Crufts

Back home from what is developing into our annual visit to Crufts staying two nights in our Eriba at the Horse and Jockey, Bentley. About to change hands so hoping the good beer and great atmosphere remain the same. Planned to change are the primitive facilities for campers. That will certainly be very welcome.

Culdaws Dirty Dancing

Despite our caravan being only a short drive from the NEC as ever we missed the first Basset Hound class, Veteran Dog. This featured our Chairman, Brian showing Barnaby, Malrich Voodoo to the show world. Barnaby came second, just pipped to the post I am sure, by Champion Dereheath Marcus Aurelius owned by Derek and Heather Storton, South East members from Nottinghamshire, who came first.

Unfortunately I was only just getting myself together when I noticed that Rosemary, our former Secretary came third with her Moonsmead Double Expresso in the Special Junior Dog class. Having just arrived my cameras were still firmly in their bag so missed a photo there too.

Then Derek and Heather repeated their success with first in Yearling Dog with their Diheath Maximus, jointly owned with Di Melbourne.

By the time the next class with a South East interest, Post Graduate Dog, came I had fortunately woken up, managing to get a photo of the winner, another South East Branch member, Kim Culyer-Dawson, showing her Culdaws Dirty Dancing. Derek and Heather coming third with their Dereheath Going Dutch at Dearduenna, another hound jointly owned with Di Melbourne together with Paul Isted.

Ledline Chevrolet

In the next class, Limit Dog, our Chairman, was head to head with our Secretary, Chevrolet against Nico. Nico, Culdaws Bayleaf shown by Frankie was triumphant taking first place with Chevrolet, Ledline Chevrolet coming in fourth in field of eleven. A great result for both.

After Limit comes Open and it is from this class that it is generally expected that the best dog will emerge and so it was with the winner of the class taking the Dog Challenge Certificate and the second, Derek and Heather's Champion Bromwylva Imperial Mint of Dereheath, taking the Reserve Dog Challenge Certificate.

Heather continued her success with Reserve Yearling Bitch for her Diheath Pandemonium (jointly owned by "MRS H , MISS D & MISS J STORTON, MELBOURNE & MURRAY")

Just time for a quick shop to buy Cocoa new bedding and back to the pub for fish cakes and ale. A leisurely night in the caravan before the drive home in the morning. I don't know how Frankie and Tony manage their one day there and back trips. 

Culdaws Bayleaf

Nico, Barnaby and Chevrolet will be back down to earth next Sunday, 20th March, on our walk from Long Car Park on Ashdown Forest. 

A bit more on Crufts 2009

This is just a footnote to Crufts 2009 (the view from home) or rather a link to a view from Sweden.

Crufts 2009 (the view from home)

Ironically it was Cocoa, our basset, that caused our decision not to attend Crufts this year. She is on a wait and see bed rest regime following unspecified yelps of pain a few weeks ago.

Such is the power of television, Crufts began this year under a cloud. The BBC having withdrawn its coverage following a controversial Panorama broadcast in 2008. Crufts launched its own television coverage, Crufts TV, broadcast via the Internet with live coverage throughout the whole of the show, far more than in prior years, and, another irony, a potential worldwide audience far greater than that cut off by the BBC. From what I saw on the first day the coverage was excellent, although you may not be surprised that I would have preferred to see a move away from the arena to coverage of the breed judging, obviously that is because I wanted to see how our Bassets progressed and, well, obedience and agility competitions are simply not part of my hound life. There is even a Video on Demand service where for a small sum, £1.99 for a day or £9.99 for a month, a recording of the coverage may be watched at a later time.

KCLovesDogs The Kennel Club Mar 08, 09:29 AM The Crufts channel isnow THE MOST VIEWED CHANNEL ON YOUTUBE!!! WE ARE NUMBER ONE!!!

If you follow The Kennel Club on Twitter you will have seen the Tweet reproduced above. So maybe it's, thank you Panorama, you have launched Crufts from its previous national TV slot into its rightful place, as the worlds greatest celebration of all things canine, as a worldwide Internet TV phenomenon!

Not being able to attend and no coverage of the judging meant that I could not follow the progress of Nico, Barnaby and Cassius instead having to wait until the results appeared on Crufts' website. So fingers crossed, was delighted when eventually the success of two was posted to the net, although naturally disappointed not to find Barnaby amongst them. Have posted the results of all our members, congratulations to them all, to the SHOW RESULTS page on our website.

In case you don't know: Nico is Culdaws Bayleaf, Barnaby is Malrich Voodoo and Cassius is Durins Dain Ironfoot of Eastmill. Our other successes, no less important I should stress my bias is only linked to my personal acquaintance, were Balmacara Orange Blossom forKithalined and Durins Flame of the West

A triumph for the Internet and freedom!