Stubbylee Blog

it was back to Crufts yesterday for the final day with Andrew showing Leo  whilst we took Zorro & Diva back for Discover Dogs.  It was a lot busier than Thursday with far more overseas visitors in evidence but it still didnt feel as hectic as in previous years. Partly this was because there was a lot more space in Hall 3 with wider walkways preventing overcrowding. Diva & Zorro had a great time on Discover Dogs, especially when we let them out of the pen, throughly enjoying their ‘meet & greet’. It was amazing how the smallest of choldren were fascinated with Zorro, wanting to hug this big black & white thing and how he was so gentle with them. People were a bit confused when Leo was in the pen as well, quite a few asked if he was a baby borzoi.

After our morning on the stand we said a quick hello to Ola, her mother & father, she’d qualified once again for the International Junior Handler but this year chose a smaller breed to handle than a borzoi. We then wandered round to the Viyo Elite stand to pick up the Top Sire award with glasses of champagne for Liz & Andrew. By then we were that tired we decided to go back to the car without a full look around the show, stopping off at the Border Collie benches for a farewell chat.

We’d parked in the West Car Park so saw no sign of protestors, people said there were around 40 by the main enterance but they were kept well back behind barriers.

Today was the first day of Crufts - the first Crufts under all the new KC initiatives.

On the showing side it was a good one for us with Zorro & Diva both winning their classes. Around the ring it was quite without a lot of spectators. A lot of the overseas visitors you get used to seeing and talking to year after year weren’t there; even some ringside seats were left vacant. The groups of Japanese girls snapping away at dogs left, right & centre were absent. But Thursday always seems to be a lot quiter than the remaining 3 days. perhaps because of this its unfair to judge any impact of the BBC programme and the withdrawl of Pedigree etc may have had. It was strange walking into Hall 3 without the massive Pedigree stand dominating the centre of the hall and the crowds queueing for free samples. Instead we had the KC stand trumpeting their health initiatives. The health message seems very dominant not just with the KC stand but also in the catalogue, announcements and the webcast commentary.

Generally the show seemed a lot more relaxed without the extensive BBC presence but there were lots of other KC backed press interviewing class & BIB winners and trying to portray a positive message. Certainly from our point of view it was good to speak to spectators putting across the real benefits of our breed. Whilst on the subject of the BBC it was interesting that on their breakfast TV & Radio coverage there seemed to be no mention at all of Crufts and perhaps significantly I didn’t hear any of the usual Day 1 news pieces pushing anti pedigree dog messages and providing yet another publicity platform for our detractors.

 When we go back on Sunday for Discover Dogs we’ll be able to have a better look around the show as a whole and get a far better feel for thee overall atmosphere.

It was the Northern Borzoi Limited Show and AGM at the weekend with both events passing off relatively smoothly after a nerve wracking start. On the way to the venue I got a call from the early arrivers saying that the hall wasn’t open yet but that thewre were a lot of people there with Pekingese and a yoga class. Oh God had something gone wrong with the booking - but no it turns out that the Pekingese were in the room downstairs and the yoga club occupied another room.

With Liz judging I tried to keep a bit in the background as I didn’t want to be accused of telling her what to do. BIS was a bit of a surprise to me, Liz & especially the handler - the award going to Adele Conroy with Santerman Songbird. Once again at the end of the show it was nice to have people telling us how much they’d enjoyed the show = even those who hadn’t won anything.

We’d decided to hold the AGM after the show, as we used to, in the hope of encouraging more people to attend but to no avail. I suppose there was little to discuss and there are invariably fewer attendees when there isn’t anything contentious to discuss so the meeting finished inside an hour.

At LKA on the Saturday a lot of people were discussing the BBC’s decision not to televise Crufts in 2009. The general opinion seemed to be good - perhaps we can get the show back to what it used to be rather than everything being dictated by the requirements of television. Best in Show can be scheduled for the benefit of the dogs rather than the TV  schedulers; no more inane pontifications from presenters who are chosen for the job because they own a dog, rather than any love or detailed knowledge of dogs and the show world; no more pieces about things you can buy at Crufts rather than all the different events - its like Match of the Day spending 20 minutes each week discussing the half time pies and beer or the contents of the club shop.

