NORWEGIAN BUHUNDS
On 28th October across the Irish Sea in Eire Brenda and Tony Bethell rose at silly o’clock to go to Dublin, for the Bull Breeds Association All Breed Ch show. It was worth the early start as under Mr Ionescu from Romania their Ir Ch Zodiac’s Featuring Fredrik At Taevas of Minforst Jun Ir ChCW19 (Freddy) was BOB and won his 24th Green Star. It was at the same show last year that he won his 7th GS so making him an IR CH, he is by Am Ch Hundehaven’s Captain Voyger x Am Ch Zodiac’s Gracious Gretchen. RBOB Wining her 13th GS was Freddy’s daughter Ir Ch Minforst Galadriel CW19 x Ir Ch/Lux/Int Ch Arnscroft Glad Di Ola at Minforst. Their successful day did not end there as their puppy Cirneco dell’Etna, Cyrenensis Lucia Franca At Minforst (Imp Italy) was BP & BOB.
Back in the Uk on Halloween, Time (Rikarlo Gable) and I headed off for Time’s first Level 1 Scent Trial. He only started doing scent 12 weeks ago, so I wasn’t really sure he was ready, but he really enjoys searching, although he can get rather excited about it at times. I arrived early as being a Thursday I had to contend with the rush hour traffic. We walked round the park in which the Trial hall was situated, then it was time to go in for the judges briefing. The order was Car, Outside items, then inside for Tables and Chairs finishing with Boxes and Luggage. There is a drawn order for each search as once out the scent/hide is not moved, so especially outside if it is windy the scent can move making it harder for the dog. Most trials are capped at 20 dogs, as each dog is allowed 3mins for each search and with changeover of dogs and setting out of each search it is not a quick activity. We were lucky as it was a dry sunny day although quite cold and rather windy. We were drawn 11th for the car, the time starts once the dog enters the search area, Time found it in 47.44 secs, for the outside items we were 5th and he found it in 24.5 secs. 16th for Tables and Chairs which he found it in 22.5 secs. I was thrilled with this as it meant we had qualified as you need 3 out of 4 searches. We were 5th for the Boxes and Luggage which I was worried about, as in his last training class he had been very silly with this search and kept barking, so I had very nearly pulled out of the trial. I need not have worried he found it in 12.44secs, which meant we had earned a clean sweep rosette for finding all the hides. We were allowed back in the hall while the marks were added up, then it was time for the certificates and rosettes to be handed out starting with those that had just passed and working up to the winners, we sat and waited then the trial manger said and now for the places, and to my delight and amazement Time was fourth he had 80 marks for finding all the hides and I had full handling marks of 20 so the top marks of 100 points, the top places are decided on the total time taken for the 4 searches, but I was thrilled to come away with a certificate and a clean sweep and fourth place rosette. The nice thing is you do not have to move up a level once the dog has qualified, you can stay there until you think the dog is ready to go up. Time will not be moving up for a while as although he was very good, the higher levels get harder quite quickly, so I need to build his and my confidence and he is only 13 months.
On what was a very wet windy and cold Saturday, certainly here in the South and South West, Buhund owners made their way to Torquay and Distract Canine Society open show held at Exeter Livestock Market, where under Ken Jessop Jacqui Walmsley’s Trelowen Amelia at Frostisen who she co-owns with the Frostisen Kennel was BOB and was 6th in a large open stakes class under John Steele.
On the same day Millie Lambert with her Sturtmoor Free’n Eezee (Sheira) who is just 6 months and 9 days, travelled to Amma Valley CS open show held at the Carmarthen United Counties Showground. Where Sheira was 2nd in an AVNSC Graduate class out of 8, (5 puppies and 3 adults). She then challenged for Best AVNSC Puppy against a puppy from open, which she won going on to win PG1 under Kay Morris. She also qualified for the SWKA Pup of the Year and Crufts.
The following day they travelled to Coventry (Foleshill) Canine Assoc show at The Sports Connexion, Coventry. Where under Gary Gray she won the Junior class from 2 others was BP & BOB, she then went onto to be 2nd in the Adult Pastoral Group and won the Pastoral Puppy Group. So, you might say a great weekend at the office. At the same show my and daughter Debbie’s Ch/Bel Ch Tonylynn’s Charles LafitteAW (P)R2 (EX) won the Pastoral Veteran Group again under Gary Gray & Time changed searching for scent to the show ring and was 2nd in a large Junior Stakes class under Tony Allcock OBE. So, I think, it was a good weekend all-round for the Breed.
Margaret Deuchar margaretdeuchar@gmail.com
The views expressed in Margaret’s Breed Notes are hers and hers alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Norwegian Buhund Club of the UK.