Category Archives: Hortobagy/Herding

Herding Hungary…

June 7, 2013

It has been raining all day. Took care of the chores and came inside and started organizing all the things from Hungary.  We also went through the limited photos and videos I could take on my cell phone.  Since we could not do anything outside, we pulled together some video footages I’ve had on my mobile phone and made this short video about the wonderful week I spent in Hortobagy.  We also included some clips from the Opusztaszer Herding Szeminar and from Anna Varadi’s Kaffogo Kennel.  ENJOY!!!

 

http://youtu.be/bcR4-sad4GQ  <—-Click here

 

Famous Last Words… (Supertramp)

May 26, 2013

Hortobagy  International Herding Camp, 2013

Hortobagy International Herding Camp, 2013

…I have none…(Ildiko Repasi :-))

Soon after Baby Agyag has arrived to New York State...

Soon after Baby Agyag has arrived to New York State…

Kaffogo Agyag has won again today and based on the result of the two-day show, she has also become  “Junior Bitches Club Winner” of the Pumi Friends Association’s Hungaria Klub Show.

Dear Anna Varadi, it is so ironic that I’ve been standing here in the limelight with our Golden Girl, Kaffogo Agyag in the past two weeks, when in reality she is the creation of your two decades of successful breeding program. (…the only thing I really do is to feed her… 🙂 )

I want you to know that I am greatful for the trust that you put in me to raise Agyag to success.

Kaffogo Agyag

Kaffogo Agyag

It has been a dream come through… This unbelievable successful two weeks  obligates me to actively support the Hungarian Pumi Club of America to promote Judges education in the United States.  It should become an imperative for the Club that judges are taught to learn to recognize and promote the correct standard of the Pumi.  Our geographical isolation should not be an obstacle for maintaining the highest quality and standard in conformation, behavior and subsequently in breeding.

Although, there is an official change in leadership for the breed that is currently taking place in

Kaffogo Agyag, HJCHP

Kaffogo Agyag, HJCHP

Hungary these days, this shall not be an excuse for the previous generation of leaders to step aside.  It is your responsibility and duty to provide your expertise and experience for the continuation of the improvement of this wonderful breed.

Tamara and György Länger, thank you for your support during the last two weeks. I hope that you will also support and contribute to an open, honest an impartial collaboration for the further improvement and preservation of the Pumi.  Your 20+ years of history and experience with the breed is an invaluable tool that cannot be ignored.

Kaffogo Agyag

Kaffogo Agyag

Thank you all for your support!

Everyone is gone...

Hope to see all of you again…

 

 

 

“It is All About Kaffogo Agyag…”

May 25, 2013

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Kaffogo Agyag has passed the FCI “Working Dog”Trial/Test… In fact, she has scored higher than my Herding Queen Fruska…

 

After a week long of serious work, Kaffogo Agyag, has passed the herding working trial/test and become eligible to enter  “working class” at  FCI regulated shows in the future.  In fact, as a super surprise,  she has scored higher than my Herding Queen, Fruska.

Kaffogo Agyag, HJCHP

Kaffogo Agyag, HJCHP

Agyag has also won the Club Exhibition of “Pumi Baratok Egyesulete” that has consequently earned her the Hungarian Junior Champion, (HJCHP.) title!

Fruska has placed Third in the Open Bitches Class and has also earned the “Working Dog” title for future FCI shows.

Fruska, my Herding Queen

Fruska, my Herding Queen

GIRLS I AM SOOOO PROUD OF BOTH OF YOU!!!

However, as a greatest surprise, I have received a Certificate  of Ambassador of the Pumi recognition by The  Pumi Friends Association, presided by Arkosi Jozsef. 

I am truly honored by this recognition and want consider this title/award as an investment in me for the future to actively utilize my special position as a Hungarian-American in the preservation and more importantly in the improvement of the condition of the Pumi worldwide.

I trust that this year will bring a new dawn for the breed and all positive aspects from the past will be embraced and considered prudently for a brighter future…

We had a great dinner party again! – I love multiple farewell parties. – it is perhaps addressing our separation anxiety that we’ve learned from our dogs… By the way, rumor says that the Hortobagy area has run out of Palinka since the arrival of the Alien Pumi Contingent 🙂

Finally, with tomorrow’s show we will arrive to the end of our long journey and than we will take a well deserved rest.

But before resting, my Prima Donnas are certainly ready to represent Team Pumi Americanus one more time.

 

 

 

 

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Farewell (the official one…) “Zárul Miki Móka Tára…”

May 24, 2013

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The Nine-Arch Bridge of Hortobagy…

The Hortobagy Herding Camp has officially ended today 🙁

I have to admit that I have not participated at such a well organized group retreat for a long time.

Here, I would like to thank for the excellent program that the organizers and hosts have put together.  Your dedication,  hard work and care that you’ve demonstrated, could set a new standard in hospitality and stewardship.

Thank you for your endless energy and boundless creativity that you’ve used to address and resolve the issues of our dogs (certainly mine…) 

I hope that I will have the opportunity to return in the future and perhaps, one day, we can host you  in our country, the USA, so we can reciprocate (or at least trying it ) your superior hospitality.

During the past week, it seemed that only one of my dogs, Fruska will be able to make a reasonable entry to the FCI herding trial, however, Gabor Kiss has not given up the hope, and managed to rebuild Agyag, my younger dog, from scratch who is after all, ready to compete tomorrow.

Tonight’s dinner party was the perfect finishing touch for our busy week.  Thank you.

