NORWEGIAN BUHUNDS
I usually write about the various activities you do with your dogs or about Open or Championship shows, but this week I start with something different, a doggy holiday that Sarah and Jack have been on. “Ch Arnscroft In Di Ana Jack or just Jack to his friends and I have just returned home from a week at the coast which ended up pretty near perfect. A lodge in a ‘holiday village’ in Corton. Suffolk was chosen with the aim of plenty of dog walking and lots of relaxation intermixed. The lodge was beautifully furnished and well kitted out for self-catering; it was situated just behind another row of well-spaced lodges with various trees in between, still allowing a view and sound of the sea from the main patio doors and rear windows which opened to decking around 50% of the lodge. Muntjac deer, squirrels and rabbits were regulars around the site. A large house called The Clyffe, owned by Jeremiah James Colman of Colman’s mustard in the 1800’s was previously situated there with large gardens and woodland. The woodland remains as a beautiful nature reserve which is literally across the road from the lodges. Less than 5minutes walk took us to Corton beach which is a mix of shingle and sand; I particularly enjoyed walking along the nature reserve area called Gunton Warren which extended from the dunes up to the road from Corton to the next village of Gunton -it was a mix of sand and grass,dipping and rising levels with bracken ,extensive dog roses and foxgloves. Within the tree line towards the road were remains of various concrete shelters from the war, as Corton is virtually the most easterly point of the UK overlooking the North Sea. Although I am a vet, I was still relived to not see an adder as they are common there. We did have a few trips out to nearby walking areas albeit not every day; my favourite was the remains of Burgh Castle adjacent to Breydon Water near Great Yarmouth which allowed walking through multiple fields of uncut flowery meadows to the Castle remains, and then along a boardwalk in the reedbeds in a circular route. Second favourite was Raveningham Gardens with an arboretum, beautiful stumpery, and traditional gardens. Carlton Marshes must also get a mention as it was so peaceful walking between the marshy fields with a mixture of cattle breeds. (Belted Galloways, White Park cattle, then a mixed herd with a gorgeous Hereford bull). As you can tell, I love nature and the great outdoors”. Thanks Sarah as you said at the beginning, sounds perfect.
Windsor Ch show is my local show and Pastoral Day was the Friday the 30th. When I first started showing Buhunds I was disappointed to find that the show did not schedule Buhunds, although I used to go as it had Elkhounds with CCs, and before that I knew the venue well as we used to show horses at the Royal Windsor Horse show on the same ground. Now of course the show is one of the All-Breed Shows giving CCs to all the breeds that have them. Last year the first show Windsor had held after the Pandemic, it changed its layout to a big marquee running the length of the showground with a walk way down the middle and benches and in out rings either side, with the main ring leading off the benching area on one side, so should the weather be very hot or wet everything was under cover, and there were plenty of chairs! and a sign on the benches giving the breed name ,which is so helpful for a numerically small breed There were also numerous trade stands round the outside. I know last year the show said it lost money, so hopefully this year its fortunes were reversed, but where it is located and with two days being weekdays, the traffic problems sadly do put some people off entering, with an hour and a half trip taking three and a half hours , which is a shame as it is a very well-run show with in a very attractive setting situated just below Windsor Castle. Happily, the weather was dry and much fresher than the previous weekend. At the start of the judging there was a silence for Irene Terry the show secretary who died earlier this year, this was followed as usual by the National Anthem. We were first in the ring at 9am and our judge was breed specialist Millie Lambert -Dovey, she was meant to judge the breed in 2020 but of course then all the shows were cancelled due to the Pandemic, and although the show rescheduled the judges to the following show in 2022, she could not judge as she had judged Richmond in 2021. Before that she judged the breed at East of England in 2017 and City of Birmingham in 2014 when both these shows had CCs for the breed. Here she found her BOB & DCC his 7th in Jenny Shorer-Wheelers Ch Koromandel Tusen Takk (ai)JW (Muchly) his is by Multi Ch Trollheimen JR Made For Cascilius x Sturtmoor’s Ffascination With Koromandel, he also has 3 RCCS. Marie Corin and Adam Camm’s Kligenthal Almuric(Bergen)won the RDCC his 5th he also has a CC and is by Ch Arnscroft Di Na Mo Farrah Of Koromandel JW ShCM x Ch Koromandel Gild The Lily. But the day really belonged to Michael Patrick and Leigh Ashman whose Tapui Starla (Freya) won her third BCC and her crown, bred by Kristy Ann Irvine she won her first CC at LKA last year under all-rounder Sue Hewart Chamber and her 2nd at Birmingham National under Britt Marie Young she also has 5RCCS, she is by Ch Koromandel Best Served Cold At Knytshall x Ch Kimura’s Vera with Tapui. Thrilled Kristy said Freya was only her second homebred Champion in 28 years of being in Buhunds and the first owned by someone else, and interestingly she said Millie had also given Freya’s mum Betty her 3rd CC last time she judged at Richmond. BV &RBCC her 3rd she also has a CC Sue Crocker’s Knytshall Noor Ul Ain she is by Knytshall Diamond Ted x Ch Trollheimen Elske To Knytshall (Imp USA). Being a Friday not everyone that entered could come with their dogs, so it is great that in a small friendly breed such as our people either within the breed or friends in other breeds, will help and support the breed. Kirsten and Charlotte Druce (Alaskan Malamutes) showed Muchly as it was a school day for Jenny’s children, it was rather hectic for them as the Malamutes were also in at 9am! Sue Crocker could also not take the day off so her 3 attended with Jasmine Freeborn who handed Noodle as usual ,Marie handled Tissy and Neil Hood piloted Noor to her RCC and BV, with Jasmine showing her in the veteran group which made for a very long day, as the group did not go in until 6.15pm.Jasmine had a fright early on as she lost the car keys on the long walk in, but happily someone had handed them in. After judging Marie had brought some liquid refreshment to toast her first litter of puppies, and it was great to see James Stewart and his rescue girl Ingrid who settled into the show scene like a pro, how she ended up in rescue we will probably never know. It was also nice to meet Jennifer and David Langford showing Frostisen Zeffer (Loki)for the first time and qualifying him for Crufts, twenty years ago they showed Great Danes, always great to have someone new in the breed.
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