CRUFTS 2013

Crufts Obedience Championships

Bitch Championship

Winner

Madge Thompson & OB CH FOREVERMAGIC IT’S TRENDY

 

Reserve

Mary Ray & OB CH RED HOT FOXY MUSIC



3rd Kathy Ingham with OB CH RUSKATH PROTENT IMAGE

4th Pat Watson with OB CH FOREVER MAGIC ITS FLICKER

5th Philomena Barnes with OB CH BHEINN BEWITCHED

6th Kathy Inham with OB & WT CH RUSKATH OTHENTIC IMAGE TDEX

Dog Championship

Winner

Mary Ray & OB CH COLLIEWOOD BLUE JEANS

 

Reserve

Geraldine Steadman & OB CH NOBITE DEFENCE OF THE REALM

 

3rd Steve Frazer & OB CH GWYNFAIR CLASSICAL GAS

4th Jackie Duck & OB CH TYEFOLD XANDER

5th Julie Taylor & OB CH CANDLEWIND FORCE NINE GALE

6th Herbie Watson & OB CH CROFTMIST SAM THE MAN

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World Cup

 

 
WINNERS

Holland

Team Manager: Peter van de Velde

Karin Stegmeijer with Absolutely Fabulous McCoy (WS)

Helen Braak met Quit-Kuma the Lovely White Shepherd (White Swiss Shepherd Dog)

Annelies van de Velde met Twinkle’s Laddy Boy (WS)

Annelies van de Velde met Di-Luka (WS)

 

 

SECOND

England

Team Manager: Stella Henstridge

Janet Bates with Bluefizz Taika Chance On Me – BC/ Australian Shepherd Cross

Pat Watson with Forever Magic Its Flicker – WS

Mary Ray with Colliwood Blue Jeans – WS

Philomena Barnes with OB CH Bheinn Bewitched – WS

 

THIRD

Wales

Team Manager Jen Jessop

Michelle Dunscombe  with Forever Magic Xrated OW  (Maverick) WS

Jane Moran with Dusters Done’n’Dusted OW (Nellie) WS

Jane Walker with Darian Lady Pirate At Danvic OW (Mair) BC

 

 

Fourth

Belgium

Team manager: Lucie Van de Casteele-Claeys

Heidi Demon with Bonnieblue Godarcy

Krist Crommen with Jazz It Up van Benvenidas Joy

Melissa Vercauter with Demma of the Actionfarm

 

 

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Inter Regional

 
Winning Team

Northern

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The Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog Scheme

Special Pre-Beginner Obedience Stakes Final

 

1st Joanna Mayston with Mists of Tawny (Working Sheepdog)

 

 

2nd Nina Gooding with Tragility Shelby (Border Collie)

 

3rd Victoria Prince with Temelora Passing Fancy JW (Papillon)

 

4th Christine Clements with Manderian Solstice Belle of Mountlochan (Border Collie)

 

5th Alison Hewitt with Hewhiggs Blaze of Glory (English Springer Spaniel)

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YKC

Starters

 1st Jamie Hewitson with ROCKIN TOTAL KAOS (BC)

2nd Sarah Allen with LARFORD ALSASS (Cocker Spaniel)

3rd Sophie Alder with ASHLINDT JAYCEE (BC)

Elementary

1st April Bush with KEZZY MIDNIGHT SPARK (XBreed)

2nd Petra Back with RICHIAN DEAL OR NO DEAL (Cocker Spaniel)

3rd Emily Green with HAPPY HARVEY AT WALDERSHELF (WSD)

Graduate

1st Jodi Lunn with LONGHALVES FAST N FURIOUS (WSD)

2nd Beatrix Benton with WHAT A CRACKER PRETZEL (XBreed)

3rd Eleanor Cary with CURRAHEE DOGSTAR (WSD)

Intermediate

1st Alexandra Duesbury with DODGIN AMBER GAMBLER (WSD) 

2nd Stephanie Daly with ROSMARINUS THE SPICE TRADER (BC)

3rd Anthony Snook with LITTLE MICA (XBreed)

Advanced

1st Alexandra Duesbury with DODGIN AMBER GAMBLER (WSD)

2nd Kate Nicholas with BEVERTON ICE (BC)

3rd Stevi Boyall with STYPERSON EBONY (Labrador)

4th Jodi Lunn with GYPTON JUST HADTA HAVYA (WSD)

 

REBECCA POINTER

Lydia Urquhart-Smith with BEAT BAXA LADYLIKEE (BC)

 

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JUDGES AT CRUFTS 2013

 

When I received my letter five years ago inviting me to judge the Obedience Championships I was amazed, and immediately checked to see if there had been a mistake, but there wasn’t. Five years seemed such a long way away, but it has flown by and now the time has come.

