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By Anne Cross, Shadowmont
Girls Raised In The South issues a friendly challenge to those other groups, who just two years ago, accepted GRITS’ challenge to get together and pool their funds to help sponsor trophies for our Collie Club of America National Specialty, the one, major, “really big show” for Collies that draws from all venues of our sport of purebred Collies. The National is like the Super Bowl of Collie Shows. Why wouldn’t we all want to be a part of this?
So, what happened to S.I.N. ? W.I.N? and G.R.I.N.S ? SIN was Smoothies In Need, WIN was Women in the North, and GRINS was Girls Raised in the Northern States ? There was even a GRITS - GUYS RAISED IN THE SOUTH!
If you will look at the performance awards list available at the CCA website, you will see many full 4 place classes you can sponsor for $25 ! A group such as WIN could get together and sponsor 5 classes for $125. That isn’t much! GRITS always has sponsored a few performance awards since many of our members enjoy agility, rally, obedience, herding and we WANT to do this, so members send a few extra dollars to help support these.
This year, GRITS is sponsoring BOW Rough, BOW Smooth, Best Junior, High Combined Herding and Agility Titled ….and five classes in agility. Our group IS larger than most, with 32 members, and like the others, we have big hearts for our breed. Our G.R.I.T.S. members hope that some of you who were enthusiastic about your support just a short time ago, will get together again, and have the fun of sponsoring trophies to encourage those who participate in the performance sports to continue to demonstrate how talented and still genetically solid on herding traits, agile and athletic in agility, and intelligent and responsive in obedience and rally competitions. Collies are.
I am not on the Trophy Committee, but as the founder of G.R.I.T.S. who got worried in 2005 when I noticed how many major awards were not pledged at what seemed like pretty close to deadlines and found, at that time, ten good ol’ Southern girls who wanted to make a difference and have fun doing something for the Collies we all love, whether they belong to us or to you.
That first year, 2005, GRITS sponsored Best of Variety, Rough for $350.… with ten members that was $35 each. By 2006, someone else signed up to sponsor BV, Rough and GRITS sponsored BOW Rough and BOW Smooth…easier with then about 20 members! Word got out about our group and some folks joined in the fun and formed their own groups in answer to our friendly challenge. All it takes is a spirit of fun and love of our breed and the desire to support our National.
This year, the conformation trophies are mostly pledged. If you will go to the other trophy lists, however, you will find many classes that are not pledged, yet. Yes, I know … there are SO MANY classes in agility and it seems that AKC is not through adding them! However, think about the times you’ve watched agility, and how much fun Collies are having, even when they go off course, take a jump from the wrong side, depart the table too soon, they LOVE pleasing the persons they adore. Isn’t that part of why WE love THEM? Collie character. Whether you have ever watched any of these trials, please support our Collies and our members who do the HARD, but exciting training that gives our Collies the thrill of their day and bonds them so much more closely to those who love them.
Here are the Girls Raised In The South: Please enjoy a chuckle reading our “S’uthernized” names in our ad in the 125th Anniversary Keepsake catalog! Betty Abbott, Jeri Alberti, Toni Bailey, Maralyn Busse, Diane Cauble, “Mike” Cheatham, Anne Cross, Babbi Dilbeck, DVM, Connie Dubois, Shirley Dubois, Susan Ellis, Bobbie Fairbanks, Kimberly Darling Futh (youngest member), Alisha Harbin, DVM, Rayleen Hendrix, Jackie Hensen, Debbie Holland, Joan Johnson, Susan Kaelin, Pat Keadle, Anne Kocsis, Nancy Lawrence, Nancy McDonald, Millie Meyer, Kathy Moll, Marie Mullin, Lynne Norwood, Kathleen Price, Connie Quillinan, Lisa Schmidt, Brenda Shreve, and Brenda Walker.
Look for us wearing our sparkly G.R.I.T.S. pins at the CCA 2011 National and say Hello!
Anne Cross
CCA 2011 Catalog Advertising Chair
Shadowmont, the Farm
657 Morrison Springs Road
Chattanooga,TN 37415
423 877 2891
shadowmont@hotmail.com |
