Purina Farms (:

For an English assignment I had to write a 4-5 page Memoir. I chose mine to be about a place that means something special to me.

A Dog Lovers World

A luxurious place, wide open space, friends all gathered around, Australian Cattle Dogs everywhere, crisp clean air with the occasional smell of cows that can only be appreciated by country dog lovers, and a large teal building and barn in the center. There are two fenced in areas. One area seems to be a little more dingy and rustic and it is used for cattle and sheep herding. The other area is smaller, clean, and new with a small white picket fence around the perimeter and filled with agility equipment, frisbees, and a small pool. All used for agility, disc dog, and dock dog shows. This is a place called Purina Farms in Gray Summit, Missouri. It holds a special place in my heart and I have many great memories there. At Purina Farms everything is centered on the love of our fellow canine friends.
            Purina Farms is very special and meaningful to me. At Purina Farms I was able to spend a week with my three favorite things in this world. Those three things are my dogs; Dingo, Sassy, and Mick. The week I spent at Purina Farms was for my second Australian Cattle Dog National Specialty. Many lucky people get to visit Purina Farms for many different dog centered events.  The week I spent at Purina Farms everything was centered on Australian Cattle Dogs. One of my favorite things to do at Purina Farms was to run agility. Agility is a dog sport where you spend less than a minute with your fellow canine friend running an obstacle course. For me, agility is a stress reliever, mind opener, and a way to have fun. You get to feel the cool, icy wind against your face, blowing your hair back as you run and you hear the clapping of the crowd as you cross the finish, whether you are victorious over others, or not. It is an event all about having fun. My other favorite part at Purina Farms was the bonding time that I spent with my dogs. It was all a great bonding experience for me and my dogs. At times it felt as if you and your dog existed in a peaceful world together, unknown to others.

Purina Farms holds a very special place within my heart. On October 6^th, 2012 my mom, three Australian Cattle Dogs, and I traveled to Purina Farms in Gray Summit, Missouri for the 2012 Australian Cattle Dog National Specialty, where we stayed for a week. It was a four hour drive and we arrived to a beautiful place that revolves around dogs! Within the week Dingo, Sassy, Mick, and I showed in agility, conformation, rally, and obedience. I also watched my friends Julia, Diana, Michael, and many others show in herding. There were also many nights filled with seminars, junior handler parties, and games.

A night that I will never forget was the night of the Extreme Juniors Banquet. The Banquet was Hawaiian themed and so much fun! The food at the dinner was so delicious; my mouth waters recalling the delectable meal. At the banquet Dingo and I were awarded 2011 Overall Combined Top Performance Australian Cattle Dog. It was such an honor.  Sadly, Dingo was unable to attend the dinner and receive the award with me. As soon as I got back to the hotel though, I let him know how proud I was. I told him, “you are the best dog ever and I am so very proud of us!” Being awarded Top Performance Australian Cattle Dog two years in a row was a great accomplishment for me. I knew that all of my hard work had paid off. I was also very proud to say I have trained Dingo one hundred percent myself since he was eleven weeks old with only a little bit of guidance from trainers.

The 2012 Australian Cattle Dog National Specialty was filled with fun and excitement. I made a lot of new lasting friendships that I will never forget. I was able to meet many Junior Handlers who became my best of friends over the course of the week. We all understood the love of dogs and how important they are to each of us.

On Friday, October 12, 2012 as I had to pack up and leave Purina Farms behind, tears were shed. I hugged all of my friends’ good-bye and told them, “We better stay in touch and hang out soon, or meet up at another dog show sometime.” We were all able to exchange numbers and email addresses. I made lots of great memories at Purina Farms and what an honor is was to have   the opportunity to spend a week at that beautiful site.

The open land, crisp smell of the cool outside air, nicely cut grass, and beautiful landscaping were all perfect, although I would change one thing about Purina Farms. The large open space is great, but it also adds a hindrance to a dog show. I had to run long distances from ring to ring for each show event. The long distances caused me to miss my runs a few times. I found myself running to the ring steward several times, huffing and puffing saying, “I missed my run, can you please squeeze me in at the bottom because I am next in the ring way over there!”

Traveling to Purina Farms gave me a sense of accomplishment. It caused me to be proud of me, my dogs, and the hobby that I participate in. If I would not have traveled to Purina Farms I would not feel the honor that I do now. Being at Purina Farms gave me and my dogs a new bonding experience and sparked new friendships. There was something special about Purina Farms. I think it was the cool, open, country area, filled with dog lovers.  Without Purina Farms I would not have met new people or feel such a bond with my dogs. The bond between Dingo, Sassy, Mick and I is like life and death. I keep telling myself that without my dogs, I would be lost in an unknown world.