Elliot, the Fast and Furriest
Posted: September 6, 2013 Filed under: FFT Lhasa Apsos 1 CommentOvershadowed by the Gompa wins, only my close friends know what Elliot finishing his Championship that same weekend meant to me. Well, and maybe the lady that quietly presented a kleenix over my shoulder after the judge pointed to him for WD.
Champion FFT MeLou Spill The Wine. Elliot. You’ll find the letters in his call name in his registered name. His father is Ch. FFT No Wine Before It’s Time. His dam, the fabulous Josie, was sired by Connor. Josie is the only Grand Champion Master Agility Champion ( MACH6, I think) Lhasa Apso. She’s currently the #1 agility Lhasa in the country. Elliot’s sister, is #3. Elliot came home with me 4 years ago as a 3 month old puppy, expectations of another champion and the beginning of my journey Down The Quiet Path.
We started agility training with Puppy Foundations shortly after.
Elliot is fast, fast, fast.
He is also the most hyper-vigilant, sensitive to his environment dog I’ve ever had. That has been a HUGE challenge. Two years ago Elliot and I traveled to MN for the Specialties. A fancy dog, he was in top show condition. Having finished too many Champions to count, I deemed him ready for competition that weekend. I’m usually right on. Each day his attitude in the ring declined. The final day the worst. There was a grooming setup ringside with a high-velocity dryer running the entire time he was in the ring.
Elliot was not shown again until this past April. The two years in between we continued agility training, along with playing conformation after agility class. A small show in a small town at a small county fairgrounds in Nebraska (my home state) we met Melissa and Julie. Elliot was going to MN for a few months with three goals in mind. A breeding. A permanent height card. A Championship.
What happened at that small show in that small town was awful. I still feel like I threw Elliot under the bus. His head and tail held high, we headed around the ring and made the first corner. With ‘perfect’ timing a high-velocity dryer – not 10 feet from the next corner – went on. His tail dropped as we continued to head that direction. What could I have done? I still ask myself that question. Pick him up and ask to be excused?
A Championship title? Oh if only Melissa could pull it off! She showed him two weekends using different strategies each weekend. Still struggling, he picked up a 5-pt. major the first weekend (photo below). MN Specialty weekend he was spot on, tail remained up even as 2 different judges reached down and touched him at the end of the down and back! Gulp! This time as the weekend progressed, he only got better in the ring. The last day, the day he finished he stood out above all the other dogs. And I don’t mean height-wise. Another goal, his permanent height card lists him at 10″. There was no denying him that win. What a great way to finish his title!
I am anxious to bring him home. Once again we’re meeting midway. This time at an agility trial. 🙂 As an FFT dog, he’s part of my Fast & Furriest Team.
Gone but not forgotten
Posted: October 3, 2012 Filed under: FFT Lhasa Apsos 6 CommentsIt is with great sadness, but wonderful memories that I share with you that today was CH. TIMBERS’ MITOYA CONFIDENTIAL—CONNOR, last day with me.
At just 3 weeks shy of 15 years old, his body was in pain and could no longer hold him up. Connor was a stand out early on as a puppy, his carriage, attitude and structure had him placing in the breed ring at a very young age. He won breed and placed in group from the classes. Connor was a great ambassador for our breed, I remember having him at the state fair and he sat on his table, so proud and regal like the sentinel dog he was. Allowing the 100’s of people passing by to pet him, and loving every minute of the attention. In fact, Connor’s biggest contribution to my breeding program was his temperament, passing on his outgoing attitude and fear of nothing. He was a vibrant healthy dog until just the past few months.
Connor leaves behind a full legacy:
BISS CH. FFT C’est la vie
CH. Que Sais Je
CH. Sine Qua Non
CH. FFT It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere
CH. IndianHill’s Josie
CH. Mi Tex Ups Lights Up Redd
CH. Do You Know Jill
CH. Timbers’ For Your Eyes Only
CH. Timbers’ Confidentially Yours
CH. Timbers’ SheTsabo U Can Do Magic
CH. FFT Nordik Rose On Golden Pond
Nordik Rose FFT My Fair Lady
FFT Nordik Rose Shaken Not Stirred
and I’m sure I am missing someone.
Connor was out of BISS CH. Woodlyn’s Dust Buster and CH. Timbers’ Applause Applause. He was born at a time when things for Debby and me were at a turning point in our breeding program and I owe a lot to Connor for keeping me in the world of lhasas.
Connor was a easy dog to live with and my kennel feels empty without his presence.
I did realize today that my 4 week old puppies are great great granddaughters of Connor.
Connor and Pryor (Connor has the dark mask)
Connor winning breed from the classes under breeder Judge Sherri Swanson
Connor’s last day
CONNOR October 27, 1997- October 3, 2012
Julie
Patience, Persistence and Gratitude..the Ella and Danba puppies
Posted: May 13, 2012 Filed under: FFT Lhasa Apsos, Gompa Lhasa Apsos 7 CommentsThe Tibetan word for patience – Zopa. For persistence – Nan Tan. And gratitude – Drin Lan. On so many levels, those are key factors in regards to this litter. Ergo, their names. We call them Zopa, Tanner and Landin.
