'Stan' is Simply Stunning

At the popular Friskies/BETA Dog World ‘Pup of the Year’ 2000 final held last week at the Whitbread Brewery Porter Tun Room, Mrs Lovaine Coxon’s Miniature Smoothhaired Dachshund dog Ch D’Arisca Simply Stunning was judged top of the pups by Crufts BIS judge elect Mrs Ann Arch. He qualified at Southern Counties under Frank Kane out of an entry of 272. His breeder, Mrs Lovaine Coxon, also won the coveted special breeders trophy for consistency over the years.

The Judges Report

ALWAYS A wonderful start to our canine year, this time was exceptionally so for me!
Having had the pleasure to attend as a spectator for many years, it was a great honour to be invited to judge the first event of the new millennium!

‘Spoilt for choice’ is a well-used expression, but that really summed it up. All of the 31 eligible contestants paraded, making a final cut far from easy. So many of the smaller breeds carried that little extra finish and maturity, resulting in some more precise actions, and though I intended to pull in five, we ended up with seven for the final run off!

The Lowchen Reeberrich the Happening; Tibetan Terrier Araki Goodtime Redcoat; Min S/H Dachshund Ch D’Arisca Simply Stunning; Pekingese Ch Yakee A Dangerous Liaison; Rough Collie Corydon Primadonna; Min Schnauzer Beaulea He’s a Cracker; Norwich Terrier Ragas Name Your Poison.

Following a smart circuit from each exhibit, the big rosette went to the Min S/H Dachshund, whose name we were told is Stanley. Superb conformation, and most excellent condition. Quarters and keel to envy, hard body condition, super topline and gleaming jacket, he took it all in his stride, and just stood out. How wonderful, at the end of the day’s proceedings, to witness a further presentation to the owner/breeder, on a decision taken prior to the competition as to the person who has contributed so much to the dog scene. The facial expression of her shock and surprise is something to remember!

A worthy runner-up was the Tibetan Terrier, to whom I have awarded a Best Puppy in Breed – on the day he won the Puppy Stakes at his first attempt! Coming on well towards maturity and now needing that extra body firmness that age should surely bring. Well constructed and of pleasing overall balance, presented in excellent jacket. Moved and showed so well. A really animated little showman.

My thanks to the sporting participants for their gracious acceptance of the final awards, and to the ‘other Ann’ for keeping the ring running so smoothly, and to Dog World and Friskies for starting the year off on such a high note.

Many of her friends missed Ann Podmore, who has ‘mothered’ this competition for so long, and sent her good wishes.

Ann Arch

Another Day, Another Dog

Friskies BETA / Dog World 'Pup of the Year' final 2000

Report by Liz Stannard

IS IT a sign of getting older or just having a busy life when you start saying where has the time gone. Where has 2000 gone when here we are again at the Porter Tun Room at Whitbread Brewery for the final of the Pup of the Year. This is the start of the canine year and an event everyone looks forward to. Although I must agree with some that it is very difficult to get into the City of London for a 10.00 a.m. start. Certainly this year it was nearly impossible by train if you had any distance to travel, and a number of people came the day before and took in Harrods’ sale and the theatre, you don’t need three guesses to know that I was one of those.

According to Paul Butler the Managing Director of Friskies UK it will be the 30th Anniversary next year. Friskies Beta have only been sponsoring it for a few years before that it was Spillers and way back in the mists of time the Daily Express ran it initially. At the start of the year Manchester was the first show to schedule a heat and through the year nearly 11,000 pups have taken part and so to end up as one of the 31 finalists took some doing. To qualify two dogs as did Ralph and Sue Holmes with two Siberian Huskies was even better.

There were only two English champions this year which I think is less than usual and some of the dogs looked a bit overawed. All the 31 turned up and before the competition started the winner of last year’s final the Pekingese Ch. Yakee Swing o’ the Kilt took a lap of honour before being presented with a portrait. Bernard Hall was doing the commentary and even he had slight problems with some of the hard to pronounce names as all of the dogs came into the ring.

Ann Arch who is this year’s best in show judge at Crufts was introduced and looked very bright in a red patterned outfit. She quickly got to work as the dogs came into the ring three at a time. Anne Bliss was the Chief Steward and she made sure everyone was in the right place at the right time with a few words to calm those down who had not been before their nerves went down the lead to the dogs.

