AUGUST 2004

We stayed home to listen to bluegrass music at the county fair and
play with puppies this weekend. Maria was busy as usual.

Maria had a good day doing Agility at the state fair. Buddy won a
gold medal and a qualifying score in Elementary class (perfect score). Buddy's
run was one of the fastest and Maria was so proud of him. She has worked
hard for 3 years to get him to this point. Grace and Reed both won gold
medals and qualifying scores in Beginners. They both had perfect scores.
Reed did very well considering that he was confronted by a Golden Retriever a
few minutes before he ran the course. Maria goes back to Columbus on
Monday and Tuesday. I am keeping my fingers crossed that she can win the
top overall. She received 25 points for the Agility. If she wins a top
award I will have to drive her back Wednesday to receive it. Last year she
won $425.00 which went into her college fund.

Ellen traveled to a antique tractor show in Alpena, Michigan,
on beautiful Lake Huron, with her family. Amy stayed home
to take photos and watch her horse start his training with his new trainer.

HMS Bounty replica docked in Alpena for a 2 day visit.
This ship was built for the Marlon Brando movie, Mutiny On The Bounty.

Beautiful Hartwick Pines State Park in Grayling, Michigan
home to virgin Red and White Pine some as old as 600 years.
Ellen and family stopped at the state forest on their way home.

Reno at age 8, just days before his 9th birthday, August 19, 2004.
Photo taken by Amy August 14, 2004.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RENO!!!!! AUGUST 19, 2004 * 9 YEARS OLD!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO RENO'S BROTHERS, BUBBA, IN ENGLAND,
WILLY IN JAPAN AND TO HIS SISTER, HOPE, IN VIRGINIA!

We are so proud of our bitch!!!!!!!!!!!! I have also heard that it have NEVER been an Aussie in Sweden who have
won two groups in so short time...

Congratulations to the breeder and I lift my hat!

Hugs Anna-Lena

This is not the best photo but it's the first. We wait for the photograph to send us photos.

The judes where BOB and group 1 Marja Talvitie from Finland and the Best in show Marit Sunde from Norway.

In Sweden we always wright critiques on the dogs. All the owners got on paper what the judge think about the dog. And Sarahs
critique from sunday is one of the best we ever have got on a dog. It start with: a dog that representing the breed to 100%, and ends
with: she make my day! That day the judge was Johan Juslin from Finland.

More photos later!

Ana-Lena is talking about AKC CH Thornapple Hot Wheels "Jag" who is owned by Gunlake Australian Shepherds
in Finland .... and Anna-Lena's bitch, Italian CH Thornapple Mandarin Passion "Sarah>"
CONGRATULATIONS TO GUNLAKE AND EASY FOR AN AWESOME WEEKEND!

Ana-Lena sent the win photos!

And reporting in from Brazil is Marcia Bertero:

"Shamba" was BIS this weekend
again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Itajai KC, in Santa Catarina State,
Southern Brazil. Judge Mrs. Susanne Blum. And he won a RESERVE BIS with Mr.
Juan Carlos

23 BEST IN SHOW
13 RESERVE BIS
Congratulations Marcia on another Best In Show!!!!!

And Maria Neff shows in Muncie Indiana handling Mira in Junior Handling.
Maria took 4th, 1st and 2nd place awards in Open Senior with CH Ragtime Vertical Horizon.

Here is Maria Neff's State Fair Show update from Debbie, Maria's mom:

At state fair Maria won 1st with her poster, 1st in the skillathon,
7th in showmanship and drill team won 5th. She won third highest overall points over 1400 4-H kids.

Great Job Maria!

August 21 & 22

Another weekend home! Amy & Ellen took in the Howell Melon Festival and Amy installed new stone in her kennels! It looks great!

On Wednesday, August 25, we head to the beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan for the Marquette Kennel Club
Show on Lake Superior. This is one of our favorite weekends of the year. The scenery is beautiful and the trip
would not be complete without stops at Mackinaw, Seney Wildlife Refuge, Tahquanemon Falls and Whitefish Point,
just to name a few. Last year we were lucky to snap photos of a Bald Eagle!

Reporting in with great news from South Africa is Natasha Baxter!

Just to let you know we had a fabulous weekend!!! Wynonna went BOB and the judge says to me " this is such an exciting bitch,
I could take her back to the USA with me" This was Mr Terricone from the USA!! Wynonna won the group under Mr Terricone and then
went BIS under the Australian judge Mr Goodwin ... they loved her and she gave her all!!! The crowds went mad!!

