101 Keeshond Breed Notes Blackpool 2017

Blackpool is one of the Ch shows that doesn’t rotate their group days; so Friday is utility day and I’m sure that just the thought of doing rush hour battle with the motorways has to affect entries. Their new venue is one of those places that satnavs can’t cope with and I have to say that the directions given by the society this year were a lot more idiot proof and the road signs were more visible too.

I wasn’t intending to go to Blackpool, as although I wanted to do some shopping, I refuse to pay £10 for the ‘privilege’ of parking in a field and that’s on top of paying £5 for each spectator dog I might want to bring along. Fortunately I was given a pass by an exhibitor who couldn’t go and didn’t want their money to be completely wasted!

As I have said before in previous notes, if the National can provide free car parking for everyone and charge just £2 per spectator dog, then why do some of the other general championship shows charge so much? It’s no financial loss to the society if I don’t attend, but it is a loss of much needed revenue for the trade stands; – and look how many of those we have lost in recent years.

It was an early start for Keesie exhibitors as we were first in the ring for a 9.00am start, but it also meant that we missed the worst of the traffic. Our Judge was Caron Bell (Allforus) (who awarded CC’s for the first time at BUBA in 2014) and she had drawn an entry of 25 dogs with just 2 absentees. There were no entries in limit dog and just one in open dog, junior bitch and limit bitch.

DCC with BOB was Antonia Atkinson’s Ch Winklestar Hadar (Torrikees Who’s The Boss Of Winklestar x Allforus Dice With Me At Winklestar) with the RDCC going to the winner of PGD, Antonia Atkinson’s Winklestar Skoll (Ch Winklestar Hadar x Eastkees Made To Order By Winklestar) who was taken into the challenge by Peter, but then handled by Antonia for the RCC.

It was a fourth CC for Dawn Gregory’s Ch Amikirs Fabulicious Time JW (Eastkees Time Lord x Ch Amikirs Bubblelicious) and a second RBCC for Matthews & Atkinson’s Winklestar Anthe With Valindale (Ch Winklestar Hadar x Eastkees Made To Order By Winklestar) handled by David Matthews.

Keeping it in the family, Best Puppy went to the Shreeve’s Gineter Christmas Angel (Ch Winklestar Hadar x Bargeway Peaches and Cream Gineter) who was at her first ever show aged just six months and one day.

Just after 10.00am it was announced that judging was to continue outside as the rain had finally stopped and in many rings everyone ‘upped sticks’ and moved out; but as Caron was already halfway through open bitch, she elected to stay inside the marque to finish her judging.

Blackpool is often remembered for all the wrong reasons, usually weather related and this is another year that will not be forgotten. Friday morning dawned with the rain bouncing down and an unseasonably cold wind; but cyberspace was sizzling as the grapevine buzzed with the news of Dog World’s demise – a real bolt out of the blue!

I never realised that my breed notes were so popular; I was really surprised by those of you who contacted me wanting to know what I was going to do – thank you!! As most of you know, I ‘don’t do’ Facebook, so these (and ‘future editions’) are appearing courtesy of Danni who was our DW’s co-ordinator.

Anji Marfleet