Am Ch Wizaland Lady Of Lorien At Anadune JW AW(B) NA NAJ SSA PT CGC

Galadriel

4 October 2005 — 3 September 2020

Gala was the most devoted dog I have ever owned, she lived for me. Her ideal days would be with everyone she loved all together, but if that wasn't possible, she wanted to be with me. She had complete trust in anything I said, and I tried my hardest to ensure that I never disappointed her. I will be eternally grateful to Sue for letting me have her. She had an amazing temperament, friendly but not pushy (until you let her lick you that is ... once she discovered that that was an option, there was no stopping her). She was confident when encountering new things, very trainable and absolutely gorgeous.

In 2006, we mainly focused on showing her in conformation, rather than overloading her with obedience and agility as well. In the breed ring, she qualified for Crufts many times as well as qualifying for Border Collie Puppy of the Year by winning Minor Puppy Bitch at her first big Champ show. Despite having dropped her coat by the time Puppy of the Year came around in November, she got through to the final in Minor Puppy Bitch. She has obtained her Junior Warrant and so qualified for Crufts for life. She was a powerful mover, with a stunning side gait. In the US, she finished her championship very quickly (considering she had a puppy in between when she came and when she got her title!) gaining both her majors at the first show where majors were on offer.

Gala had an incredible amount of potential in agility — she went Grade 4 before we left the UK with wins in both agility and jumping. My friend Amanda has videoed some of her runs (e.g., RVA June 2007: Grade 3/4 agility), she was fast and very easy to control. She got both her NA and her NAJ titles in the US, but we focused on working her on sheep as the various agility surfaces kept making her lame. On her return to the UK, she won Grade 4 in the first month back to competing, and won out of Grade 5 (4 times!) at her first Grade 5 show, making her grade 6. As for herding, our instructor in the US, Linda, has helped me take her from not knowing anything about sheep to getting her PT title — another sport that she put her heart into because we enjoyed it together.

Walsty-Walsty, my heart, you have left such a massive hole in my life: no longer resting next to me while I work, not sitting on the sofa with me. No more bodges when you want a pet or patter-patter, panty-pant to say that it's time for your night night treat. I wish I could have kept you healthy for much much longer, my beautiful girl, the world needs many more dogs like you. You did great things, you did them 'cause we did them together, and I wish so much you were still here with me.