Thursday, February 21, 2013

First Blog Post! Finally!

The beginning...

 
White Magic's Magarita Mandy
Ch Christori Splendid Sparkler x Ch Casablanca's Dash of Panache
 
 
I bought Mandy from Carrie (then Dinger) of White Magic Samoyeds, when Carrie lived in Maryland.  I had a male Samoyed named "Prince Toric of Briarwood," and wanted a bitch to breed to him.  I found Carrie in the classifieds of a Dog Fancy or Dog World magazine.  My letter started something like this...  "Hi!  I'm looking for a one to two year female Samoyed to breed to my male."
 
As many people know, Carrie did not freak out or refuse to sell me a puppy.  Instead, she educated me.  I learned about breed standards, health issues, etc.  To make a long story short, I joined the Samoyed Club of America, learned to show, and to this day, many top winning Samoyeds go back to the first litter co-bred by Carrie and me.  Those puppies were sired by a young (and not yet finished) Ch Sanorka's Moonlight Gambler and out of Mandy.  But more on that later.
 
Mandy was a year old, and had one point when I bought her.  LOL as a 20 year old college student, I did not have a lot of money, and had to make payments on my $175 + a puppy back Samoyed.  My parents, who did not normally let me spend the night with strangers, let me stay with Carrie for three days, while they moved my middle brother to college in NJ.  Carrie was a very able teacher.  She crash-coursed me in the finer points of showing and grooming.  I learned a lot in those three days, and between the opportunity to buy a show bitch, and the crash course in Samoyed grooming and handling, I am eternally grateful to Carrie for giving me a chance.
 
I showed Mandy for nearly a year before I put a point on her.  Donald Booxbaum gave us that first point.  I was so proud!  Unfortunately, Mandy did not finish.  She had seven points towards her championship, but I was not able to put those elusive majors on her.  While she had a decent front and gorgeous sidegait, her narrow/parallel rear was not something on which I could pin a major, and I didn't have the money to hire a handler.
 
Gotta eat now...more later!