NORWEGIAN BUHUNDS
Last Friday morning I was shocked and saddened to see a message from “Our Dogs” saying that Meg Purnell Carpenter had passed away. Meg was a popular Judge, Exhibitor and was regularly seen at shows with her trade stand, she was also a Member of the KC. She did not give CCs in the breed, but I know that many of you will have been judged by her at Open and Ch shows. She judged the Pastoral Group at Crufts the year Anne Smith’s Ch Arnscroft Never Say Di (Osker)was BOB, and she shortlisted Time in the Puppy Group at Windsor in 2019.She was an inspirational lady and always very helpful if you asked for advice. She was due to judge BIS at Welks and is a great loss to the dog world in general and will also be very much missed by all who knew her, I know there will many tribute to her in “Our Dogs” and in the weeks to come. Condolences to her family.
Owners and their Buhunds have been busy going out and about again, Working and Pastoral Breeds Ch show was held on the Welsh Showground Builth Wells on Saturday 15thApril, although it is a very nice showground it is in the middle of Wales, and with the show in April and without CCs, it sadly has never been very popular with exhibitors, and now only has four mixed classes. However, Jenny Shorer- Wheeler decided to leave home at silly o’clock and make the trip to Wales where she enjoyed watching the Malamute judging, before it was time for Graham Hill to judge the Buhunds, it was certainly worth the trip for Jenny as he found his BD& BOB in Jenny’s Ch Koromandel Tusen Takk JW (ai)(Muchly) he of course was Top Buhund last year. BB was Sue Croker Leggatts Jive Talkin (Noodle) gaining some more sort after points towards her Junior Warrant, which as we all know in a numerically small breed such as ours is not that easy to attain. RBB & BV was Jenny’s Ch Maidofcoper for Koromandel JW (Imp Fin) (Pikka), she was later 4th in the Veteran Group under breed specialist Celia Vines, and Jenny made it home just before 11pm!
The same day and still in the west of the UK but this time in England, the Make A Splash Rally competition was held at The Grange Equestrian Centre Okehampton Devon. Rally was becoming very popular before the pandemic but is taking a little time to pick up again. Rally had a base originally in Obedience heelwork but now a course of up to 18 exercises has been added to the heel work, and the dog must complete course in around three minutes. There is a sign for each exercise, and competitors walk the course before competing. There are a number of exercises, and the judge chooses which ones they want to use in the course. In Level 1 they are basic exercises such as sit and down, weave through cones, turn left, turn right but all have to done neatly on a loose lead. The handler /dog teams compete in the lowest class for which they are eligible starting at level 1 and going up to 6. Levels 1 & 2 are on the lead, with the more advanced levels off the lead. To move up to the next level in 1-4 you needed to gain three excellent scores of 190 or above out of 200 under three different judges or six qualifying score of 175 or above out of 200 under four different judges. In levels 5 & 6 the qualifying score is 180out of 200 and the excellent score is the same 190 or above out of 200. Jacque Cobb has been competing for some time and showed us all how to do it at the fun afternoon we held with the AGM, and then ran a fun competition. She retired Ch Trelowen Veryan To Knytshall last September when she on won out of Level 2 , but continues to compete with Knytshall Angel Delight who is Level 3 and is now also competing with the younger members of her team, Knytshall Eloise and Knytshall Sashenka Bear. At the ‘Make A Splash’ competition Eloise gained an Excellent score of 194 in Level 2 and Bear also gained an Excellent score 198 in Level 1 and was 5th.Sadly Angel did not get to compete as just she and Jacque were about to enter the ring a loose dog careered into Jacque and bowled Angel over, after which they were too shaken and upset to compete. Happily, neither were hurt.
Stay safe everyone.
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