Belfalas Podengos

A relatively short trip along the coast into Sussex for a day out at Hickstead. Always a lovely show, well run in really nice surroundings. Park the van at the edge of the ring, put the gazebo up, get the chairs and tables out, and just add cake!

I don't think we could have had a better day?

One of our dogs won every class, so with the help of Anna, Eileen and Simon all four dogs in the BoB Challenge were ours.

PJ - First in Special Yearling, Best Puppy, Best of Breed

Kimchi - First in Post Graduate

Lily - First in Open, Reserve Best of Breed

CC - First in Limit

Cassie - Third in Post Graduate

Ronnie - Second in Limit

So, three Groups to enter, as there was a Reserve BoB Group, and as usual we got nothing in any of them. Considering what we did win on the day, it sounds a bit ungrateful to complain, but it would have been nice for the Judge to drop her eyes to look at the dogs in the line up to actually give the impression that we might have been worthy of consideration. A 7 month old puppy that has won Best Puppy 5 times and Best of Breed twice has to be worth considering surely?

Thanks to our Pod friends and the SE Hound Club for making it a lovely day out.

Hooray...!    We're not going to Stafford. 

Driving to Stoneleigh through the rain, not a common problem this summer, but fortunately it had stopped by the time we got there allowing us to get everything out of the van in the dry. A well run show with plenty of space to get set up and allow all the Pods to be together.  

Our Judge, Mr Jerry Robertson managed everything with a smile and it was nice, once again, to see the present crop of puppies in the ring, everyone seems to be coming on nicely.

PJ got Best Puppy Dog and then went on to get Best Puppy, this is his fourth in a row. He performed beautifully in the Group ring with the Group Judge commenting on what a happy little boy he was - unfortunately not happy enough to get pulled out for further consideration.

PJ - First Puppy Dog, Best Puppy

Kimchi - First in Post Graduate Dog

Lily - Reserve in Open Bitch

CC - Absent, in season

Cassie - First in Post Graduate Bitch

Ronnie - Second in Limit Bitch

Having rained all the way up it stayed dry for the rest of the day so a nice easy drive home for a late tea and sleep. 

A super early start to get on the road for Stafford as there were only a few dogs in the ring before us, but as usual, very little traffic on the road until we joined the back of the queue winding its way up the hill to the showground.

Our first time in The Pavilion at Stafford, nice and quiet but a little bit out of the way so difficult to get the full 'show experience'.

PJ is getting used to being first in, but he had to wait for the Veterans before strutting his stuff and getting first in Minor Puppy. He then went on to get Best Puppy, beating his friend Truffle. In the Dog challenge he had to accept defeat to Fonzie, but we were all very pleased to get Reserve Best Dog.

Kimchi's brain was elsewhere, being more concerned over what his girlfriend CC was up to, she was in season!

The girls did well, with Lily doing us proud and being pulled out as Reserve Best Bitch.

PJ performed really well in the Group, but got turfed out in the pre-judging - maybe one of these days...

PJ - First in Minor Puppy, Best Dog Puppy, Best Puppy, Reserve Best Dog

Kimchi - Second in Post Graduate Dog

Lily - Second in Open Bitch, Reserve Best Bitch

CC - Absent, in season

Cassie - Third in Post Graduate Bitch

Ronnie - First in Limit Bitch

A late arrival at home with a late tea for all after a good day.

Probably our closest Champ show, we head off into the New Forest for Bournemouth, not expecting very much after our spectacular day out at the Hound Show. We are in mixed sex classes, which is never our favourite.

A bit of a wait to get into the ring and a bit of a squeeze to find space out of the sun, then we eventually got going. First the Vets, then Puppies. 

Firstly, it is really good to see so many puppies entered, there were six of us in the line up. PJ performs pretty perfectly, he is still a bit fidgety on the table, but we are getting there. Then, he gets pulled out into first place, which, as it is mixed sex, means he is also Best Puppy as there are no puppies entered in later classes. Go PJ!

Not wishing to be outdone by his son, Kimchi goes in Limit with a little something to prove and, just to show the lad how it's done, gets pulled out in first place beating some well known dogs on the way.

Father and son then battle it out in the Dog Challenge and the younger generation is triumphant. PJ gets Best Dog. Kimchi misses out on the Reserve, but I don't think he minded in the circumstances.

PJ then goes up for Best of Breed against this year's Crufts winner. Of course PJ has never heard of Crufts, so he isn't phased at all, struts his stuff and gets pulled out as Best of Breed.

We don't get anything in either Group of course, the Judge's eye-line never drops from the Otterhound on one side and the Ridgeback on the other side, but at least we were there representing the breed.

PJ - First in Puppy, Best Dog Puppy, Best Puppy, Best Dog, Best of Breed

Kimchi - First in Limit Dog

Lily - Second in a very strong Open Bitch class

CC - Fourth in Limit

Cassie - Unplaced

Ronnie - VHC in Post Graduate

Big thanks to those that stayed to support us in the Group, it was appreciated!

Another good day for the Belfalas Pack.

Up to Stafford for the first time in a couple of months for the Houndshow. We only had 10 Cirnecos in front us so it had to be an early start, up at 4:00, on the road by 5:00. At least there was no-one else on the road at that time of day. Some puzzled Pods in the back of the van wondering why, despite forming an orderly queue, they had not been given any breakfast.

Really nice to see eight exhibitors and twenty four dogs entered, including some youngsters.

This was PJ's first Championship Show.

Lily -First Open Bitch

CC - First Limit Bitch and Reserve Best Bitch

Ronnie - Second Limit Bitch

Cassie - First Post Graduate Bitch, Best Bitch and Best of Breed

Kimchi - Third Limit Dog

PJ - First Puppy Dog, Reserve Best Dog and Best Puppy

Cassie went into her first ever Group judging and was a bit tired and overawed by the whole occasion but did her best.

PJ was still full of energy (when is he not?) and did his stuff in the Puppy Group, he is such a performer! However, as usual with Pods in Group, he didn't make the cut.

A late night for all but what a day.

Another hot one with everyone camped out in the shade of the trees. A few of the regular Pod folk missing but a decent entry. Lily managed to win the biggest class of the day, Open Bitch, then she went on to get Best Bitch/Best Opposite Sex and a CAC.

PJ got Best Baby Puppy and made it through to the Group but he had had a long day by then and would rather have been anywhere other than a hot show ring.

Kimchi won Open Dog and CC was placed down the list to her Mother in Open Bitch.

A good day overall, nice to catch up with everyone.

In order to repay some of the hospitality that we have received from our Portuguese hosts we decided, in conjunction with Simon and Anna, to invite everyone round to ours for an afternoon of food, drink and good company.

The dogs behaved themselves impeccably and the humans weren't too bad either!

Hopefully a good time was had by all, no-one ventured into the pool, deliberately or otherwise.

Due to the heat, most people chose to remain inside in air conditioned comfort, but we managed to get everyone outside just long enough for the obligatory team photo.