She had done very well in her Open Intermediate Juniors class showing him, placing second in a large group.  She then went on to win the breed and in the group, she received her VERY FIRST EVER GROUP PLACEMENT!

I don't know who I was more proud of.... Taylor, who showed him like a pro, or Cruiser.... who always shows his heart out!  The Judge Mathis was STUNNED to find out that he was over 10 years old!  He's is great shape...... and has a heart as big as TEXAS!
 

Story of Cruiser's Rally Title
 

I've decided there is a point where under training has it's advantages, and, when in a pinch, try a command from a different venue!

I've been working with Cruiser (Ch. Ashbrook Cruise Control WD, JH) in the field, though just enough to get him through Junior---I'm finding his drive is just too intense to get him to be reliably steady at the water or have the kind of consistent control, especially on flyaways, that we need to pass under most Senior judges, though given the intense training he would need and the time to get to enough tests, I'm sure he could do it. Nonetheless, we've been working casually on some field work, retrieving, taking direction (mostly done through play), and he had been roughed in for basic obedience (Come, Sit/Hup, Stay, etc.) as part of the daily routine. 

This weekend (July 5 & 6, 2008), I had Cruiser entered in Novice Rally.  I had HOPED to have the two weeks prior to tweak his training so we could make a respectable showing, but it was not to be. All I could do was teach him his "down", which to that point he had not yet learned.  One lesson a day---he had to give me a down on command before I'd let him eat his dinner. Took 5 days.

I was concerned that once he got into the ring he'd get into Conformation mode and refuse to Sit or Down for me. I needn't have worried. Granted, he was slow to respond, having been taught all his life never, ever to put his butt on the floor in the ring, but he did as he was asked. On Saturday, he scored a very respectable 97 under Judge Karen Wrey.  More incredibly, on Sunday, we were under Judge Blews-Pappas who is apparently a much tougher judge and had to do a right-side wrap to the heel position, a command NONE of my dogs was ever taught (and I keep meaning to work on but never seem to get around to it).  Cruiser hasn't had enough formal training to question something new...he just applied what he HAD been taught as closely as he could to what seemed right---I gave him a wave to the right (which he sort of understood), told him "right-around" (which meant nothing to him), and when he made even the slightest move in the right direction (sorry for the pun), I praised him, edged forward, and told him to "Heel". Voila!  It looked darned pretty for not having been taught the command! He got his second leg with a 94.  :)
...
A little side story about the taking commands from one venue to another:

I think I may have posted this before, but on Cruiser's first hunt test, for which he was barely ready (only for lack of experience and control), he missed a mark that had dropped into a deeply shadowed tree line across a dirt road.  He hunted and hunted and tried to find the mark but just would not cross the visual barrier to get to the tree line, and the wind did not carry over.  So, the judges told me I could take him to the edge of the road and send him into the tree line which was about 20-25 feet over.  Cruiser still did not comprehend "Back" or "Over", and had only the vaguest understanding of taking hand signals.  On the very last attempt, I pulled out the only tool I had left----I had taught the dogs to run through one "dog yard" to the next, which is across the driveway and up a set of stone steps.  So, that's what I told him...a wave to the tree line and "GO ON!" He looked at me for a moment, the light bulb went on in his little head, eyes opened wide with a big "OH!", and right into the tree line he dashed and found his bird!  Whew! 
 

Cruiser doing what he LOVES!!!!!
 

Pictures taken by Claire Podlaseck

Cruiser's Quest for his Junior Hunter Title

I have to say working with Cruiser has been a pleasure---really, he deserves a lot of credit.  A 9-year old who has had almost no training at all, but just oozes drive and talent, has no "issues", is bold, resilient, adaptable, learns super-fast and is so, so biddable. I wish they were all this easy!

I hope we can get his work tidied up for a nice performance at the 2008 English Cocker National. This dog could easily have achieved his Master Hunter had he been started as a youngster. I understand some of his kids are showing the same drive and talent!

I am pleased to report that Cruiser is now 1/4 of the way to his JH!  Cruiser is owned by Lisa Ross and Tracey Deyette and was nine years old on November 21, 2007. 