The breeds represented all of the seven groups and some breeds had more than one representative, 2 Siberians, 2 Rough Collies, 2 Norfolk Terriers, 2 Tibetan Terriers, 2 Pekingese, 2 Samoyeds and 3 Kerry Blues. The oldest was the Bearded Collie Gillaber Drummond who qualified at Scottish Breeds. The youngest the Lhasa Apso Kandykone Kountonme at Pantulf the Darlington winner.

Decisions

Ann Arch wasted no time giving everyone chance to do a large triangle and those that fluffed it got a second chance and then all the dogs came back into the ring filling all the sides and giving the audience a chance to give them a second look and perhaps altering some of the decisions that had been made on the programmes.

One last look from the judge and out came the short list of seven and the others left the ring to the audiences’ applause, some of them to go onto further wins and others perhaps to take early retirement.

The final seven were lined up ready for final walk across the ring which would make the decision as to who was to be Pup of the Year. The photographers and TV crew were ready as the ringside applauded their own particular favourite. Was it to be the Norwich Terrier Ragus Name Your Poison handled by his owner Lesley Crawley, he ended last year on the CC and BOB at LKA. The Miniature Schnauzer Beaulea He’s A Cracker owned by Michael Craig but shown by Carolyn, who we will perhaps see more of now she is a lady of leisure. The Rough Collie Corydon Primadonna qualified at National Working and Pastoral, the Secretary of which is judging here. The Pekingese Ch. Yakee A Dangerous Liaison owned of course by last year’s winners Bert Easdon and Phillip Martin who finished last year on a high by winning BIS at LKA his second in the year. The other champion here, the Miniature S/H Dachshund Ch. D’Arisca Simply Stunning owned and bred by Lovaine Coxon who qualified at Southern Counties. Lovaine is also a previous winner of this final in 1993. The Tibetan Terrier Araki Goodtime Redcoat bred by Ken Sinclair and owned by a quartet of himself, Howard Ogden, Nick Grosvenor and Neil Smith. Another top winner in his breed. The Lowchen Reeberrich The Happening owned by John Richardson and Allen Taylor is another puppy who was also a Junior Stakes qualifier.

Prestigious

The judge gave the one last look and then very decisively extended her hand to Lovaine Coxon and the Min. Dachshund, Stanley with reserve to the multi-owned Tibetan Terrier. Into the centre of the ring and presentations from Paul Butler, Richard Watson, Beta Marketing Manager and Jane Watson Beta Brand Manager to both the winners. Little Stanley wore his Beta medal around his neck for all the photographers and was then whisked away for interviews and more photos while the rest of us adjourned for pre lunch drinks while the ring was whisked away and the room was turned into a dining room for 200 people.

The lunch as usual was excellent and at the coffee stage we welcomed Paul Butler telling us how long he had been coming to this prestigious event and how proud Friskies were to be sponsoring it. Dr Ruth Barbour gave the reply for the guests and told a joke about politicians, perhaps she has another career in after dinner speaking. Ferelith Somerfield thanked everyone for coming especially with the problem the country had been having with the weather and the trains. She replied to the people who had been moaning abut the final being in London, early in the year and early in the day and quite rightly said that it had got to be early in the year as before we knew it the first heat would be taking place at Manchester. After thanking Ann Arch she called on Diana Spavin to present the Ch. Dialynne Gamble trophy to the runner up. Patricia Sutton presented the winner with her beautiful trophy and then it was the turn of the presentation of the Tom Horner Award of Excellence given to someone who has proved themselves a benefit to the world of dogs either through breeding or showing or generally putting something back in. This is chosen well before the event by a small group and what a surprise it must have been to them and to the winner when it was announced as winning owner Lovaine Coxon. She moved into Mini Smooths in 1980 after being in Standards and has produced some good winners along the way including a previous winner of this event. She must have been quite overcome as she accepted her second trophy of the day and briefly thanked everyone.

As everyone packed up ready for their journeys home I wondered how many would be here next year and how many would be saying “where did 2001 go”?

- Full Report in January 12th 2001 Issue of Our Dogs
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