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Judge: Jane Wood
I would like to offer my very sincere thanks to the Kennel Club and the Young Kennel Club for the honour of the invitation to judge these Obedience classes at Crufts 2017. I enjoy working with young people and to have the opportunity to see how hard they have worked and how much they have achieved in our wonderful sport has indeed been a privilege.
Judge: Michelle Newman
Firstly I would like to thank the Kennel Club for the opportunity to judge the Obreedience finals, and for the engraved vase given to me. Thanks also to Kate for making sure we had everything we needed before the show, and to Richard Kebble for being on hand from the Wednesday to help if needed.
As with all judging appointments, it is only possible to do so with a team by your side, and in this case it needed another 4 members! I am truly grateful to you all for giving up your time to come outfit shopping, practice the round before hand, and to all of you for arriving at the NEC on the Wednesday for the run through. Half the team are self-employed, so I really do appreciate that it was not just your time you gave up so freely. My team were Paul Cook (steward), Elaine New (scribe), Mandy Winborne (collecting ring) and Caroline Hall (collecting ring and make-up artiste!!). Together they brought brilliant sense of humours, lots of laughs, lots of help and ultimately made my job so much easier. Thank you!
By: Susan & Gemma Henshaw
It’s that time of year again and Crufts 2017 is just around the corner so a look at some of the teams competing on the green carpet this year.
2016 proved to be a good year for the Obedience shows and Ticket classes. We didn’t have any really outrageous weather which meant that no shows had to be cancelled which was surely one headache less for the show organisers and committees.
There are a total of 22 teams qualified through to the Dog Championships with two new Obedience Champions competing in this class. In the BItch Championships, 24 teams are competing, five more than last year, and there are five new Obedience Champions amongst them.
For the 2016 season the top winning team in the Dog Championship was Geraldine Steadman and Ob Ch Nobite Defence of the Realm, winning 6 tickets in total. Taking the top honour in the Bitch Championship was Linda Rutherford with her Ob Ch Colliewood Confidential, winning a total of 8 tickets.
Continue reading “Crufts 2017 Obedience Championship – Almost There”
By: Susan & Gemma Henshaw
A Spectators View
Time has flown by and already its Sunday 13 March and the last day of Crufts 2016. For the obedience community it’s the final Obedience World Cup competition as Crufts in their wisdom have decided to remove the competition from the obedience schedule.
On arriving at Hall 5 you could see the team benches from the entrance doors as they were a blaze of colour from all the cards, balloons, banners and just about everything else people could buy to wish the teams Good Luck.
At 8.40 Gerard Paisley welcomed today’s judge Kim Innes into the ring, she took up a position on the left hand side of the ring and was then joined by her ring party. The parade of teams got underway led in by the team from Germany. Each team had their own piece of music for the parade which added to the atmosphere, there were small pockets of fans dotted around the stands and they greeted each team with enthusiasm.
Once Crufts was officially opened at 9am we had the proper introduction of today’s judge and Gerard gave a brief account of her time in obedience which started in 1981 and Kim had also competed in the inaugural Obedience World Cup competition. The ring party were then introduced and all were greeted with a round of applause.
By: Susan & Gemma Henshaw
From a spectator’s view
An early start for us and a short drive up the M40 to the NEC and the first day of Crufts 2016. And for the Obedience community it’s the Inter Regional competition today.
Arriving at Hall 5 we head for the benches to deliver a few good luck cards, grab a coffee and then head up to the seats. Today’s judge Nigel Slater and his team enter the ring at 8.40 and take up their positions on the left hand side of the ring, then the start of the parade of today’s teams, as usual for a Thursday morning there’s only a few pockets of supporters that have made their way into the stands but they greet each team with enthusiasm.
Crufts was officially opened at 9am and our favourite man on the mic Gerard Paisley introduced today’s judge Nigel Slater, giving brief details on his journey in obedience and then Gerard introduced the ring party for today and what role they would be taking on, they all received a good round of applause. The judge was wearing a dark grey suit, white shirt and multi coloured tie, the female stewards were in black trousers, grey velour tops with scarves under, each scarf a different colour, matching the regional colours for today. The male stewards were in black trousers, white shirts, multi coloured ties and a grey jumper.
