1st
Frankie Evans with FOREVERMAGIC
TOUCH WS
2nd Kate
Nicholas with BEVERTON ICE
BC
3rd
Danielle Jones with VANISTICA KITTO
FOR JENNY AT MOSHANTA BSD
(Groenendael)
Rebecca
Pointer Award
1st Alex
Duesbury with DODGIN AMBER GAMBLER
WS
Crufts Obedience Championships
Judge: Dave
Howell
The dog & bitch championships
at Crufts are to me the ultimate in obedience competition, so
to be invited to judge these competitions is a great honour.
With this honour I believe
comes a massive amount of responsibility, the amount of time patience
and skill to train a dog to the level required to qualify for
this competition deserves the greatest of respect.
I started to compete in obedience competitions
at the start of the 1980s with GSDs later on competing with border
collies the most successful of these being Glen OB.CH.CANDLEWIND
PINBALL WIZARD who qualified for Crufts on five consecutive occasions
finishing third there in his last appearance in 2004.
Along with Sue my wife we train many people
with allsorts of breeds and in other disciplines not only obedience.
It is unfortunate for Sue that I am judging this year as it means
that she will not be able to compete with Micki CANDLEWIND VINO
ROSSO who won his ticket to Crufts in October at Cheshire.
At the moment I am competing with Hank
JUTENHEIM JUST THE ONE a Malinois who is.
I am told, the first Malinois ever to qualify for ticket classes.
Hank won a ticket at Govan in August to
qualify for this years Crufts it would have been great to be able
to work Hank at Crufts this year but I am looking forward to being
there in 2012.
I have judged since 1985 between five and
ten classes every year. I judged
my first ticket in 1997 at Lichfield & I have judged 24 ticket
classes since then.
In 2006 I judged the Inter-Regional competition
at Crufts which was a great experience.
It is so important to have a team that
you have total confidence in, my team is very experienced so I
know I can rely on them to allow me to concentrate on my job.
I hope everybody whether competing or spectating
enjoys their time at Crufts, myself and my team fully intend to
enjoy ours.
World Cup
Judge: Linda
Rutherford
The World Cup is an excellent
ambassador for obedience and provides a colourful contrast to
the inter-regional and individual championships. The noise of
2,000 obedience patriots contributes to a unique and electric
atmosphere and the World Cup has created International interest
in Crufts obedience competition.
It is an honour to be asked to judge such
a prestigious event although the invitation was unexpected. I
must thank the Kennel Club for their consideration. I judged my
first Ticket at Redcar in 2005 and my 10th at St Helens in 2010
and although I have always been confident in my choice of winners
the calling was met with just a hint of panic, at least until
I had secured the services of my accomplished team and although
it's only December I already owe them big-time for their commitment
to the cause. They have all been excellent during the preparatory
events and I am sure that we will be equal to the task when the
day arrives. I must extend a special commendation to Alan, Wendy
(and Ludo). Having driven 9hrs from Newmarket to Kilmarnock in
the December snow they were so enthusiastic in executing their
meticulous planning regardless of the sub-zero temperatures and
would not budge from the field until all objectives had been achieved.
You are both heroes. The booklets were excellent and adding the
Rutherford crest with its accompanying motto was so thoughtful.
Please accept the keys to Rutherford Castle. You deserved the
penthouse Jacuzzi, the variety of breakfast eggs and the assortment
of "tattie scones" and so much more. Your input was and is invaluable
and you also tolerated Emma and her over zealous appetite for
more than half the journey but then what would we do without her.
Emma, your input at the team brief was a revelation and I must
say you are an integral part of my team. Thank you so much.
Thanks Kate for your e-mail support and
agreeing to fly to Glasgow from Lisburn for the January dress
rehearsal and thanks to Jackie for even thinking about negotiating
the journey to Kilmarnock from a place in the mountains where
snow is a permanent feature. Thanks Lisa for your impromptu re-production
of my judging sheets and delegation itinerary and thanks to Denise
and Bobby for interrupting your relaxing Sunday in the warmth
of your centrally heated abode to spend a day in an arctic snow
clad playing field. Reece, however, was in his glory and enjoyed
his day immensely. Thanks also to Heather for tackling the challenging
M77 and working the round on such a frozen day. Your input was
appreciated. And although you did not venture north for the run-through
I'm sure Kamal that your experience will be adequate compensation
for anything you might have missed.
I am looking forward to my judging appointment.
