NORWEGIAN BUHUNDS
Windsor Ch show is my local show, and I love the location just below Windsor Castle. I showed horses at Windsor Horse Show for many years before I showed dogs. I was very upset when I did start showing dogs that there were no Buhund classes there, but there were CC classes for Elkhounds so I went on Hound Day. Then in 2004 I was asked to judge Buhunds without CCs, as the KC was a moving a set of CCs to the show in 2006 and the committee wanted owners to become used to showing there. I remember that first show very well, the wet weather rings were in the benching marquees and the outside rings had no cover. We started outside as although it was cloudy it was dry but very soon, we could see the black could gathering, and as I handed out the BOB the heavens opened and we all ended up rather wet! I do have happy memories of the show though as my Fizz gained his crown there in 2012 and became Ch /Bel Ch Tonylynn’s Charles Lafitte. Now of course Windsor is one of the all-breed shows with CCs for all the breeds that have them.
I should have awarded CCs there in 2020 but of course the show was cancelled, it was also cancelled last year as although they originally planned for it to go ahead, they could not obtain the required number of marquees, as so many were being used on covid testing sites. This year they are still having supply problems, there was a very interesting interview with Vince Hogan of ‘Our Dogs’ and the Windsor show manager Gary Gray after the live streaming of the groups on Thursday evening, he said this year they had 70% new suppliers as most of the ones they used to use had gone out of business during the pandemic, and with 11 other large events taking place it was difficult to get some supplies in particular enough toilets. We all go to shows, not just dog shows and expect everything we need to be there but often forget it does not just happen. The layout of the show had changed, it used to have the benching tents round the outside and the rings in the middle under marquees. This year they had a very large marquee going the length of the showground in which there was all the benching and rings and it worked very well, especially as we were the first set of benches as you went in from the main car park, all the benches also had signs with breed names as well which is great as it saves all that searching.
Pastoral Day was Saturday and we were first in the ring and our judge was Mrs Fran Kaye (Dan Frebek) giving CCs in the breed for the first time. She has been associated with dogs all her life and first judged first in 1982 and has now judged in Eire and Europe, she gives CCs in a number of Pastoral breeds and breeds Rough Collies, Shetland Sheepdogs, Smooth Collies and Lhasa Apsos. She found her BOB winning his 10th DCC in Sarah Stonton’s Ch Arnscroft In Di Ana Jack RL1ExL2ex he also has 9RCCs, he is by Ch/Ir Ch Arnscroft Di To Be A Sailor x Ch Arnscroft Di Or Comply. RDCC at only his second show Victoria Graholska’s Sturtmoor Floki he is by Ch Koromandel Best Served Cold At Knytshall x Sturtmoor’s Eezee Luvva. BCC & BVIB Jenny Shorer-Wheeler’s Ch Maidofcopper For Koromandel JW (Imp Fin) (Pikka) this was her 11th CC she also has 12RCCs and is by Nor Ch Gnipagrottans Qu x Fin Ch /Nor Ch Cipacan Milla Magia RBCC her 10th Maddy Norman’s Ch Arnscroft Delilah At Veekayshe also has 6CCs and is Jack’s younger sister.
Windsor has a number of stakes classes and Marie Corin and Adam Camm’s Kligenthal Almuric was 4th and won money in The Windsor Open Charity Stakes under Barbara Cherry, he has 4 RCCs and is by Ch Arnscroft Di Na Mo Farah of Koromandel JW ShCM x Ch Koromandel Gild The Lily
I talk about people having days to remember, Jenny has had a few of these over the years with her dogs, but I think Pastoral Day at Windsor 2022 will certainly be one of them. The start was obviously Pikka’s 11th CC, she then went into the veteran stakes in the main ring under Moa Persson from Sweden which she won. Jenny said “a Norwegian Dog imported from Finland under a Swedish judge, that is international.” The last group of the day was the Veteran group the judge was Mrs Irene McManus, the dogs were prejudged before going into the BIS ring where Mrs McManus shortlisted before moving the dogs again, she did not hesitate in giving Pikka the group. Jenny then had to drive home to her family in South Yorkshire before returning the next day for the final, which of course was after BIS and BPIS. The whole proceedings started with group boards being placed so that the representees in all 7 groups could stand behind them, the National anthem was then played is it was before judging each day. There was then a presentation to Irene Terry who was retiring after being Secretary of the show for the last 32years. The Veteran Group of course was last, the dogs were all moved and although Pikka was not placed, she showed very well and looked so happy and did the breed proud, and I am sure there are more people now who know what a Norwegian Buhund looks like. Pikka has only just become a veteran so I am sure she has a great veteran career in front of her.
Stay safe everyone.
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