Thumper went back to Canada...

And all I got was this big ribbon.

A win picture we are most proud of. Good boy Toompers!!

After a series of setbacks and complications, through the perserverence of Maria Neff (Thumper's handler) we finally were able to meet in Tillsonburg Ontario on a very hot weekend to show at the Canadian Aussie National Specialty, held every 2nd year. I'd sent Thumper up in April with my friend Ayella Grossman where she'd finished his Canadian Championship for me in a long weekend. That way he could be shown as a finished Ch. at the National specialty in July. He had some serious competition and it was terribly hot but Maria Neff was able to coax a very good performance out of Thumper at the right moments and in the end judge Alice Brock put Thumper out in front and kept him there. So Thumper went Best of Breed at the Canadian Australian Shepherd Association National Specialty show. This makes him AKC Gr.Ch./ASCA/CKC BISS Ch. Inkwell's Tom-tom. Or something like that. And then he came home to Maryland with me for a few day's vay-cay before going back to the salt  mines  for a few more circuits.