The World Cup conjures fond memories and always seems to produce
a superstar. Switzerland's Speedy "Duffdown Black Rider" was an
absolute sensation and his antics were appreciated on a global
scale. He was a marketing dream and popularised the World Cup
beyond all expectations. I remember tuning in to BBC 2 specifically
to see him work. God bless him. For me, last year belonged to
Petra Ford and her black Labrador "Tyler". They produced an awesome
display of World Cup obedience and only bad luck prevented them
from becoming World Champions. I also have to mention "Tam", rescued
to become the best in the World. It couldn't have happened to
a nicer dog. The World Cup often opens doors and it might just
be the stuff that dreams are made of.
I wish all competitors the best of luck
and I encourage you to ask if there is anything that you are not
sure about. The World Cup is all about the competitors and I will
do my best to ensure that you have an enjoyable day. You will
have received itinerary that explains what it is I am looking
for so please read it carefully. I hope all your dreams come true.
Inter Regional
Judge: Ron
Mills
I would like to start by saying
what a great honour it is being asked to judge the Inter Regional
classes at DFS Crufts.
Well, about me, I started
in Obedience in 1974 with my German Shepherd ‘Lucky’.
I trained at Ditton DTC with Maureen Shelley all those years ago
and I am still the Chairman of Ditton and attend the club today.
In May 1976 I had my wonderful
Border Collie ‘Moss’-Harranvale Buccaneer. We went
from Pre-Beginner to Championship C before he was 3 years old.
He was a truly amazing dog and I learnt so much from him. I have
worked different breeds including cross breeds and Australian
Shepherds.
I started judging in about
1978 and I judged my first ticket in the mid eighties. I really
enjoy judging and stewarding and it was an honour to Steward the
Inter Regional in 2000, when Maureen Shelley was judging. As I
have not worked a dog in the ring for a while I do a fair bit
of judging, at least six shows a year. Most of you know that I
end up negotiating my judging in exchange for you judging for
me at Ditton weekend show each year.
My whole life is all about
dogs. I own 8 dogs of my own and run 3 training clubs each week,
encouraging pet handlers to progress with their dogs and sometimes
watching them compete. I run the Ditton DTC weekend and attend
Ditton each week. I run boarding kennels with my wife and deal
with behavioural problems that people have. This is what I really
enjoy as it is so satisfying to help out owners and transform
their lives with their beloved dogs.
I would say that my life is
just about perfect. I have a wife, Teresa, who is my rock. We
have a beautiful little three year old daughter, who I am sure
would sign up for YKC if she could! I have a ‘job’
that I absolutely love and have met some of the nicest people,
including Teresa, through the dogs. Then I will be judging at
Crufts so who’s a lucky bunny? I think I most certainly
am.
I would like to wish all the
competitors the best of luck and hope you all enjoy your time
in the ring.
The Kennel Club
Good Citizen Dog Scheme
Special Pre-Beginner Obedience Stakes Final
Judge: Roy
Page
When I got married we moved
to Cannock where we still live on the edge of an area of broad-leaved
woodland which provides superb dog walking country at all times
of the year. In 1970 we bought our first dog and within a few
months joined the Lichfield & District Dog Training Society.
The world of dog training and obedience showing soon took hold
and other interests began to take a back seat. Thanks to the guidance
and perseverance of the Club Instructors who seemed to have endless
patience I eventually entered my first Open Obedience Show although
it was another year before we recorded our first win in Beginners
- there was no Pre-Beginners in those days and certainly nothing
like this Stake or the Good Citizen Dog Scheme. Other dogs have
followed through the years and I have enjoyed competing at all
levels.
My enjoyment of the administrative
side of Dog Club life grew rapidly and since 1971 I have, at times,
served Lichfield as Hon. Secretary, Vice-Chairman and Chairman.
I became an instructor there in 1973 and in that same year was
elected Show Manager, a position I held until retiring from the
post after the Club's 25th Championship Show in 1999. I am proud
to have been elected a life-member of the Society.
I was elected a member of
the Kennel Club in 1994 but since 1985 I have served on the Kennel
Club Obedience Liaison Council, as Vice Chairman from 1989 to
1995 and as Chairman from 1995 until 2006. As Council Chairman
or representative I served on The Kennel Club Working Trials,
Obedience and Agility sub-Committee (now the Activities sub-Committee)
continuously from 1989 until 2006. In October 2006 I was elected
to that Committee by the Kennel Club General Committee so was
no longer eligible to stand as Council Chairman although I was
elected to serve Council for another 3 year term commencing in
2007 and again in 2010. In 2003 I was appointed Crufts Chief Obedience
Steward and have acted in that capacity every year since.
