Stubbylee Blog

Sunday was a big day for us as Andrew & Diva went back to compete in the final of the YKC stakes in the main ring but before that we had Zorro in the International Junior Handling final. One of the competitors from Serbia had asked for a borzoi to handle so Zorro got to follow in his father’s footsteps. When we met him Nickola was a very pleasant young man who quickly developed a rapport with Zorro, and Zorro with him. In the competition Nockola handled him very sympathetically and was a real credit. After the initial judging we had to wait until the evening as they all got the opportunity to go back into the main ring in th eevening when the shortlist is announced and the winner chosen.

So we had a long wait, wandering round Crufts with DIva & Zorro winning lots of fans, we were stunned when on ewoman, who we’d never seen before, came up to us and asked if this was Jazz Diva, apparently she’d seen her photo on the Eukanuba stand!

Finally it got round to time for the Junior handling final but unfortunately this was just before the YKC final so I had to watch it on TV as I stayed with Andrew in the collecting ring. From there you could just see into parts of the arena and get a sense of the occassion & drama. Many years ago Liz & I were fortunate to stand on the edge of the pitch at Old Trafford just before kick off on a big European night. It was awesome looking at the crowds in the stadium. Although the scale of the Crufts main ring is somewhat smaller you still got the same tingle, the same anticipationthat tells you that this is the dog world’s ultimate.

Diva was just delighted to get in after waiting for so long and with the applause and cheers as she entered the ring she became over exuberant. Andrew got her under control and she then showed well moving superbly but it wasn’t to be. The final was won by a very nice Akita with a Rottwieller runner up. I didn’t think the Rottie went anywhere near as well as Diva but it’s the judges decision on the day that counts and there’s always next year.

We did have complimentary tickets for BIS but decided to head home as it had been a long day & the dogs at home would like some attention. We arrived home just in time to see the end of the BIS judging, I thought the flatcoat looked superb but it would have been nice for either Michael Coad with the Bichon or Julie & Tim with the Boxer to win

Our 2nd day at Crufts was Hound day and as we weren’t entered in the breed classes it wasn’t such an early start. Amazingly we got the best parking space we’ve ever had in the West Car Park as they just started a new row right at the front.

It was interesting watching the judging with a significant proportion of the Borzoi entry being overseas entries or imported dogs, which wasn’t really a surprise and they proved pretty successful. For us the focus of the day was the YKC stakes where Andrew had qualified both Diva & Rush. He only took Diva in so he could focus on just one dog. It turned out to be a sensible decision as Diva went superbly and won the class , qualifying for the final on Sunday in the main ring and getting a nice crystal trophy. So it was lots of photos & being interviewed before we could leave.

We also picked up Luca’s rosette for Top Brood bitch so Liz & Andrew were both able to walk back to the car wearing fancy rosettes.

Now I’ve had time to recover from 3 days at Crufts it’s time to reflect on the show. Although we weren’t entered in the breed classes there was plenty of other activities to keep us all occupied for the 3 days and as usual you come away having missed out on things you had earmarked to do and stands to visit. I’ll look at each day in turn starting with our first day there, the Working & pastoral day.

Andrw had entered Tia in the border collie breed classes whilst we were doing Discover Dogs with Borzoi in the afternoon making it a pretty full day. For a Friday the halls were fairly busy but not overcrowded and we spent the morning sat around the Collie ring with Zorro & Star getting lots of attention as they laid around.

It was an unsuccessful time in the breed ring altough Tia went well, we were slightly worried how she might react to all the people & noise but she took it in her stride.

In the afternoon it was up to Discover dogs where Zorro & star could be ambassadors for the breed, we also had Tia in the pen with them which caused a lot of interest & amusement from people visiting the stand.  At times there were people 2 or 3 deep waiting to meet the dogs and take their photos; it was strange seeing all the Japanese there when the eartquake had wreaked such havoc on their country that morning - you wondered if some of them might not have a home to go back to.

After a busy afternoon on Discover Dogs, spoilt only by the racket from the tannoy in the nearby activities ring we went off to the YKC ring for the Stakes class with Tia but again she was unsuccessful, I suppose not suprising seeing as she is still so young.

