Perry, Very Nice

RK and I went to Perry, Georgia last week for a cluster of dog shows. The venue was incredible! The dog shows were held at the Georgia National Fairgrounds Agricenter. There were eight rings for conformation in one building, obedience and rally trials in a second building, and grooming in a third. All the buildings were within steps of each other. Even better, they were all clean, air conditioned and had proper toilets. I can't stress how wonderful flushing toilets are! Our hotel was only 2 miles away, next to a Walmart and several places to eat. There was ample free parking at the fairgrounds, and we were able to come and go multiple times throughout the day which made it easier on the dogs (and us).

 

Jedi and I were in the ring at 8:30 AM both days. On Thursday I was really nervous -- and it showed. We got 4th place, coming home with a yellow ribbon. The following day we did much better. RK said it was our best performance yet! Jedi free stacked nicely and we gaited well. The judge really looked at Jedi too. There were some nice dogs in the ring with us, all professionally handled. I'm proud of our 3rd place ribbon.

 

Perry offered special classes for 4-6 month old puppies. RK took Jedi's half-sister, Sweetie, into the ring at 12:30 each day. On day one Sweetie did really well and took third in the herding group. The judge had some very nice things to say about Sweetie's conformation and RK floated out of the ring afterwards. The second day didn't go as well. It was obvious that Sweetie was overwhelmed. We did our best to keep the experience positive and were glad that we didn't sign up for the entire four days.

 

A big money maker for the clubs hosting a dog show is always a good raffle. Long time readers know how I feel about raffles -- love them! I bought $20 in tickets and walked away with two prizes. One was a nice basket filled with toys and treats. The other was a rolling cooler filled with water and snacks. I was thrilled to get the cooler as we learned that the soft sided cooler I won the at the K-9 raffle leaks through the zipper. Of course, I didn't realize this until I bent over and ice water ran down my back!

 

Two of my favorites things about traveling with RK is her sense of adventure and her uncanny knack for finding excellent out-of-the-way, hole-in-the-wall places. If you ever go to Perry I strongly suggest you check out Rotary Centennial Park. From the street it doesn't look like much, but there is a concrete path that winds into the woods making for a nice dog-friendly stroll. RK also found us a great place to eat. The Grillmaster of Perry has melt-in-your-mouth barbecued ribs for a decent price. It's a nice little mom and pop place that gladly welcomes dogs at the picnic tables out front. They'll even provide you with a bowl of water.
 

Perry was a great experience and we can't wait to do it again next year! Want to join us? -- K