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I am seriously about to pass out.....

astrid

By astrid,
in General Education Discussion Board

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astrid

astrid

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Having a crappy day today-- holiday blahs, stressed about overspending, etc. Sick of rainy weather, sick of mud, Monday, etc. Then I checked my email.

 

:svengo:We were just notified by the AKC that a column Molly wrote for the AKC Gazette about living with a rare breed and learning to show in AKC Juniors has been nominated for an award from the Dog Writers Association of America. It was published in the April issue of the Gazette, and the AKC submitted it to the DWAA. We received notice from the AKC today that it was nominated for an award in the editorial/opinion/essay category. She was 12 when she wrote it, and writes about being homeschooled, etc. The awards ceremony is Westminster weekend, so we'll be notified of the results before then.

 

WOW. I am in shock.

 

GO HOMESCHOOLERS!!!

 

astrid, who is seriously about to void her contents. Seriously. :svengo:

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JudoMom

JudoMom

Posted
Posted
Having a crappy day today-- holiday blahs, stressed about overspending, etc. Sick of rainy weather, sick of mud, Monday, etc. Then I checked my email.

 

:svengo:We were just notified by the AKC that a column Molly wrote for the AKC Gazette about living with a rare breed and learning to show in AKC Juniors has been nominated for an award from the Dog Writers Association of America. It was published in the April issue of the Gazette, and the AKC submitted it to the DWAA. We received notice from the AKC today that it was nominated for an award in the editorial/opinion/essay category. She was 12 when she wrote it, and writes about being homeschooled, etc. The awards ceremony is Westminster weekend, so we'll be notified of the results before then.

 

WOW. I am in shock.

 

GO HOMESCHOOLERS!!!

 

astrid, who is seriously about to void her contents. Seriously. :svengo:

 

:party:

 

Way to go!

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Ibbygirl

Ibbygirl

Posted
Posted
Having a crappy day today-- holiday blahs, stressed about overspending, etc. Sick of rainy weather, sick of mud, Monday, etc. Then I checked my email.

 

:svengo:We were just notified by the AKC that a column Molly wrote for the AKC Gazette about living with a rare breed and learning to show in AKC Juniors has been nominated for an award from the Dog Writers Association of America. It was published in the April issue of the Gazette, and the AKC submitted it to the DWAA. We received notice from the AKC today that it was nominated for an award in the editorial/opinion/essay category. She was 12 when she wrote it, and writes about being homeschooled, etc. The awards ceremony is Westminster weekend, so we'll be notified of the results before then.

 

WOW. I am in shock.

 

GO HOMESCHOOLERS!!!

 

astrid, who is seriously about to void her contents. Seriously. :svengo:

That is so AWESOME!!!! How proud you must be! :hurray: :party:

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astrid

astrid

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The pdf of the layout that was used in the magazine contains pictures, etc. but I'm not sure I can attach it. Here's the text of the article:

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 

AKC Gazette Future Fancy Article

 

 

 

 

By Molly Robitaille, age 12

 

 

 

 

February 2010

 

 

 

Have you ever heard of a Leonberger? No, it's not a hamburger, or a kind of cheese! It's a big, fuzzy bundle of kisses, warmth, kindness and friendship. Leonbergers originated in Leonberg, Germany in the 1840's. The breed was developed by Heinrich Essig, a horse and dog trader who crossed a lot of different breeds and came up with what he called the "Leonberger," whose purpose was to be a wonderful family companion. And that's exactly what Leos are. If I could talk to Herr Essig today, I would thank him because Leonbergers are some of my family's best companions!

I’m Molly Robitaille, a Leonberger lover and AKC Junior Handler. I'm twelve years old, and I’ve been showing Leos…well, for as long as I can remember! The first time I can remember being in the ring with a dog was at a very rainy and muddy Leonberger National Specialty in Healdsburg, California. I was only five years old, and was showing my first Leonberger *****, VLA CC. Yuma Lion de la Toison d’Or, CD, DD, CGC, TDI in a class called “LeoLettes." Yuma weighed more than three times as much as I did, but she was a very sweet girl and was perfectly behaved for me. I don’t remember the outcome of it, just that I was a very proud little girl as I splashed around the ring with my big, sweet girl patiently trotting beside me.

My Leonberger's name is Seelöwen Danika, CGC. Her call name is Danika. She will be 5 years old in May. The kennel name "Seelöwen" means "sea lion" in German, and that’s a pretty good description of a Leonberger! They love to swim, especially with their kids. I have done all of Danika's training myself, and this helped us form a very special bond. We've learned a lot about each other in the process.

Dogs are a family project for my family. My mom is the President of the Leonberger Club of America, (LCA) the AKC Parent Club for our breed. My dad drives us to lots of shows and helps out with club business, and is always ready with a hug when Danika and I come out of the ring. I don't have any brothers or sisters, so I've always spent a lot of time working and playing with my dogs. Leonbergers are big enough to wear real clothes, so when I was little, my Leos would patiently let me dress them up and walk them down the street wearing hats and capes.

The funny thing is, now instead of my dog wearing the pretty clothes, it's me getting all dressed up to go into the ring! Sometimes when I'm waiting to go into my Juniors or breed class, people think I have a mixed breed, or ask me what breed of dog Danika is. That's because Leonbergers are pretty new to the AKC world, and will enter the Working Group on July 1, 2010. I don't mind answering their questions and educating people about Leonbergers.

