NORWEGIAN BUHUNDS
National Working and Pastoral Breeds Society have two shows a year. Their Ch show is in July and their Open show in February. The open show this year was held on 12th Feb at the usual venue of The Sports Connexion Ryton on Dunsmore which is a very popular venue for dogs shows, having relatively easy Motorway access, and a large carpark.
A few years ago, the KC asked Breed clubs to support 2 open shows and we decided to support this show and the Nordic. It means that the club offers prize money £10 for BOB £5 for BP and £3 £2 £1 for class places.
When I came into dog showing there was only the Working Group but in 1999 the Working Group had become so large that the KC decided to split it. There was a vague hope that there might be a Spitz group as with the FCI countries, but this was not to be and the Pastoral Group was born, for breeds from all over the world that were originally bred to herd, move and sometimes depending on their size protect various livestock varying from sheep, goats, cattle and even reindeer. The smallest breed in the group is the Lancashire one of the table dogs in the group. The breeds left in the Working Group were those bred to be hunters, guard, sledge, and even draft dogs, very often breeds in this group are some of the most ancient breeds in the world. They are medium to large and there are no table dogs. Since the groups were split both groups have had new breeds added when they have been recognised by the KC.
The show started at 9am and we were 4th in the Ring but between them the breeds only had 20 dogs. It was interesting, some entries in the numerically large breeds were quite small whereas others had a large entry. There are always comments about the causes of low entries at open shows, possibly it is due to the judge but so many other causes come into play, the location of the show, and whether there a number of the breed living in the area, and the faculties especially car parking, I have known some exhibitors who have gone home as they could not find anywhere to park. Open shows are very important part of the show scene as it is where judges learn how to judge and go over the breed they want to judge, and they are just as important as training ground for puppies and young dogs, the dogs born in lockdown have certainly missed out here. There is sometimes a problem with getting help and stewards at shows and in some cases finding committees to run them in the first place but that is for another day
Our judge was Gary Clarke who gives CCs in Border Collies. My report on the show is from Jenny Shorer-Wheeler with few adds from me, she writes ‘We had a super entry of 11 Buhunds with 9 present. I was very fortunate to take BOB with Piika (Ch Maidofcopper for Koromandel (Imp Fin) and BP with Muchly (Koromandel Tusen Takk(AI).What was so very satisfying though in the Open class there were two of Piika’s grandchildren Millie Lambert’s Ch Strutmoor’s Free’n Eezee (Sheira ) who was RBOB and her half brother Ch Rikarlo Gable JW. All 4 in the limit class were RCC winners and 3 of them are also Pikka’s Grandchildren. Both puppies were great grandchildren. Every Buhund present was of superb quality any of them could be worthy BOB winners, fabulous dogs, fabulous camaraderie amongst the owner, it’s all just super and every Buhund person should smile to see our breed so well represented. Well done team BU. Piika was also shortlisted in the Veteran Stakes and the Group, and Muchly was 3rd in the Puppy Dog Stakes winning money, and 4th in the Puppy Group.’ Thanks Jenny, the 4th in the puppy group qualifies Muchly for Crufts next year as the show is Premier show with 1-4 in groups being Crufts’s qualifiers.
Those of you reading the above might think that Piika has had several litters, well no, all the grandchildren and great grandchildren come from a dog and bitch in her first litter of just six puppies. She did have another litter but there were only 2 and one is in Germany and one in Finland.
It was lovely to welcome the Guillod-Ress family to the show with their seven and a month-old puppy Draccus Obsidian aka Ruby, she was bred by Lisa Strong out of her Leggatts Dancing Queen at Draccus (Eris) x Ch Rikarlo Gable JW(Time)and like her mother she is black. This was her first show, and nothing fazed her. Handled by daughter Bethany in the 6-11yrs old Junior Handling class she was second not only winning money but also qualifying for the JHA semi-finals handling class at the NW& PBS Ch show on 16th July. Hopefully we will be seeing them all at other shows as well.
The next day Lisa had organised a Buhund Bumble in Attenborough Nature Reserve Nottinghamshire, unfortunately, the weather had gone downhill and was rather wet and blustery but that did not spoil the fun, with the dogs chasing around in and out of the water. Louise Badock took her Finn who was obsessed with swimming, and the honorary Buhund Stella who is a Sheltie, Karen Southwell took Toby who is Wolfen dog bred by Kathy Hay, Sweta Bartlett and her partner took Asguard aka Koromandel Ildsjel, and Robbie and Keir Jones took puppy Otto who has come over from Eire having been bred by the Frostisen Kennel, he is by Fabrajas Your Obedient Servant Mr Burr (Imp US ) x Leggatts Gimmegimmegimme , and enjoying the change of scene after the show yesterday Lisa’s Eris and Mary Dosson’s Teddy aka Kilgenthal Bran Mak Morn. Lisa said a Swan plonked itself in the middle of the path and was reluctant to let them pass, she was very brave and put herself between it and everyone so they could all get by, she thinks it thought they had food for it. They also met a lady with a Pomskie who said she thought Buhunds were difficult to train, so Lisa happily demonstrated Eris’s recall.
Marie Corin also had a completely different activity on the Sunday from the show, as she did a 10K run in London in Aid of Cancer Research UK. The run happens every year, and passes through the heart of the city, passing London’s Landmarks. It was launched in 2015. So, it was a busy weekend.
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