New CDX title for Mia-belle!!!!

 Huge congratulations to Jessica and Mia-belle on their new CDX (Companion Dog Excellent) title!!!  Mia-belle is now, CH Grayhart's Special Request, CDX, RA, NSD, NRD, V (Zeke x Trixie)!  Mia-belle earned her 2nd CDX or Open leg yesterday with a terrific score of 194.5 earning a 2nd place.  She earned the 3rd and final leg today, finishing her title with a 192, earning a 3rd place!

The Open class exercises are all performed off leash and include a heeling pattern, drop on recall, retrieve on the flat and over a jump and the broad jump. Once the individual exercises are completed, all of the dogs are brought into the ring for out of sight group sits and stays, lasting 3 and 5 minutes respectively. This class is sometimes referred to as the heartbreak class due to the high level of difficulty of some of the exercises for some dogs, especially the out of sight stays.

 We are very proud of this awesome team who will be training for the Utility level of competition obedience.  If that wasn't challenging enough, Jess and Mia-belle are also in training for agility and pointing and retrieving hunt tests!

Mia-belle: Open A Obedience

Mia-belle, CH Grayhart's Special Request,CD,RA,NSD,NRD,V, (Zeke x Trixie), and owner, Jessica, showed in Open A obedience last weekend in North Carolina.  They had a terrific run, as seen in the video, and went into the out of sight stays with a score of 195.  Well, as we know too well why Open A is called the "heartbreak class", Mia-belle was disqualified for her out of sight stays and did not pass...very disappointing.

 Mia-belle has an awesome drop on recall...

Good girl retrieving over the high jump!

We are so proud of how far this team has come and are quite confident that they will fix those stays and get that CDX and much more.

Video and photos by Judi Nicholson

Another Southern Sweep: Mia gets Point # 14 & Open Obed Debut & Sky goes BOB!

Sky in the Sporting Group with handler Susan Wise

Congratulations to Jessica and Mia, Grayhart's Special Request,CD,RA,NSD, (Zeke x Trixie), for going Winner's Bitch and Best of Opposite on Saturday at the Western Carolina Dog Fanciers Association! On Sunday, Debbie and Sky, Grayhart Lightfoot Early Morning Rain,RN,JH,TD,NSD,V, (Parker x Trixie), went Winner's Bitch, Best of Winners and Best of Breed!!!  This is the 2nd weekend in a row that Mia and Sky have won the points both days at North Carolina shows.  Very proud of my Southern girls!

From Mia's blog:
We traveled back out to Waynesville, NC this weekend to compete again in conformation.  Mia went Winner's Bitch and Best of Opposite on Saturday to earn point number 14.  She just needs 1 more single point to finish her bench championship.

We also made our Open A Obedience debut.  Open A is considered the "heartbreak" class because it's difficult to qualify and many people NQ several times before the get their 3 legs to earn the CDX title.  We didn't qualify either day (Mia decided to go around the jump instead of over) but I was beyond thrilled with her performance.  She showed a ton of drive and enthusiasm and I had a great time with her in the ring!  We have some things to work on but we are definitely well on our way...and she's only 2 years old.  Here are some clips of our runs

Saturday: Mia's debut in Open A

Sunday - Open A again, even though she went around the high jump, I still loved her attitude!