I have read many reports in the past from Crufts judges who were able to write about highly successful dogs they had owned and trained, many of them champions, but for my sins I’ve never had a champion. My fault, I’m sure,

I fell in love with Alsatians, as they were called then, at the age of 3, a great worry to my mother no doubt. I only had to see one and I was off! I was brought up with many animals, including Spaniels, Labradors, rabbits, racing pigeons, cats and a duck, but I didn’t get my first German Shepherd Dog until 1975 when my husband and I returned from a few years working in Zambia. I was advised to join the Alsatian club of Wales with my first puppy, and although I did show her a little I was mesmerised by the obedience I saw at the club.

So, I started to train her, not very well I might add, as in those days it was very much the slack and jerk method and I never seemed to jerk hard enough for any effect and was always being told to try harder by the various trainers. Still, I was hooked. We were not allowed food or toys.  Thankfully, things have changed.

Mr and Mrs Moore ran the club then, and they soon recognised the teacher in me, giving me various jobs to do, organising the tea break and helping at shows. I was so thrilled to be asked to help!  Finally, I was asked if I would like to do Beginners, I thought they meant I should take a class, but they intended that I should judge one, of course I agreed, and that was how I started. That was in 1980, and since then I have judged at, or helped to run, over 300 shows. At around the time of this first judging appointment I joined the committee, and I am still there today. I have progressed from tea girl to chairman of the club, now of course known as the German Shepherd Club of Wales.

Derek Hibberd was a great help when I started judging, and I could not have managed without him. John Seal also decided to take me under his wing, so by the time I was out of Beginners in 1987 I had already stewarded several ticket classes. I am glad to say that the qualifications to judge are rather more organised than when I started.

In the early 80’s I was asked to be chairman of the Welsh match committee, and I still hold this post. Then, in 1992, I was elected to the Obedience Liaison Council at the Kennel Club. This was the same year that I became chairman of the GSD club of Wales. I have acted as Chief Obedience Steward at the club’s shows for many years now. I have also helped a number of other clubs in the same capacity.

In 1998 I took over the management of the Welsh Inter-Regional team at Crufts, and this role somehow evolved into responsibility for management of the World Cup team. I still enjoy both roles immensely.

On the breed side I have acted as Show Manager for many of my club’s shows, including the 2-day breed shows.

My interest in the welfare of the GSD breed has always been very strong. Apart from my first dog, which I owned at a time when I knew little about possible problems, I have only bought puppies from breeders who could give me information on parental; hip scores, temperament, haemophilia testing, epilepsy and more recently, elbow scores. I do appreciate that, with the best will in the world, problems can develop. I have had my own dogs assessed and scored so that I can give back to the breeders this useful information.

Despite my not getting to the top in competition, I have had a great deal of pleasure and fun with my dogs.  Highlights have included representing Wales on three occasions in the Inter-Regional competition with Topaz in Novice and C, and with Tarri in Novice. I was also a member of the Welsh team in the first World Cup with Frankie. The team were runners up.

A real highlight happened in 2011. A freelance photographer asked at club if she could photograph some of the dogs with a view to publication of the pictures. Well of course we all think that our dogs are the most beautiful or handsome ever conceived, and  I am no exception. You can imagine my delight when the Christmas calendars came out, and in a rather glossy GSD one Tarri and Bess both appeared. He was Master June and she Miss July. They are now models, every mother’s dream! Mistakes in the ring seem quite trivial now.

Seriously, it is a great honour to be asked to judge the championship at Crufts and I must thank the past judges who have been so very generous in answering my questions, and in offering invaluable advice.

I have decided to retire from Open and Championship judging, apart from existing commitments. You might well see me in an emergency capacity, so there won’t be a car boot sale of all my judging equipment just yet.

I am very fortunate to have a great team of stewards for the event, and they wish, as I do, good luck to you all.

Jen Jessop

 

 

World Cup

Judge: Maurice Yates

 

My earliest memory is from age 5, when I overheard my parents discussing buying a Corgi puppy.  They wouldn’t divulge the actual date because they knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep with excitement!. However I overhead them planning to collect the pup and after school I ran all the way home as fast as I could and there she was “Judy” who lived to a grand old age of 15.  Since then I have never been without a dog in my life, ranging from a Labrador/Collie cross, 3 GSD’S, 15 Border Collies/Working Sheepdogs and 3  Papillon’s .

