Ch. Sassenach Roads Scholar RN
Ronan
Without the effort and strees it caused both Jani and Ronan, their Rally Novice title was garnered in three straight tests. Two at Specialties and one at an All Breed Show. Ronan got a placement in class with each leg. Now they are on to Rally Advanced.
Both Ronan and Jani are thrilled to be able to leave behind the conformation ring. Although it was fun to see then in the Specials line up at the 2008 GSCA National in Gettysburg. Ronan picked up his first leg on his Rally Novice title at the National, tying his score of 94 with two other dogs and placing 4th overall. After a little polishing Ronan and Jani went to the TarTan Specialty, Columbus Day and came away with a second rally leg and a first place ribbon. It's great to see the two of them relaxed in the ring and actually enjoying themselves. We are anxiously awaiting news from them this next week when Ronan gets to go hunting for the first time. Watch for some updates from Jani.
Jani's Picture of Ronan
If I had to match my vision of Ronan with a song it would have to be a song from The Sound of Music, paraphrased a bit - How do solve a problem like Ronan? How do you catch a cloud and pin it down?…. Except that he isn't a problem, but he is a clown. A very smart clown. He arrived on a hot, humid July 4th weekend in 2002 on a long flight into Boston from Calgary. He and his litter sister, Shelby, wailed they're way through Customs, much to their escort's embarrassment. And when he stepped out of the kennel in Rhode Island, he acted as if the long day were just a memory. Ronan immediately made himself at home, obeyed my old boy, Gavin, who let him know that pulling his ears was not polite, and dutifully followed the old fellow out the dog door as if he knew exactly what it was for. Ronan got me through losing Gavin a month later - how could I be sad with an in-your-face puppy demanding attention all the time? Puppy classes, basic obedience, agility training - nothing phased Ronan. Everything seems to be a piece of cake to him. It can be difficult at times to live with a dog who just may be smarter than I am in some ways! What do you do with a "problem" like Ronan when he teaches himself to turn on the tap in the bathroom sink to get a drink?
At any rate, we've both struggled with going into the ring at dog shows. I am not exactly light on my feet, Ronan certainly is. We've had four different handlers, counting Judith, but have come to the conclusion that Ronan just wants his "Mom" in the ring with him. So, despite having had a handler for almost a year who only managed to put 4 points on him, we are back together and now have 10 points and our first major!
What do I want for Ronan? The moon - Beauty, Brains, and Birdsense like his mother. Whether we accomplish this remains to be seen, but whatever we do, it'll be together. Ronan is a sweet, cuddly, lovable baby and he has the most outstanding temperament. He tolerates and plays with puppies and little dogs (adores Papillions!), he is friendly to other dogs without being wimpy, and he especially loves little children in strollers! A joy to live with, yet he tests me at every turn, especially when I'm on the telephone! But I wanted another Ciaran, and I'm convinced I got my wish. And I couldn't be happier.
Post Script:
Ronan has always had his own timeline as to when he's going to finish. That was obvious as I finally gave up dragging us both to dog shows and coming up short each time. I was at the point of quitting, but Kristin Karboski really felt he should finish. And so did the TarTan Gordon Setter Club. With the cost of gasoline rising, as well as everything else, our club organized an email group to work out where everyone would be showing so that our majors were a little better organized. Over the summer, we finished 5 dogs and 2 bitches - and one of those dogs was Ronan. With the grooming and handling skills of Kristin, Ronan finished with a flourish by taking Best of Winners for a 4 point major at the Great Barrington KC Show in Springfield, MA on August 24 under judge Mrs. Wendy Willhauck. His last hurrah in the breed ring will be in the Best of Breed ring at the 2008 GSCA National Specialty. Many thanks to Kristin, the TarTan GSC, and most of all to Judith for listening and understanding my whining for the past year!
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Ronan watching the squirrels - never a dull moment with a Sassenach kid.
Ronan Pedigree:
DOB May 2, 2002
Hips BVA/HD 4:5, OFA GSE4112G26M-PI
DNA
CERF GSE687
Thyroid GSE TH69/70M
PRA rcd-4 tested CLEAR
OFA # for CBD (Cerebellar Degeneration) GSE-CBD14/130M-PI
| Aust. Ch. Triseter Ebonie Marlon | ||
| Ch. Rokeena Swagman | ||
| Aust. Ch. Tahtan Black Lactitia | ||
| Sassenach Roads Scholar | ||
| Am. Can. Ch. McMurphy Fieldstone Travis | ||
| Am.Can. Ch. Sassenach Limited Edition, CD FDJ CGC/TDI | ||
| Ch. Sassenach H. Corbett | ||
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