We got into the final 12 at the Dog of the Year once again ... but no place but she gave me her all in the morning.
That win puts her #1 Herding dog and #2 All breeds and #1 bitch for the moment ... she is looking fantastic so we will give it our best over the next
couple of weekends. Mr Terricone says he knows the Thornapple dogs and once gave a Thornapple dog BIS.

Wynonna is a daughter of SA CH Thornapple Quadratic Equation!

Goose takes Best Opposite Sex Puppy!

Maria Neff's Mom reports in with COUNTY FAIR RESULTS!

You would be very proud of Mira - he has been at our county fair
the last three days - very long days. He loved every minute of it.
everyone loves his blue eyes and he loved all the kids. We just love him -
he is so sweet. Today was the last day for the open dogs - tomorrow just
the 4-H dogs go for the next two days. Tomorrow is showmanship.
She got second in rabbit showmanship. Her vegetables she took in won
Best cucumber, second in tallest stalk of corn and her strawberry popcorn
won second. She also won second in the best vegetable display. Today was
the open dog show. There were 5 dogs in Mira's class. The judge is a big movement
judge. She had a tough time deciding between Mira and one other dog. Mira won - Yeah!!!
Then Maria took in Grace and won. So Mira and Grace were competing against each other.
I was hoping Mira would win but she picked Grace. Grace ended up getting second in group
first in group dog is a Westminster winner. Maria had a ball - I don't know how many different
dogs she took in and showed. The bulldog she showed keep laying on his back with his feet
up in the air. He still won his group.Tonight was the band concert - Maria played in it. We put
the dogs in the motor home with the air conditioner on. there were 15 marching bands there
and they all put on a show with three songs each. They all try to out do each other. The marching
is wonderful. Then at the end all the bands played together - over 300 kids -what a beautiful sound.
We are exhausted - been getting up at 6:00 and getting to bed after midnight every night.
Got to go to bed as tomorrow is Maria's biggest day. Debbie

GREAT JOB EVERYONE!!!!!

We enjoyed a wonderful weekend in beautiful Marquette, Michigan!
Ellen, Kelly Zartman, Jenny Poe, Phil and Vikki Davidson made the trip.
Amy stayed home to get Shayna and Austen ready for school.
Amy did take time to snap some new photos for our enjoyment.
Amy's dogs managed to keep cool in Southern Michigan!

We drove north early to spend Wednesday night at the Old Mill Creek Campground in Mackinaw. Our camp site
included a beautiful view of the Mackinaw Bridge. On Thursday, we shopped the city of Mackinaw.
So many quaint shops with lots of temptation to buy. Our favorite store is Thunder Bay Trading Company.
If you are ever in Mackinaw City, be sure to stop to shop! We crossed the bridge Thursday afternoon and headed
for Marquette on the north west coast of Lake Superior. Beautiful fall colors .... brilliant red, yellow and orange
leaves made for quite an August show! On Friday, it was 85 degrees .... 1st time since June 8th that the temps
were in the 80s. On Saturday, the temps took a dive! It was 53 degrees all day Saturday, with choppy water in
Lake Superior! We had planned a trip on the glass bottom boat to see shipwrecks in Lake Superior, but the lake
was too rough and too cold. Saturday found us in winter coats and hats!

View of the Mackinaw Bridge from our campsite. The Mackinaw Bridge connects the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of Michigan.
It is the longest suspension bridge in the Western Hemisphere. The Mackinaw Bridge is 5 miles long.

On Saturday evening, the Marquette Kennel Club hosted a barbecue with door prizes for the exhibitors. The food
was delicious and the entertainment lots of fun. Thank you to the Marquette Kennel Club for your hospitality!

On Sunday, Thornapple Jose Cuervo took Winners Dog
and Thornapple Oceans Of Diamonds took Winners Bitch and Best of Winners.
Jose need 4 points to finish and Mattie needs 2 points.
Jose is owner handled by Coleen "Kelly" Zartman

Erika Prince won her Open Senior Junior Handling class Saturday and Sunday
with Ch Thornapple Seminole Wind. She also took Reserve Winners Bitch on Sunday with
Thornapple Sweet Magnolia Wine.

On Sunday, we packed up and headed for the Lower Peninsula. We camped at Magnus Park on the shores of
Lake Michigan in Petoskey, Michigan. A full moon set at sunrise over Lake Michigan to conclude a great weekend!
On the way home, we shopped our favorite "up north" pottery store, Sturgeon River Pottery, in Petoskey.
Everyone found something they just had to have!