Continue reading “Crufts Inter-Regional Obedience Competition 2016”
By: Susan & Gemma Henshaw
From a spectator’s view
Early Saturday morning and an easy drive up from the hotel today, thankfully not much traffic around so straight into the car park at the NEC then we hop on one of the coaches that deliver you virtually to the door. We make our way to Hall 5 and meet up with a few friends, hand out some good luck cards, grab the customary coffee and take our seats ready for today’s competition.
We settled down just in time for the entrance of the judge and her ring party promptly at 8.40am, they stood to one side of the ring and the parade of this year’s competitors got underway, quite a good crowd already in the stands which is usual for the weekend. As each handler and dog enter they receive a warm welcome. Introducing them and giving details on where they won their tickets is our announcer Gerard Paisley.
The announcement that Crufts is officially opened comes over the tannoy at 9am and then Gerard introduces today’s judge Stella Henstridge, he gives a short round up of her judging career, this is followed by the introduction of today’s ring party.
For today the judge is in a lovely pink and grey floral long line jacket paired with black trousers and a black top. The female stewards are in dark trouser suits with a red top and the male steward are in grey suits, pale pink shirts and a red tie, again colour co-ordinated and looking very smart.
By: Susan & Gemma Henshaw
From a spectator’s view
An early morning set off for us, and a short journey on the M42 from the hotel up to the NEC for the second day of Crufts 2016, just a short queue on the way into the car park and then across to Hall 5 for today’s Dog Obedience Championships.
It’s just before 7.30am when we arrive so chance for a strong coffee to keep us going for the morning, then a walk round to see all the benches festooned with their cards, presents and balloons. We deliver our cards and then it’s off to settle into our seats ready for the build-up of today’s competition.
Promptly at 8.40 the judge and her ring party enter and stand to the left of the ring, then the parade of this year’s competitors gets underway. Already some spectators are arriving and they greet each handler and dog with a round of applause. Introducing the teams and giving details on where and under whom they won their tickets is our man on the mic Gerard Paisley.
By: Susan & Gemma Henshaw
So the end of the Championship classes for this season and we now have a complete list of all the marvellous teams that we will see on the green carpet at Crufts 2016
To bring our articles up to date we start on Saturday 22 August at the Welsh KC show in Builth Wells, the only show on the circuit that has just the championship classes. Pat Watson was in charge of the Ch C dog class and her rather delighted winner was Bronwyn Bartley with ‘Bheinn He’s A Gift Forever’, they joined the list of first time ticket winners for this year, it’s been a few years since Bronwyn has qualified a dog through to Crufts so we wish them all the best for the day. Judging the Ch C bitch class was Herbie Watson and he awarded his top honour to Linda Rutherford and ‘Ob Ch Colliewood Confidential’, their seventh win of the year so far and a fantastic round as usual.
Continue reading “Championship Class Round Up – End of 2015”
By: Susan & Gemma Henshaw
How fast time flies when you are having fun training and working the dogs – well trying to. So perhaps time for a catch up on the Championship classes for the middle part of the year.
Into the start of June and Saturday 6th saw some of the teams make their way across to Northern Ireland to the Lisburn & District DTC show. Unfortunately the weather didn’t play fair and with almost gale force winds and intermittent heavy showers during the day, it was no wonder that some of the dogs didn’t fancy the stay ring or the scent exercises! Judging the Ch C Dog was Ellen Herries and her top spot went to Linda Rutherford and Ob Ch Sixela Rumr Has It, who put together an excellent round, Linda also won the Ch C Bitch class under judge Ann Shearer with her stunning Ob Ch Colliewood Confidential; with an equally good round, what a superb weekend for Linda and her dogs.
By: Susan & Gemma Henshaw
It just doesn’t seem two minutes since we were sat watching the Championship teams working on the green carpet at Crufts and now here we are already well into this years obedience season.
The ‘ticket’ classes kicked off as usual this year with the Midland Border Collie Club’s three-day show at Cattows Farm, Heather in Leicestershire on the 3,4 and 5 April, the ‘ticket’ class being on the Saturday. The weather leading up to the shows was in one word ‘horrendous’ and had turned the working field into a veritable mud bath, the parking field kept the tractor drivers busy for the first two days, towing people off of the boggy ground, but despite the lousy luck that this club have with the weather, the show runs like clockwork and the catering is first class, what a brilliant idea to have the judges lunches in takeaway boxes, so much easier to carry and the added joy of very little washing up afterwards.