ANTA/Past Events/Montgomery, NY
Revised 09/02/08
ANTA FALL FESTIVAL
OCTOBER 13-14, 2007 -- MONTGOMERY, NY
FALL FESTIVAL JUST AROUND THE CORNER ...
Mid-October is fast approaching and the 2007 Fall Festival promises to
be bigger and better than ever. Event organizer Cathie Heimbach says that
among the changes are:
- A silent auction with many new Norfolk items will be held and, in addition,
we will have a surprise hand-crafted Norfolk raffle prize.
- Flat racing has been revised and modified to ensure better organization
and a chance to crown both puppy and adult champion runners.
- A different (and better) restaurant for the informal Friday evening
gathering. Previous Friday gatherings have been great fun ... so we can't
wait to see what's in store for us this year.
- Also promised are salads in both Saturday and Sunday lunches ... and
refreshments before and during the annual meeting. It sounds as if attendees
won't go away hungry, and the Saturday evening banquet is always a sumptuous
affair, as well.
Another change this is year is an administrative one, in that Sue Owen
has generously agreed to be event Secretary ... a decision for which Sheila
Foran is extremely grateful. Remember to fill out your entry forms completely
and accurately, and get them to Sue as soon as possible. (The event flyer
is included with this issue of ANTIC.) Payment is requested at the
time you send in your registration, accurate counts for lunches and dinner
are very important and complete information on the dog(s) you are bringing
helps make assembling the catalogue a much more efficient experience.
Our judge this year is Jessica Jurich James who has both a practiced
eye and a wry sense of humor. We look forward to having Jessica with us...
and if a few of the puppies that were present at the summer picnic show
up in New York, the entry should be a strong, competitive one.
Although our Saturday conformation match is always a highlight, anyone
new to Norfolks, or to dog shows, shouldn't feel intimidated. We welcome
beginner handlers as well as beginner dogs, and there is always someone
available to lend a hand to those of you who are completely befuddled by
the order of classes and by obscure sounding instructions from the judge.
(Judges at ANTA events are notorious for their patience and kindness to
new exhibitors.) ANTA's very own "Steward for Life" Jim Zabawa
runs an efficient ring and promises to get all competitors where they should
be ... when they should be.
Sunday's field events are always enjoyable, for both dogs and handlers
alike. All events are held "just for fun" ... although rosettes
are given to those dogs that excel in flat racing ... just as an added incentive.
For anyone interested in flying in to the site, the closest airport is
Stewart International in nearby Newburgh, NY. Stewart is served by Delta,
Jet Blue, Northwest and US Airways.
October is usually the height of foliage season, and nearby attractions
that visitors may want to see include the US Military Academy at West Point
and the Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame in nearby Goshen. The area
is also full of small towns, antique shops and other local places of interest.
We are looking forward to welcoming many of you to the 2007 Fall Festival
which will be held on the weekend of October 12 -14 in Montgomery, NY.
ANTIC, September, 2007
2008 Fall Festival Continues Tradition of Successful ANTA Events
Beautiful weather ushered in the 2007 ANTA Fall Festival. By 10:00 a.m.
the show ring was set and gaily decorated with corn stalks, hay bales, colorful
Mums and pumpkins uniquely painted by Harry Owen. Owners and their dogs
were ready and waiting for steward Jimmy Zabawa to call the first puppy
class. Judge Jessica Jurich James did an outstanding job taking her time,
being patient, and selecting her winners out of a large entry of 56 dogs.
Among the winners were Best Puppy in Show and Best in Show, Dralion's
Spirit of the Dance (pictured on page one). Best Opposite Sex Puppy, from
the Four to Six Month Puppy Dog class was a not yet officially named Sheer
Bliss entry (Ch. Birkenshaw Windchaser x Sheer Bliss' Landslide) bred by
Betsey Bliss and Carol Falk and owned by Betsey.
Best Adult and Best Opposite Sex in Show went to Aberschan Tom Sawyer
(Ch. Nordach Tiga Gold x Ch. Aberschan Dark and Stormy) bred and owned by
James Covey and James Zabawa.
Winner of the Biffin of Beaufin Dog Stake was Ch. Avalon's What's It
All About (Ch. Birkenshaw Windchaser x Black Magic's White Sands of Avalon)
bred and owned by Lori Pelletier.
Winner of the Merry of Beaufin Bitch Stake was Quinsea's Starina of Ben
Kelev (Ch. Ben Kelev's Poker Chip x Ch. Quinsea's Honey of Ben Kelev). Bred
by Mary Ellen Wigmore and Carol Falk, she is owned by Mary Ellen.
When judging was completed, ANTA's annual meeting was held. It was followed
by a presentation by Carol Falk and Lori Pelletier which included updates
on vaccination schedules, MVD, new medications on the market and general
health issues affecting Norfolks. After a question and answer session, there
was ample time to return to the motel, tend to dogs, refresh and change
clothes for dinner. The reward for a short drive to the Boat House was a
delicious buffet. No one seemed in a hurry to leave the congenial atmosphere
at the end of the evening.
