47 Breed Notes – NoEKC Nov Ch & Open 2025

As I’m typing these notes, looking out of my window at a white landscape, I can’t help but think how lucky we all were on Sunday for the NoEKC’s combined Open and Ch show. Storm Claudia had blown herself away by Saturday evening, leaving everywhere somewhat damp and muddy; but with blue skies and sunshine making it much pleasanter (and warmer day) for a dog show.

This current weather has certainly come as a shock to the system, minus 2° and a couple of inches of the white stuff here in Yorkshire, but even worse up in the Highlands. Intrepid exhibitors Sarah & David Murray managed to get 20 miles away from home (they live in Nairn) when they found the road blocked by snow and had to turn back; ending up spending the night in the car park of one of their favourite golf clubs!!

This year the NoEKC again held both their July Open show and Championship show on the same day, fitting in the Special Awards Classes in between the judging of the two shows. With the dwindling number of Keesies being born and subsequent low show numbers, it’s proving to be the only financially viable means of holding ‘stand-alone’ breed shows.

Judging started promptly at 9.30am and apart from a short 5-minute Junior Handling break, all three shows carried straight on and judging was all over and done with by around 3.30pm. Surprisingly the day wasn’t as long as previous Club Ch shows – I guess we’ve all quickly got used to smaller entries with consequently briefer shows and earlier finishes.

The judge for the Open Show was Mhairi Aikman and she had drawn an entry of 45 dogs with 7 absentees. There were no entries in Yearling & Breeders Dog and both Not Bred By classes and with Open Bitch having the largest entry.

Best Dog, Reserve Best in Show and Best Veteran was Natasha Hickson’s Ch Kichigai’s Only The Lonley (Bert von Ricara (imp Den) x Kichigai Special Edition) from Special Vintage, with Reserve Best Dog going to the Limit winner, Jane Saunders Liefkees Amore (Ch Quasars Brilliant Light van het Earlskamp Serenaubach x Liefkees Adina)

Best Bitch and Best in Show was Val Tew’s newly crowned Ch Bargeway Crystal Clear (Torrikees Purple Rein x Ch Art Pride Bomb Explosive Beauty (imp Russ)) Reserve Best Bitch went to second in Open, Jane Ring’s Ch Neradmik Tantrams N Tiaras (Ch Samkees With Love to Neradmik (Imp Mlt) x Ch Neradmik Grace Kelly (Imp Can)) Jane also got Best Puppy in Show with her Neradmik Tinseltown at Baleissa (Torrikees Purple Rein x Neradmik Shimmer N’ Shine (Imp Can))

Following on was the Special Awards Classes judged by Tyra Church (Tykees) who had drawn an excellent entry of 20 Keesies with 5 absentees. Tyra very generously gave a lovely ‘goodie bag’ to every dog exhibited under her – a thoughtful gesture which was appreciated by everyone.

Winner of the Special Yearling Dog or Bitch class was Nicola Kerr’s young Bargeway Dancing Queen who was at her first show; Special Limit Dog or Bitch was Jane Saunders’ Liefkees Amore and Nicky Potts’ Shelderon The Legal Eagle was the winner of the Special Open Dog or Bitch Class.

Our judge for the Ch show, which started around 1.30pm was Caroline Kisko (who last judged us at WKC, way back in 2000) Caroline had drawn an entry of 46 Keesies with 7 absentees; there were no entries in Yearling, Novice, Breeders, or Good Citizen Dog and both Not Bred By Exhibitor Classes.

Winning his first DCC with Best in Show from Limit was Jane Saunders Liefkees Amore (Ch Quasars Brilliant Light van het Earlskamp Serenaubach x Liefkees Adina) with the RDCC going to the Open class winner, Joan Miles, daughter Sarah Dean and the Cullen’s Ch Skyline’s Outlander at Lekkerbek (imp USA)(Am Ch Windrift’s Dirty Hairy x Am Ch Skyline’s Mine Eyes Have Seen)

Also winning her first CC and Reserve Best in Show was Gill Brunt’s Goldgin Chanel (imp Rus) (Rus Ch Rizheis Shain iz Mirashela x Rus Ch Zareslava iz Mirashela) from Limit. RBCC and Best puppy in Show was Jane Ring’s Neradmik Tinseltown at Baleissa (Torrikees Purple Rein x Neradmik Shimmer N’ Shine (Imp Can))

Best Veteran in Show was Veteran Bitch winner, Jane Saunders’ Liefkees Adina (Ch Wund-R-Y Workin For a Livin at Szaryk x Liefkees Angelika)
The Golden Oldie (for oldest Keesie exhibited) was my Olympia, Flatmeer Fleurette aged 13¼, Natasha Hickson won the Bill Purdon Memorial Trophy for Best Handler, Gill Brunt won the Open Show’s £25 Lucky Catalogue number prize and Nicky Potts was the winner of the Ch show’s £50 Lucky Catalogue number prize.
(Wo)manning the kitchen was Kitti Thanki and her mum Dipti, who were kept busy selling homemade hot food and cakes and made a very tasty £102. The laden raffle table took£131 thanks to Nicky Potts who stepped in to help sell tickets and Ann Toward who was behind the ‘Club table’ with the raffle and table sales. Also, many thanks to everyone who helped out on the day and to those who generously gave donations for the raffle and contributions for the kitchen – it is very much appreciated.

Once again there were comments being made, querying the behaviour and temperament of some of the dogs – both in and out of the ring. It’s not the first time that this has been commented on by exhibitors, visitors and judges alike and really does not show the breed in a good light; especially when the steward has to go and ask an exhibitor to move their dogs away from the ringside. As I have said before, if your dog doesn’t like being ‘gone over’ by a judge or generally being at a crowded show; then you go to ring craft and/or training classes and get it socialised and trained. It’s not fair on the dog to take it into an environment in which it’s obviously not happy, no matter how many shows it has been to.

At BUBA’s Ch show in a couple of weeks’ time, Keeshonds are being judged in the Main Hall, ring 6 with a 9.30am start for Sally Pointon who is awarding CC’s in Keesies for the first time and has drawn an entry of 39 dogs. This will be followed by the Keeshond Club’s Opens Show (judge Vikki Marshall (Devonia)) and the SAC – judge Jenny Shorer-Wheeler.

Anji Marfleet