NORWEGIAN BUHUNDS
As I write these breed notes Crufts wilI be going ahead, and I hope that when you read them Crufts will have started, and that the Coronavirus will not have accelerated to a point, where large gatherings have to be cancelled or postponed. Nineteen years ago in 2001 Crufts was postponed not for a human disease on that occasion but an animal one, ‘Foot and Mouth’. Like postponing or cancelling any event it is always a logistical nightmare, but that year the show successfully took place in May. Ironically that winter I had flu very badly and would not have been able to go had it been in March, but by May I was fine and my Ch /Multi Ch Fullani Flekkefjord won the RDCC. Olpenden D’Zimba was DCC & BOB,he went onto to be the breed record holder and still holds the DCC breed record, but he lost the breed record to his daughter Ch Arnscroft Di-Nahs-Mite. Our judge was Shelly Franks who will be judging the breed at Darlington this year.
This year is due to be first in the ring 17 on the Saturday in Hall 4, should any of you that are not entered would like to come and see us. The breed of course will be on view every day at Discover Dogs; we are booth 25 in the Pastoral Group. At Crufts the booths are in Group order whereas in Discover Dogs in London, the breeds are in alphabetical order. Lisa Strong is in charge of the booth and has had more posters made, showing Buhunds doing herding, paddle boarding canicross and agility with a montage, as well of course many pictures of puppies and Buhunds enjoying life in general. Next on the list is to have posters of dogs doing barn hunt, rally, obreedience and as therapy dogs, so that anyone visiting the Booth will know that there is virtually nothing a Buhund can’t do.
The weekend before Crufts proved to be a very busy one for Buhunds and their owners, on the Saturday Anne Smith headed off to the Newark and Notts showground for the Wath West Melton & District Canine Society Show, with her Ch Arnscroft Never Say Di (Oskar).Anne told me that usually there are 3 rings in each shed, but on this occasion there were only 2, so it gave the dogs a lovely big ring to move round. The judge was Lucy Mottram and she awarded Oskar Best AVNSC and then PG3. He then went to win the Open stakes under Darren Clarke.
Much further west the next day, at Bridgend Kennel Association Premier Open Show held at Cwmbran Stadium, Millie Lambert’s Sturtmoor’s Free’n Eezee(Sheira)was BP & BOB under Peter Matfin, and was shortlisted in the Adult PG.(Bridgend KA is one of the oldest in Wales being over 100yrs old).
The same day we took Rikarlo Gable (Time) & Ch /Bel Ch Tonylynn’s Charles Lafitte AW(P)RL2EX(Fizz),to the Oxforshire Canine Society Show held the Blackbirds Ley Centre Oxford. Joining us was Jacqui Walmsley with her and the Frostisen Kennel’s Trelowen Amelia At Frostisen and Jacqui’s Blakk Extacy Van Koekie’s Ranch (Imp)Mole. The judge was Sue Bird and Time was BOB & PG1 and Mole RBOB. Fizz not to be outdone, was Pastoral Veteran Group 3 under Diana Webber.
On the same day there was Buhund Bumble, and Sarah sent me her report. ‘So today we arrived ready for our Cambridgeshire and surrounding area Buhund Bumbles. Several of us meet regularly at various venues with Buhunds and associated canine companions for fun walks, usually followed by a drink/food at a pub or a tea room. Today’s walk was at Ferry Meadows Country Park Peterborough was significantly quieter than we expected, in part as 2 couples and their combined 4 dogs had to pull out at short notice for various reasons
.Secondly, we met later than usual so the Buhunds had already been busy. Lisa Strong had been to a training session with Eris and Loki and Jack had been for a run with me. All in all we enjoyed ourselves and advertised the breed positively. Many of you know that I suffer depression associated with seasonal affective disorder(SAD).This winter has not been kind to me but part of my rehabilitation, and hopefully prevention lies with my exercise and physical fitness. My Buhunds are usually exercised well with a mix of off the lead cross country walks, but when I’m low even walking them is a struggle. I have recently started attempting the ‘NHS Couch to 5K Running Course’ and am certainly not a natural fitness person. Without a dog by my side I would be too embarrassed to even try it, so this is Jack’s new job-he is a natural –a mix of brisk walking and short jogs for me, whilst he trots gazing adoringly at me, it is enjoyed by us both and gives him a bit of mental work to concentrate on me for the 30min walk. I tried Loxy one day but the pace is not right for her, she is smaller with shorter strides so my jogging speed is presently between her trot and canter, so not enjoyed by her .Thank you Jenny for encouraging me, as I realise your Buhunds helped me run too.’Thank you Sarah, Jack is Ch Arnscroft In Di Ana Jack who was joint top Buhund last year.
Over in Eire on a wet and windy day Brenda and Tony Bethell took their Cirneco dell’Etna puppy, Cyrenensis Lucia Franca at Minforst (Imp Italy), with their homebred Ir Ch Minforst Galadriel CW19(Ella) to the Sullivan Quay CC open show held at Cork Mart Corrin Fermoy Co Cork, where Franca was 1st AV puppy in group 5 under Mrs Linda Matthews. She was then 2nd in the group but as an unbeaten puppy she went forward to BPIS under Mrs Cuthbert which she won. Ella not to be outdone was 3rd in AV Champion. Franca continued her winning ways at the next show, the Rough Collie Club of Ireland All Breed Open Show, held at the National Show Centre Dublin, where under Mrs Pam Magee she was BOB, BP and 2nd in the Group. This time is was Ella’s mother Ir/Int/Lux Ch Arnscroft Di Ola who accompanied Franca to the show, winning the Champion class in the Breed. Very sadly Franca has not qualified for Crufts this year and as Brenda & Tony do not want to leave her behind, none of them will be coming, so we will have to wait till next year to catch up with them again, and meet Franca.
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.