My first judging appointment
came in 1972, following an apprenticeship of stewarding for well-respected
judges. In 1975 I was approved to judge at Championship Obedience
Shows and have judged regularly at all levels since then, including
memorable appointments in Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man and
Ireland. Judging appointments further afield have included two
visits to Singapore, one to New Zealand and many to Holland and
Belgium. My first Championship Class C appointments came in 1980
and I have had the pleasure of awarding Obedience Certificates
regularly since then. I was thrilled to be invited to judge the
YKC Obedience at Crufts in 1996 and the Crufts Obedience World
Cup in 2008 but the highlight and greatest honour was my appointment
to judge the Crufts Obedience Championships in February 1990.
I am privileged to have been
invited back to officiate at Crufts again this year and I am really
looking forward to judging this final. I know that the handlers
from all over the UK who are taking part will have put a tremendous
amount of effort into their training and hopefully we shall have
a really enjoyable and competitive event.
I am fortunate to have a great
team of very experienced stewards and we are all looking forward
to the day and I would like to wish everyone the very best of
luck.
YKC
Judge: Carole
Patrick
When MACKIE (Obedience Champion
Mac Belan), a small black and white working sheepdog came into
Carole's life in 1978 she did not know that obedience competitions
existed, they joined a local dog training club simply because
she wanted her dog to be well behaved. On 9th June 1979 they attended
their first obedience show at Carlisle Race Course and finished
second in pre beginners receiving a blue rosette, a black and
white rosette and £1.50 prize money. That is when Carole
caught the obedience bug. MACKIE went on to win Crufts Dog Obedience
Championships in 1986 qualifying for the competition on 6 consecutive
occasions. He also won the Pro Dog of Year competition in 1989.
Carole then trained and worked her husband
Colin's German Shepherd Dog, RADAR (Sufayre Bandolerio), and he
had won 2 B's when he was forced into a premature retirement having
suffered 2 stomach torsions. Colin will be the Caller Steward
for YKC Obedience at Crufts this year.
TAGGIE (Obedience Champion Jewhisp's Belan)
a Border Collie was Carole's next dog, bred by Angie Jude, TAGGIE
qualified for Crufts Dog Obedience Championships on 4 occasions
finishing 4th in 1995.
Then came JUDE (Jewhisp's Judabelan) a
Border Collie dog also bred by Angie Jude won his first and only
Challenge Certificate in August 2004 and did not get to compete
at Crufts in 2005 as Carole Judged the Dog and Bitch Obedience
Championships that year.
In 2003 KENI (Dherrington Belan) a Border
Collie bred by Pam and Gerry Emmerson, joined the Patrick household
and was working 'B' when unfortunately Carole had to retire him
from obedience competitions.
On the 14th March 2009 Angie Jude's Deherrington
Winnie (KENI's litter sister) gave birth to 2 puppies, a dog and
a bitch, the dog puppy (Jewhip's Ty) went to live with his new
mum Lorraine Walton and the bitch puppy (Jewhip's Inki) went to
live with Carole. Unfortunately this was to be the last ever Jewhisp's
litter as Angie Jude died suddenly on the 26th February 2010.
Angie is greatly missed by all who knew her in Obedience and would
have almost certainly supported Carole in judging this years YKC
Obedience along with Colin and Ellen.
All Carole and Colin's dogs are first and
foremost pets, and, if they compete in obedience competitions
that is considered a bonus.
Carole's first open show judging appointment
was in July 1982 at Eden Valley DTC show and she awarded her first
Challenge Certificate at East Kilbride DTC show in September 1994,
and as mentioned earlier, she judged the Crufts Dog and Bitch
Obedience Championships in 2005. She is also an approved Regulations
and Judging Procedure Accredited Trainer (Obedience) and along
with fellow Accredited Trainers Ellen Herries and the late Sandra
McIntosh presented the very first Regulation and Judging procedure
(Obedience) Seminar and Assessments at the offices of the Scottish
Kennel Club on 23rd October 2004.
Carole was delighted to be invited to judge
YKC Obedience at Crufts 2011 and is grateful for the help and
support of her husband Colin and friend Ellen Herries. All 3 are
looking forward to a very enjoyable Crufts 2011.
