NORWEGIAN BUHUNDS
What an amazing Bank Holiday weekend it was for the breed. It started on the Saturday with Kirsty Irvine taking Blaze aka Tapui Let’s Blaze to his first Level Two scent trial in Lydiate Liverpool, where Kirsty said they qualified gaining a clean sweep with 100 points, meaning he found all 8 scent hides and she had no handler faults. The next day Sarah Stonton took Jack aka Ch Arnscroft In Di Ana Jack R1exL2ex to Thurleigh in Bedfordshire for a Level 3 scent trial where he also qualified, and in the afternoon I took Time aka Ch Rikarlo Gable JW L4 ex to the same venue where he qualified in Level 5.
The Sunday was also a day to remember for Lisa Strong, a day she had been looking forward to for some time but also with some trepidation, she wrote: – ‘So today was big day for me. I stepped into a dog show ring for the first time as a judge!! Thank you to Horley and District Show Society for inviting me to judge Norwegian Buhunds at their Champagne Open show, which was held on the South of England Agricultural Society Showground Sussex. Thank you to everyone who entered under me. I found my BOB in Maddy Norman’s Ch Arnscroft Delia at Veekay (Lottie)and my RBOB in Sue Crocker’s Leggatts Jive Talking (Noodle) who was also my BP and was later 3rd in the puppy group under Ian Lewis. Once I had completed judging I went to steward for Krystyan Greenland who was judging some of the stakes classes and was able to see him award Marie Corin and Adam Camm’s Bergen aka Kligenthal Almuric 1st in the Open Special Charity Stakes class, held in aid of Guide Dogs for the Blind. Then to my delight later in the day I was asked to steward for Best In Show, Best Puppy In Show, Best Veteran In Show and Best Reserve BOB, it was a very long day but I had a blast.’
The next day, Bank Holiday Monday it was up to the Sky-Blue Connection Coventry where Jenny Shorer -Wheeler was judging the breed at Leicester City Canine Society Open Show. BOB was Lisa and Alex Strong’s Leggatts Dancing Queen at Draccus (Eris)and BP Sue Crocker’s Leggatts Jive Talking (Noodle)who is definitely on a roll as she was later Puppy Group 4 under Lesley Tomlinson.
Jenny needed to judge 3 more Buhunds to have judged the required number of dogs set by the KC according to the relevant stud book band, to be able to award CCs in the breed using the ‘Grandfathering’ system. She was due to judge the Nordic last year but was snowed in, so it was great that she now has the numbers required to apply for ‘Grandfathering’.
For progression to award CCs via ‘grandfathering’, candidates can self-nominate provided they are included on at least one Breed Club/Council A3 list and /or have a pre-existing JDP Credit Pass for the relevant breed. Each judge must meet all the KC mandatory requirements for approval by the KC to award CCs. Jenny already awards CCs in Alaskan Malamutes.
Three days later it was Pastoral day at City of Birmingham Ch show. Due to the pandemic the show was not held in 2020/21, and this year ran over 4 days, which confused me as originally it was going to be 3days and my diary said Pastoral day was Saturday! The society started in 1944 in a very small way and ran shows in aid of war charities, but was so popular it was given Ch status by the KC 1948.The show was held for many years at Handsworth Park Birmingham and only relatively recently moved to the National Agricultural Centre and Exhibition Centre Stoneleigh Park Kenilworth, which used to be the home of The Royal Show which started in 1839 and was based at Stoneleigh from 1963-2006 when it closed due financial problems.
City of Birmingham has had a makeover this year, most of the benching and rings used to be in the cattle sheds that were used by the Royal Show when it was there, no frills and a very unforgiving concrete floor, only the BIS in show ring and a few breeds were in a hall with carpeted rings. This year the cattle sheds were not in use anymore, there was a new very large building which had 2 halls and there was another hall with the BIS ring and four other rings, the 2 halls both had 8 rings each which were a good size, but I think could be divided if required. We were in hall 2, with our benches a grooming area in front of us then the rings,all of which were carpeted. There was plenty of room to move around and plenty of chairs, the halls had boards outside. saying which hall your breed was in and the breed’s name was on the end of the benches, which is so helpful. The halls were all linked so you did not need to go outside if it had been pouring with rain, and although there were several mobile catering units outside including a bar and ice cream van there was also a restaurant inside.
We lost CCs here some years ago after the awful time when only one CC was awarded to the BOB in some numerically small breeds, so are very pleased that they have kept the breed scheduled. Were third in the ring after 90 Bearded Collies and 16 Old English making a total of 104 dogs, with judging starting at 9am we expected to go into the ring about 1pm or just after, but it did not quite work out like that. We were still waiting to go in when they called the Working group. We eventually went in at about 3.30pm and as we finished, they called the Pastoral group! Our judge was Richard Morris he also judged the OES and gives CCs in 26 Breeds in the Gundog Group and in Lancashire Heelers. He has been on our B list for some time but has not judged the breed recently. He found his BD & BOB in my and daughter Debbie’s Ch Rikarlo Gable JW L4ex (Time)he is by Koromandel Best Served Cold At Knytshall(Jamie) x Ch Kimura’s Vera At Tapui(Imp Nor)(Betty) RBD Marie Corin and Adam Camm’s Kligenthal Almuric (Bergen)he is by Ch Arnscroft Di Na Mo Farah of Koromandel JW ShCM x Koromandel Guild The Lily(Hildy) who is Jamie’s litter sister. He was also fourth in the Brighter Birmingham Open Dog Stakes under Derek Smith winning money! BB Lisa and Alex Strong’s Leggatts Dancing Queen at Draccus (Eris) by Frostisen Winsome (IKC)x Knytshall Noor Ul Ain. RBB & BJ Dr Johanna and Nicolas Guillod -Rees Draccus Obsidian (Ruby), she was handled by daughter Bethany and is by Time x Eris, so quite a family affair.
I often talk about days to remember and I am sure 7yr old Bethany will remember her first visit to a Ch show, she attended with Lisa who bred Ruby and is a friend of the family. I wrote about her last week attending YKC camp and she has also been to a couple of open shows. The first class she went in was 6-11yr old Junior Handling under Jordan Ransome, where she was 2nd and was thrilled to win £3. Next, she won the Junior Bitch class in the breed and qualified for Crufts, she then she piloted Ruby to RBB &BJ and to her delight won another rosette. The show had 5 groups which included a Junior Group so Bethany took Ruby into her first group under Tan Nagrecha. She needs a bit more practice but all the judges were lovely with her and very helpful, and she did so well, it is not often you go into your first group at your first Ch show especially when you are only 7yrs old. She was thrilled to go home to delighted parents with Ruby’s first Green Card and a collection of rosettes, one of which was a Qualifying Rosette for Crufts 2023 provided by Lisa, who was thrilled to have a 2nd offspring from Eris’s first litter qualifying for Crufts. Bethany’s enthusiasm was fantastic and I look forward to seeing her at more shows.
I finish with the good news that both Eris & Ruby have had clear eye test, as has Lillian & Michael Rumsey’s Kata Syndattir Av Fjeldvidda At Wheatshade (Imp NLD).
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