For once well done to the KC they’ve chosen to stand up to the BBC rather than refusing to exclude 12 ‘problem’ breeds - 12 out of nearly 190 scheduled breeds plus, agility, flyball, obedience and all the other events. The world of pedigree dogs cannot be as bad as some are painting if there are less than 10% of breeds seen as a problem. Yes there are problems, there’s no denying that, but the BBC have missed a golden opportunity to help highlight & educate in a constructive way, it may well turn out to be a loss for the BBC rather than dogs in the long term. Still this is an organisation that’s not even competent to organise a dancing competition without changing the rules because they can’t understand simple maths. An organisation that was renowned worldwide for the standard of its programming but which now offers people (sorry celebs) trying to contort thenselves to fit through holes in polystyrene whilst dressed like oven ready turkeys as quality TV. We shouldn’t have expected anything else.

So what should the KC do about televising Crufts? How about entering the 21st century and following the example of business, the Internet is a massively powerful global tool that can be used to influence & inform.  As an example consider how it was used to promote Rick Astley as a pop music great - Rick Rolling is now a recognised way of businesses promoting theit products. Youtube provides a platform for many businesses to advertise - often in preference to traditional TV. Lets see highlights of BIS, Groups and each breed’s judging along with the agility etc posted on Youtube, perhaps with the judges comments on their choices.  Support this with other videos presenting health issues within the breed, whats being done to tackle it and the breed standard explained by a breed expert and we can educate a wider audience.

It was the final Championship show of the year with LKA at the NEC. We were there both days; on Friday woth Diva & Magic and then on Saturday with Leo. It was a disappointing end to an otherwise great year with Magic taking 2nd in Puppy bitch being the best we could do.

Never mind

It obviously hit Leo & Magic badly - when I got up this morning I found them curled up together on the sofa with a bottle of Jack Daniels !!

I finally received the information on breed health initiatives yesterday. This is the information that we, as breed club committees, are supposed to meet to discuss and provide feedback by the 30th December. Fortunately for borzoi this isn’t as severe as in other breeds, apart from the introductory remarks there’s no change to the breed standard and health issues are relatively few (none of which come as a big surprise and some of which seem to have no hereditary base).

To expect clubs to get together this month, giving us effectively 2 weekends to arrange this before the deadline is simply ridiculous. Haven’t they considered that many people have other commitments in the run up to Christmas - work events, visiting family, working overtime oh and LKA as well. But I doubt the agenda is driven by the KC - what’s the betting this is tied in with the BBC’s decision on whether they will televise Crufts. The KC can now point to the BBC’s anonymous panel of ‘experts’ and say look what we are doing. Why are these people anonymous could it be so they won’t be exposed as belonging to organisations with their own agendas, self publicising journalist and the usual motley crew who the BBC roll out to comment on canine matters. By the way is it only me who feels that the BBC should try running their own organisation properly before telling others what they should do.

The BBC programme highlighted a number of issues that do need to be addressed (along with a few more aspects of dog showing / breeding) and eliminated. But I’m reminded of the maxim regarding any government that legislation put together in haste to respond to a particular issue will be bad legislation. So just slow down a bit KC and let the clubs digest these matters fully; surely these are issues that a far wider group of people than club committees need to provide their support for.

Its a week since it first snowed and there’s still some lying around where its shaded from the sun. The dogs have absolutely loved it, hopefully I’ll upload some video of them to YouTube in the next few days.

A busy weekend of showing with Driffield today and Burnley & District yesterday. It was a big day as Andrew was taking Leo to his first show. There were no breed classes just AV but it would be good experience for his first show. We took Magic for company and more experience for her and Diva as there was a qualifying heat of the KC Junior Warrant Stakes.

First in was Magic who went really nicely to be placed 4th in AV NSC Puppy and then it was Diva in AVNSC Open. Diva was pulled out second but then some woman with a Keeshound who was placed third somehow managed to get herself into 2nd. Liz didn’t say anything until afterwards when quite a few people said she was placed 2nd. By then though rosettes had been awarded and when queried with the judge he said 3rd - but there was to be revenge - more on that later. Liz & I were forced to leave the hall whilst Andrew went in with Leo, otherwise he has a tendancy to look for us and Magic. Leo went really well to win his class and then went on to Reserve Best Puppy in Show - not bad for first time out. Then it was on to the KC JW Stakes with Diva and the Keeshound and 17 others. The judge pulls out 5 dogs to qualify plus one reserve. Diva made one of the 5 but the Keeshound was only reserve. Revenge is sweet.

