My two Briarbrook girls!  One of the reasons I went to the Nationals was to get a look at some of the dogs the various breeders were producing “hands on.”  Alaska is so far away and depending on the pictures in the Aussie Times is limiting.  I had two boys now that needed that special girl – Shadrach (my black tri) and his son, Luke (a blue merle).  When I got home I started calling breeders up, checking for available bitch puppies.  When I called Linda Wilson, I ended up getting a “two fer” deal!  She had two bitches available out of Chad and Signa – a blue and a black tri.  On the one hand, I needed a blue for Shad, but then I needed a black for Luke – what to do?  Linda suggested that maybe I might like to get both – one on a co-ownership and one that I purchased outright.  It sounded good to me – although I now had to come up with two good names!

          Tess became Briarbrook Midnight Tessera (tessera being the square tile piece in mosaics) and Bekkah became Briarbrook Borealis Beckons (or call of the north).  The two girls tumbled from their crate and promptly wound my boys around their little paws!

          Tess was an extrovert who loved treats and had the show stacking stuff down to a fine art.  She always showed full throttle and took many of her handlers by surprise.  She looked small but could move out and easily keep up with the big boys.  Her show career was either “all or nothing.”  Judges either really liked her and gave her the points (with her going over bitch specials to take Best of Opposite Sex) or they acted like she didn’t even exist.  I’m not sure that she ever took a Reserve.  Bekkah was quieter in the ring.  She had perfect foot timing and was classically elegant.  Both Tess and Bekkah could “plant” the perfect stack every time.  Bekkah was never able to finish her AKC championship.  She got into a territorial debate when she had her first litter that resulted in her ear being broken.  I did not realize that it had been broken until the cartilage had already set up (lots of things going on at the time).  So she was retired from the ring with two majors from AKC (one a 5 point Best of Breed win) and a 4 point major from ASCA.  Tess finished her AKC championship, was retired, and then brought back into the ring when ASCA began the Altered Championship program.  She had been spayed during a C-section of her last litter.  I entered her with the intention of supporting the people who were serious about trying for their Altered Ch.  But in typical Tess fashion, she did the unexpected!  Under the two ASCA Breeder judges, she took Best of Breed and the two majors!  She wasn’t able to finish the A-Ch, but we all had a great time when she was in the ring.

          Tess and Bekkah were inseparable.  On one occasion they both had a litter of puppies three days apart.  They shared the litters.  I don’t think the puppies knew who their mother was; they nursed off of either one.  They were also puppy thieves!  Whenever any bitch had puppies, both Tess and Bekkah were sure that the mothers weren’t properly taking care of the puppies.  They’d boldly step right into the whelping box and cuddle down with the babies regardless of the protests of the real mom.

          Both of my girls got their ASCA Started titles on sheep.  In fact, Bekkah was also good with cows, but never got the opportunity to title.  During the set of trials when they earned their titles, the wife of one of the judges was acting as scorekeeper.  She complimented me on both of the girls’ working ability and asked where I got them from.  She was TOTALLY surprised when I said Briarbrook.  Score! – for the “frou-frou” dogs!!!

          In the spring of 2005 I noticed that Tess had a lump on the top of her muzzle.  I suspected a bee or spider bite and so kept an eye on it.  The lump didn’t go away and it changed its size and feel.  I took her to the vet and had it X-rayed.  It was a tumor that was already making its way through the bone into the nasal passages.  I was devastated.  Tess hung on until July when the tumor made breathing impossible for her.

          Bekkah was lost without her littermate and lifelong companion.  She gave up her interest in life and died in February of 2006. 

          My life has been blessed by my two girls and the legacy of their offspring that carries on.

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