It was back to Malvern for a very interesting URC Championship Show just a few days after National Gundog. This was the first time giving CCs in the breed for Mr Russell Mosedale. Well known in the dog world he is not known in the Chesapeake world bar for a few people. Mr Mosedale came through on �The Grandfather Scheme�. I know there is much deliberation on judges who are allowed to award CCs this way. Handing out CCs on a dinner plate may work for some breeds, but for somebody who has studied Chesapeakes for over 50 years I cannot agree. Chesapeakes, especially, are a composite breed which can take years to understand and become knowledgeable in assessing. Judging and breeding the Chesapeake are two very different things, as far apart as the Grand Canyon.
Mr Andrew Brace wrote an interesting piece on his thoughts on good/bad judging, citing any fool can find a fault but that it takes a good judge to see the positives. While I would love to agree, he does not say what/where your eye should look when every dog in front of you has a fault. I do not refer to a fault as a difference of type, this is two totally different things. It would be lovely to have a class where dogs may be of different types which then comes down to the judge�s preference but which do not have obvious faults. The American Chesapeake Club Breed Standard has several disqualifications which we do not, so it becomes harder to judge dogs that you can see have obvious faults. When placing dogs that have faults, as a judge you should consider the impact these faults may have on the future of the breed � are they serious faults that are going to be hard to correct or easy to correct, only breed experience will tell you this. I believe, although agreeing with Mr Brace, when it comes to breeding it is not merely a matter of fertility but the opportunity to improve on the dogs you already have. To change something in the dogs, whether it is health, colour, size is relatively simple with the asset of genetic testing. But to change structure, angulation, substance, coat, nature, temperament, tail carriage, head, ears etc is an art.
Results from URC – 24dogs entered, 8d, 16b, 2a, 8 classes had no entries, 3 more classes only had 1 dog in each class. Those that entered are the usual group that travel to most all of the shows, we have seen very few new exhibitors this year and many of those who used to regularly exhibit no longer do, with many giving up altogether. BOB BCC BV and BV In Show Middleton and Mayhew�s SH CH/INT CH/MULTI CH Arnac Bay Hebe WGC SHCEX EW22 WW24, handled by Joy Middleton, Maddy Mahon-Hunns and Emily Evans; RBCC Broomfield, Broomfield, Mahon-Hunns and Newton�s Glaneils Daydream Believer, handled by Cathy Broomfield; DCC Mahon-Hunns. Hunns and Newton�s SH CH Arnac Bay Huron At Bergelle JW, handled by James Newton; RDCC Mahon-Hunns, Middleton and Heskins� minor puppy dog at just 6 months old Susqudilla Yankee Shadow (imp USA), handled by Maddy Mahon-Hunns; BP Mayhew�s BB�s Chesapeake Breeding Dory For Arnac (imp CHE), handled by Gemma McCartney; BSB Corcoran and Jones� Oakmarsh Kingsley Adsila.
Bournemouth without CCs was judged by Mrs Y Titovets, 11 dogs, 3d, 8b, 1a. BOB, BB and BV Middleton and Mayhew�s SH CH/INT CH/MULTI CH Arnac Bay Hebe WGC SHCEX EW22 WW24, handled by Joy Middleton; RBB Blaber, Blaber and Blaber�s Oakmarsh Laurel JW; BD Mahon-Hunns. Hunns and Newton�s SH CH Arnac Bay Huron At Bergelle JW, handled by James Newton; RBD, BSB Royal�s Battsrock Are You Ready, delighted to see he was short listed in the BSB Group; BP Mayhew�s BB�s Chesapeake Breeding Dory For Arnac (imp CHE), handled by Gemma McCartney.
On the same day as Bournemouth was Group 8 at the World Dog Show held again in Helsinki. The judge was Bo Skalin. There were no UK dogs entered but many of the dogs had UK dogs in their pedigree. 14 dogs entered, 6d 8b. BOB and Dog CACIB Mia Bagger�s Waterlover Earl Grey, one of the grandsires is Haracabay Horace (CH Penrose Wise Guy x Arnac Bay Shawnee) bred by Jo and Paul Hardcastle (who run a large pheasant/partridge shoot in Suffolk), on his maternal lines great parents are MULTI CH Penrose Cherokee Squaw and Penrose Exotic Dancer; BOS Mia Bagger�s Waterlover Juvel, by Waterlover Earl Gray x Swe CH Penrose Jinga (Jinga is by SH CH Longmeadow�s Dundela�s McIntosh (imp USA) x SWE CH Penrose Ripple My Fancy; BOB Junior Helenurm and Miller�s Bright Meadow Aron Enlightened Boy.
I would like to thank everyone who has sent in results or news.
Janet Morris
01873 880271
penrosechesapeakes@gmail.com