Siete- CKC Top Dog 2004

     In the year 2007 we finally began to apply for the delayed recognition that Siete deserves as one of the Top Basenjis of all time.  Siete received his VB, Versatile Basenji Degree from the Basenji Club of America, as a dog who had accomplished titles in three disciplines, confirmation, coursing and obedience in two different countries.  A number of his children have earned their CKC and AKC titles and we are in the process of preparing his Stud Dog Honor Roll Application, which is well deserved.  In addition, he learned in nearly forty (40) ralley stations, for ralley novice, advanced and excellent were, this year, as well as beginning to work on his CDX.  He earned a couple of legs on his ralley novice and will complete his ralley degrees and his CDX in the year 2007.  He showed well as a veteran in two specialties, winning his veteran class.  He keeps getting better and better and better. . . .    

     Siete made the decision to stay in Canada for the year 2004, with Larry Clark and his family in Calgary, Alberta. It is indeed difficult for a Basenji to stay on the road with a handler and many top dogs have been undone by this life. Siete loves Larry, his new wife and children, and has had an excellent home as well as on-the-road life there with them. They hate to see him come home as he retires at the end of the season, and in some ways, we do, too. However, he has had a good, long run and because we held him out due to his friend, Barbara Rouleau’s illness and death, he started as a top dog a little late. He turned five in November 2004. It is unfair to him and to others to make him do a second full year at this age. It is time for Siete to take on new challenges, and in 2005 he will do so, looking for a triple championship, in another performance sport. He has started work on his obedience titles with Evi Fox in Albuquerque.

       No doubt he will also do some coursing as well as supervise the careers of his children around the world.

       Larry would like to take him to Argentina for the world show in 2005, and we will see how it goes. He may come out of retirement for this special trip to once again see his old friends in Latin America. At any rate, as of the January Canine Review published AKC statistics, Siete is the Top Basenji and the Top Ten Hound, with the finish at number six that we believe to be higher than any other Basenji finish in recent history. Unfortunately, in the third quarter of the year, Siete suffered a minor injury in a run-in with a German Shepherd, (not his beloved Shepherd buddy, Dani), who was visiting Larry for breeding purposes, and was laid up for a while. This was unfortunate because it got him off his game, but he is back in top-dog form. We believe that at year end he is still number one. He is and always will be MBIS, MBIF D.Ch. Astarte’s Sultan Siete with Pips.SC a champion in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Brazil, and Latin America (SICALAM). Siete is number one Basenji, in Canada, 2004, a Top Dog Hound in Canada in 2004, held a Crufts placement, 2004, a World show placement in Brazil, 2004, as well as World show placement in Amsterdam, 2002. He was an AKC Top Dog coursing Basenji and hound in 2003 and an AKC Top Ten Basenji in Canada, 2002, 2003, 2004, as well as a Top 20 Basenji in the U.S., 2002. In 2004 he was CKC representative, to the Eukanuba Classic, Tampa, Florida. He is sire of FCH Ahmahr Nahr’s Running with Spirits SC, 2004; Top Dog coursing Basenji, winner of AKC breeder, owner, champion, coursing medallion.

       Siete has fulfilled his early promise in obedience.  In 2006 Siete obtained his Canine Good Citizen Certificate at the Flagstaff Shows.  He planned on obtaining his CD there. However, when the site was changed to an outdoor site (in extremely hot weather), we decided to pass on that three day experience and wait for a better site.  We found one. 

      Siete obtained one leg of his CD in Montana, as well as obtaining high hound in trial.  Unfortunately, he got a bee sting in the park and had to sit out the rest of the weekend.  Siete finished his CD title later in a year with two fine performances in Lubbock showing High Novice in Trial both days.   

    The best part of this performance was that Siete stayed every evening and worked with the other Obedience Champions to perfect his performance.  By the time the weekend was done, I began to believe that Siete could go on to compete at higher levels in obedience and so he will.  Presently, he is working hard on his Ralley Titles and has begun work on his Open Title, including jumping.  He loves jumping and is great at it.     Unfortunately, Siete and I have had to slow down in obedience a bit in order to finish out Jake’s 2006 Top Dog season which took on new proportions with his unexpected Best in Show win at Lower Mainland Dog Fanciers this year.   

    In addition, Siete has had to take time out to supervise three puppy litters at Ahmahr Nahr.  Of course, it is the African litter which Shakara whelped.  Siete then, with substantial help from Sindar, is in the process of raising his six - four tri dogs and two reds and white out of the lovely, Lady.   

   Last but not least, since Jake was an absentee Dad in Canada, he has been fully in charge of the Jake/Dancer litter - four puppies: two brindles, one red and white and one still young enough to be unclear.    

   Just as I was setting up his home jumping equipment, Albuquerque got a record ten inch snow fall.  I think our serious practice awaits slightly warmer weather.  It is our hope to complete Siete’s Ralley titles in February but we shall see.  In addition, continuing his role as Top Basenji Dual citizen, Siete also obtained his CD under the CKC system in Winnipeg this summer under top obedience judge, Kent Delaney.  He scored well against very tough competition and most amazingly for me, stood to have his picture taken, without a leash, with Mr. Delaney, in the pouring rain, in a metal roof building, with five hundred citizens of Winnipeg trafficking by - and I let him.  I don’t know which one of us is the greater fool.   

   At any rate, what everyone has said is how wonderful it is to see such a beautiful Basenji doing obedience work.  Siete now having had some rest from his years on the circuit, looks better than he did in his last year on the circuit.  He showed in his first veteran’s show at Basenji Fanciers of Phoenix Specialty in November, placing and also placing as Stud Dog and Get.   

   The most interesting part of this experience is how it has turned what we thought was a great dog, into an even better dog and deepened the relationship between owner and handler. We have applied for his Versatility Award.  

    Unfortunately, obedience is more or less a one-handler sport and so to the extent that I am tied up in another show with other dogs, Siete is without a partner, as they say.  This has slowed Siete’s progress.  Siete himself has speeded up his rate of learning.  Once he got that USCD, having spent three nights training with some of the top dogs in the US, he was ready to go and his rate of learning had accelerated in a way that both I and Evi Fox, his trainer, thought was incredible.  We only hope this continues because we will try for advanced titles.  Hereafter you will see memorializations of Siete’s achievements.  These carry over into other fields.   

   One of the obedience judges that Siete showed to had the opportunity to judge Madam, a Siete/Dancer daughter, in the confirmation ring less than two months later and gave her a Group One.  All things Basenji, improve all things Basenji.