Bayshores Bumble Bee

Our foundation Aussie is Bumble Bee aka AKC CH Bayshore’s Bumble Bee CGC RN. Bummy is a combination of all that is good when you think of Bayshore. She is is a very correct blue merle bitch with that incredible Bayshore head.  We lost our girl on April 30th, 2019.  She left a hole in our hearts that can never be filled.  Until we meet again Bee.

I became a co-owner of Bummy with J Frank Baylis of Bayshore Kennels on Mothers Day 2010 and now own her outright. When I went to Bayshore, I was there to decide if I really wanted to show dogs – I had no intention of buying anything. Really.

Anyone who has been to Bayshore knows it is like a kid in a candy store. The best of the best are literally running in a pack as Frank ticked off their accomplishments. ‘That one won Crufts, that one won Nationals’ – what a way to get an education on Australian Shepherds! We walked by one kennel and a gorgeous blue merle bitch was there and Frank remarked she had been co-owned and had recently come back.

As soon as I saw her I fell in love. I wish I could say it was the same for her but she was having more fun running with her relatives. Brat! As Frank showed me the dogs he had available I kept saying “but what about her?” She was not for sale.

I was like a broken record. I wanted the blue merle bitch (I did not even know her name). I even pulled out my checkbook and asked for a price (yeah that was smart!) and Frank would not budge. She was royally bred and most of her siblings had been exported to Europe and she was NOT for sale.

I looked at some gorgeous puppies that Frank co-bred and they were lovely but they were not (I bet you can guess)…the blue merle bitch. I sounded pathetic when I told him they were nice but I really needed to think about it. I could not get her out of my mind. Do I need to mention she never paid ME any attention!

I sat in the hotel and brooded – the puppies were lovely but they were not HER. My husband nodded as I blathered on and on about her. The next morning I called Frank to tell him that none of the puppies were what I wanted and I would wait for the next litter. I promised myself not to say anything but I then blurted out, “If you ever want to sell that blue merle bitch let me know.”

And at that point a miracle happened, Frank hesitated and said, ‘well….’ OH MY GOODNESS was he wavering?

For the rest of my life I will be forever grateful to Jeff Margeson and Ann Surguy who plead my case.

Frank said he would call me back, he had to think. Those were the longest minutes of my life and then he called back and told me he would do a co-owner on her and gave me the price. He barely got the words out of his mouth and I was asking if I could bring the check.

I found out he was a show about an hour down the highway and since it was on the way home we drove to the show so I could give him the check before he changed his mind. It was only when I wrote the Memo on the check I found out her name – Bumble Bee!

Frank took Bummy to the 2010 USASA Nationals where she placed 4th! I was thrilled as she had shown only a handful of times as a puppy and had been away from the ring almost two years.

After Nationals Bummy came home and we began showing her. It only took a couple of classes for her to get an understanding of the ring and when it clicked it was hard for a judge to ignore her. Some dogs have what is called ring presence and Bummy oozes it. She knows she is pretty and loves to show off.

After an unrelenting streak of one point shows Bummy finally got her majors and won back to back four point and three point classes to finish her AKC championship in less than three months! What a great way to get into show dogs! Did I mention that she got both majors with a blown coat?

Bummyalso competed in Agility and has completed her Novice Rally title, Canine Good Citizen and is working on her Therapy Dog accreditation as well. We also started her back in the show ring to complete her AKC Grand Championship and she has the majority of her points!

Bummy made the Top 15 Bitch cut at the 2013 USASA National Specialty an amazing job for a semi-retired unadvertised girl. Thank you to Jamie’s assistant Katie Collins for a great job! To make it to the finals out of 110 entries was quite an accomplishment. She also was 4th in Brood Bitch with the always wonderful Avery Clute!

Bummy is semi-retired now, she will do some occassionaly specialty shows and sadly only had one litter.  Understand this – Bumble Bee owes me NOTHING – she is the best dog anyone could have and while I wish we could have had another litter she is what she is – the best there is was and will ever BEE.  Sometime it is quality over quantity.  But what an amazing litter it was – her progeny is doing her proud (in order of appearance);

AKC GCH Bayshore’s Sugar Bee CAX CGCA TDI – 2011 CNASA 6-9 Puppy Bitch National Specialty Winner, Lure Course CAX title, ASCA Major Pointed, AKC Best of Breed winner, AKC Grand Champion, ASCA Best of Breed Winner over ranked Specials (14 points with three majors) AKC Canine Good Citizen Advanced and Therapy Dog.

RBIS Silver GCH Bayshore Stings Like A Bee – First Award of Merit at Westminster, AKC Silver Grand Champion, AKC Reserve Best in Show, AKC Group Winning, AKC Group Placing, AKC STAR Puppy working on Rally and herding with limitied showing as a Special.

Bayshore Whatever Lola Wants – Empress of Colorado.  You can find her climbing the mountains of Colorado or at Breckenridge on the slopes.

CH Bayshore’s House of Blues – AKC Champion, AKC STAR Puppy and my performance dog, he is amazing!