Culture shock hit when I first tried showing Kali here. Hoo Boy! This was not an afternoon outing these people were much more formal - in dress and attitude. Suddenly I found myself in the ring with professional handlers who make a living showing dogs for others. Here I was stumbling all over myself in and out of the ring, my poor dogs didn't stand much of chance.:~))
To Kali's credit she got her first point at our very first US show. This was our first time indoors or on mats and I had never even attended an AKC show prior to this. Kali was sure there were 'bad guys' in those mats, just really did not want to put her 'dainty' toes on them. :~))
While in Australia I'd met lots of neat RR people in the US via the RR-Folk list. These super people came to my aid in stumbling through learning a few of the ropes of showing in the US. I took handling seminars, asked a lot of questions and bugged a lot of people for help and watched others in the ring. We do a lot of entertaining but have loads of fun along the way:~))
Here comes number 4 - my first
male, Rebel, who is also now known as Ch Kwetu's American Spirit, JC.
Rebel taught me more about being frustrated in the ring and thus the need for a major sense of humor :~)) We started out by being excused when he was 6 months old and hid behind mom in the ring. This being on the way to our first RR National Specialty in Long Beach. I developed a bad case of the "I can not do this" jitters so was most greatful when MaryLynne Elliott kindly agreed to show him for me and taught me a couple of tricks :~)) 
The case of 'jitters' lasted nearly a year. I finally decided that it was now or never and tried again. Rebel often was referred to as "Mr Entertainer", not everyone gets to do down and backs on 2 and 4 legs instead of the 6 we are supposed to be using :~))) Such adventures we had :~)) We learned a lot together and as a team managed to gain his championship in style in just a few weeks.
Boy we have certainly been bit by the 'RR bug' :~)) Here are the 5th and 6th addition to our ever growing family. 
This was their first weekend out and their first points :~)) Yes I am a proud mom bragging on my babies :~))
Meet Sokira's Kiss My Grits .... Gabby my first bred by exhibitor little girl...
And Sokira's Chilolo Juba Lee ..... Toby my first bred by exhibitor little boy.....
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