Jasper is from the very first litter by Willow Glen Kennels. I fell in love with him from the moment I saw the "runt" and while I had not planned on keeping a puppy from the litter, I bonded with Jasper over the weeks. I was so smitten with the little white puppy, that I could not imagine him being sold to another family. Many were skeptical that he would do well in conformation, not being the pick of the litter, and I was repeatedly told that "eventually he would finish." At the grading of the litter, he was jokingly nicknamed "Best in Show Jasper."
However, this novice handler and this young dog, proved everyone wrong. Jasper went on to finish his championship at the young age of 21 months, including several breed wins from the classes. He was the third in his litter to finish, completing his championship before his brother and sister who were considered the "picks." Jasper has won twenty three Best of Breeds to date. And while he competes in Colorado, there is no doubt that he is as good as his brothers, winning an open class of 10 at the Richmond Dog Fanciers Club show in Dixon, CA back in 2005. This class included three of his brothers, two of which have since finished their championships. In 2007, Jasper earned his Junior Hunter title with four straight qualifying legs, under the control of first-time handler Kim Foore. The two of them worked for nearly a year, she training not only him, but also me.
At the 2009 GSPCA Nationals in Denver, Jasper completed his Rally Novice title which garnered him his versatility certificate. He was handled by myself, our first time embarking into the realm of obedience. Believe it or not, I found the rally ring to be more nerve racking than the conformation ring and was very glad to have that title under our belt so that we could return to what we do best - show!!
As much as his titles and wins mean to me, nothing compares to the bond that he and I share. He was my friend when I moved to Colorado and knew no one. He continually makes me laugh with his silly antics and is a huge part of my daily life. Above all else, he keeps the bed warm at night! He has opened my eyes to a whole other world - because of him, I fell in love with dog shows and have made wonderful friends. While I am not actively campaigning him, he is such a joy to show that we still make our trip into the ring from time to time. I have no doubt that were he to have a pro handling him, he would do considerably better. But we are a team, and I gain so much pride and joy from showing him, I can't imagine anyone else doing it.
For those of you who believed in us as a team, thank you for your support. To those who were skeptics, we proved you wrong. If you see us in the ring, please stop and say hi!
Jasper has semi-retired from the show ring, but will still be shown next year as he becomes a Veteran. His last weekend out as a special was at the Colorado Springs Kennel Club/German Shorthaired Pointer Club of Colorado Specialty where he went Select Dog garnering a 5 point major towards his Grand Championship. What a way to finish things off!
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