Wild Cows, dog shows and the consequense of being lippy

First weekend in November is "Herning" the last big show weekend of the year - two days of getting up in the November mist and darkness driving on wet roads through the flat and muddy central Jylland - and getting home after dark. Also two days of being nervous, having fun with friends, hoping and rejoicing of big and small things.
This year I had gone for broke (literally - with the price of >300 kr /dog, showing is becoming prohibitively expensive) and entered three dogs to show myself: Funny, her brother Taitha and Sammy + Mandie shown by co-owner Margit.
This of course meant that Taitha, who normally lives with co-owner Gitte, had to have a sleep-over at camp Lewanika - it is a little while since he had been here last so upon arrival in the darkness of the November evening the two young dogs were sent out to play at their hearts content. They did, an occassional muddy face in the door assured us of health and happiness of both so even when a bit of barking sounded we left them to it till they were tired enough to come back in and sleep through the night.
Next morning they still snored through the alarm and Sammy and I went for hour morning run - the sun (or what goes for sun at this time of year) not quite up and my eyes not quite open.... but looking through the morning mist down to the pasture... something was off.... very off indeed... our only recently aquired Galloway heifers were not there but scattered all over the neighbourghs barley field....... hmm the run back up the hill was more like a sprint and running shoes was exchanged to wellies.

An hour later - two more breaks through the fence (seemed like scared cows just pass through it at will) - they were safely if not quietly in the stable, still jumpy at the smallest sound, especially at the sound of barking from the young uns', who were now doing their best to cover their coats completely in mud to be ready for SHOW TIME.
What probably has happened is that Taitha, not having seen the cows before in daylight saw them on the field in the dark - being the good boy he is, he tried to send the intruders packing .... all too successfully unfortunately....
As for the shows --- not our finest moments I am afraid, Funny did well both days - won her class on Saturday and was #2 on Sunday, she is a pretty girl. The Norwegian judge, Niels Brandstrup, on Saturday had a rather haphazard judging of Sammy.... among other things he commented that she had short steps -hmmm he might not have seen what the photographer saw:

Taitha started out rather well, but unfortunately I overheard the judge commenting that his expression was somewhat ruined by "too light eyes".... this being a newly authorized judge Birthe Scheel and I being the friendly head of the club show committee, informed her politely that Taitha was a brown nose and that they are to have amber eyes

result : the dreaded blue ribbon :-( even tho' his critique is very good, my undue interference with the judges decision (answer: "I am the judge, and you are paying money to hear MY opnion!") cost me dearly. hhmmmm, perish the thought that I would suggest that another look at the standard would be beneficial......
But up and down - great weekend - great people - see you all in three weeks!