Post by roisin on Jun 30, 2018 7:21:01 GMT
Tomorrow is the 5th anniversary of the safe arrival of 5 dog and 6 bitch pups to Jill Llewelin's Wise Story aka Lady. It was my first experience of sitting with a bitch while she whelped, out of the 11, I had the privilege of seeing 8 of them into the world. It has not all been plain sailing, Silky Black was determined that she didn't want to race - however we did manage to race her over the hurdles:27 races and 6 wins before she retired. Blue Marine and Jill's favourite, injured his leg while schooling but did manage to race:6 races and 1 win. Fate stepped in a second time when he went lame and he was found to have aggressive bone cancer in his previously injured leg - sadly the decision was made to have him pts. Cyrano Diamond was the only one not to race, he was/still is a slightly nervous boy-panicking if there was not another dog near him. This lead to him being disqualified on this 2nd ever trial , when waiting for Paul Gregson's Sugar Loaf -as he is mine I remember feeling that bottom had fallen out of my world, helping to raise him for 15 months for this to happen. Jill being Jill took it all in her stride and began schooling him over the hurdles - he took too it quite well. He wouldnt have been a top class hurdler but would probably have won the odd won - unfortunately after all the schooling it was insisted that he needed to complete a solo trial, traps opened out he came took about 10 strides, realised he was on his own and turned heading straight back to Jill-game over. So before his second birthday he came home with me, being nervous of the odd visitor but three years down the line he has chilled a bit and is a big hit with my daughters teenage friends- always my boy though! Dip Dye Don ( named by my daughter as at the time dip dying your hair was the crazy-Dippy having white paws and tip to his tail)- was the most promising of the litter early doors:15 races, 4 firsts and 3 seconds. Again fate stepped in and ended his career with a pelvis problem -was just like his Mum, very cool, laid back and always looked as if he was weighing the situation up from a distance. Tactition was the next to finish racing:52 races,8 wins and 12 seconds, he developed a wrist injury the same as Lady herself -he now lives with a friend of Jill on deer farm living life☺ The rest of the litter have all gone on to notch up over 100 runs each-Battle Captain reaching 154 before retiring this month-he was instantly given a home by an elderly gentleman who had just list his old greyhound, match made in heaven. I can definitely see why Jill likes the odd litter or two of home bred pups at the kennels, in this time of uncertainty at the Zoo, it's nice to be able to look back over memories of a happier time. Let's hope the Zoo remains to make memories for the up and coming litters we have on the ground.