NORWEGIAN BUHUNDS
Apart from going to a few exemption and obedience shows in my teenage years with my first dog an Airedale, I had concentrated on showing horses after I left college until I had my first Buhund, Okie aka Ch /Ir Ch Wolfen Just In Time. Many of you know the story of Debbie and I taking him to his first show at just six months, and not realising what a deal it was being the Breed Club Ch show! After that for a while I decided competing with the horses was a safer option, confining my dog showing to open shows. At that time there were many more open shows with Buhund classes within a two-hour travelling time. Fairly early on I entered one show, worked out when I thought the Buhunds would be in the ring, we arrived wandered down to the ring and to our horror the Buhunds were already being shown! They very kindly waited for us to run back to the car for Okie! At another show held around the same time at Godmanchester the breed before us had 16 entries and not one turned up! Why, I do not know, there was the rumour that the exhibitors were proving a point for some reason, whether that was true or not I really do not know, but from that point on I decided I would always arrive well before the start of any show, so there was never any rushing at the last minute. Allowing plenty of time certainly helped when going to a Breed Club Ch show a few weeks ago, when we were held up by an accident on the M1 and it took us an hour longer than planned, arriving just as the show started. Then recently there was Coventry (Foleshill) Canine Association show at The Sports Connexion Ryton, when for the first time in all those years I broke my rule of arriving before the show started. We were 6th in the ring after 81 dogs, (the show had posted their entries in advance), the ring did not start till 10.30am and several of the breeds in front of us were table dogs which always take a little longer. Those of us going had decided that we would not be in till late morning early afternoon. Of course, the show as always said it could move breeds to help the running of the show, but as all the rings seemed to very full that did not seem lightly, or so we thought! It was a Sunday, so I went to Church came home had a leisurely breakfast, packed the car and set off just before 10am. It is just under an hour and half for us up the M1 & M45 to Ryton, we had a very good journey arriving just before 1130 am. I do not think I have ever seen the car park quite so full, we managed to find a gap right at the back. I left husband David and Time in the car and went down to hall, they were still on the second breed in our ring and there was not a spare inch for Time’s cage let alone for our chairs, the secretary told me that they had done away with one ring this year as in the past exhibitors had not stayed as space was so limited, not sure it had helped, particularly as this year there are not so many open shows being held, so they entries were high. I decided the most sensible thing was to go back to the car and have an early lunch that we had brought with us, Debbie arrived and joined us in the car and we chatted away, after a while we thought we would go and see that if there were people leaving there might be a bit more room. We waked into the hall and Jenny who had just arrived joined us, she had brought her puppy for its first show, we looked across to our ring to see they were now on the 4th breed. Then over the PA came Norwegian Buhunds and all following breeds from ring 4 will NOW be judged in the spare ring outside in the car park, which was just outside the hall. The other car park is not a massive but big enough when you are running back to get your dog. It was very kind of a number of exhibitors who called out to say as we were hurried down to the ring, that we were now in the outside ring, I was even more impressed that they knew what Time was, I have been to so many shows even Working and Pastoral Breed shows and have been asked what they were, so we must be doing something right to get them better known. We all gathered by the ring except for Sweta Raithatha Bartlett and her husband, they were just arriving, not ideal as it was their and their puppy’s first show, some instructions over the phone and they soon found us, so about 10 mins after the announcement were all there and judging could begin. Our judge was Sue Bird (Joyberna) who breeds and shows Tibetan Terriers and Shih Tzu, she found her BOB in my and Debbie’s ‘Time’ (Ch Rikarlo Gable JW) RBOB was Marie Corin and Adam Camm’s ‘Bergen’ (Kligenthal Almuric) BP Jenny Shorer-Wheeler’s ‘Muchly’ (Koromandel Tusen Takk ). This was his first show as he is just six months, he is one of two litters this year born by AI, to Multi Ch Trollhimen JR Made For Cascilius x Sturtmoor’s Ffascination With Koromandel. Very sadly JR died from a freak accident at home earlier this year, so it is great to have a couple of litters by him.
Once judging was over there was just enough room in the hall for Time’s cage, and a couple of our chairs alongside our Elkhound friends. The next class where there was a Buhund entered was AV Minor Puppy judged by Kevin Young (Sunkap). There were so many entries that Kevin judged the class in 2 halves, only having the class altogether for short listing, we were all thrilled that Muchly made the cut and even more so when he won the class, a great start to his showing career. Because the show had moved rings for breeds, they were able to start the groups just after 2pm, the Pastoral Group was first judged by our breed judge, and again held in the ring outside, was quite large so gave a chance for the larger pastoral breeds to move freely. Time was fourth in the adult group and Muchly third in the puppy group, so a great end to the day after a rather shaky start. In spite of being very little space the show was well run and by moving breeds they kept the show running smoothly, I also have to say the rosettes both for the breed and groups were lovely. I think lesson learnt again though; I will be arriving earlier at the next show.
The next Bu Bumble will be on Saturday 4th Dec at 2pm in Hinchingbrooke Park, Huntingdon. All welcome with or without a Buhund. There is a large car park with the cost of £2.
Michael Quinney’s funeral with be held in Wisbech Cambridgeshire on Tuesday 23th November, donations to Wood Green Animal Shelter.
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