Blaze finished his AKC conformation Championship in the fall of 2000 with a BOB over the dog who was the #1 Conformation Borzoi of 2000.
Blaze was handled for most of his show career by Rebecca Peters-Campbell.
A link to a larger picture of Blaze |
See Blaze run | A picture of Blaze at the BCOA 1999 Triathelon | |
A link to a picture of
Blaze winning a major reserve under
Audrey Benbow of Sirhan Borzoi Blaze was handled by Candace Kane at this show. |
Blaze only went to 28 ASFA trials in 1996. He also participated in Oval Track Racing (NOTRA - finishing as #3 NOTRA Borzoi after his half sibs K'lar and Barnabas) and finished his AKC FC. He won BOB on Sunday at the 1996 II and a magnificant BIF at the Blue Grass Coursing CLub Trial on the day following the Region 6 Invitational. I personally thought the BOB run that day was one of the most perfect Borzoi runs I have ever seen. The field was well laid out and at a gorgeous site and the course plan was a perfect Borzoi course with long straightaways and endurance challenging hills to climb and a layout in which a badly cutting dog basically became unsighted so the dogs were encouraged (dare I say 'lured') to follow rather than being seduced into cutting. In a three way BOB run off (FC stake was split) Blaze ran against a very good bitch of the Kaltenborn's named Bette and against his kennel mate Esme. They were all good Borzoi but as they came up the long uphill straight away in the middle of the course Blaze drew away from the other two by a body length with each stride demonstrating the speed that has made him a top oval racer as well as lure courser.
He seems to get car sick and is often off form on the day after a long ride, something he inherited from his grandmother Darkness. He was sort of under the weather at the Saturday Trial (the Region 6 Regional) after our long drive across the Applacians through the blizzard and little sleep but that Sunday when we got to the site after a good night's sleep he was bouncing and parading around and full of himself and I thought he would put out some really good courses and he did. I wish I had those runs on a video tape but I rerun them in my head and enjoy them almost as much as I enjoy rerunning grandmother Darkness' runs at the II and the Grand National.
Blaze is not a tall Borzoi (he is however above standard measuring in at 28 2/3 inches at the withers) but he is quite muscular and powerful. He has excellent conformation for running yet has a nice side gait at the trot if the handler gets him to move out. He showed his conformation from puppyhood but his speed did not develop until he was 18 months old. When we first started running him he was really slooow. After further maturity and some NOTRA oval racing experience he showed remarkable speed - on a good day he can beat his half brother Barnabas who is not an easy Borzoi to outrun. After the NOTRA experience we needed to condition him out of the habit of sprinting all out at the beginning of a course so he had some thing left at the end.
Some highlights of his brief career to date (3-21-97) include:
In one year earning:
Oval Racing Championship, AKC Field Championship, two ASFA LCM's and being #1 ASFA Borzoi, #3 Oval Racing Borzoi and in the AKC Top 10 Lure Coursing List for part of the year.
Placing in all 28 ASFA trials entered in 1996:
Winner of the BIF "Grand Prix Challenge Cup" Trophy in November of 1995. This trial was at a large field which can be very muddy - as it was in November if 1995. One of Blaze's outstanding actions in the BIF was to make a tricky turn by leaping up in the air and swaping ends while in the air so he landed running in the opposite direction. This is not a usual Borzoi turn.
In August, 1997 Blaze won the Mason Dixon Ibizan Hound Club Sighthound Spree Triathelon at Hanover Shoe Farms and placed 2nd in 36 sighthounds in the beginner level (all work on leash) agility match that was held in conjunction with the Spree. He had no faults on the obstacles.
October 11 and 12, 1997 Blaze won the "Top Borzoi in Triathelon" and Top LCM Borzoi for the weekend Trophies at the Mid-Atlantic Deerhound Clubs Octoberfest sighthound weekend at Vale View Kennels in Westchester, PA.
November 1997 - Blaze finished his LGRA Championship - this is the straight racing title granted by the Large Gazehound Racing Association. He was in five race meets and won top placement at each one.
My web and kennel business' have kept me from updating these pages. More will come later.
In 1998 Blaze completed his Supreme LGRA title. He was the second Borzoi SLGRA. Unlike the first LGRA Borzoi's career, all the events Blaze entered were events competed in by Borzoi from several owners and there was no mass pulling of dogs to manipulate the winner, there were always several dogs that completed all 3 races.
In May of 1999 Blaze was the second place Borzoi in the Triathelon of the Borzoi Club of America's Specialty in Denver Colorado. He placed 3rd in the ASFA field trial in the Field Champion Stake. He placed 3rd in 33 Borzoi in the straight race being defeated only by his son Arro and a nice Colorado dog belonging to Melissa Pearce. Not bad for a 5 year old dog who had just driven for 5 days in a car.