Hi Lion Lovers
Once upon a time in the wild, wild west...well, actually it was this afternoon, and in Houston, but this *is* Texas, which has never really been tamed....
Today at the San Jacinto Kennel Club (the Battle of San Jacinto is one of the most famous in Texas history!) show and obedience trial, Pistol finished his CDX title - American Kennel Club Companion Dog Excellent - with a 196.5 and 4th place in a very competitive Open B class. I was ecstatic! After the celebration, Pistol and I had 6 hours to wait and watch before we were to go into the Rally ring and hopefully earn a 3rd leg there and an RE - Rally Excellent - title. This show was held in a big covered rodeo arena with a dirt floor in a somewhat redneck part of town. By mid-afternoon the wind had picked up to about 25 mph, making the arena a virtual dust bowl.
Conformation was finished except for the last group and BIS, and obedience was finished except for Rally Excellent, when the few of us remaining started to duck and cover...someone with a gun was in the woods right behind the arena popping off shots left and right. The Onofrio fellow came by to assure us it was probably somebody on private land who was skeet shooting...they weren't necessarily aiming at us. That's when we saw the burly arena security fellow on his 4-wheeler
barrelling into the woods to stop the shooter...only to come barrelling
back out with his legs full of buckshot.
Some dogs were freaking at the sound of the shots, but not Pistol! Every time he'd hear a "Bang!", he'd answer with his loudest "Bark!" All of a sudden there were sirens and police cars - they really got Pistol going - and all the while our unflappable Rally judge kept encouraging the 12 Excellent handlers to quickly walk the course so we could finish this trial before something else happened!
Pistol, who was still barking at the gunshots and sirens, was the first dog in the ring. Just as we approached the start line, there was a "BOOM!" and the power went out! It was cloudy outside, which made it really dark in the arena, but the judge said, "Come on in!" so in we went...Pistol stopped barking, was all business, did exactly as he was told, and earned his 3rd leg with a 98 out of 100 and second place.
The gun battle outside wasn't resolved until about the 6th dog...in the dark and windblown arena, the sudden *quiet* was spooky. Pistol barked once more, just to let everyone know he was still there, then we threw everything in the car and got the heck out of Dodge (or in this case, Crosby.)
Now you know: You've got to be tough to trial in Texas, where the west lives on and on....
April 11th, 2005
Barbara Cecil and Pistol
MACH NATCH ATCH TayWil's Aerien Pistil Pete, CDX, RE, UCDX, ASCA CD, WV-E, TN-O, TG-O
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