Since Leonbergers are new to the AKC, I have only been showing in the AKC for a couple of years. However, I've been showing my dogs in LCA shows, UKC shows and with my 4-H club for many years. Danika and I have learned a lot about competing in AKC Junior Showmanship, and have gotten some great advice along the way. My 4-H leaders and great friends Alicia Campbell, Jane Palinkas and Jane's daughter Vicki are always there to give me pointers and encouragement. Alicia breeds and shows Australian Shepherds, and Jane breeds Alaskan Malamutes and Vicki shows her mom's Malamutes and her own Aussie. Sometimes I ask them a million questions but they are always patient and answer them. 4-H club really helps me improve my handling skills for the AKC ring.

Before I go in the ring, I’m not usually nervous. I approach it knowing that I’ll do the very best I can do, and try my hardest. Sometimes at the very last minute before I go in, I get butterflies in my stomach if it’s a big class. But I go in and think “Yes, we CAN do this.†Even if we don't place, it's okay because I know in my heart I did my best, and my dog loves me.

My family has an uncommon breed, and when it comes to school, we do that a little differently too. I'm in 7th grade, but I'm homeschooled. Every day I work on my lessons at home and then go to the middle school across the street for band and chorus. I play the oboe, flute and piano, but the oboe is my favorite. We have found that homeschooling is really flexible when it comes to traveling to dog shows. I don’t have to worry about missing class; I just take my books with me in the car and study along the way. We drive all over the country to our Leonberger national and regional specialties, and I've done schoolwork in truckstops, hotel rooms and restaurants along the way.

Danika and I both have a few hobbies. I love to ski, play softball and act in local theater productions, and Danika is a draft dog. She wears a special harness and pulls a wagon. Usually we just go around our neighborhood or down to the local feed store to buy scratch grains for our chickens. Danika pulls the fifty pound sacks home in her wagon. It's great conditioning for the show ring and it's fun, too. My mom got into draft work with our dogs many years ago. Our older Leo, Yuma, used to pull me down to preschool when I was little.

One of my favorite things about showing in Juniors is all the great friends I've made. We exchange pointers, cheer each other on and constantly talk about dogs. It's helpful that most of them show different breeds then I do, so we compare notes about the differences in showing toy breeds versus large breeds. Sometimes in 4-H, we even switch dogs and practice with other club members' dogs!

AKC events are also great learning opportunities. Once I had a really bad Juniors class. The judge asked us to line up a different way, I got confused and it all went downhill from there. My nervousness went right down the lead and my dog felt it too. When I came out of the ring I was frustrated with myself. Suddenly a professional handler came up to me and gave me a few helpful pointers. The most helpful one was “Always set up your dogs front feet first. The judge will usually approach the dog from the front, and the front will be the first thing he sees. Then you can worry about the rear.†He was very kind and I was grateful that he took the time to help me. His advice has really helped me.

 

Danika and I have a long way to go before we become champions, and a lot to learn along the way. Our journey has been a lot of fun, but it's just beginning. We both know that with a lot of hard work, we can achieve great things together. We only have to remember the advice my 4-H leaders give us every week: "Remember to smile! This is fun!"

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MomOfOneFunOne

MomOfOneFunOne

Posted
Posted
Having a crappy day today-- holiday blahs, stressed about overspending, etc. Sick of rainy weather, sick of mud, Monday, etc. Then I checked my email.

 

:svengo:We were just notified by the AKC that a column Molly wrote for the AKC Gazette about living with a rare breed and learning to show in AKC Juniors has been nominated for an award from the Dog Writers Association of America. It was published in the April issue of the Gazette, and the AKC submitted it to the DWAA. We received notice from the AKC today that it was nominated for an award in the editorial/opinion/essay category. She was 12 when she wrote it, and writes about being homeschooled, etc. The awards ceremony is Westminster weekend, so we'll be notified of the results before then.

 

WOW. I am in shock.

 

GO HOMESCHOOLERS!!!

 

astrid, who is seriously about to void her contents. Seriously. :svengo:

 

OOooo, la la! WooHoo for the fabulous writer AND her fabulous teacher!

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unsinkable

unsinkable

Posted
Posted
Having a crappy day today-- holiday blahs, stressed about overspending, etc. Sick of rainy weather, sick of mud, Monday, etc. Then I checked my email.

 

:svengo:We were just notified by the AKC that a column Molly wrote for the AKC Gazette about living with a rare breed and learning to show in AKC Juniors has been nominated for an award from the Dog Writers Association of America. It was published in the April issue of the Gazette, and the AKC submitted it to the DWAA. We received notice from the AKC today that it was nominated for an award in the editorial/opinion/essay category. She was 12 when she wrote it, and writes about being homeschooled, etc. The awards ceremony is Westminster weekend, so we'll be notified of the results before then.

 

WOW. I am in shock.

 

GO HOMESCHOOLERS!!!

 

astrid, who is seriously about to void her contents. Seriously. :svengo:

 

WOW! Way to go, MOLLY!

 

Congrats, astrid! Now tell us exactly what writing programs you used!!! :lol:

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