Although the Borzoi National Specialty Show ended three weeks ago, I am just now coming out of my trance from all of the love and beauty I experienced there. So much so, that I have already booked my hotel room for next year, where it will be held in Mesquite, TX. The joy of looking forward to it will be a beacon for me when I go through hard times of sadness, which I know will happen, if the past is any indicator.
My mentor’s dog, a male, is the number one borzoi in the country and he was expected to win. The number two borzoi was a bitch bred by another highly respected breeder and exhibitor, almost at the same level as my mentor. There was a bit of a surprise when the judge selected the bitch to be the winner, and the dog as BOS.
Fortunately, there was a class coming up for “Stud Dog”, and my mentor’s borzoi won that prestigious honor, so my mentor had much to be proud of, since it is not only about winning in the ring, but what you can produce in the whelping box. The dog is down from our co-bred borzoi, Majenkir Magnus o’ Blyss (Magnus/Max). That win retroactively reflects back on all of the dogs of that line to Magnus, and his parents, my “Makhailya” and “Regal” of Majenkir. They are gone now, but at home, I am comforted by their photographs and portrait pictures that are so beautiful. My home is a shrine to them and their exquisite beauty. What is not hanging on walls is contained in numerous photo albums. Who would ever have believed I would own such a special borzoi as “Mikhailya” and be so fortunate to do a breeding with “Regal”, my mentor’s most famous stud dog. The stars aligned for the creation of my litter.
All of this was clearly in the forefront of my mind during the show, even if I did not always feel well, troubled by migraine headaches and chills. But I was well entertained by the two beautiful borzoi boys of my room-mate who added an extra dimension of joy to my trip, and I got a ride back home with a friend from NJ with a van with several borzoi in the back.