NORWEGIAN BUHUNDS
Apologies for no breed notes last week. Many of you know that I judged the breed at Crufts on the Thursday, so I travelled up on the Wednesday afternoon to attend a judges’ briefing in the early evening. I could have attended one on Thursday morning but wanted to watch Debbie and Fizz compete in the team Rally competition. Then on Friday Fizz and I did Discover Dogs, travelling home on the Saturday morning, spending the rest of the day doing the dog critiques, Sunday was for the bitch critiques. I might have done them a little quicker if I had not been watching some of the agility, at Crufts on YouTube! It was back to work on the Monday, so a rather hectic but enjoyable few days. I do not judge enough to be able to do the critiques as I judge, especially as I had such a wonderful entry and for Crufts you are expected to critique the first 3 in each class, so I wrote notes and just fleshed them out while I could still see the dogs in my mind’s eye. The last time I judged the breed was at the club Ch show in 2014. I had turned down appointments in between as I think with a long-lived breed such as ours it is good to have several years in-between. This meant as I had hoped many dogs that were new to me, also with Kiki going blind (nothing hereditary) early last year and with Fizz doing agility, I had only attended 4 shows last year. Two of these were open shows, so I really was able to go to the ring with a blank canvas. Of course writing these notes I do keep up with the breed activities but knowing the dogs names and actually going over the dogs is a very different thing.
I have to say the run up to Crufts was rather stressful to say the least. I was booked several years ago and was looking forward to it, then the ‘Beast from the East’ arrived! I could not begin to count the number of times I checked the weather forecast. I could not see Crufts being cancelled, this did happen when there was foot & mouth but that was some time in advance, so assuming it went ahead, how would I get there and would there be any exhibitors? In the end of course the beast went on its way, although I did sadly lose one entry that was still snowbound in Scotland.
My DCC and BOB went to Anne Smith’s Arnscroft Never Say Di, Oskar to his friends he is by Ch /Am Ch Visions Dino of Trollheimen (Imp USA)(Casper) x Arnscroft Di Sing On Ice. This gave him his crown; his first CC with BOB was at City of Birmingham last year under Jane Lilley, where he was also G4 under Pinto Teixeira. His second also with BOB was under Gail Hussey at Driffield. I am sure Anne will not mind me saying that when I saw him as puppy I thought ‘oh dear,’ as he was rather an ugly duckling, but has certainly now at just over 2yrs become a swan. Veteran is always a difficult class as you have some dogs who are just in veteran and some the other end of the scale at nearly 11yrs. Neil Hood and Julian Collins Ch Arnscroft Di Nah Sawr US Rex ShCM by Ch/Ir Ch Arnscroft Kimura x Ch/Ir Ch Arnscroft Di Nahs Mite stood out for me so I awarded him the RDCC & BV, he also has 5CCs & another 5RCCs.BPD &BP Jacqui & Michael Cobb & Nancy Kent’s Koromandel Best Served Cold At Knytshall (Jamie)by Am/Can Gr Ch Kynon’s Bold Norseman x Ch MaidofCopper for Kormandel JW, 10months old and a real stunner he was BP & DCC at LKA. His dam won the BCC, Jenny Shorer-Wheeler &Lorraine Bolton’s Ch MaidofCopper for Kormandel(Imp Fin)by Nor Ch Gnipagrottensqu x Swe/Fin Ch Cipacan Mila Magia she headed a lovely class of 6 Ch bitches, to me she epitomises the breed, she is not only a quality feminine bitch but also an outgoing pes very important way of promoting the breed.Lisa & Alex Strong and of course the wonderful Loki ,held the fort on their own on the Thursday.I first met Lisa at DD in 2016 at the Excel. They are now very active club members with Lisa & Loki being in our Obreedience team.On the Friday I joined them with Fizz and as on the previous day the stand was very busy.The weekend I understand became even more manic.Saturday saw Jacqui Cobb & Sue Crocker take along Noor ,Ferdig and Angel..Ferdig is Angel & Noor’s grandfather, so as Sue said a real family day out .Anne also joined them with the newly crowned Osker.Sunday it was Nancy Kent with Jamie and with Lillian Rumsey and Anya .Many of the dogs had been shown on the Thursday, so it shows what a wonderful temperament they have that they can cope with both environments so well.We know from comments on here and other places how well everyone did prrsonality which I feel is so much part of the breed. She has 6 more CCs &7 RCCS, this was her third bitch CC at Crufts and Jenny says she will now retire her from Crufts, but as she is only just over 3yrs old, hopefully Jenny may change her mind. RBCC her 3rd she also has 1CC Margaret Garvie’s Rhialis Lucina also by Casper x Ch Ailort Just Jinks, she won the limit class and is another lovely bitch who obviously loves life. BBP Lesley & Liz Butterworth’s Koromandel Gild the Lily litter sister to Jamie, the breed has a bright future with the lovely puppies that are around at the moment.
I know I have said it before but I really do mean it, I was really spoilt for choice in so many classes and although we are a numerically small breed there certainly is a depth of quality, I am sure many of the exhibits would change places on another day.
After the judging the exhibitors had arranged a fantastic picnic at the benches which I was allowed to join!
Discover Dogs as always was very busy, a massive thank to all of you and your canine assistants ,who gave up your time to help out with this very important way of promoting the breed. Lisa and Alex Strong with the lovely Loki held the fort on the Thursday, sending down to the benches anyone who they thought was really interested in the breed. Fizz and I joined them on the Friday for another busy day, with some people returning from the day before to ask more questions. Fizz was very funny, he obviously thought being fussed way was his domain and tried to push in every time he thought Loki was having all the attention. I gather the weekend was even more hectic than the previous two days, on Saturday Jacqui Cobb Sue Crocker & Anne Smith returned with Noor, Angel and Ferdig who is their grandfather, and the newly crowned Oskar. Nancy Kent with Jamie and Lillian Rumsey with Anya held the fort on Sunday. We have had some fantastic feed back with a number of would be owners joining the forum to learn more about the breed, so well done everyone.
Margaet 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
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