NORWEGIAN BUHUNDS
Bath Ch show is one of the new all breed shows giving CCs to every breed that has them, this is being trialled for 3 yrs by the KC. It has scheduled the breed for many, many years without CCs, for which we have always been grateful. The all-breed shows now have to rotate their group days and Pastoral Day this year was Saturday.
The show itself started in 1877 in Wells Road Bath with an entry of 562 dogs, sixty years later the show held its first Ch show and this year it is the 91st show, with an entry of 8000 dogs. The show has its own grounds in the hills above Bath, covering 50 acres which includes the caravan and car parks. I really liked the car park as every row was numbered, which was wonderful as it meant you could find car so much more easily! I think the showground is one of the more attractive ones, it now has the very popular in/out rings with the benches behind, these were brought in some years ago after some very wet years, in one of which we had to carry the dogs to the ring from where they were benched. No problems like that this year the ground was in very good condition and the show was bathed in sunshine for most of the day and on the first day, but I gather there was little rain on the Sunday. We were second in the ring after Lancashire Heelers; our judge was David Cavill who gives CCs in 28 breeds across 5 groups. He has given CCs in Buhunds on a number of occasions the last being at Richmond in 2015. This time he found his BOB & CC in Maddy Norman’s Arnscroft Delilah At Veekay (Lottie) bred by Di Stirling and co- owned with Gail Hussey and Lynn Isaac. She is by Ch & Ir Ch Arnscroft Di To Be A Sailor Ir J Ch x Ch A Di Or Comply. This was Lottie’s all important 3rd CC giving her, her crown, as you can imagine Maddy was thrilled and I am sure she would have seemed to be flying home. Her first CC was at Richmond last year under Zena Thorn-Andrews and her second this year at Manchester under Marion Sargent. RBCC her 10th Jenny Shorer-Wheeler’s Ch Maidofcopper For Koromandel JW (Imp Fin)(Pikka)she is by Nor Ch Gnipagrottensqu x Swe/Fin Ch Cipacan Mila Magia she also has 8CCs.BPB Lisa & Alex Strong’s Leggatts Dancing Queen(Eris) by Frostisen Winsome x Knytshall Noor Ul Ain .BVB & BV Jacqui & Michael Cobb & Nancy Kent Ch Trelowen Veryan To Knytshall RL1 EX she has 7CCs & 6RCCs.DCC & BP my and daughter Debbie’s,Rikarlo Gable(Time)he is by Ch Koromandel Best Served Cold At Knytshall x Kimura’s Vera with Tapui(Imp Nor)he is handled by Debbie. He is 8months and this was his first CC,keeping up the family tradition as his sire and his grandmother Pikka also had their first CCs at 8 months. He was later shortlisted in the puppy group under Mr P Wilkinson. RDCC his 9th Sarah Stonton’s Arnscroft In Di Ana Jack who is Lottie’s elder brother he also has 5 CCs. BVD My & Debbie’s Ch/Bel Ch Tonylynn’s Charles LafitteAW(P) RL2EX(Fizz) by Ch Olpenden Malachy at Parvodene x Fullani Feema Avec Tonylynn he has 3CCs & 3RCCs.When he gained his crown some years ago, he was retired from the show ring to do agility which he loved he is now 12yrs old, we retired him from agility last year after he gained his Platinum Agility Warrant, things have now gone full circle, as he is enjoying his days out at shows, accompanying his young friend ‘Time’ who is a distant relative. Breed judging over Jenny took Pikka over to the adult handling ring; they won their class so qualifying for the Coventry Ladies Kennel Society Final held in conjunction with City of Birmingham Championship show. Then it was time for our picnic at the benches. After all the groups had finished there was a short break before the start of a Companion Show, held mostly for those that were camping, although obviously anyone could enter. The fun classes were judged by our own Alysha Branchflower who really enjoyed the evening.
On Bank Holiday Monday Jacqui Cobb, Alysha, Sarah Stonton and myself headed to the KC building at Stoneleigh for an Obreedience and Rally competition. In Obreedience we either do well or come last! Unfortunately this was one of those occasions, although the star of the team was Knytshall Moon of Josephine with Alysha who had 10 out of 10 for the Go To Bed exercise, Fizz had 7 out of 10 for the scent exercise, as he smelt a leaf before picking up his cloth and bringing it back to me, which he did perfectly! We will leave it at that except to say it is lovely to see the new breeds taking part, the heat was won by a team of Bernese Mountain Dogs there was also a team of Pumis called ‘All Ears.’ The Rally on the other hand was much more successful. Rally is very popular and there were classes in the morning and afternoon with different judges. In Rally any dog can compete so long as it is KC registered either in Breed or on the Working Register. There are 6 levels and progression depends upon gaining three Excellent scores under three different judges or six qualifying scores under four different judges. Levels 1-4 have a qualifying score of 175 out of 200 levels 5-6 180 out of 200. In all levels 190 is an Excellent score. There are also 6 placing awards. To learn the course you have half an hour to walk it, like in agility.
Sarah Stonton’s Trelowen Andrea AW(S) had her first EX score in level 1, in the morning classes. Then in the afternoon Sarah was thrilled when Jack also had an Ex score, this was his third Ex score so he can now add letters after his name and can be known as Ch Arnscroft In Di Ana Jack RL1Ex. I was also thrilled when Time had an Ex score in Level 1 part 3 in the afternoon. Fizz not to be out done had a qualifying score in level 3 which is off the lead, and now only needs one more qualifying score to be in Level 4. A very enjoyable and successful day.
I finish with get well wishes to Lisa Strong, last year she broke her ankle which seemed to heal alright, but on the Wednesday before Bath, her ankle collapsed on her. She very bravely came to Bath but was obviously in a lot of pain, and very sensibly pulled out of the Rally classes on the Monday. She has an MRI on June 15th so hopefully they will find out what has happened, but it could not have come at a worse time with Eris doing so well in the ring.
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