Sunday the good weather held and the fun and games began. Sassie and
Celine Joiris attracted many owners eager to try their skill on agility
equipment with their Norfolks. Lini Federici spent a half hour with puppies
and novices only at the earth dog tunnels. Then she welcomed the adults
and experienced dogs. This worked well and the waiting time was minimal.
Bob and Elayne Hill devoted an hour to gently introducing puppies and
novices to flat-racing. This, too, was successful. Bob had new classes set
up for the actual races and the event was better organized than ever before.
Karen McCullough's Kaia won Best Junior Racer, while Lini Federici's Broady
(on her ninth birthday) won Best Adult Racer.
Lure coursing, run by Lou Heimbach and Harry Owen, had its usual devotees
and many new participants. Mechanical breakdowns (i.e. Norfolks catching
and chewing through the lure string) occurred but didn't diminish the excitement
of all involved.
A silent auction, a Norfolk-etched wine box raffle, a new luncheon menu,
pumpkins for sale, plenty of good things to eat both days, lots of people,
young ... old ... new ... veterans, and dozens of Norfolk Terriers ... all
made possible by many wonderful volunteers (especially Sue and Harry Owen
and Lou Heimbach) produced a warm, welcoming and wonderful Fall Festival
weekend.
Cathie Heimbach
Editor's Note: Conspicuously absent in Cathie's write up of the Fall
Festival is mention of HER name. Her efforts in making this event better
and better every year are especially appreciated by all who attend this
great weekend. On behalf of ANTA ... Thanks, Cathie!
Comments From the Judge ... Jessica Jurich James
On Saturday, October 13, I had the privilege and great pleasure to judge
ANTA's Fall Festival match at the beautiful Thomas Bull Memorial Park in
Montgomery, NY. The unseasonably mild weather meant that the autumn leaves
were not yet at their peak, but it also meant that we did not have to brave
the elements in order to enjoy the wonderful weekend's activities.
I was stunned by the sheer number of entries over 50 in all but it was
the overall quality of the dogs that really delighted me. Gone are the days
of fiddle fronts and narrow heads. In fact, heads were excellent overall.
Ear carriage and size were generally good, and eye color, size and expression
were correct. There were very few of the light-colored or overly-prominent
eyes I had been seeing in recent years.
Mouths were better than I expected, with a few that were excellent. I
found no missing incisors or parrot mouths and no severely undershot mouths,
though there were plenty of entries with missing premolars and a few level
bites. What does need watching is oral hygiene! I was surprised at the number
of entries exhibiting serious tartar build-up, even in young dogs. Maintaining
healthy mouths in our dogs is something we can all do to prevent future
health problems and may even help to prolong the lives of our pets.
And the Winners ...
Out of an outstanding field of bitches, I was pleased to find my Best
Puppy and Best in Show in a lovely year-old bitch from Canada. Her outline
and expression grabbed my attention from the first line-up. She continued
to impress me on the move and on the table great front and rear with powerful,
driving movement, perfect size, bone and balance, topped off with a strong,
yet oh-so-feminine head. What a great package she had it all and stood out
even among the really terrific competition.
My Best Adult and Best Opposite Sex to my Best in Show winner was a powerful,
masculine dog; a great mover with the most beautiful, natural dark red coat.
He really made an impression, and I was pleased to find out later that he
is co-owned by our ring steward, James Zabawa. Jimmy did such a wonderful
job on the day, cheerful and professional, he really helped to keep the
ring organized and contributed a lot to making my job the joy it was.
About 20 years ago, Joan Read invited me to judge an ANTA Spring Match
in Connecticut. I think Joan would be delighted, as am I, to see that the
breed has improved noticeably since then. This was nowhere more in evidence
than in this year's Fall Festival Family Class. What a great opportunity
for ringsiders to appreciate the accomplishments of dedicated breeders;
at least one entry spanned three generations, and the entire ring was jam-packed
with quality.
I thank ANTA, and particularly Judith Felton and Cathie Heimbach, for
inviting me to share this weekend with you and for being such gracious hosts.
Thank you also for the beautiful Norfolk Terrier serving platter, a treasured
reminder of a truly memorable event.
Jessica Jurich James
Sue Owen's Fall Festival Photo Essay
Best Puppy in Show and Best in Show Dralion's Spirit of the Dance (Ch. Avalon's
What's It All About x Ch. Jaeva Dancing Lesson) shown with ANTA President
Judith Felton, breeder/owner Linda Dowdle, Judge Jessica Jurich James and
Steward Jimmy Zabawa. This spirited young lady started her run for the BIS
rosette in the 12-18 month puppy bitch class. |
Judge Jessica James, Jim Covey and Jimmy Zabawa with BOS Aberchan's Tom
Sawyer |
Agility practice: there's a dog in there somewhere! |
Junior handling takes skill and concentration ... both evidenced here by
Zach and puppy. |
This puppy was Bliss-fully unaware. |
The Penrose/Lachman team in action. |
Jufelt's winning family class entry ... looks like everyone was having fun. |
ANTIC, December, 2007
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