Solveig, your champaign treat for all the guests, was a great gesture and real gem tonight.  As a matter of fact, it was  one of the greatest and unexpected surprises to get to know you after growing up on watching Ingmar Bergman’s wonderfully bleak and depressing movies…:-)

V I S Z O N T L A´T A´S R A !

 

 

 

 

Bitches Brew

May 23, 2013

 

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one serious piece of music history…

Q.: What do Miles Davis and I have in common?

A.: I do not know how to play the trumpet and Miles Davis had never owned a Pumi…

 

 

 

When it rains, it pours. I’ve noticed this morning that Fruska’s coming in heat too.  I actually had to fabricate both dogs underwear.

It appears that I am heading towards the weekend shows and the herding trial with not one but two highly emotional drama queens. I am really curious what my Pumi bitches will be brewing Saturday and Sunday.

practice for taming the shrew

taming the shrew…

 

 

 

 

Kossuth Radio MR1 , Budapest. Team Pumi Americanus has  become a Hungarian radio legend. 🙂

we got interviewed for a radio program today…

 

some serious international fun...

yes, we’ve had fun…

Ginger Butler, do not wear this garment  to a job interview…

 

Let’s call this entry simply Wednesday…

May 22, 2013

Rain… rain…rain

was raining today...

was raining today…

ready to fly... high on her own hormons... what a bitch...

ready to fly… high on her own hormons… what a bitch…

It is official. Agyag is a monster.  Her heat has turned her into a raging beast.  Suddenly, I empathize with all the husbands and boyfriends out there…  The two Gabors (Kiss and Keve) have been working on her very hard.  Some of the local shepherds  like her fire and would take her immediately. I am tempted to exchange her for two liters of palinka.

 

 

 

hat making...

hat making…

The last of the Mohicans… Every day  we visit a craft or art studio and get the feeling of real skills.  People actually creating useful objects.

 

horn making from horn...

a horn is carved into a horn…

on the learning curve...

it is certainly not rocket science…it is more complicated than that… it is herding…

 

somewhere there...

somewhere there…

 

 

 

“He Who Rises Early…”

May 21, 2013

oh no... everyone is waiting for me at the gate. I am late again...

oh no… everyone is waiting for me at the gate. I am late again…

“…to seek her will have no difficulty, for he will find her sitting at his gates.” Wisdom 6:14-24

This is certainly not about me. No one should rely on me at any gates that early in the morning.  Sorry,  I am not an early riser… and they make us to get up here at 5AM?!?!? Gosh… By noon time, I am ready to fall on my face.

 

Tom Levy and Gaby practicing...

Tom Levy and Gaby practicing…

We had a busy day today.  After the 6AM breakfast, we had a 7AM training to beat the daytime heat which can be very uncomfortable.  Agyag is turning into a monster… We have worked on her very hard today.

After the training we got a guided tour of the local museum and than went to see the Matai Stable. Later, we stopped by at a ceramic studio where we were also invited for lunch.

The famous lebbench leves. We also do outdoor cooking in New York when inviting our friends over. It just have such a magical effect...

The famous lebbench leves. We also do outdoor cooking in New York when inviting our friends over. It just have such a magical effect…

We had “lebbencs leves” a wide noodle soup with bacon, onion, potato, and red paprika cooked on open fire. It smelled delicious.   If  for no other reason,  one must taste it simply for its name, “SLAMBUC.”  It sounds so playful, fluffy and light – just as it tastes.  And of course we had  the ever present shot of palinka before lunch to help increasing our appetite. (Do not get alarmed, we had the palinka after 12PM…)

 

After lunch, we have learned wood sculpting/carving that I enjoyed a lot.  I like the idea of hands on experience of various crafts media.

yes...!

yess…!

I also ran the trial field with Fruska today. She was great we had no problem.  Agyag is a different story from a different planet…

 

 

The Earth Is Flat…Welcome to the Puszta

May 20, 2013

The earth is seriously flat

The earth is seriously flat…

Packed up the car and left from my sister’s home in Budapest  with the dogs to Hortobagy around 6 AM. I felt like a broken airconditioning that leaked out all of its freon and just kept running empty and overheating.  I was barely moving as the adrenalin dissipated from my body after the highly charged busy week ended.   The drive was about 2 1/2 long, boring somewhat resembling crossing through Iowa and Nebraska perhaps even more flat.

The Dining hall

The Dining hall…

I got to the Inn around 9AM.  Grabbed some breakfast and hopped on the bus to join my

international group members.  We will spend a whole week practicing herding and learning various folk art media, visiting the area and learning about its history.

Riding to the herding site...

Riding the bus to the herding site…

We drove to the herding site, got off the bus and there we were; the Puszta (prairie)…flat, barren and  empty.  The laws of physics get seriously challenged here…The midday mirage destroys the effect of vanishing point,  all noise gets absorbed in the air there is no acoustic effect. Speed becomes meaningless as it has no reference point.  The body loses its proportions and one becomes hyper aware of every part of it.  The Earth is seriously flat, endless, disarming and powerful here.

The day started with some talks, we checked out the nature preserve and wild-life reservation.  After

Moving the livestock...

I have to get used to  the flatness of  the landscape after the Catskill mountains in New York State…

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part of  “Team Pumi Americanus,” me, Tom and Chris Levy 

 

lunch we have begun practice.  The sun was high up and the dogs got tired fast.  Fruska was disinterested, Agyag kept flossing and I could not really focus either.  Was glad when the day ended.  Hope for a better mood tomorrow…