| Here are a few things that illustrate the life of an exceptional dog, Ninja. First of all, his mother is the same mother as national champion, Carbon. (Sparkle Plenty of Horn Creek) His sire is DB's Cracker of Club Mead (Ritz) who was the Purina dog of the year a while back. Ninja was pick of the litter. Anyway, he is and has always been a high powered dog, eighty five pounds, and very handsome. Many, many times I have had people come up to me and say that Ninja is the best looking black lab they have ever seen. He is lovable and friendly, totally non aggressive. But when he comes to the line, he is raring to go. Over the years I have run him and so has my nephew Eric, who did the break out on Ninja. The first time I ran Ninja was when he was seventeen months. We went to Canada and I ran him in three juniors (derbys). He won the first one, got second, and then a jam. I didn't run him in many American derbies because he poked a cactus into his eye and so I let him heal up from that. His first qual ever he got fourth. He placed in a couple of other quals and Eric said we should move him up to the big stakes.I did take him to Canada where he won three quals in a row and was third highest qual dog in Canada for that year after running only four quals....he got a jam in the fourth one. When Ninja was two, he got a second in the amateur. When he was three, the two of us won an 84 dog Open. He ran in the Super Retriever Series in Missoula when he was two and was the youngest dog. He made the finals and got fifth place. We ran in Canada as well as in the U.S. In time Ninja earned all titles, being an amateur field champion and a field champion both here and in Canada. This past September, he won the amateur division of the Super Retriever Series in South Dakota and is qualified for their big finale in May in Arkansas. This April he got second in the SRS in Oklahoma, missing first place by one point! In May he will participate in the SRS Grand, a competition of all the dogs which placed in the top three this past year. It is the ultimate SRS competition and will have six thirty minute TV shows devoted to it. Ninja qualified for the 2007 Open and went nine series. He qualified to run the National Amateur in 2008 but could not run because Roger was a judge. Although he is nine, he has no gray hair, is absolutely healthy....great vision, nose, etc. He is a dog with good genes to take the hard wear of field trialing. These are some things off the top of my head...OH yes, I have run him in a couple master hunt tests just for fun. He likes them and does well in them too. I have never campaigned Ninja as far as breeding goes though people tell me I am crazy not to take out an ad and make some stud fees. Oh well. I have a couple of nice photos of Ninja which I will scan and send to you in a day or so. Armand..... |