After a very long two-year hiatus due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, we were thrilled to finally hold the Third Annual Rocky Mountain Biewer Terrier Club (RMBTC) Event on September 14-18, 2022, at the Baymont by Wyndham in Cortez, Colorado. This year’s event was attended by 28 very beloved dogs and their entourage of 27 equally devoted humans, coming from all over the U.S. to see old friends, make new ones, and celebrate our love for this amazing breed!
On the evening of September 14, we gathered in the breakfast room at the hotel to meet and greet other RMBTC “parents” and “kids,” while enjoying refreshments and delicious strawberry cakes baked by Karen Hansen. Each family received a goodie bag filled to bursting with everything from bows, bandanas, treats, toys, and toothbrushes for the dogs to tissues and toiletries for their humans, as well as delicious Hansen wildflower honey, goat milk & honey soaps, lotion bars, and paw balm!
Everyone outdid themselves on their generous donations for the goodie bags and they were greatly appreciated! It was an especially magical evening for one really lucky family who got to meet their newest addition for the first time… a tiny, precious RMBT baby girl named Delilah! Needless to say, it was love at first sight!
Thursday, September 15, found us driving to Mancos State Park in Mancos, Colorado, on a gorgeous but brisk and windy early autumn morning, to enjoy the breathtaking scenery and outdoor time with our dogs. While End of the Trail Catering was busy getting our lunch of grilled steaks and shrimp cocktail prepared, Karen was happily snapping photos of everyone… dogs, humans and their dogs, dogs, dogs, and more dogs! While the “parents” enjoyed their lunch, the “kids” got to hang out and
socialize in their own custom corral. Later, Mommy Karen and Daddy Jared joined them in the corral to visit and hand out treats to all the beautiful babies they’ve bred and blessed us with.
Later that evening we met again in the breakfast room, or what we’ll refer to as Biewer HQ, for the pet costume contest. We had an angel and devil, bikini babes, pro hockey players, a postman, spider, cowgirl, bumblebee, a Biewer beaver, a baby sea turtle, octopus, shark, three mermaids and a fisherman, and they all got to strut their stuff down the red carpet, complete with red velvet ropes and gold stanchions—just like the A-list celebrities they are! Ribbons and awards (aka toys) were handed out to all the deserving winners, but the best reward (at least for the contestants) was getting to take their accursed costumes off!
Friday, September 16, was a picture-perfect Colorado day with bluebird skies and white, puffy clouds… a perfect day to go horseback riding! Jared and Karen trailered two of their horses, Whiskey and Princess, to Mancos State Park for those who wanted to channel their Urban Cowboys & Cowgirls. There were several who jumped at the chance to go horseback riding and several who were perfectly content to be spectators and cheer the riders on. Karen captured the riders’ joy in her beautiful photos. Afterwards, we enjoyed another delicious meal of BBQ ribs and chicken provided by End of the Trail Catering.
We had free time in the afternoon, but met up later in the Biewer HQ that evening for a grooming demonstration by Karen, and to snuggle with and “ooh and ahh” over the age-appropriate RMBT puppies that Rubi Becker and Leon Hansen had brought. The well-socialized pups were a huge hit with everyone, except for our own dogs who may or may not have been a bit jealous?! A fun raffle was also held which garnered a lot of laughs and some really great prizes. It was the best raffle ever, with everyone being a winner!
Saturday, September 17, was a bittersweet day—the last day of our 2022 event. We had the morning free, but later in the day we were invited out to Jared and Karen’s new cabin that they’ve built in the San Juan National Forest. It was an afternoon of hiking, target shooting, or just porch sitting and enjoying the breathtaking scenery, invigorating mountain air, and an occasional hummingbird. Those who decided to go on a hike were treated to beautiful views of the rock cliffs and caves on the property, and Jared got to practice his first responder skills on one of the group’s members (whose identity shall remain anonymous). Target shooting was offered to anyone interested, and several stepped up to the challenge. Some even surprised themselves by enjoying it as much as they did! Who knew we had so many Annie Oakleys and Frank Butlers in our group?
Later that evening, back at Biewer HQ, we savored our last End of the Trail meal together of burgers and brats, followed by a mock dog show on the red carpet. Some dogs were naturals in the ring, graciously posing for the paparazzi… others were a bit more reserved and camera shy, but all were winners in the eyes of their humans who adore them. As the evening drew to a close and we reluctantly made our tearful goodbyes, we were already talking about and looking forward to seeing each other next year. So, the dilemma is this: How is it even possible to sum up such a wonderful event?
“This event was our first one, so we enjoyed meeting all members and their puppies. We enjoyed the park, food, and all the Biewer activities. Visiting the cabin minus the shooting was a treat.”
“Meeting the other Biewer parents and pups. The costume contest was a hoot, especially when the Angel became “the stripper.”
“The trip, it was my first time and very grateful for all the new friends I made and their kids! Loved meeting Karen’s goats, turkeys, pigs, and horses. Felt so good to get out of the city. Loved the day at the cabin and shooting that rifle!”
“What I looked forward to before the event was getting together with friends I had not seen for three years. In addition to reuniting with friends, I met new friends! There was also a wonderful variety of activities—something for everyone! We enjoyed delicious food from End of the Trail Catering. There was the opportunity to ride a beautiful horse! For outdoor enthusiasts, we were able to explore the area around Karen and Jared’s new cabin. And, as a bonus, we got to do a bit of target shooting, which was fun whether you could hit anything or not. The activities at the hotel were fun and gave us lots of laughs. After the last three years of limited contact with people, it was so refreshing to get together with people with a common love for our dogs, and laugh and relax a bit! Looking forward to the next event!”
“It was so good to see old friends and pups and meeting new ones! We so enjoyed spending time with everyone, riding horses, eating all the great food from the caterer, and especially getting to go to Karen and Jared’s cabin in the woods! The events the pups partook in was very fun! So much fun, but my favorite part was meeting and bringing home little Delilah!”
“The laughter, the sharing, the effort everyone put into making it special. It was FUN.”
To put together an event such as this takes a lot of time, creativity, organization, coordination, and maybe just a little (or a lot) of stress. We would like to thank our fabulous Event Chair, Ann Furlough, and all who helped, for making RMBTC’s 2022 Annual Event such a successful and memorable one. And, as always, a very heartfelt note of gratitude goes to Jared and Karen Hansen, for without them, none of this would be possible. From the first ever RMBTC event held in 2018 to now, wonderful friendships have been made—some that will be lifelong. We’ve become a family… the RMBTC family… proving yet again how true our motto is that “Life is Just Better with a Biewer!”
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