27 Breed Notes – Border Union & B’pool 2026

At Border Union we were second in the ring after 43 bulldogs for judge Dawn Gregory (Amikirs) who last judged at LKA in 2019; and had drawn an entry of 22 Keesies with 6 absentees. After a 20 minute or so wait, judging started just after 11.00am, there were no entries in both the Yearling and Graduate classes, Junior Dog, Veteran Bitch and the Open Dog was absent and it was all over by 12.30pm.

It was worth the long trek north for Shelley Johnston as she won a second DCC with Winklestar Namid (Vivids Majestic Prince of Winklestar (Imp USA) x Winklestar Serendipity) co-owned with Antonia Atkinson and the RDCC with Best Puppy with Revlis Sapphire Star (Vivids Majestic Prince of Winklestar (Imp USA) x Tykees Full Of Chaos)

It was a first big green card with Best of Breed for Nicola Kerr’s Bargeway Dancing Queen (Torrikees Purple Rein x Ch Art Pride Bomb Explosive Beauty Imp Rus) from Junior, whilst the RBCC went to the Open winner, Debbie Hopkins’ Serenaubach Andromeda (Elegant Sharm Galantnyi Kavaler x Serenaubach Auroras Dance)

Less than a week later it was across the country to Blackpool where our judge was the all-rounder Gavin Robertson who was awarding CC’s in the breed for the first time. He had drawn an entry of 13 dogs, of which over half (8) were UK Champions and six of those were veterans.

Keesies were second in the ring after 19 Schnauzers with a not before time of 10.15am and with just one absentee was over by 11.00am. There were no entries in both Junior classes, Special Beginners, Puppy and Post Graduate Bitch

The DCC with Best of Breed was Gill Brunt’s Ch Divnyi Drug Dar (imp Russ) (Russ Ch Cinerus Artic Prince of Star x Russ Ch Divnyi Drug Gusja Lebed) with the RDCC going to Natasha Hickson’s Ch Only The Lonley VW ShCex (Bert von Ricara (imp Den) x Kichigai Special Edition) winner of Veteran.

BCC went to Wendy McKean’s Ch Kichigai It Takes Two at Yawren (Ch Neradmik All About The Boy for Watchkees x Kichigai Lilac Wine) who was also Best Veteran. RBCC went to the open winner, Gill’s Ch Zandvoort Grace’s Secret (Ch Divnyi Drug Dar (imp Russ) x Almaznyi Istochnik Tropicheskaya Noch (imp Russ))

Best Puppy was Mel Harris & Jean Sharp-Bale’s Neradmik Shooting Star (Ch Aragorn Elessar Elfiyskiy Berill x Ch Neradmik Pandora’s Box)

In case you’re wondering why Ama was Best Veteran, despite Darik being Best of Breed, there was a change to Blackpool’s schedule which stated: Best Veteran will be declared in every breed. Only those exhibits entered in Veteran Breed, AVNSC or AV Imported Breed Register classes will be eligible to compete for Best Veteran in Breed.

I had a look last week at our Level 2 judging list and was shocked by the number of all-rounders who have been added; with the majority of these recent additions never having even shown an interest, let alone judged Keesies. With a Breed Appreciation Day hosted by both breed clubs, coming up on 18th July at Nether Whitacre Village Hall, B46 2EH. It will be interesting to see if any bother to attend as there are still places available; please get in touch with Melanie at byquyfamily@gmail.com for an application form.

I’m always going on about value for money (or the lack of it re the general Ch shows) and now this is being shown with people voting with their feet as they aren’t prepared to spend their hard-earned money just to ‘make up the numbers’. This has been reflected for a while now in the low number of entries some shows are attracting with the judge being the major deciding factor; whether it’s on a week day or not and the travelling involved being secondary.

The Kennel Club’s ‘solution’ of seemingly passing anyone to award CCs in the breed; despite them have never attended a BAD or breed seminar or taken any interest in the breed at all, most certainly isn’t going to improve matters either. Why do they even bother to ask the breed clubs their opinion of a ‘new’ judge if they are going to be totally ignored?? Where is the achievement of winning a CC if there have only been 3 dogs of the same sex present? The days of Keesies having entries in triple figures at a show are long gone and won’t return – certainly not in the foreseeable future.

Anji Marfleet