Author: Janet Morris
Chesapeake Bay Retriever Breed Notes – 30th July 2023
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It has been many years since I last attended the CLA game fair. Back in the 80s we were overdosed with invitations to run dogs in competition at all sorts of game and country fairs.
When you have good dogs that can hold their own against all breeds you will always be in demand. Inevitably I was selected time and time again to run in teams, pairs or as an individual or even in demonstration teams. Running and winning for Wales was always the best feeling. Very few Chesapeakes have competed at the CLA game fair, the very first time I was invited to compete was the first time that most of the public had seen a Chesapeake.
Pioneering the breed back in the 80s against retrievers and spaniels I was always amongst some of the top working dogs in the UK. One week the great June Atkinson, Holgate Golden Retrievers would be in one team and me in another and then the following week we would be in the same team. We would always have a chuckle about this.
I will never forget as the group of competitors coming over the brow of the hill to the test site at Stoneleigh Abbey for the CLA game fair described my Chesapeake as a Labrador looking dog! I gave him a big smile as we collected our overall second place rosette and tankard. This was not any old second place it was second behind Brook of Blakemere one of the all time top Labradors of the day.
On the first day at the CLA teams would compete from all over the UK, then when pet passports came into being this turned into the Euro Challenge where top dogs from several countries now travel to compete. I remember the first European competitor that we saw was Betty Schwieren with her dog Cheslaben Pow Wow running for the German team when it was held at Broadlands. Jason Mayhew competed for the Welsh team (although not Welsh) at Blenheim Palace and Ursula Moilliet ran at several fairs alongside team captain Steve Grutter, I believe they were placed but I am not sure where or when.
The CLA this year held again at Ragley Hall was so very different from years gone by. The last time I was at Ragley Hall was for Superdogs which was televised and viewed by 6 million people. Running again for the Welsh team it was something different and fun. I thought this years fair was much smaller than in the past, it seemed at least 50% of the shops selling anything you can imagine tantalised your appetite with food and drink of every kind.
As for dogs, blimey! I have never seen so many. Cockers outnumbered all others but there was every shape, size and colour of our canine friends you could imagine. On the first day I counted 15 different Chesapeakes. There were now two international arenas with grandstands, one for the home international and the other for the Euro Challenge. There were many other arenas to ‘have a go at’ on the day. Scurries, pick ups and demonstrations.
A Chesapeake team took part in a minority breeds working exhibition which is excellent to promote the breed to the shooting community who do not know them.
I arrived early to avoid queing and drove straight in (and out).
One of the first people I bumped into was Linda Partridge who for many years has been in Field Trials/Working Labs. Linda started competing with a Chesapeake bred by Sandy Hastings. The pair went on to win the first and only Open AV Field Trial Stake. As we reminisced about the past it soon became apparent that neither of us had lost our passion for a good working dog. I had gone to the fair specifically to watch Kathrin Golz and Penrose Peatbog Fairy compete for the German team in the Euro Challenge.
As BASC members we both had a three day pass but decided to travel each day as my home was filled to the gunnels with visitors from the UK and Holland who came for short holidays and to attend the CLA, it was all great fun, especially when Kathrin and Peatbog Fairy were not only part of the leading German team but of all the dogs competing, mainly Labradors, received the Marty Deeley Commentary Trophy for the competitor that the commentator of the event thought made the most impression. This was an unbelievable honour and brilliant for a Chesapeake to win.
Personally, I am so proud of Kathrin who I knew was the right person to have this bitch, congratulations to both. That night my phone was red hot with congratulations and best wishes from all over the world.
The United Retriever Club ran a specified breed working test for Curly Coats, Chesapeakes, IWS and NSDTR on Sunday, 23 rd July at Ingleby, Derby by kind permission of Mr Phil Bishop.
Judges were Mr Coates (A), Mr Stanley (B) and Mr Crookes (A), the classes were Special Puppy, Novice Dog, Novice Handler, Novice and Intermediate (held under Kennel Club rules and regulations).
Overall there were 19 entered on the catalogue plus 1 late entry, 5 IWS, 4 NSDR, 7 CC’s, 4 Chesapeakes. Awarded were: 1 in Special Puppy which placed first, 10 in Novice Dog/Novice Handler with 1 absent, there were no awards. 7 in Novice, 3 absent, second place only was awarded, both the placings went to IWS’s, there were 2 entries in Intermediate, no awards.
Kirsty Watts had a fun evening at Colchester & District Canine Society Match Night when Eiche – Oakleaf Manorbay of Oakmarsh (Imp Deu) JW Best Adult and reserve Best in Match. Then with her other bitch Libby – Oakmarsh Freedom won the Special Stakes Class (for CC winners), judge was Mr Gary Davies-Moull. Clashing with the first day of the CLA game fair Richard Bott was awarding CC’s for the sixth time in 10 years at Leeds Championship Show, 17 dogs entered, 8 dogs and 9 bitches, 2 absentees.
BOB and DCC, Cathy and Simon Broomfield, Glaneils Count on Me winning his first CC by Migwell Soloman’s Puzzle-Nunneyswood Snowflurry at Gleneils. RDCC Graham and Tracy Boyles, Pixies Rock Mr Tumnus by Bleyos. Bitch CC Kirsty Watt’s Oakmarsh Freedom. RBCC, BV, Simon and Cathy Bloomfields, Petsalls Pride Beech at Glaneils.
