NORWEGIAN BUHUNDS
How did it get to the end of August already, mind you I am not sorry to see the back of the fourth heatwave we had had in this area, as I write these notes it is a pleasant 22 degrees but as these notes have to be in early to OD because of bank holiday, by the time you read them we could be having another heatwave or even torrential rain who knows ! I know many love the hot weather, but it is not so easy if you have animals in the most recent heatwave with temperatures in the low to mid 30’s, some farmers were keeping their cows in as it was too hot for them to go out, often there was not much grass for them to go out to anyway so putting up feeding costs. It has also been very difficult also for those who earn their living training dogs, when we had the first heat wave many activities were cancelled but as it went on one trainer said to me how much money they were losing, not just in lessons but also cancelling activities when venues were involved as these were paid for in advance with no refunds. Recently many activities were brough forward to start at 8am. If we are going to continue to have hot summers maybe there will have to be a change in how we do things, I know in some hot countries shows take place in the evening under flood lights.
Too late for last week’s notes, on Sunay 16th August Jacqui Walmsley and Anne Marie Taylor attended the dog section of the Mid Somerset Agricultural Show held on the Agricultural showground Shepton Mallet. The main show is just one day but has various livestock classes including horses, showjumping, arts and crafts a flower show and the Somerset Cider Championship! Anne Marie said the weather was gorgeous and the company superb, her and her parents Frostisen Blakk Zitter (Penny)was 2nd in the Open Stakes under Paul Osbourne winning £15 treat money, she also handled Jenny and Dave Langford’s Ir Ch Frostisen Zeffer (Loki) he is Penny’s litter sister to a win in the open AVNSC class under Sandie Tadd. Jacqui’s Trelowen Amelia at Frostisen (Bunny) was third in in Pastoral Veteran also under Sandie Tadd and 4th in the Veteran stakes under Suzanne Archer gaining 2 more points towards her veteran warrant, so she now only needs 5 more points.
Monday 18th August was a bittersweet day for Kirsty Irvine as it was the day her homebred Hari (Ch Tapui Herja) was leaving to join her dam’s breeder Dr Roberta Crouch in Australia, happily she had stayed long enough for her to gain her crown at just 14 monts in 3 straight shows. Kirsty said although she is looking forward towards to what her future will bring in Australia; she will obviously miss her. Sending a dog to Australia is not easy it involves a series of detailed steps to comply with the country’s stringent biosecurity regulations. One of which means the dogs must be vaccinated against Rabies and then 180 days must pass after it has been confirmed that the rabies vaccination has taken, but for this period the dog stays with the breeder /owner. When we used to have quarantine the dog came into the country and then spent 6 months in kennels which was very hard on the dogs. When the dog arrives in Australia at Melbourne International Airport they do have to do a quarantine period but only 10 days. Having said good bye to Hari unfortunately Kirsty did not have the end to the day she would have liked as she had a burst tyre while travelling home to Blackpool so had to wait for rescue, but happily tyre changed she made it home safely. The next day she received photos from the carrier of Hari being exercised before she started her travels and Kirsy was then able to follow the flight’s progress, with Hari arriving in Australia on the Thursday morning. Hari is the first UK bred Buhund to travel to Australia as far as I know, but back in 2015 two Buhunds were born in Norway at the Kimura Kennel and arrived together in the UK, one Kimura’s Vera went to live with Kirsty and became Ch Kimura’s Vera with Tapui (Imp Nor) (Betty) the other Kimura’s Viking (Erik) went to live with Sue Crocker to do his quarantine in a rabies free country and have all the tests before continuing his travels to Australia, where he is now known as Aust Gr Ch,CIB Kimura’s Viking (Imp Nor). He was one of the first Buhunds to go to Australia. Both puppies were able to be shown at Crufts in 2016 with Betty being BP and Erik BDP.
Many of you will have heard of the Munster Circuit in Eire which this year started after Welsh Kennel, it is a series of three shows Killarney, Limerick and Tralee, with Clonmel on the Sunday before, although this show is not part of the circuit. Many go over from the UK as part of their summer holiday, the late Gail Hussey & the late Elizabeth Coleopy and her daughter Treena Maun and I did it for a number of years before the shows were FCI, it was great fun and a way to see Ireland .This year Barbara Barganska who bred Addrienne Frost Treadwell’s Elkhound went over with a couple his relations to join Addrienne on the circuit. Addreinne has kindly sent me a report on the shows held so far. ‘At Clonmel Int/Ir Ch Trelowen Aviator at Frostisen(Maggit)was BOB under judge Sharat Shama from India who’s opening words were “Wow he truly is Excellent”. He was then shortlisted in the final 6 in the group under Australian judge Mrs Searle. Killarney Ch show was next where again Maggit was awarded BOB under Stephen Minogue but the excitement got the better of him in the group, I do not know how he managed to bark all day and not stop for breath. He was very annoying. He did however take a respectable fourth in the Champion Stakes under spitz specialist Darren Walker.’ Thank you, Addrienne, I look forward to your report on Limerick and Tralee.
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