NORWEGIAN BUHUNDS
I start this week’s notes by wishing you all a very Happy & Peaceful Christmas, with the sincere hope that any plans you have made all go ahead without any problems. Of course, the weather is the unknown, at the moment the whole country is having very cold weather and here in London we had had the most snow we have seen for some years, and although it is predicted to get much warmer, we all know that the weather can change quite quickly. The song ‘I am Dreaming of a White Christmas,’ and all the lovely Christmas cards depicting pretty snow scenes are great if you live in a country that is geared up for snow in the winter, but here in the UK we really are not and although it looks very pretty it can cause chaos. Many years ago, I went with a group of friends to Norway just before Christmas to attend a dog show (no dogs just to watch), as the chosen breed for that year for the displays were Buhunds. We flew into Oslo airport and hired a car and drove up to Hamar as the show was being held in the Vikingskipet (The Viking Ship), also known as the Hamar Olympic Hall as it was where the Olympic speed skating was held in 1994.It was -18 and with deep snow but we never had a problem, the hotel had plug in points for the car to keep them warm overnight, rather like you plug in electric cars now. The hotel had the most beautiful Christmas tree, and it really was a lovely trip with the snow and ice never causing a problem but they are used to having a White Christmas.
2022 was the first full year of shows since the pandemic, so I thought I would look at how the year worked out for the breed, having had to say good bye to several dogs who had passed over the Rainbow Bridge and with some exhibitors retiring. The first CC show was Manchester held at the Stafford Show ground with breed specialist Lorraine Bolton in the hot seat. BOB & DCC 18th was Nancy Kent and Jacque & Michael Cobb’s Ch Koromandel Best Served Cold at Knytshall (Jamie). BCC 2nd Lesley and Liz Butterworth’s Koromandel Gild The Lily (Hildy) who is Jamie’s litter sister RDCC 2nd Marie Corrin and Adam Camm’s Kligenthal Almuric (Bergen) who is a Hildy son. RBCC 1st Nancy,Jacque & Michael’s Knytshall Eloise, their Ch Trelowen Veryan to Knytshall was BV she has 7CCs & 9 RCCs.BP was Michael Patrick and Leigh Ashman’s Tapui Starla(Freya) this was her last puppy class. Jenny Shorer-Wheeler’s Koromandel Tusen Takk(ai)(Muchly) was third in the Manchester Junior Stakes under David Guy.
The next CC show was Crufts, where we had a change of judge just 24hrs before judging to all-rounder Steve Hall, he found his BOB& DCC 19th in Jamie winning BOB for three consecutive years at Crufts, he was later shortlisted in the group under Jeff Horswell. BCC 6th was Maddy Norman Ch Arnscroft Deliah at Veekay(Lottie).RDCC 3rd Bergan RBCC 3rd Kirsty Irvine’s Ch Kimura’s with Tapui (Imp Nor (Betty)) BP making the trip all the way from Northern Ireland, Sue Sercombe’s Trelowen Forest Gump(ai) BV Sarah Stanton’s Trelowen Andrea AW(S)((Loxy) she has a CC and 2 RCCs
We were allowed to have 2 Ch shows this year as we did not have one in 2020, so the next CC show was our own Ch show held in conjunction with WELKS at Malvern, where Breed Specialist Jacque Cobb officiated. BIS & BCC her 3rd so gaining her crown Hildy. DCC 5th & BOS Margaret & Debbie Deuchar’s Ch Rikarlo Gable JW (Time) RBCC 7th & RBIS Lottie. RDCC 2nd Mary & David Dosson’s Kligenthal Bran Mak Morn (Teddy)also a Hildy son. BPIS Muchly. BVIS Loxy. At WELKS Ch itself Lisa and Alex Strong’s Leggatts Dancing Queen At Draccus(Eris) was third in the Sybil Churchill Open Bitch Stakes under Jeff Horswell.
Then it was onto Birmingham National also held at Stafford where Breed Specialist Debbie Penniston Fleming was in the hot seat, she found her BOB &DCC 9th in Sarah Stonton’s Ch Arnscroft In Di Ana Jack RL1Ex. (Jack) BCC her first Eris. RDCC 5th Time. RBCC 7th Lottie who is Jack’s younger sister, sadly there were no puppies but BV was Lillian and Mike Rumsey’s Ch Arnscroft Di Nah May (Anja), she has 6CCs & 7RCCs. It was then up to Scotland for SKC, there are 2 SKC shows one in May and one in October but the October one has never had Buhund classes as long as I have been in the breed. The judge was all-rounder Sue Bird giving CCs for the first time in the breed. BOB & CC his first Muchly. BCC 10th Jenny Shorer -Wheeler’s Ch Maidofcopper For Koromandel (Imp Fin) (Pikka) she was also BV having just had her 7th Birthday. RDCC 2nd Kirsty and Alex Irvine and Callum Gillies Tapui Let’s Blaze.RBCC 8th Lottie. Sadly, again there were no puppies. The next CC show was right the other end of the country, Bath Ch show with Breed Specialist Neil Hood giving CCs for the first time. BOB & DCC 6th Time BCC 2nd Eris RDCC 4th Bergen RBCC 1st Freya BV Veryan. Then it was Windsor Ch show,my local show held on the showground just below Windsor Castle. The judge was the all -rounder Fran Kaye giving CCs in the breed for the first time. She found her BOB & DCC 10th in Jack BCC 11th Pikka she was also BV. RDCC 1st Victoria Graholska’s Sturtmoor Floki. RBCC Lottie. Bergan was 4th in The Windsor Open Charity Stakes under Barbara Cherry. The day however belonged to Pikka who won the Veteran Stakes under Moa Persson from Sweden and then won the Veteran Group under Irene Mc Manus. So, at the end of the first half of the year, the Green Cards had been spread about which is always good news. Muchly had his first CC and Floki his first RDCC. Eris had her first and second CC and Eloise & Freya their first RBCC, and we had a new bitch Champion in Lesley and Liz Butterworth’s Koromandel Gild The Lily who is by Muti Ch Kyon’s Bold Norseman x Pikka and was bred by Jenny Shorer-Wheeler. I will do the second half of the year in my notes next week.
Stay safe everyone and have a fabulous Christmas.
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