NORWEGIAN BUHUNDS
First of all, I have a couple apologies to make, the first one is from my notes December 24th when writing about the Bitch Puppy winner at LKA who was Lorraine Bolton’s Gladidegelli Arvejenta For Rikarlo(Lucy) by Multi Ch Trollheimens Jr Made For Cascilius(JR) x Rikarlo Garbo, I had written x Rikarlo Gable ! who is Garbo’s litter brother, sorry Lorraine, and yes I did check what I had written before sending it in, but obviously not well enough! Second in the same piece I talked about AI in dogs as Lucy is by AI, saying had it been used the past by famers in particular for cows and pigs and also for race horses, however I have had it pointed out to me by someone who reads these notes and knows about these things, that it is not allowed in thoroughbred racehorses in the UK/Ireland but has been used for years with sports horses, such as show jumpers. So, something new learned and I am very grateful as the person that told me who does not have a Buhund but Border Collies.
Now we have a New Year so on onwards and upwards, I do know some of you had Covid over Christmas and the New Year, so I hope that you are all fully recovered.
We have had the first Ch show of the year, Boston which went ahead as planned with an entry of approx 5,500 dogs, although I must admit over Christmas with the number of Covid cases rising rapidly, I did think if there were more restrictions it might mean it would be cancelled, but in the end like LKA it went ahead abiding by the Government guidelines for gatherings of over 500 people, with everyone having to show that they had been double vaccinated or had had a negative PCR or Lateral Flow test in the previous 48hours,you were then given a wrist band to show that you had been checked. Later in the day when I went out to the car, I had to show my wrist band before being allowed back in, so hopefully with the fact everyone was also asked to wear masks no one will have caught Covid. There was an announcement fairly early in the day reminding people to wear masks.
Pastoral Day at Boston as usual was the Thursday, the show is relatively new compared with some Ch shows that started at the beginning of the last century and before. Boston and District Canine Society was formed in 1948 and was given Ch show status in 2007, the first Ch show was held on the Newark and Notts show ground. In 2010 it moved to the East of England Arena on the E of E showground; the building was relatively new at the time. The show began with the breeds that have CCs at every show but has gradually over the years have added other breeds, it now runs over 4 days and is a qualifier for Crufts, with entries not closing till after Manchester Ch show. In 2011 they added Buhunds which was great news, as having lost Manchester (at that time) it gave the breed a Ch show between LKA and Crufts albeit without CCs. Unfortunately, it has not proved popular with Buhund exhibitors, being near Christmas and New Year and tending to be mid-week, and there not being many exhibitors in the Southeast. This is sad as it does have a lot going for it, a modern hall well laid out and with all the benching marked not only with the name of the breed, but also numbered rows the details of which are sent out with show information, so you can quickly tell exactly where you are benched, I just wish it could be the new Year Resolution of every Ch show to make the benches easier to find, assuming of course we going back to having benches. The car park is also all hard standing, no mud but since the beginning of the pandemic part of the car park has been used as a Covid Testing site, and last year for the E of E show it was a bit chaotic but was much better organised this time.
We were 5th in the ring after 104 dogs, the breeds had 52,6,34 and 12. There was a ring with only 53 so I thought they might move us, but they moved another breed. Judging was due to start at 9.30am, it was obvious that whatever happened we were not going to be in very early but living 2hrs away and knowing how often there are hold ups and how difficult the parking could be we left home at 8am, with the car registering -4 degrees the weather having remembered we were in winter. The journey was actually trouble free and although it was very cold it was a beautiful sunny day, we arrived at 10am just after the show started as there was a 15mins delay. We quickly found our benches and not long after we were joined by Sarah Stonton who probably lives the nearest to any Ch show ground than anyone, she says she could stay at home until we told her we were just about to go in! but she had come early to be sociable which is after all part of showing. She had Ch Arnscroft In Di Ana Jack RI Ex with her. Daughter Debbie who now lives only half an hour away was next to arrive, she had Leggatts Dancing Queen At Draccus (Eris) as owners Lisa and Alex Strong were in Mexico celebrating their 10th Wedding Anniversary and two special birthdays they had last year. Sadly, there were only 4 entered and we had one absentee. We would have had more entries but Jenny Shorer-Wheeler a great supporter of the show was judging the Alaskan Malamutes and YKC Members Stakes. After numerous cups of tea, a great deal of chatting and catching up with friends we went into ring at 3pm.Our judge was Allyson King who started judging in 1982 when the Pastoral breeds were combined in the Working Group and has judged at home and abroad. She awarded Jack BOB with Debbie and my Ch Rikarlo Gable JW (Time) RBD. Eris was BB. The really great thing was that although there were only 3 of us Jack was later shortlisted in the Group under Cath Moffat, judging the Group for the first time. With the weather deteriorating and a 2hr drive home we did not stay to support Sarah, but it was lovely when we arrived home to catch up with the Group which had been videoed by ‘Our Dogs’ one of the great things about modern technology that allows ‘Our Dogs’ to do, and I know is appreciated by many who watch from all around the world.
Keep an eye on Ben Fogle’s New Lives In The Wild Tuesday evenings 9pm Channel 5, you may watch it regularly but if not if the episode mentions ‘The Shetland Isles’ you will see a Buhund, more details next week.
Stay safe everyone.
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