Ashley Marie 5-6-87 ~ 11-05-04
At 8:20 a.m. today someone who has been a total part of me for almost 1/2
of my entire life is now being able to run, jump, do her agility and
maybe do some herding (that I never quite got around to letting her do).
You know when you have someone around for 17 years and 6 months you
really DO start to believe they are invincible and will be around
forever.......but the body will still betray even them.
Ashley was my beginning - certainly not the end....she would never have
allowed that.
I got her at 6 wks of age from a MI Humane Society - only at 3 yrs of age
and wanting to have a dog that "listens and doesn't drag you down the
street" did we start to do some obedience classes. She was VERY
good at
that. Getting titled through ASCA - she earned her AMBOR "CD"
and "CDX"
with all placements.
Then a friend (Kathy Gregorieff) told me at an obedience class....why
don't you come and try agility with her...I was like "try what??"
This
was in 1990. So I became a charter member of the Dog-On-It Agility
Club
of Central Florida.
Ashley after 6 months of training (if you could call it that back then
<G>) earned the rights to say she was the FIRST DOG IN FLORIDA to earn an
AGILITY title!! D-O-I held their first USDAA trial in which Ashley went
clean and earned her "AD".....AND at the same trial qualified to go to
the Grand Prix National in Houston, TX.
Well heck, ignorance IS bliss and we went. If I hadn't pulled her
off
the tire we'd have been through the 2nd round!!! (keep in mind this is
after 6 months of training <G>).
If I had known then what I know now about this sport....who KNOWS what
this dog would have accomplished.
Not being a good gamble dog....she lacked 4 gambles for her USDAA "ADCH".
She did finally earn 1 gamble leg for her "MAD" title at 11 yrs
old.
At the age of 13 yrs old she earned 4 - PIII Snooker legs (all SQ's)
before I officially retired her.
She may not have ended up with all the titles and "stardom" that her
house mates have but without Ashley and her being "rowdy" and full of
it,
I would have never begun this road that has allowed me to learn, grow
and become the dog trainer that I am today which in turn has been
rewarded with the following house mates earning what they have!
Those of you that only do AKC or have gotten into agility in just the
recent years perhaps don't even know Ashley in fact didn't even know she
was around.....but the "long timers" in agility know exactly who she
was.....and how it took me 3 WHOLE years to earn her "AAD" (Advanced
title) in USDAA due to her lack of willingness to step in that darn
YELLOW paint!! :)) Oh, she'd get within one step of it and her ears
would go up, the tail carriage a little higher and LEAP off the contact
obstacle and just smile.....SHE had fun that way :))
I'm not sure how you deal with your solid, rock - always there foundation
dog being gone - who has outlived 3 of her house mates passing on before
her. I guess we'll take it one day at a time.
Nobody could have possibly guessed the total IMPACT that this tiny little
5# - 6 wk old puppy could have had on one persons ENTIRE life!!!
I miss her already, but that fiery, full of life, trouble maker, spark in
her eye dog has been betrayed by her body at this point and by slowing
down just enough age finally caught up......and being the "pill" that
she
is, who has ALWAYS done things her way, not mine <G> she wasn't going to
make it easy on me.
Her bad days, being very weak in the rear and having trouble standing,
have started to out number the good ones....but this morning (when
mornings have been her absolute worse time of the day) didn't she get up,
want to go out, eat breakfast and decided to have a "good
day".....Yes,
that was life living with Ashley :) Your a bad, bad girl!
LOL!!!!
(said full of love, sadness and tears)
Ashley it's time to go visit Teddy, JJ and Tera........I won't say sleep
well as I know you'll be back to running full speed - and getting into
trouble - may the angels learn quickly how to deal with YOU! And NOT be
fooled by your sweet, innocent (not!) face <G>.
I miss you ..............................
Becky Nicholas (Florida) http://www.agilegoldens.com
ADCh, ATCh, MACh3, NATCh, U-CD, SHR "Dreamer", CDX, JH, WC, EGC-V,
TN-O,
PD3, PS3, ADHF (9 yr. Golden)
"Flame", MAD, MX, MXJ, PT, EAC, O-EJC, EGC, TN-O, WV-N, (6.5 yr.
BC)
"Ashley Marie", CDX, MAD, SM, JM, RM (17.5 yr. BC X) * In
my heart and
at the bridge *
*In my Heart * - "J.J", CD, MX, AAD, JM, JH, WC{2-9-91/4-23-98} &
"Tera",
CD, CGC
{7-22-89 /4-16-02}
