A bumper weekend for activities in the breed.
Good news from Ireland � Madeleine Cummings with Ire CH, J Ire CH Penrose Victrix Ludorum won Best Junior and then another Reserve Champion of Show at Crossmolina Agricultural Show, Co Mayo under Irish judge Mr Joe Brennan.
Kirsty Watts was the only Chesapeake exhibitor at Hampshire Gundog, winning BOB with Oakmarsh Little Acorn and was short listed for BIS; RBOB Oakmarsh Galetea. Judge was Mr T Bellinger, Group judge Mrs Joy Venturi-Rose. Kirsty also put Little Acorn in the Good Citizen Stakes, coming 1st and winning �20. Judge Mr Simon Luxmore.
Anyone travelling to Leeds from the south or east will have been delayed due to road closures and detours as the estate were running a separate event on the same day. Mr Jim Richardson was awarding CCs in the breed for the first time. 22 entries, 10d, 12b. BOB & BCC Middleton & Mayhew�s SH CH, INT CH, Multi Arnac Bay Hebe WGC EW�22 WW24; RBCC Murray�s Muireatai Miracle Of Dreams; DCC Mahon-Hunns, Hunns & Newton�s SH CH Arnac Bay Huron At Bergelle JW; RDCC Hayes & Hayes� SH CH Tideflight Floki; BP Mahon-Hunns & Middleton�s Susqudilla Yankee Shadow (imp USA); BV Griffin-Woods� Migwell Soloman�s Puzzle (AI).
If you weren�t at a dog show you were at the CLA � Country Landowners Association Game Fair. One of the biggest if not the biggest field sports event of the calendar year. The Game Fair is traditionally sited in the grounds of a stately home, moving around the country each year. I attended my first Game Fair in the early 70s when it was held at Glanusk Estate in Brecknockshire just a short distance past Abergavenny. Many will pass this estate on their way to Builth Wells. I picked up on this estate for over 30 years, so know it well. The Fair filled the parkland meadows, today the CLA Fair would fill these meadows 7 times over. The amount of people who attend or work at this fair has made it impossible for many of the estates that once held this event to do so now. The biggest problem was always access. There are now only a few venues which are used in rotation. This year the Fair returned to Ragley Hall in Warwickshire. A huge centrally located estate affords excellent access for major road networks, with rolling parklands to accommodate the Fair, camping facilities and the many acres of visitor car parking.
Back in the early 80s before we were even a club Christine Mayhew would invite me to help with the breed stand, which I did for many years in the parade of sporting dogs. Who can remember when all of the gundog breeds would be on parade as well as hounds and terriers? The last time the Fair was held at Bowood House in Wiltshire it had almost a full complement of dogs from all 3 groups. This by the way was the first time I met one of the canine world�s most incredible characters � that of Miss Anastasia Noble from the Loch Fyne Estate in Scotland. Soft spoken she was a real country woman of old, who never let anything phase her, travelling the country by train to game fairs and dog shows with her Deer Hounds, she was a marvel.
Sadly over the years the breeds on parade have declined to just one small marquee, with mainly retrievers and a few other gundog breeds. This marquee is a magnet for anybody with dogs and as most people going to the Game Fair have or take dogs those manning the Chesapeake breed on all 3 days were constantly in demand for breed information. Steve Camoccio organised and manned the breed stand this year, with many owners coming to help. Steve did a really good interview for The Game Fair TV giving an insight into the breed with his thoughts on why there are so few Chesapeakes now in the country. He said approximately 250, which I would not disagree with. This is a question I am constantly asked, the way I answer is to add together all of the registrations in the past 10 years and this would give you the approximate number. I say 10 years if you deduct exports or dogs that pass away before they are 10 years old this gives you an anvil of the breed number.
Dog competitions at The Game Fair have always been exceedingly popular. Dominated by the Home International 2-day test run on the Saturday and Sunday with the 4 Home Nations competing against each other with some of the best trained dogs you will ever see. While they are amazing to watch they are mainly of 2 breeds � Labradors and English Spinger Spaniels. Congratulations to the English team winning this year.
The first day of The Game Fair a different type of working test would be held, which would usually include a variety of breeds. The first time I was invited to compete at the CLA at one of these tests there were only 2 dogs per team, I was paired with an ESS who I had never met. Most of the dogs competing had to qualify by winning a selection Open AV Working test, all dogs competing must have had a field trial award. As my dog was the only Chesapeake that had a field trial award I was automatically invited. Today and for quite some years the first day has turned into the European Challenge with teams being invited from all over Europe. 7 teams competed this year and the event was run over the Friday and the Saturday, each team was allowed 1 Lab, 1 Golden and 1 AV. 2 Chesapeakes competed in 2 of the teams, Mary Murray was part of the Irish team with Riverrun Everybody�s Friend and Anthony Ciraolo with Franeo Ebbing Tide running in the English team. All dogs did an excellent exhibition for the public to watch. For the second year running the Italian team won the Euro Challenge. The Challenge is made up of both team and individual competition, for Best Golden, Best Flat, Best Lab, Best AV and Best Commentator�s Choice. None of these awards went to a Chesapeake this year, but some of you may remember last year�s AV went Kathrin Golze with Penrose Peatbog Fairy, who in 2023 also won the Martin Deeley Memorial Trophy for The Commentator�s Choice.
On the Sunday there is now the regular competition of the Minority Breeds Working Test, which is as it says no Labs, no Goldens. Competing in the Chesapeake team were Mary Murray with Riverrun Everybody�s Friend; Anthony Ciraolo with Franeo Ebbing Tide and Dave Compton with Franeo�s Fowler Lone Ranger, giving an excellent display and coming 2nd overall. Well done to everyone who competed, paraded or took part.
Janet Morris
01873 880271
penrosechesapeakes@gmail.com