Twin Cities Lhasa Apso Club Specialty

Eleven or twelve years ago I started driving the 7-8 hour trip to the Twin Cities Lhasa Apso Club August specialty. My good friend JoAnne Hays (see photo) lived in the Twin Cities area and encouraged me to join the fun at specialty time. She loved that weekend, with the TCLAC specialty associated with the St. Croix Valley all breed shows. We had three and eventually 4 days of shows once the TCLAC decided to have specialty shows on both Thursday and Friday. JoAnne would invite her out-of-state friends to stay at her house. Her hubby took off for a golf outing that weekend and we "girls" had the house to ourselves. Lhasa friends from the Twin Cities area would join us in the evenings at JoAnne's where we'd have some pizza and margaritas, play with and evaluate puppies, and watch videos of previous national specialties. Good times. Good memories.

JoAnne died in December 2008 and, in the 3 years prior to her death, lived in Texas so she could be near her daughters and grandchildren after her husband died. The TCLAC specialties lost some of their "spark" for me after she left. She loved those specialties and was always so excited about them and the people who attended from nearby states and sometimes from as far away as Texas and California. As fun as the specialties still are and as welcoming and hospitable as the club members remain, each time I go, I miss my friend JoAnne.

I returned home about 9:00 tonight from the annual trek to the TCLAC Specialties and St. Croix Valley all breed show. It was a fun weekend! It was great to see friends that I hadn't seen for months, especially Marsha from ND who has been hospitalized recently and whose health I've been very concerned about. She drove down to see every one. It was her first trip since she got home from the hospital. As is our habit since JoAnne left the area, we stayed together at the Red Roof Inn. Not quite the "party time" we once had at JoAnne's but a good way to reconnect after not seeing each other since last October!

My weekend was exciting! Breaker took Best of Winners on Thursday under judge Gary Dunlop for a 4 point major, upping his point total to 10, including both major wins he needs. Friday he took 2nd place in the Bred By Exhibitor class under Carolyn Herbel. Saturday he took Winners Dog for a 3 point major (Hurray!!) under William Bergum. Today he placed 4th in his class (4th out of 4 – ouch!!!) under Wanda Spediacci. Too bad…I hate to be greedy but I was hoping he would win again today so I could bring home a new champion. Still…it was a super weekend for him. He only needs 2 points to finish. The problem is that I have no shows scheduled for the rest of the year. I was not planning to take him to the national specialty but may have to change my mind.

Now, Mira is another story. She flopped this weekend. Oh my. First, she is in season – full bloom and swollen like an egg. Every few steps, she would spin around once or twice and chase her tail trying to "get" whatever that "thing" was on her rear end that was bugging her. The crowd and the judges, especially Mrs. Herbel, seemed amused by it all. The best Mira did all weekend was a 4th place, but with the way she was behaving in the ring, I really was not expecting anything. As a matter of fact, I was sort of wishing I'd left her at home!

Dancer came back home with us. She was in Wisconsin at my friend Karen's house being bred to Karen's champion Alvin. Is she pregnant? Only time will tell. I'm thinking positive thoughts!

The only thing to mar the weekend was my disappointment that the Twin Cities Lhasa Apso Club failed to dedicate this specialty show to JoAnne Hays. JoAnne was friend to all and an eager, hard working TCLAC member. Many of the dogs being shown by club members have her MiToya dogs in their ancestry. How the members could forget her so soon after her death wounds me deeply. When I asked a couple members about it, they got shocked looks on their faces. They had indeed forgotten. JoAnne would have been so proud to have had a specialty dedicated to her memory. I wish just one of them would have thought to do it.

Life is good when you have a Lhasa to love you.

Joyce