I can't say it was a pretty run as he did a lot of things typical of a very green dog, but he managed to pull it all off!  He's only been in training with us since July.  Because he was already wildly birdy with a fantastic nose and good marking skills, we concentrated on basic obedience like recalls, retrieves, hup, heeling, and general self-control.  I kept live birds and guns out of the training program until a month before his first test, when I was pretty sure he could be counted on to take a cast/quarter, come back with his retrieves, and call off a flyaway.  He's proven a super-quick learner and extremely biddable, which is fortunate considering how much drive he has!  Still a lot of work ahead of us to clean up his performance and gain some more actual field experience, but he has the "right stuff". 

The Test.....

Far Meadow Farm in Chester Springs, PA was the site for the October 2007 AKC Hunt Tests sponsored by the Liberty English Cocker Spaniel Fanciers, which was, as usual, a class act.  Once again at Mary Lou Dunn's place with the usual great food and hospitality, and gorgeous fall weather.  As usual, there was a huge entry that we actually managed to get through well before dark and a nice mix of dogs.  Judges were Sandy Henriques, Mike Laskie, Kelly Wadsworth, and me (Karen Fremuth).  

Any folks interested in entering field work, this is a wonderful event to attend to check it all out.  Lovely grounds, hospitality, and a fun group of people. Spectating is very easy as each field is planted for just one dog, so you can set up a chair and watch all day in comfort.  Liberty has drawn entries from all over the east coast so it's like a little field enthusiast reunion at their events!  English Cockers make up about half the entries, maybe more.  I think they are having both Spring and Fall events, and, of course, NEXT Spring test (2008) will be for the English Cocker National.  :) 

 

Still showing strong at seven years old, Cruiser continues to represent the breed in classic style.  I am so proud to own and handle such a fine example of the English Cocker Spaniel.  And he's a great companion, too.

Our thanks go to judges Ms. Virginia Lyne and Dr. Alvin Grossman.

At the 91^st American Spaniel Club Show in King of Prussia, PA (January 2005), Cruiser was First in the Field Trial Dog Class and then went on to win Best in Show Field Dog!!!  Not bad for six years old!!!!  Our many thanks to judges James Covey and Marilyn Spacht.

                   Cruiser was a Top-5 English Cocker Spaniel!!

How Cruiser Came to Live at Winfree and His Early Show Career

This is the story of how one very special person helped another!  After we suffered the loss of our beautiful Tracy, we were just so heartbroken, that Tracey Deyette offered to let Tracy's brother come to live with us at Winfree.  We know that "Cruiser" will not take the place of our girl, but he will be a little piece of her here.  Cruiser will continue to be co-owned with Tracey Deyette at Ashbrook English Cockers.

Cruiser came to live at Winfree in April of 2000.  WE WERE VERY EXCITED!!  His first weekend out, he received a Group 3.  Cruiser also earned his first Group 1 in 2000.  Cruiser finished out the year by being ranked number 14.  We are very proud of this very young dog. 

2001 started off with a bang!!!  Cruiser won at the Greenville shows on Friday and Sunday.  This was a specialty weekend. He also placed second in the group both days that he won the breed.

Our FIRST BEST IN SHOW DOG!!!!!!!  Cruiser won Best in Show at the Chesapeake Kennel Club of Virginia in April 2001 under Judge Mrs. Paula Hartinger.  The next day, he won the Breed and a Group 2 under Judge Michelle Billings.

Cruiser continued his string of wins at the Virginia Kennel Club shows in Richmond, June 21^st and 22^nd, 2003.  On Saturday, after winning the Breed under Judge Frank Sabella, Cruiser won a Group 3 under Judge W. Everett Dean, Jr.  But the BIG win took place on Sunday when, after winning the Breed under Judge Jean Fancy, Cruiser went Group 1 under Judge Robert Berndt!!!!  We are so excited and proud of Cruiser.  We're still flying high somewhere over Richmond!!!!

Meet 5-month old Drummer
(Winfree's Dummer Boy)

(He's Blue Roan Boy #1
in the pictures below)

Pictures taken 4/25/05

Blue Roan Boy #1 - "Drummer"
Winfree's Dummer Boy
5 weeks

Blue Roan Boy #2 - "Bailey"
Winfree's Kris Kringle
5 weeks

Orange Girl - "Noel"
5 weeks

Blue Roan Boy #1
3 weeks

Blue Roan Boy #2
3 weeks

Orange Girl
3 weeks

ChaCha-Cruiser puppies were born on December 25, 2004.