23 Breed Notes – Sth C’ties 2025

Last weekend at Southern Counties, our judge was Tiina Taulos from Finland, who was awarding CC’s for the first time in the UK. She had drawn an entry of 34 Keesies with just 2 absentees; we were first in the ring with a 9.30am start and it was over by 11.30am.

There was just about enough space for gazebos and cages outside, comparatively huge (& empty gangways) and very little space inside the marquees. The ‘in/out’ rings were dreadful; they were very small; the uneven ground had been filled in with wood chipping which many dogs found irresistible and most rings had a metal marquee pole which exhibitors had to navigate around.

It was a good job that the weather (certainly on Utility day) was overcast and warm, as if it had rained there was no spare space in the marquees, which I thought looked very narrow. Yet there was acres of space for all the campers with plenty of bins (and toilets) dotted around the site. It’s never easy getting the balance right as organisers would need (a crystal ball) to know well in advance what the weather was going to be like and how many people and dogs actually turn up on the day; but I do think that some major ‘tweaks’ are in order, especially for the size of the rings.

The DCC with Best of Breed went to the Veteran winner, Hickson’s Ch Only The Lonley (Bert von Ricara (imp Den) x Kichigai Special Edition) with the RDCC going to Fideli’s Fr Ch Aragorn Elessar El’fiyskiy Berill (Pushistikoff Caesar x Almaznyi Istochnik Tantsuyuschaya Feya) from Open.

BCC went to the Open winner, Lindsay’s Ch Cosmic Dream’s Damn You Look Good for Mezanda (imp Nor) JW (Dungens Never Ending Dream x Dungens Kosmic Love) with the RBCC going to the Veteran – Saunders’ Liefkees Adina (Ch Wund R Y Workin For A Livin at Szaryk (imp USA) x Liefkees Angelika)

Best Puppy was the Fitches’ Samoykees Ippolitas Kisses (Samoykees Harbour Lights x Ch Sofia Loren Della Ginevrina (imp It))

Anji Marfleet