Today was Driffield and Leo’s first Championship show with 130 Border Collies. Andrew was thrilled to win his class and qualify for Crufts to complete a fantastic weekend for him. The Collie people were so friendly towards Andrew and made very nice comments about Leo. After spending all his life with Borzoi the tables have now turned and we have to go and cheer the pair of them on….certainly no hardship, we are very proud of them both.

Magic thoroughly enjoyed herself in the ring and behaved with some decorum despite  Leo occasionally barking encouragement! At home they are always together, eating, playing or sleeping and have a fantastic relationship. I am sure that he was very proud to watch his girlfriend win Best Puppy.

After a break during August its back to dog shows again starting last week with a trip to South West Hound where Liz was judging borzoi. I’d volunteered to steward for her but also did the rest of the breeds in her ring; Deerhounds, Irish Wolfhounds and - completely different - bloodhounds. The show was held at an auction mart with plenty of good facilities and a pleasant welcome from the committee. The only blight on the day for the show was the presence of a KC Field Officer.  From experience there seems to be two types of Field Officer, those that see their role as helping Societies make their shows better and run efficiently and then there’s those who seem determined to pick fault in the minutest detail. Unfortunately this one was the second type.

Yesterday we went to Darlington with the Diva, Rush and Magic.

What a quagmire.

It stayed fine for most of the day but there was mud everywhere, lakes were forming in parts of the showground - even some of the rings. You could see a track of mud developing in rings where dogs had been moved round. Outside the Secretary’s office was a sea of mud despite the woodchip that had been put down and great gouges where tractors had moved around. The tractors were kept busy towing vehicles off the showground, some had simply sunk and bogged down where they were parked.

Despite it all the Committee did their best to ensure the show ran as smoothly as possible and should be congratulated - as I said to the Treasurer when I collected our stakes winnings I hope they are able to complete the show.  It was amazing how many people were complaining about everything as if the Society had made the ground like that on purpose. One thing I saw - not sure if its a definition of optimism or stupidity - was one woman walking through the mud wearing white jeans.

As for the showing the judge was a very pleasant & polite Australian. Rush & Diva both won Reserve Best of Sex with Magic winning Best Puppy. Diva & Rush were in the Portable Conveniences Open Stakes - what a great, glamorous title - both finishing second and winning £20 each and with some very nice words from the judge. In the puppy group Magic was unplaced but we didn’t expect anything when we saw who the judge was, his arrogant and brusque manner was the complete opposite to our breed judge or Mrs Chapman in the stakes. Some of these judges need to realise that even dogs at Champ shows deserve a bit of respect and consideration when they are being judged especially puppies - yanking their mouth open doesn’t do a great deal for a young dog’s confidence.  Judging quickly & efficiently doesn’t mean you have to be rough. You do suspect at times some judges think its all about them and see themselves as being far more important than the dogs being judged.

We went down to South Wales yesterday, taking Magic (S. Magic Moments) for her first show. Although she’s had plenty of ringcraft classes -well 1 - we weren’t quite sure how she would take it all.

She loved it!

She took everything in her stride meeting people and other dogs. First she’d carefully lean forward with a little wag of the tail and then it was hello please talk to me. In the ring she was the baby in a big, competitive puppy bitch class but showed confidently, moving really well even starting to extend at times. We were thrilled when she got 2nd.

Zorro won his class and Diva got 2nd in her class but didn’t move well, I think she wanted to go to the loo rather than show. Taking Diva to the loo is an epic exercise. She wanders around a bit until she closes in on a suitable spot circling around like a horse on a lunge rein until the exactly right place is found, start to squat, change her mind move forward about 6 feet start to squat again then No. Its not the right place We then wander around most of South Wales going backwards & forwards meandering all over like a directionally challenged drunk. Finally she finds the ideal spot  and does her business -in the same bloody place we’d found half an hour earlier.

 After the breed we’d entered the stakes classes the baby went really well in minor puppy but wasn’t placed, Zorro got 3rd in Yearling and then Diva was 2nd in the Junior stakes so we managed to collect some nice prize money.

 It was our first time at South Wales and were really impressed with the show and the facilities - one to go to again. Its just a pity we’ve got to go through the M6 / M5 junction to get there.