing at this point in time.
When she went Winners Bitch - for 2 pts. - I was ecstatic!!! There was a lot of competition in that ring and I couldn't believe that we had gotten her FIRST points. This was even more exciting as Morgan is my first show dog and this was only our 3rd weekend out showing. The excitement didn't stop there for us. Morgan went on to win BOB and BOW over her half sister "Jada" and 3 other champions. If the numbers we had are correct, this means that she will get 3 points for her FIRST MAJOR!!!!
However, the day was not over yet. Morgan went on and placed 2nd in the group ring!!!!
I can't thank Judge Dana Cline enough for this wonderful experience and acknowledgement of my special girl. His patience and ability to work with a new handler should be applauded.
Morgan is quite the show girl. She loves to show and really gave it her all this weekend. I hope this is just the start of a wonderful journey with Morgan and I can only imagine what lies ahead for us. I guess dreams do come true if you believe and try hard enough.


Morgan free-stacked inside on Saturday.
Morgan and me resting up for the Group competition.
The group placements on Sunday.

With the excitement winding down, I have started to think, what got me interested in showing in the first place. When I got my first whippet (Cali) from the Boyds, I never even thought of showing dogs. In fact, I specifically said I wasn't interested in that but could see me lure coursing so we picked out a puppy that might have potential in that field. It didn't take long for me to fall in love with the breed. Whippets are, in my opinion, the perfect pet/dog. They are friendly to everyone, but extremely loyal to their owner. They are affectionate yet independent at the same time. They will snuggle all night with you on the sofa, yet they are extremely athletic and I love to see them in the outdoors/running and coursing.
Somewhere over the past 5 years I started to notice more. I noticed the beauty of the structure of the whippet, their outline, their curves, their style and grace, their beautiful expression, their athleticism, their muscle tone, and their movement. I learned more and the more I learned the more interested I became. I saw these things in my own dogs and realized that I wanted to show that beauty to everyone else.
When the opportunity came to get a puppy from my wonderful boy "Tyler" I couldn't pass it up. I think the world of my little girl. I love her attitude, her shape and curves, her beautiful face and expression, and her movement. I am proud to own this special girl and to show her to the world and I hope it shows to the judges and everyone else watching.

Morgan practices Lure Coursing

Morgan was able to practice lure coursing on Saturday afternoon in Rocky Mount, NC, after the ASFA trial was finished. Her enthusiasm is obvious in the pictures Mike took. Look at her go!

Morgan - Dressed up for Springtime

Picture of Morgan at the Raleigh Show

Morgan goes reserve winners bitch

Morgan won her class again today, which had some very tough competition. But better yet, she also went reserve winners bitch against equally tough competition. While I know some would be disappointed that we didn't win the points, I was SO HAPPY that Morgan continued to show great improvement today, as she has throughout the entire week. She really showed great today and I feel that she is starting to get what we are doing. I hope this progress is only a start and will be a sign of better things to come. Next shows are planned for May 10th and 11th in Raleigh, NC.
Below are the official results:

Sunday 03/23 Fayetteville KC
Judge Patricia Mowbray-Morgan

WD Snow Hill Obvious Child
O- S Lenahan & S Hughes DVM
RWD Stillwater Lickety Split
O-Queen & C Perry

WB Simbali's Shameless (BOW)
O- A Meyer & H Askren
RWB Ableaim Morgan Lefay
O- D McNamer; Breeder - J & G Boyd
BOB Ch Ableaim Not Just Anthr Pretty Face Sc
O- J & G Boyd
BOS Ch Merci Isle Touch Down (not completely sure on this one)
O- K Gonzales

Morgan takes first in her Class

Today was a first for Morgan. She took first place in her class (puppies 6-9 months old) and overall showed well. I also think she had a good time too, as she was able to see her sister Minnie, whom she had not seen since the Greenville shows a month ago. We also had a good time celebrating by enjoying a cookout at the Boyd's place. It was a good day.

Moragn shows in Raleigh, NC

The Tarheel circuit is currently going on in Raleigh, NC, and Morgan has shown twice so far.
On Tuesday she took second place in her class. That sounds better than it was because there were only two puppies entered. She did not behave very well and desired to be last.
Today (Friday) she did much better. Our goal was to have fun but also show well and I was very pleased. She ended up third in her class (not last), but was much improved over Tuesday's showing.
She is also entered the next two days. Our goals are to continue to have fun and to improve our showing skills.