When Joyce and I married I had a 5 year old GSD Bitch called Sheba, although not brought up with children she was absolutely brilliant when our 2 boys  came along a few years later.  I started taking her to North Staffs Dog training club. She progressed quickly through the classes and once I started competing in rallies, the Obedience bug bit me!  and I purchased a border collie/working sheepdog, and used our two sons christian names Phillip and Richard to form my prefix Philrich.

 Philrich Gyp was the start of the dynasty.  He took me from beginners   to Ticket.  Next came Philrich Meg (Gyp’s daughter) who worked  B.  Followed by Philrich Ben, who progressed through to Ticket and became an Obedience Champion. Very proudly for me he attained reserve position at Crufts in 1981.  Next came Philrich Tim (Meg’s son) then Philrich Tom (Ben’s son), then Binsgold Glowing Charm (Kep), then Philrich Tag (Kep’s son) all working up to C, and then came the infamous Philrich Murdock (Kep’s son) who not only was a brilliant working dog and family member, but he also went on to produce some  excellent dogs, and features in the pedigrees of many of the dogs in obedience today.  Some of his offspring and grandchildren went on to become obedience Champions and Crufts Winners.

For many years now I have judged at all levels, Judging  my first Ticket class at Coventry.  It is always a privilege to sit at crufts and watch the teams that have Qualified under you compete. Being at crufts and supporting the obedience is something that I never miss, year in & year out.

We have four dogs now, and only one of them actually takes part in obedience, my little Scottish darling Philrich Bess.  I think it is an age thing or is it just laziness on my part? I still enjoy the dog shows but these days it is becoming more of a social gathering.

All of the team at Crufts with me this year are long standing valued friends, and some actually helped me when I judged the Inter-regional competition in 1994.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their support, also my long suffering wife Joyce, who although she has never worked a dog,  has endured and supported my hobby over the years.

Having stewarded the first World Cup event for Lyn White in 2004, I am really looking forward to the day, and feel very honoured yet again to be invited to Judge at Crufts.  I hope everything goes to plan and that the teams enjoy the test and enjoy their day in the limelight.

Inter Regional

Judge: Sue Garner

I was born in Burton on Trent, moved to Birmingham and then to Hampshire in 1971.  I’m the youngest of three girls and recall the numerous occasions when any one of us asked if we could have a dog.  Initially it was simply ‘no’, then it progressed to ‘lets wait till the cat dies’.  Well I was 23 and married when the cat dies at the grand old age of 21!

I married Peter in 1979, as neither of had been able to own a dog we soon took the opportunity to put that right.  Jessie a lovely tri-colour working sheepdog was born in 1979.

Peter who decided a collie was the right sort of dog for us, but it was I took her training.  I was fortunate enough to be helped and guided from the start by her breeders Joy and Eddie Pratt.  They introduced to Obedience competitions when Eddie asked me to be his scoreboard steward for the Beginner Dog class at Bournemouth DTC Open Show in 1980.  That was it I was hooked and started competing, all be it badly, in 1981.  I now have w/s number 6 competing in B, Abby who presents her own challenges but is progressing well now so I’m sure 2013 will bring more successes.  Over the years I have had mixed fortunes, Jessie and her daughter Meg competed up to Open C.  Since then Breeze and Amy have achieved reserve CC’s but the ‘ticket’ has always eluded us.  Still I’ve had a great time so far, made many friends from all over the country and further afield.

I really must thank Terry Hannam, Sandy Wadhams, Dot & Ian Watts and Kathy Ingham for their training advice over the years with my dogs.  I’ve learned so much from so many experienced judges and trainers it would be impossible to name them all.

My judging career started in 1985 at open shows and first awarded Obedience Certificates from 1995.  I have judged in UK, the Channel Islands and Holland, and New Zealand.

I joined Winchester City DTC in 1984, soon took on the role of Club and Show Secretary, and then after a 15 year gap of resumed the Show Secretary role in 2010.

As much I really like to compete with my dogs, I’ve found all the other aspects of contributing enjoyable and rewarding too.

I feel truly honoured to be the judge for the Inter-Regional Obedience at Crufts 2013.  I have a great team and between us, we hope to make everyone’s experience of the day as enjoyable as possible.

 

YKC

Judge: Russell Becque



 

I am extremely proud to have been asked to judge the Y.K.C. Obedience Finals at Crufts Dog Show 2013 and thank The Kennel Club for deeming me worthy.

To all the Y.K.C. Finalists I wish you the very best of luck but above all enjoy and relish every minute of your day at Crufts, you have done the hard work in qualifying, now come out and enjoy your big day irrespective of the final outcome, after all, look who’s taking the BEST dog home …….. YOU!