So fiinally we staggered out about 5;30 for the drive home & 2 dogs to bathe for the next day

Last week was the February show, normally a Limit show but this year changed to and Open show. Unfortunately it didn’t seem to benefit the entries with only 21 entered. This is our 3rd successive show with entries around or under the 20 mark and I know the Borzoi Club also have similar entry levels. At least one saving grace was that there were few absentees. Is this the number of entries we can now expect for breed shows? if so it raises all sorts of concerns if they don’t enter we can’t sell them raffle tickets or sell them food so the other major elements of income are also hit.

We need to do something about this but at the moment I’m not sure what the answer is, there’s been a number of options suggested

• Run back to back shows with 2 shows in a day
• Combine with another association, like the Borzoi Club do wih the Hound Association
• Can we run alongside a Champ show either with or without tickets.

Whichever route we take we cannot cantinue simply as we are, we’ve tried breed specialist judges, all rounders, reducing entry fees all to no avail. Another aspect is that if we can’t attract entries to breed shows it seriously hits the experience a judge can develop making it more difficult to achieve the level to move to the A3 list.

Let me know if ou have any ideas

I went with Andrew to Manchester for the Working & Pastoral day although we’d only got Tia entered. It was a nice, relaxing day just wandering round the show & watching judging of breeds we don’t normally get to watch. Tia won a 2nd & 4th so Andrew was pleased with that. As the YKC stakes were pretty late in it was a long day but far more relaxing than hound days.

To me Manchester marks the start of the new Ch show season. yes, I know, Boston was a couple of weeks ago but its still too new and has too few sets of CC’s to really draw in many exhibitors. No doubt over time my mindset will evolve and Boston take its place.

I had to stay at home as Liz & Andrew went in the Discovery which currently has only 2 seats. After a bad journey down with lots of fog around it was almost straight into the ring with Diva for a big Champion Stakes class. Diva wasn’t quite on form but we were delighted to get 3rd. Next was Andrew in the YKC Stakes with Zorro (S. Wintersmith) where the good day continued when he won the class, this qualifies him for the finals at Crufts 2012.

Finally it was the breed classes where Borzoi followed a large entry of Afghans. Both breeds were judged by Eleanor Bothwell, now recovering from cancer, and it was her first time awarding CC’s in Borzoi. Zorro got a creditable 3rd in Limit before Andrew handled Pam Wild’s Skyrose Razluka in Open Dog. Although finishing 4th Luka went better for Andrew than he did at LKA. Last but not least it was Diva in Open bitch where she won the class before taking the CC, her 13th CC, and then beating Sue Graham’s Jack Frost for BOB (a reverse of the result at Boston). Unfortunately as we’d been beaten in the Champ Stakes Diva didn’t get her final moment in the big ring so Liz offered her apologies to the breed & group judge.

It was good to win BOB again after a 12 month gap and what seemed to be so long stuck on 12 CC’s. The best part of the day though was that Liz managed to get through a full day’s showing without pain,  discomfort and a back support for the first time since her back went at the Eukanuba Champion Stakes final.

The Eukanuba Champion Stakes final was a superb event with so much done for the exhibitors. After a buffet lunch for the exhibitors and interviews with the wonderfully named Dog World TV (had to be with Liz as I’d no voice)the event started. The room was done out with Eukanuba banners, balloons & even a pink carpet with 3 rows of comfey chairs surrounding the ring on 3 sides. There was a glossy catalogue for each spectator with photos of all the dogs taken specially for the event. Each of the 25 dogs entering the ring with the judge who qualified them finishing up stood in front of a large 3ft x 3ft poster of the dog (we got to take this home with us). There was a draw to split the dogs into 5 groups of 5 they would be awarded points by each of the 3 judges (Liz Cartledge, Michael Quinney & Ron James) with the 2 top scoring dogs in each group going through to the next round from which the top 5 would be chosen. Diva absolutely loved everything. True to our luck we were drawn in the same group as the multi BIS winning flatcoat who went on to finish 2nd & a Brooklynbear Newfie who finsihed 4th & will represent the UK in the World Challenge in America. The overall winner was the top winning Chinese Crested who was just superb.
Afterwards there was a dinner & disco with an expenses paid room for the night (dog allowed in the room as well). It was a fantastic day. We’ve been lucky enough to compete in the Contest of Champions and now the Champion Stakes in the same year both were great events but probably last night’s Champion Stakes was better as it seemed more focused on the dogs.
Back down to earth today with a bang spending most of the afternoon in our local hospital A & E. Liz had hardly been able to move this morning, it turns out she has a prolapsed disk which must have been aggrevated yesterday so now has to spend a couple of days at least taking it very easy.

