27 Breed Notes – EoE 2019

At East of England Val Tew (Bargeway) was judging Keesies without CC’s and she had drawn an entry of 27 Keesies with just 2 absentees. We were 2nd in the ring after 77 Tibetan Terriers; so judging started around 12.30pm and ended a couple of hours later.

Best Dog with Best of Breed was Melanie Harris’ Ch Neradmik All About The Boy for Watchkees JW ShCM (Ch Am Ch Kemonts Skylines Game Boy (imp USA) x Ch Lady Godiva’s Guilty Pleasures with Neradmik (imp Fin)) Reserve Best Dog was Gill Brunt’s Zandvoort Up An Purrsonal (AI)(Kj’s Its Nothing Purrsonal x Ch Vanstrand Quantum of Solace) from Junior.

Best Bitch was Andy and Jean Fitches Samoykees Gypsy Girls Moon (It Ch Prelude Tu A Kiss x Nl Ch Samoykees Exclusive Moon) Reserve Best Bitch and Best Puppy was Sue Pattison’s Eastkees Purple Gem (Quasars Brilliant Light van het Earlskamp x Lyntova Midnight Angel for Eastkees)

A couple of years ago I wrote in my notes of the announcement by the Kennel Club of the new CC allocation for 2019 – 2021 revealing that keesies had gained 2 extra sets of CC’s at Paignton and Manchester; making a total of 22 sets on offer which includes both club championship shows.

Re the geographical distribution, giving our ‘well-travelled’ south western exhibitors a local show (Paignton) with CC’s makes sense and indeed, could encourage new owners to take up showing if they don’t have to drive hundreds of miles to a Ch show.

But Manchester, did we really need yet another general Ch show with CC’s held at the Stafford County Show Ground? We already have 3 sets there, plus 2 at the NEC and 1 at nearby Stoneleigh; a total of seven Ch Shows in the Midlands area including a club Ch show also held at Stoneleigh.

Yet we have none the ‘eastern side’ of the M1. Although Keesies haven’t had CC’s at East of England since the late 1990’s; the show invariably gets a good entry – often higher than some of the Ch shows which do offer CC’s. A CC allocation for keesies at either of the championship shows (Boston or EoE) held at Peterborough would have made more sense. This year at Manchester with CC’s, there were just 32 Keeshonds entered which does somewhat prove my point.

The same weekend up in Scotland at Bon Accord KA, held in Inverurie, Sarah Murray and Flatmeer Flightberry were Best AVNSC under Judge Cath Stewart (Earnpride); Sarah and Joey then went on to get Utility Group 4

At the opposite end of the country at Bath CS Vikki Marshall and Arabesque at Devonia won Best AVNSC (& Best Puppy AVNSC) and then went on to win Utility Puppy Group 2; whilst his pal Rhea -Torrikees Made in Heaven at Devonia had to settle for Reserve Best AVNSC behind young Ghost.

The North of England Open show (being held in conjunction with Leeds Ch Show) has drawn 41 dogs making 46 entries for Judge Gina Marsh (Keesland) and 13 entries for the Special Awards Class being judged by Donna Wincup. There are new ‘Leeds passes’ for any Keesie exhibitor bringing unentered dogs to the show, which are now available to download from the Club’s web site

Anji Marfleet