Winners and Losers

I felt sorry for Annabelle when we went to Oxwich Bay last weekend.  She was trying to get shots of us racing with Mollie and Owen on the dunes and the beach.  Of course, she didn’t have a hope of getting a decent picture, any more than Mollie had a hope of beating Pearl.

As you probably know, Greyhounds and Lurchers are FAST.  When we run, we turn into streaks of energy that are difficult to capture on camera.

Maybe an expert photographer with a posh camera could manage it, but Annabelle was onto a loser from the start.

Pearl can run faster than me, but I use a little trick to get ahead – before she hits her top speed, I get right up close and bark in her ear to slow her down.  Some might call it cheating; I call it tactics.

That’s me in front, going so fast you can hardly see me.

Pearl and I both love to win, especially when there’s a prize on offer.  Pearl has won second prize twice in the Greyhound Rescue Wales monthly draw (known as the 100 Club).  So far I haven’t won at all because stupid Annabelle forgot to put my name on the form.  (Duhh!  These writers don’t live in the real world.)  I can’t post pictures of Pearl’s prizes because they were both money and she spent it all on treats – which, of course, are long gone down her big red pie-hole.

When I used to go to school I won third prize for ‘an excellent standard of obedience.’  Pearl is very scornful about it – she keeps saying ‘you can’t eat a rosette’ – but I reckon that’s the green-eyed monster talking.  At least I have something to show for my efforts.

I still treasure that rosette.

My latest prize came from our Farfetched Friends Sasha and Pierre from across the pond.  Those two are a modern miracle – Sasha’s a Pit Bull and Pierre’s a Chihuahua, but somehow they manage to spend time together without one of them getting eaten.  They wanted us to vote for who we thought was Top Dog out of Pierre and Sasha and their humans, Vanessa and Diesel.  I voted for Pierre because I thought he looked delicious cute. Pierre won the vote – and I won the voters’ prize draw!

Yes, I know, Annabelle’s name was on the ticket, but it was my idea to vote.  First prize is a lovely coffee mug with all our faces on it.  Now Pearl and I are quits with two prizes each, and Annabelle is well happy because she lives on coffee.

PS – Annabelle welcomes all comments on how to take better photos.