This year marks the second time the Colorado Springs Kennel club will be at their new location, the Phil Long Expo Center, 1515 Auto Mall Loop in Colorado Springs. This will also be my 8th trip to this particular dog show, having had my first experience there in the spring of 1999.

The show is June 9th and 10th. If you'd like to attend you can get more information at the dog show superintendent's web site, http://www.onofrio.com/jp/SPRI1JP.pdf or you can arrive at 8am and get a program for the days' activities. No matter which breed you're interested in, they will likely be represented. Additionally there are vendors and booths throughout the hall, all dog related. I'll be hanging around the Weimaraner and Vizsla rings, both days.

I tried calculating the other day how many shows I've been to over the years. It's probably close to 600 if not more. Colorado Springs isn't the biggest or most prestigious, but the club does a nice job with their event.

There isn't really a home-town advantage in the sport of dog shows. The only advantage I have is that I can crawl out of bed and launch from home instead of a friends' house, a hotel or travel trailer. There will be people there from all over the country, however, who will not have that particular once-a-year luxury.

I've had varying experiences at the CS show over the years. The best came in 2000 when I took a Sporting Group IV placement. I've garnered major wins, minor wins and a few surprises. I've also gone home empty handed which is just the nature of the sport. 2005 was the best year for points. We walked away with three majors between 2 dogs, totaling 10 points.

For the dog-show layman, it takes 15 points for a championship, requiring two wins of 3 points or more. Points are determined by the number of dogs present and defeated by the winner. It is exceedingly more complicated, but unless you're planning on competing, don't try to figure it out!

This year I have a mixture of contenders, however, the one dog I really wanted to show won't be there. Heidi, who took her very first point at the Colorado Springs show last year, is on the "injured reserve" list.

Heidi likes to barrel race around the trees in our backyard and on Memorial Day she hung herself up a stubbed branch and broke her rib. Heidi is the closest of my dogs in competition to 15 points. There are frequent points of humility reminding me not to take the sport too seriously. I wish poor Heidi hadn't been the subject of humility this time around. A dog with a broken rib is a miserable creature.

Heidi aside, I have two young males and my champion Minnie to show. Minnie and Homer will be piloted by my friend Amber, who is at least a head taller then myself. Homer is a tall dog, his head comes up to my waist. We've joked that he is the pony I always wanted as a child.

Q is my charge for the weekend. He is a weird little-big guy who can't decide if he is a man dog or a puppy dog. He makes people laugh at training class because he nibbles on me, everywhere. If another dog growls, he can't decide if he wants to be tough, or to shrink between my legs. He's relatively inexperienced so we're just hoping for a good time around the ring, any points will be gravy.

Please read my blog at http://coloradosprings.yourhub.com/~Amysfalconblog

Other links:
Colorado Springs Kennel Club
Jack Onofrio Dog Shows
American Kennel Club
Foxfire Weimaraners