My competitive obedience training began way back in the early eighties with a G.S.D. named ‘Prince’. His training was coming on really well and he had progressed to the dizzy heights of the training clubs ‘top class’! I thought it was time to put him into a show so off we went to a local Exemption (Companion) Show. I entered Prince into the Starters class full of confidence that he can do all of it easily but I also found myself quite nervous! Then it was our turn, well, absolutely nothing went right, Prince kept running off to my wife (at the time) and young daughter, pulling on the lead and out of a possible 70 points we lost 68, I still believe to this day we were only given the 2 points because he actually entered the ring at the start!!! To say I was completely disheartened and deflated would be a true understatement, I was absolutely devastated but then I thought for a while and bucked up a bit when a thought about entering another show popped into my head ‘Well I thought, he certainly cannot do any worse so things can only get better,’ and they did, Prince went on to win a few shows prior to me having to retire him through ill health. The moral of this story (which is very true) is that although he never took the obedience world by storm as I first thought he would, he was still a true champion to my family and I as he was such a lovely caring and well mannered dog so we still in our eyes always took the best dog home. I have had a few dogs since then, Border Collies and German Shepherds and I also now have a lively, naughty but lovely German Shepherd x Siberian Husky called Tazzz whom I fostered but then adopted. I have now had Tazzz for a year since March 2012, his training is coming on well and is fun and challenging to say the least but he has huge potential. When I adopted him his name was spelt Taz, but I added a further two zz’s to match his enormous energy levels!

I married Kirsten on 21st February 2009, whilst I am 100% dogs Kirsten was 80% horses and to be honest probably still is, however she is training her lovely little Jinx and has begun competing in Beginner with her in 2012 so hopefully will do more shows in 2013.

I have been working with dogs, training and behaviour wise for 30 years and am lucky enough to be earning a living doing something I fully enjoy and find extremely rewarding. I am also the founder and CEO of The Academy of Modern Canine Behaviour & Training.

Every dog we have had and still have, all have their own individual characters and all endear themselves to us in different ways and for different reasons but we love them all equally very much. At the time of writing this we have five dogs Red a 12 year old Border Collie (Retired from Ch C); Silver an 8 year old Border Collie (Working Ch C); Paddy a 7 year old Rescued Border Collie (Retired); Jinx a two year old Border Collie (Working Beginner with Kirsten); Tazzz an 18 month old German Shepherd x Siberian Husky Rescue (In Training):

Enjoy your dogs, they are with us for such a relatively short time.

Russell Becque. Judge Crufts Y.K.C. Obedience Finals.

 

The Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog Scheme

Special Pre-Beginner Obedience Stakes Final

 

Judge: Annette Benoist

I am delighted and honoured to be invited by the Kennel Club to judge the Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog Scheme Pre Beginner Stake Finals at Crufts 2013.

I started dog training with Tyne Tees DTC in 1968 with my first dog,  a GSD called Skipper but it was in the early 1980s that I competed with my first collie, Judy, who went from Beginners reaching Class C only.  The obedience bug had truly bitten.

My next collie, Gina, qualified for and competed in Championship C gaining a Reserve CC.   Gina was selected to compete at Crufts in the team event, representing the Northern Region in 2001 and again in 2002.  Around this time I also dabbled a little in the breed ring with my Japanese Spitz, Pearl (GORDORNA WHITE SWEET PEA) and had some success, qualifying her for Crufts.  I also competed in the Northern Team at Crufts with my next dog Ruby in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 and won my first Obedience Certificate with Ruby in April  2006.  I was privileged in 2007 to own my first obedience champion OB CH VINDOMORA DREAM an achievement to which I was so proud.  I also owned Ruby’s younger full brother VINDOMORA ETERNAL (Beech) who also worked championship C Class, gaining a Reserve CC and whom I have always said was my most favourite dog of all time.  Beech was also part of the Northern Team in 2009 and 2010. Sadly these dogs are no longer with me and I only own one dog now, competing with my collie Winter (WINTERTIME COAST ISDS), who has been a total different type of dog to anything I have ever had before, currently working Class A.

I have been judging, stewarding and scribing since the 1980s, awarded my first Challenge Certificate in 2009 and judged in Belgium, Isle of Man and Ireland and I recognise that throughout the years of competing, judging and stewarding there are many more people who have helped, given advice and support to myself on training and judging issues.

These days I am a KC  obedience liaison representative for the North East region, having taken this up from January 2013 and I hope that I can do justice to the role.  I am really looking forward to this appointment and Crufts and am privileged to have very experienced support in my team for this event.  I wish competitors GOOD LUCK and I also congratulate everyone who has achieved a place in this final but most of all hope everyone will enjoy their day.