What a long weekend playing host, hotelier, restauranteur and tourist guide to friends from overseas building up to the big day. Not to mention preparing dogs etc. I amazed myself surviving on 5 hours sleep a night for a week, but am paying for it now with a heavy cold. Everyone mucked in, food and wine flowed in plenty, putting all in a pre-Crufts party mood.
We arrived early enough to park and move around without the normal crush expected on a Saturday. Finding our benches was easy as the ring we had been allocated has been in the same location next to the 3 BASC rings for the past several years. I was somewhat disappointed that many of our benches were facing a wall with our backs to the ring, this would not do. So I followed Caroline Pont and moved camp to the unmarked empty benches facing our ring. Many others had the same idea, which made for happier competitors.
The atmosphere this year around the ring and benches was so different to other years, spectators were 2 deep around the ring with a constant flow of visitors coming to meet the different dogs all day. My imported dog Bob brought particular interest to many as most people have never seen a dead grass coloured Chesapeake with a clear coat without markings. Bob obliged by loving everyone.
I was pleased to see many overseas breed specialists had come for the day. Gitte Mortensen who comes nearly every year from Denmark; Nicole Grutter from Switzerland bring 3 dogs with her; Caroline Huber from Switzerland who has recently sent a puppy to Christine Mayhew; Maria Kapsali from Greece who comes to handle: Beverley Matthias from the USA pleased to handle Bob for me: Chantal Tastayre from France; G Kucharova from The Czech Republic with last year’s CC bitch winner CZE/SK/POL CH Dream Daisy Od Hostalky; Madeleine Cummings from Ireland; also from Ireland Des and May Murray. I am sorry if I have left anyone out but it’s hard if I don’t know you are there.
Second breed in the ring gave visitors time to explore the show and the huge amount of shops there were this year, selling anything from poo bags to posh cars. There seemed to be more variety of dog foods and treats than there were dogs.
Of the 52 dogs entered 21d 31b 3a and 1 withdrawn, 9 were overseas entries, all from mainland Europe or Ireland. There were 9 veterans entered but no puppies which was disappointing. Apart from the overseas dogs which are almost always champions with multi championship titles there were 13 UK title holders, but only 3 full champions, which is very disappointing when I keep hearing the show people talk dual purpose. I think these 3 champions deserve a mention. Caroline Griffin-Wood’s CH Migwell Soloman’s Puzzle (AI) SGWC; Caroline Pont’s CH Penrose Hash Brown SGWC; Kirsty Watts’ CH Oakmarsh Freedom SGWC. These dogs are all veterans or nearly veterans, there were no young champions, are we or have we turned the breed into a show breed, breeding more for looks than brains – what happened to breeding for both? Talking about dual purpose is not the same as being dual purpose. There were no entries in the field trial classes. I thought when I retired from field trialling I was passing the gauntlet on to the next generation, but it seems not. I live in hope.
Of the UK dogs entered 7 were imported and 1 bred by AI. Christine Mayhew bred 8 Arnac dogs, Kirsty Watts 7 Oakmarsh, Kathy Broomfield Glaneils and myself Penrose 4 each. There were several who had bred 2. Of course there were many dogs carry a second affix, I would mention that the Next Generations kennels USA owned by Adam Levy bred 4 of the dogs entered.
Judge Mrs Jane Eyeington was awarding CCs in the breed for the third time, previously she awarded them at URC in 2022, awarding BOB and BCC to Arnac Hebe; RBCC Arnac Bay Harvest; DCC Arnac Bay Huron At Bergelle, all from the same litter; RDCC went to Chesepi Waco. At Crufts this year again BOB & the BCC went to Middleton & Mayhew’s SH CH Arnac Bay Hebe WGC CHCEx EW22, handled by Joy Middleton; RBCC Broomfield & Broomfield & Mahon-Hunns & Newton’s Glaneils Daydream Believer, handled by James Newton; DCC Grutter’s GCH/CH Next Generations I Am Woodford (from Switzerland), handled by Ambrus Botond; RDCC Mahon-Hunns & Hunns & Newton’s SH CH Arnac Bay Huron At Bergelle JW, handled by James Newton; BV Murray’s IR SH Ch Riverrun Everybody’s Friend (from Ireland), handled by Mary Murray.
Kirsty Watts had a good time before Crufts, I cannot thank her enough for sending me the results. At Guildford and District under judge Alistair Moss gave to BOB to Watts’ CH Oakmarsh Freedom SGWC; RBOB Middleton & Mayhew’s Arnac May Jellicoe JW. At Coventry & District Canine Society Mrs Yvonne Burchell awarded BOB to Watts’ CH Oakmarsh Freedom SGWC RATN; RBOB Watts’ Oakleaf Manor Bay of Oakmarsh JW (imp DEU) RATI. At Folkstone, Hythe & District Canine Society Clare Hill judged awarding BOB to Watts’ Oakmarsh Little Acorn JW; RBOB Watts’, Mellerth-Tett & Mellerth-Tett’s Oakmarsh Land Of Promise.
At the Isle Of Wight Open Show Mr Mike Blay awarded Best in Show for the second time to Middleton & Mayhew’s SH CH, NL CH, Int CH Arnac Bay Hebe GWC SHCEx, having awarded her the first BIS at last year’s CBRC Champ Show.
I just like to finish these breed notes by thanking some of the members of the Welsh International Gundog team. It was a pleasure to take Beverly Matthias to watch top quality dogs training on marks and blinds in cover up to 200 yards. Beverly was very impressed to see how incredibly steady, quiet and fast the dogs were without ever being trained to force fetch or with the use of electric collars.
Janet Morris,
01873 880271,
penrosechesapeakes@gmail.com