NORWEGIAN BUHUNDS
I am sure most of you will have seen that Bournemouth & Blackpool Ch shows are planning at this moment in time to go ahead. Pastoral Day at Bournemouth will be Sunday 4th October; the Buhund judge is Gary Clarke. There are 5 mixed classes which include Special Beginners and Veteran plus OD & OB, entries close on line Sept 8th. If a dog was eligible for a certain class such a puppy or junior it can still enter these classes providing that the show is held within 12 weeks of the original date, which Bournemouth will be.
Blackpool is planning to go ahead between 25th – 27th of September; entries will be on Fosse Data from 10th August for 3 weeks only. I cannot tell you who the Buhund judge will be at the moment, as apparently some judges are unable to make the new date. This show will not be held within 12 weeks of the original show.
Now some very sad news the late Lynn Isaac’s Fullani Feema Avec Tonylynn(Sable) has gone over the Rainbow Bridge. After Lynn’s sad passing last October, she had been looked after by Tony, who told me that old age finally caught up with her. She was bred by the late Elisabeth Coleopy and I think she was the last Buhund to carry the Fullani affix. She was born on 30th September 2004 by Int /Ir Ch Trelowen Clowance at Benzara x Fullani Fraena. Tony has her daughter Tonylynn’s Ayala Fizz, by Ch Olpenden Malachy at Parvodene (JW) (SHCM). Sadly, she never bred a litter as when she was in pup, she had a pyometra and had to be spayed to save her life. Tina Imai has a son Gin ( Tonylynn’s Bollinger) there is also a son in France and she was also the dam of my Fizz. Their grandfather was my Ch/Multi Ch Fullani Flekkefjord JW x Elisabeth’s Nor Imp Ch/Ir Ch Skadsemagaarden’s Freia Priskila at Fullani(SHCM).
Another very sad passing on July 5th was that of Jacqui and Michael Cobb and Nancy Kent’s ChTrollheimen Elske To Knytshall (Imp US), taken far too early but she had been suffering with cancer of the jaw for some time. Recently she could only manage liquid food, so to save her any suffering and before she stopped enjoying life, the difficult decision was made. She was bred in the US by Else Turner who lives in New Jersey, and who has been breeding Buhunds since 1992. Elske was born on 21st February 2012 and was one of the two blacks in a litter of four. They were by Am Ch Hundehavens’s Captain Voyager x TrollhimenArctic Ridge Onyx; Elske came to the UK as a puppy. On a happier note she had 2 litters so leaves children and grandchildren. One litter was born on 26th November 2015 by Knytshall Diamond Ted, from this litter Jacqui, Michael and Nancy kept Knytshall Moon of Josephine who does agility and is often in our Obreedience team, Sue Crocker has another daughter Knytshall Noor Ul Ain who was top puppy in 2016 and also has a RCC. Elske’s second litter was born on the 30th September 19 by Jacqui Walmsley’s Blakk Extacy V Koekie’s Ranch (Imp Ned). From this litter Jacqui,Michael and Nancy have her daughter Knytshall Eloise she won the junior bitch class at Crufts and is in our online Obreedience team, and her brother Knytshall Edgar was 2nd at Crufts in the Junior dog class thrilling his owners. Her granddaughters Sue Crocker’s Leggatts Voulez Vous(Tissy) and Lisa & Alex Strong’s Leggatts Dancing Queen At Draccus both have RCCs and another granddaughter Leggatts Gimme Gimme Gimme is with Caro Flanagan in Eire and grandson Leggatts Fernando from Frostisen is also in Eire with the Frostisen Kennel. Jacqui toldme that she was very touched to have received a sympathy card from the vets, and that it was lovely that Sue Crocker brought over Elske’s daughter Noor and granddaughter Tissy to see her.
Recently drawings of rainbows have become a common sight in the UK during the pandemic, as people have put up pictures in their windows of the weather phenomenon to thank the NHS, and cheer up the mood of the Nation. Children in particular have enjoyed drawing and colouring rainbow pictures.
However, for many years previously, pet owners have believed that just this side of heaven there is place called the Rainbow Bridge. ‘When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to the Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food and water and sunshine and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals that have been ill and are old are restored to health and vigour. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind. They all run and play together, but they day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face, your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet so long gone from our life but never absent from your heart. Then you cross the bridge together’. The Author of this is unknown but the words “never absent from your heart” are so true.
The concept for the pet Rainbow Bridge may have have been based on the Bifrost bridge of Norse Mythology. The Bifrost bridge was said to be a burning rainbow bridge that reached between Midgard (Earth) and Asgard, the realm of the gods. The stories go back to the 13th century with some saying the Bridge may be the Asbru bridge. There are also thoughts that the bridge may have originally represented the Milky Way, parallels have also been notes between the bridge and another bridge in Norse mythology, Gjallarbru. Obviously over time many things have been changed, with some things being added and some forgotten. More recently the term has become popular because the thought of reuniting with a specific animal is heart-warming at an emotional time. There are many Rainbow Bridge memorials available to honour pets, as now more than ever people realise that each pet is special.
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.
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