With Liz away at the Keswick Jazz Festival it was down to Andrew & me to show the dogs at the National, Andrew handling Zorro whilst I had the task of handling Diva. Andrew did an excellent job with Zorro and we were disappointed not to get anything with him either in the breed class or or the PG stakes. Diva was her usual sulky self - fed up that she can’t go in the ring sooner and then fidget her feet as you try to stand her.

Then she switches on.

She knows exactly when the judge is looking at her and poses, then when she moves she really comes into her own. She just adores moving, extending with none of the busyness you see with some borzoi its just effortless drive and float. She probably didn’t need me to handle her, she’d have done it on her own.

It was a total thrill to win the CC, with BOB it was just fantastic. Andrew and I had fun winding Liz up, after the CC we sent her a text saying Diva 2nd followed by one 10 minute later saying CC - there’ll be trouble when she gets home.

The BIS ring was totally new territory for me - its always been Liz handling in the past. The whole organisation was very efficient with well organised and friendly ring stewards. Entering the ring Diva really turned it on - the more she gets to move, with the big ring and with people applauding the better she gets. Being able to move around the full extent of the ring she absolutely floated. Then we got shortlisted in a cut of 9 and, moving again with even more applause,  it was even better - even I was starting to enjoy it. Its surprised me but is actually more nerve wracking watching than actually being in there. As the judge was pulling out the dogs I was concentrating that much on keeping Diva stacked properly it took a few seconds to realise we’d been pulled out 4th.

Afterwards it was off to get photos done for the dog press - it will be unusual to actually see me in the photos I’m normally the one doing the snapping.

We went up to the Hound Association of Scotland show with Diva & Rush. It was a pleasant, sunny day if a bit cold - certainly a big change to last year when it poured down and the ground was a quagmire. Kelso on a sunny day is one of the nicest show venues, between the town & Floors Castle, next to the river; the officials & committee are friendly which adds to the overall enjoyment of the day.

The judging was a complete surprise with Rush taking the Dog CC out of the Open class. Diva was in a mood but still got 2nd in Open. This is the 3rd time we’ve won a CC at HAS with Diva winning BOB last year & Elle winnig BOB under Robin Searle in 2005, when Liz also handled Mike Warr’s Oisen to the RDCC.  It was also at the Kelso showground So Chic won her 2nd CC under Leslie Kershaw so definitely one of our favourite venues.

After the show,  as it was still nice we decided to give the dogs a treat and take them to the beach at Bamburgh. Its the first time either have been to the seaside and they loved the sand, it’s just a pity the tide was in & the beach busy so we couldn’t let them run free. Rush discovered the delights of playing with seaweed, throwing it about and shaking big stalks of kelp. He even did a bit of paddling. Diva also played with the seaweed but refused to get her feet wet, whenever a wave appeared she scuttled rapidly back up the beach.

It was a long drive home afterwards with a couple of very tired dogs sleeping most of the way back after a very enjoyable day.

After a few days to recover its time to reflect on some of the good & bad things about Crufts 2009

• It seemed quieter especially on the 1st day, with fewer overseas visitors. Many regular faces we look forward to meeting each year weren’t there.
• There seemed to be more space for the dogs, perhaps because some of the bigger stands (Pedigree) were missing.
• Health matters were ever present from the KC stands to the leaflets on all the Discover Dogs stands. People also seemed to take every opportunity to stress positive health messages to visitors
• It seemed better around the rings without the, at times, intrusive presence of the BBC camera crews.
• The TV coverage on the Internet was nicely balanced, focusing on the dogs. It was nice to see all the group judging and other main ring events such as the International Junior handling but frustrating to have o pay to view missed coverage.
• Lots of people we’ve spoken to since Crufts were disappointed that the BBC didn’t cover the show
• I didn’t hear as many anti dog stories on TV & radio in the run up to Crufts
• A lot of the hysteria around protests that circulated on the Internet before the show didn’t materialise.

Overall it was a pretty good Crufts it will be interesting to see if it continues next year