This year the national specialty was held in Hot Springs, Arkansas. We had looked forward to this all year. It is a great time to renew old friendships, make new ones and to see everyones great dogs. This is the view that greeted us at the hunt test that first morning.

The first two days of the specialty were taken up with hunt tests on Wednesday and Thursday. Ariel passed both days to earn two legs of her Junior Hunter title. Sweet Pea passed only once on Thursday for one leg of her Junior Hunter. Bear Hug Baron Orion, Orion, also passed one leg for his Junior Hunter on Thursday. This is a picture of Ariela and I in the field on Thursday.

This is Sweet Pea doing her imitation of a lap dog at the hunt test.

This is Orion with Bonnie and Roland at the hunt test.

This is me with Sweet Pea and Ariel and some of their new hunt test ribbons.

On Friday we got busy with the shows. Friday evening we had the AWPGA Independent Specialty. And we are proud to report that Sweet Pea did us proud. She went Best of Opposite Sex in the Sweepstakes and then went on to win an Award of Merit in the specialty show. This is her show shot. What is most impressive, is that Sweet Pea did this at 9 months of age. Like her dad, she turns it on in the show ring, and when outside, she is all about having fun. She can find more ways to entertain herself and anyone around her than any dog we have ever had.

This is immediately after the show resting in my lap again.

This is Sweet Pea with Marsha.

On Saturday both Sweet Pea and Rugby made the final cut of 6 dogs, and Sweet Pea almost won Best of Opposite Sex. On Sunday we did not enter, because we had planned on leaving early to get home. That plan got changed so we went to the show to cheer on our friends and to enjoy being with them one more day. I had planned on taking more pictures of everyones dogs, but somehow we ended up being too busy to remember the camera. But when it was all done, we had a great time, and appreciate the effort that was made to make such an excellent for so many people.