Norwegian Buhund

Breed Notes 26th July 2024 Margaret Deuchar

NORWEGIAN BUHUNDS

Evesham & District Canine Society Premier Open show was held on 14th July the day after Working and Pastoral Breeds Ch show and on the same venue, the Three Counties Showground. Thoughts of an open show in the area were first suggested in 1974 but the idea was not popular with everyone, so it was not until 1977 when a new Retail Market Hall was opened in Pershore that the first show was held there on 3rd July. As the show grew in size it was difficult to find venues until in 1986 the Three Counties Agricultural Society converted a large warehouse into a venue for dog shows, and Evesham was the first to use it for a member’s limited show in the winter, in 1987 this changed to an open show. In 1993 the show moved to an outside summer show, which is now a Premier show with the first four in each group qualifying for Crufts, and has a Qualifying Heat for the Junior Warrant, and of course it benefits from being the day after W&PBS ,with exhibitors and judges staying over either locally or in the caravan part. I went before the pandemic when we were chasing JW points for Time, then there were only AVNSC classes, Time did not get a point as he was second, but Fizz (Ch Tonnylynn’s Charles Lafitte) was RBVIS. Now there are 3 Buhunds classes which had 11 entries, this meant there were Buhunds in all the classes with Lisa and Alex Strong’s Draccus I Have A Dream (Raven) winning a very strong Junior class, and from that class Sue Crocker’s Leggatts Superstition (Franny) was BP. The winner of the PG class was Sue’s Leggatts Voulez Vous, with the BOB coming from open, Marie Corin and Adam Camm’s Ch Kligenthal Almuric(Bergen) RBOB also from open Anne Marie, Mary and David Taylor and Addrienne Frost-Treadwell’s Frostisen Blakk Zitter. The judge was Steve Bennett who gives CCs in five Pastoral breeds. Josh Henderson judged the Pastoral Groups and awarded Franny PP G4 and Bergen PG4.So good day all round for Buhunds.

There have been several comments recently on FB (not by Buhund owners I hasten to add) complaining about how shows are run. It does not matter what activity it is a hard work organising and running any show, so I thought it would not hurt to remind us of all the hard work needed. Below Lisa tells us of her experience joining a show committee.

‘Over the last couple of years, I have been invited to join some show committees and recently was given the opportunity to help with the set up and pack up of Newmarket and District Canine Society 2-day show, held at the Leisure and Sport Centre Ely. The new committee was formed just a few weeks before the show, so in the run up we had several in person meetings in the evenings each lasting a couple of hours, to ensure we had all the paperwork required, had the catering organised, along with PAT testing of cables and sound equipment and ensured we had first aid kits, and had sorted things out with any trade stands. Thankfully Raymond and Pat who are part of the Boston Championship Show Committee were there to help us. A few days before the show we all met up one evening to organise the ring boxes with all the breed envelopes. This involved going through the catalogue to find out which ring numbers were needed, and adding rosettes for BOB, RBOB and BP, along with the steward slips to be filled in recording the results from each class. We had a team of 8 people, so it only took a couple of hours. At midday on the Friday before the show people arrived on the showground together with a van containing the contents of the locker where the items necessary to run a show had been stored, exam tables, big tables, marquee, gazebos, chairs, poles, ropes, dustbins etc. Some of the items were put into a scout hut as because it is public land and there was no security, the rings could not be fully set up in case items were damaged or stolen. The ring boxes, tea urns, soft drinks for the judges and stewards were all transferred to the hut. The rings were mapped and staked out in readiness, originally it was planned to erect the marquee but then the decision was made to pack it away until the next day. Signs were put out to direct competitors to the show and car park. It was then home time. The next morning, I arrived at the show at 6.45am after a couple of scares, with one person pulling out of a junction without looking and another going round a roundabout the wrong way! I had my 3 with me as I had entered before being elected to the committee. I was also on my own as my husband had another event to attend. I quickly set up Camp Bu near their ring. Once I had my gazebo up, I settled the dogs in their crates after having given them a quick comfort walk, checked all was secure and as by then others were arriving, I hurried over to start the main set up. All the rings needed an exam table, a big table and 3 chairs all needed taking to the rings, my trolley came in handy for that. The secretary’s tent was set up, all the appropriate signage displayed, catalogues laid out, refreshments set up ready for stewards and judges. All the rings were roped up to prevent people walking into the rings, laminates sheets were put out to identify each ring, with the judging order. The waste bins were put out and the gazebos were erected in each ring to provide shelter for the Judges and Stewards. We were short of two gazebos, so I and another committee volunteered ours. This meant a dash back to the car to get my pop-up tent and relocate the dogs into to it so my gazebos could be used. Luckily by then other Bu exhibitors had arrived so they kindly agreed to keep an eye on my dogs. I was stewarding the Junior Handling classes so it was then time to collect my ring box. Once my classes were complete, I handed over to the next judge and ring steward. My next job was to check all the rings were running smoothly and make sure nothing was missing from the ring boxes. Then there was a sudden strong wind which lasted about 10mins, during which time we were frantically adding ties to the gazebos and taping things down, unfortunately a couple of the gazebos were damaged including mine, so we then had to adjust the rings slightly. I collected slips from the rings taking them to the secretary, when suddenly someone came running asking for a First Aider so as I am one, I grabbed my kit and went to help. I was just about to write the incident up when the Buhunds were called into the ring, I rushed over showed Raven after which it was back to doing various show errands for the remainder of the day. When day 1 was over all the things that had been stored in scout hut overnight had to go back there for safety. Finally, I pulled out of the car park at 6pm, the dogs had been amazing all day. At home I was getting ready for bed ,when I had a call from my husband  to say the trains were not working properly and he could not get further north than Stevenage, so into the car and off I went to pick him up, finally  climbing into bed at 12.30am.I was back at the showground for 7am the next day, where we had to set up all the rings again pretty much from scratch and modify the layout to compensate for the broken gazebos, that were no longer usable. Once all set up I collected my ring box as I was on stewarding duties all day, and headed off to my ring with a trainee steward, making sure people were aware I was in case of a First Aid incident. Stewarding over I took photos of the various groups as no one had taken photos the day before. Between groups we started packing up the rings that had finished which hopefully meant we did not have to stay so late. Photos taken for Best In Show followed by Supreme BIS, Supreme BPIS & Supreme BVIS. The pack up continued with the bins emptied and the big bins on wheels rolled back to the Leisure Centre. Then everything had to be washed down and dried before it could go back in the van and all locked up. All the signs had to be collected, cables all wrapped up and put away and keys handed over. At almost 6pm I headed home to soak my aching muscles and get an early night. I now have a newfound appreciation for all the work goes into the running of a show.’ Thanks Lisa reminds us all of all the hard work involved, brings back memories of when I was secretary for 24rs of one of the biggest 1 day horse shows the country at that time, one thing happily Newmarket did not  have was a  judge phoning  the night before or on the day of the show with a valid reason for why they could not judge !

Margaret Deuchar   margaretdeuchar@gmail.com

Any 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