The Incredible Purple Whippet

[chelynnah]

I had what could definitely be called someone's worst nightmare today in the ring!!  I actually saw the funny side of it even in the midst of it (though I'm sure it didn't quite look like that to people).  Savannah is 9 months and entered in Richmond Championship show - it is her first time in Puppy Bitch class.  She is primed and ready to go in the ring, but a bit skittish when the wind blows up and the tent makes noise.  10 minutes before the ring I brush her over and she is perfect.  They call the class and I stand up only to have my husband yell - 'she's PURPLE'!  Somehow in that 5-10 minutes and probably in one of her fly rounds when the wind picked up, she managed to skid through a blown up pen refill that someone's dropped on the ground.  She has a DARK PURPLE stripe all up her hind leg - on her showing side!!  I rub at it (as I have no idea what it is yet) and nothing happens and all other dogs are in the ring so I just go - last in line.

People see the predicament and a couple in the ring tell me not to worry it shouldn't count against me.  I realise I won't place anyway as there are 15 in the class, it is only her 4th Champ show and there are definitely much better dogs in the ring, so I'm not overly worried about that, but it still LOOKs bad.  I try wiping with wet tissue - only to make it worse.  I try stacking her the other way round, and that works for a minute, but then she's uncomfortablel and flipping herself round the proper way.  Some VERY nice people come up and say after we go round they've got a pack or two of wet-wipes that I can use to clean it off.  The judge comes up for her first look and asks what it is - I tell her I'm not sure, but it's happened in the last 5 mintues.  She is VERY understanding!

We take them round and she 'walks nice' for the first half, then the wind blows up and right as we're passing in front of the judge she plays up.  With the help of 2 or 3 very nice ladies, I am able to get 98% of it off - believe it or not, they then supply me with towel to dry her, and grooming mitt to fluff  You ALMOST couldn't see it, just a shadow.

She 'stands' nice the whole time waiting for her time on the table.  Holds a nice stand while on the table - the judge again is very understanding and amazed I was able to clean it off!

Then time for the triangle and line - Well the wind picked up, Savvy is already out of sorts because while she knows she was supposed to be standing still and behaving I was scrubbing her butt, and the wind is blowing hard.  I can't get her to walk either (Dawn  imagine worse than 3 Counties!).  Finally on the way back to the judge she starts walking perfectly, so the judge (being extremely fair and I SO much appreciate it) says take her for another triangle while she's behaving.  No luck  She's had enough.  She does stand perfectly for 5 minutes though during the last look, and of course we don't place.  Which was fine as she didn't deserve it

Anyway, I don't know if any of the people involved are on this list, but I wanted to say that Whippet people are great!  I hope that somehow word gets back to them how much I appreciated their help and support out there today - they made a bad situation a LOT better!

Permission to laugh - as it is funny!  And we had a great day overall

Wendy

 

[Vanna]

Wendy,

You are not alone!  A few years ago, I slept in on the morning of a show (by coincicence it was Richmond - what is it about Richmond and ink?!).  Rushing around getting ready, I grabbed a dog bed in which my puppy had been shredding a toy the night before, threw it in the car and piled the puppy and her mother in on top of it.  

On the way to the show I thought I heard something being crunched in the back of the car, but it soon stopped, and I was in a hurry, so didn't do anything about it.  I duly got to the show, took the dogs out of the car, quickly put coats on them because it was a windy day, and went off to find my bench.  During the dog judging I went back to the bench a couple of times, walked the dogs and put them back again - still with coats on.  Then I went to wake my puppy up and get her ready for the ring.  I took her coat off to find - yes my lovely fawn and white parti puppy  was now brindle with great big purple/blue streaks from the biro she had chewed up in the car!  I rushed to the stalls to see if anyone had anything that could help me.  Everyone was very helpful, and I discovered some wonderful stuff.  Doreen Paige makes a dry shampoo that you squirt on and rub off - it takes out biro ink and almost anything else that puppies get on themselves.  Now I always have a bottle of it in my show bag - just in case!

 

[Judy]

And I thought any colour was acceptable in a whippet! :biggrin:

 

[chelynnah]

Vanna - I was lucky that we caught it early enough that it actually all did come out with the wet wipes - thank goodness!!  There is a slight lavender tinge left if you know what you're looking for.  The judge said that there is something she uses to repair tears in coursing whippets and it's purple - she said once that gets on them it's ages before it gets off.  That is such a bizarre coincidence about the ink and Richmond.  Hmmmmmm - wonder if a whippet offended the 'ink gods' there at some time?

Judy - Yup - that was the comment of several people trying to make the situation a bit lighter:biggrin:

(Edited by Wendy at 5:19 pm on Sep. 10, 2001)

 

[Millie]

Hi Wendy,

I was pleased that I could help you out with such an awfull situation. It's from years of showing collies that I tend to carry around all sorts of cleaning things in the show bag (wet ones and towels being essentials).

It was a terrible day weather wise, I don't think there was one whippet that wasn't shivering, the table was so wobbly and the wind whipping at the tent, all combined, made the worse conditions for showing whippets. ( I know my two didn't like it).

I,m pleased you can see the funny side though, all part and parcel of showing!

 

[chelynnah]

Millie!!  THANK YOU  I hoped if I posted on enough lists and boards it would get back to someone involved how much I appreciated them!  How wonderful that you are actually on the board!

In a situation like that you can either see the funny side or crumble to bits.  I don't tend to be the 'crumble to bits kind' so...  I was actually more worried that the judge would think I was taking the mick or disrespecting her by showing a dog in that condition! But you know it never occurred to me NOT to take her in the ring?

Guess maybe I am getting into this showing thing after all

Anyway, Thank you AGAIN!  It meant the world to me.

 

[dawn]

Hi Wendy

How is Tinky Winky

Maybe Hari and What can be La La and Po!

Dawn

 

[chelynnah]

LOL Dawn!!

She's back to normal.  We even won Reserve at the Puppy match last night - I was SO proud of her.  Will write you later.  Regular ISP is offline as its main servers are in Washington, so I'm on the pay per minute one

Wendy