How ’bout a slideshow?
| PARENTS | GRANDPARENTS | GREAT GRANDPARENTS | GREAT GREAT GRANDPARENTS |
| Kunza Danba | Gompa Lotus Kham ma | Dharmapala Lotus Frodo | Dharmapala Nyima |
| Dharmapala Raji | |||
| Dharmapala Lotus Gawa | Dharmapala Drepung | ||
| Dharmapala Tamdin | |||
| Gompa Kunza Chandra | Dharmapala Panchen | Dharmapala Tchang | |
| Dharmapala Phama | |||
| Dharmapala Garma | Dharmapala Taschi-Deleg | ||
| Dharmapala Gulip | |||
| Grand Champion FFT Melou “Well Said” CL1-R | Champion FFT Dancin’ After Midnight ROM | Champion Whisbourne Sleep Walker | Int.Nord. Champion Whisborne Hair Apparent |
| Whisborne Heart in Motion | |||
| Champion Fleetfire Timbers’ U Gotta Dance ROM | Champion Fleetfire U Got That Right | ||
| Champion Timbers’ Fleetfire Last Dance | |||
| Champion FFT All Said n’ Done ROM | Champion Brooksbjur Abba Ka Dab Ra | Champion Bhutan’s Sim Balah | |
| Brooksbjur Heavenly Bliss | |||
| Champion Timbers’ She Tsabo Shot O’Tequila ROM | Champion Ha-Lee’s Tequila on the Rocks | ||
| She Tsabo Timbers’ Chianti ROM |
Twin Cities Lhasa Apso Club Agility Trial
Posted: May 12, 2012 Filed under: FFT Lhasa Apsos | Tags: Julie Timbers Leave a comment
A merry twinkle
Posted: November 13, 2011 Filed under: DRambles on Black Mountain, FFT Lhasa Apsos, Gompa Lhasa Apsos 3 CommentsA merry twinkle, I saw her grandfather in her eyes this past week. Eve…if you will…has been here a month.
Sprite had a sense of humor. The grandfather of her intended mate was much too serious to twinkle. Drepung was dignified. He took watching – watching out for his pack, watching the day go by – seriously. From the front of the Volvo between Ceese and Mac, he watched out the front window coming ‘cross country, delivered with nine of his tribe to my Rocky Mountain home over ten years ago.
He was my dog, Drepung. He’s been gone almost a year, dying the same way he lived. With dignity. He had not bonded to anyone back east, so I was told. He was not a cuddly dog which was, perhaps, the reason why. I admired him from the time we met. His quiet, powerful presence. He was with me in St. Louis when I first presented the Gompa dogs to members of the American Lhasa Apso Club. I almost didn’t take him with me, evidenced by his lack of a long hair on top of his head in those photos.
That was yesterday. And yesterday’s gone. Over ten years have passed. Where on earth does time go?! My, how that project evolved over those ten+ years. I did the best I could. That’s all one can ask.
Two weeks ago Sarah flew to Denver to pick up Zen. During our conversation she asked about Zen’s attributes. Mid list I choked up. And told her when I look at Zen I see her ancestors. The tail females, Hattie, Danielle, Summer, Tommy, Bell and Jelly Bean, all Champions – a handful in the 120+ Champions over the years – and most Register of Merits. What I couldn’t express – and wouldn’t express with someone I’d just met – was sending Zen onward to her forever home was much more than…that.
Putting the kennel dogs out one morning this past week it hit me. The transition really is happening. Five females ran to the gate to the outer dog yard, four Gompas and one FFT. Norma Jean – FFT Purple Marble – is the only intact FFT female in the kennel. OMG!! I sure as $h!t better have meant it! I took note of the males. Eight males; two neutered, two FFT (father and son), three Gompas and one Tibetan import. Yep, I sure as $h!t better have meant it!
Frank Sinatra’s I Did It My Way just popped into my head. I’ll try not to get sidetracked because there’s at least one story I can tell you about that song.
And now the end is near
And so I face the final curtain
My friend I’ll say it clear
I’ll state my case of which I’m certain
I’ve lived a life that’s full
I traveled each and every highway
And more, much more than this
I did it my way
Regrets I’ve had a few
But then again too few to mention
I did what I had to do
And saw it through without exemption
I planned each charted course
Each careful step along the byway
And more, much more than this
I did it my way
Yes there were times I’m sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew
But through it all when there was doubt
I ate it up and spit it out, I faced it all
And I stood tall and did it my way
I’ve loved, I’ve laughed and cried
I’ve had my fill, my share of losing
And now as tears subside
I find it all so amusing
To think I did all that
And may I say not in a shy way
Oh no, oh no, not me
I did it my way
For what is a man what has he got
If not himself then he has not
To say the things he truly feels
And not the words of one who kneels
The record shows I took the blows
And did it my way
Yes it was my way
Yep, it was. My way. Rebel with a cause. Or two. I saw them through. The record shows.
The final curtain…sounds like I’m done. Ah! Not quite yet! Eve? Grand Champion FFT Melou’s “Well Said” is her name. Ella is here to be bred to Kunza Tigle. This is a first – FFT x Gompa dog. How fitting that she also has an agility title or two! This upcoming breeding represents a fusion, a fusion of past work and successes, current learning and a new path for the future.
Kunza at FleetFire Timbers 