realize I am competing with others who have dreams just as important as mine. Their passions run just as deep and their wins are their dreams come true. My comrades are trying as hard as I am and are as tired as I am on Sunday morning. I’m sure we all say the same thing to ourselves, “I made it!” It’s hard to keep showing once we know where we stand with our com- petition at a show, but continuing to show up when we knowwe don’t stand a chance of winning is the true test of sportsmanship. An honest and sin- cere congratulations to the winners will be something none of us ever re- grets. Don’t be discouraged if no one is there to congratulate your win. Pat yourself on the back and be kinder than ever to your comrades. They are disappointed and will recover given a bit of time. Monday always feels bet- ter than Sunday afternoon. One thing that hasn’t changed from my first trip around the block is my support of our breed club, The Ameri- can Maltese Association. I can’t do the same jobs I did in the old days without my hearing, but there are still many contributions I can make to our club. I’ve been one of the administra- tors for our social media page for the past three years and it’s been a good marketing tool for our club. It’s also given me the opportunity to commu- nicate with others in our breed in a fo- rum where I can read every word and not have to hear or read lips. The second time around is even bet- ter than the first. Having a lifetime to ponder and make mistakes, I’ve come to a place that is rewarding. Striving for something keeps our hopes and dreams alive. Loving our dogs and our breed gives comfort to our hearts. Mentoring others gives us hope for the future. Knowing our history and pedigrees gives a better insight into making breeding decisions. Knowing what we want gives us the courage to stand for what we believe even if we stand alone. Being a novice owner handler isn’t a bad thing. Instead, it is an admission that we are students each day of our lives.
“ONE THING THAT HASN’T CHANGED FROM MY FIRST TRIP AROUND THE BLOCK IS MY SUPPORT OF OUR BREED CLUB, The American Maltese Association.”
Our first show was in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and a fellow exhibitor agreed to meet me the night before to show me how to put up 21st century style topknots. My little guy took sec- ond in his class the first day, and I was so nervous I missed going back into the ring for Reserve. We had better luck at our next show and picked up a couple of single points. That first boy finished with three majors, the last being five points, and I’d already begun dreaming of coming back to breeding by that time. I’ve already said how much I respect and treasure my mentors, but it was at this point that I did some hard think- ing about how I wanted to change from the first time around, how much time I have left to be a productive contributor to the Maltese through breeding, and what would happen to the programwhen I am no longer able to continue. That is when I “saw the light” and realized the best contri- bution I could make would be to join forces with those I respect so highly and do my best to protect our breed and their line. At that point, we found our foundation bitch in Germany and laid plans and dreamed dreams of our future together. As I write, I’ve finished five champi- ons, put two grand championships on our dogs, and our first litter of two are
both grand champions and all three of the Maltese I showed in 2016 were ranked in the top 15 NOHS Maltese. At this point, I became very inter- ested in competing in the NOHS and started the year with a BIS that took our girl to NOHS #1 Maltese. Now I look for shows offering NOHS, but this is all that’s changed. We still average one show weekend a month. I mentioned earlier that I am deaf, but I also have many old nagging injuries, and who doesn’t when approach- ing the age of 65? My dear husband makes it possible for me to live my passion, and for that and so many other things I am eternally grateful. I am also grateful for the stewards and judges of our sport who make ac- commodations for all of us with dis- abilities. I learned right away from the stewards that they will always be happy to inform the judge of any ex- hibitor’s disabilities. I let the steward knowwhen I pick upmy armband. Af- ter a while, most of the stewards and judges know without a reminder. It’s also very helpful to watch the judge’s ring procedure in other breeds before your own judging time. Since I’ve been given a second chance in the sport my heart feels differently, too. In the old days, I was ferociously competitive and it was hard to lose. None of us likes losing, but now, I
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