Photo by W Moores OUR DOGS
The winner was GSD Ch Lindella’s Love Me Do at Slatehouse handled by Gary Gray

This contest which is run by the South West Supporters’ Show Centre Club, and generously hosted by the City of Bristol Canine Society took place at the prestigious venue of the Winter Gardens in Weston-super-Mare.

The contest is between West Country Champions versus Champions from other parts of the United Kingdom. As far as I could tell the furthest away that competitors came from was York. These were two German Spitz (Mittel) Ch.Shelayne Minstrel Show owned by Miss L.Rogerson, and Ch & Ir Ch Nosregor Ellans Vallin belonging to Mr & Mrs Rogerson. I’m not quite sure which Champion came from nearest the venue, obviously there were more local competitors than those from far away. The judge for the competition was that well known personality Mrs Marion Spavin.

There were 22 champions entered and only one absentee, Gary and Gill Gray’s GSD Ch Lindella’s Love Me Do At Slatehouse.

The first round saw Mr & Mrs Cottrell’s Great Dane Ch Berevale Gilpin (from Wellington) against Gary and Gill Gray’s GSD Ch Norwulf Going For Gold At Slatehouse (from Chippenham), who has over the years, from 1998 in fact, done a great deal of winning, including nine Group wins and runner up at the Contest of Champions in 2000. The GSD went on to the next round. Following them into the ring came Anthony Bongiovanni (Bridgwater) handling Bongiovanni, Parker and Stevens’ Pharaoh Hound Ch Ankors Behutet, a top winner in their breed, and Such’s BSD (Tervueren) Ch Norglyt Worf (Wantage). The Pharaoh won this round and ultimately went on to Res.BIS.

Photo by Margaret Greening
Runner up was the Pharaoh Ch Ankhors Behuet.

The next pair for Marion Spavin to go over were Karl & Niki Payne’s E.S.S. bitch Ch Cepen County Classic (Bridgwater), who has done so well for her owners this year and is the top bitch in her breed at the moment. Against her was Jenkins & Allen’s Norfolk Terrier Ch Foxhouse Step Ahead to Kinsbridge (Stafford). County Classic won this round. The following pair were, (from Yorkshire) Ch & Ir Ch Nosregor Ellins Vallin, who was handled by Anthony B., against another long distance entrant from Rochester (Kent), Howitt’s Chesapeake Bay Retriever Lux Ch Devonshot Horses Ghost, with the german Spitz going on to the next round. Succeeding these two into the ring were Kevin & Shelda Hornby’s Ch.Bramerita Naughty But Nice, the top winning Longcoat Chihuahua this year with so far, 38 CCs, 10 Group placings of which three were group wins, and I think she has had a Res.BIS at an all breed Championship show in her time.

This combination came from Southampton. Opposite this combination, were Creedy & John’s Sh Ch Kevardhu Kerra (Bristol), who I think was made up this year and is now a Veteran.

The Longcoat Chihuahua was the winner of this round. Next were Bridget Enticott’s Samoyed (Chard) Ch Zamoyski Lucky Casanova At Roybridge who had 52 CCs, 2 B.I.S, 9 Res BIS and was the breed record holder in Samoyeds. As usual he was handled by Bridget’s granddaughter Debbie. In opposition (from Kingsbridge, Devon) was Shankland’s Sussex Spaniel Sh.Ch.Jubilwell Lerryn. The Samoyed won that round. It was then the turn of the Irish Setter (Plympton), Limpus’ Sh.Ch.Shenanagin That’s It to Karidell, against the much travelled Border Collie (From Iron Acton Nr Bristol), Gregory’s Aus.Am.Eur.Lux.World & U.K Sh.Ch. Borderflame Heart And Soul, the Irish Setter going through to the second round.

Interesting

The next pair for Mrs Spavin’s assessment were the Old English Sheepdog (Trowbridge) Jones’ Ch. Quemerford Christmas Fayre, and the Akita Purnell-Carpenter & Biart’s Am. Ch. Karma Ki’s Barbiegirl (Norton Malreward, nr Bristol). This round went to the OES Following these two was the other German Spitz from Yorkshire Ch Shelayne Minstrel Show against the Chinese Crested Biss’ Ch. Blandora Carbon Classic For Ankors (Bridgwater), the Crested going through here.

Because of the absentee, the final round of the first leg saw three dogs against each other. These were from Chelmsford the G.S.D (handled by Gary Gray) Hughes & de Souzza’s Ch.Lindella’s Good As Gold, who has two group 1 wins and B.I.S at S.K.C to his credit as well as all his other wins. He went on to be the top winner here. Opposing him were the Min Pin from Crewkerne, Burn’s Ch.Hawkesflight In The Pink At Impala, and the King Charles Spaniel from Backwell, Fry’s Ch.Amantra Black Gold. Obviously the G.S.D went through.

It was interesting when trying to find out where exhibits came from, to see how many had been made up this year, quite a few I can tell you!

Round two saw Ch.Ankhors Behuet beating Ch.Norwulf Going For Gold; Ch.Cephen Country Classic beating the German Spitz Ch.Nosregor Ellans Vallin; Ch.Zamoyski Lucky Casanova at Roybridge beating Ch.Bramerita Naughty But Nice; Ch.Quemerford Christmas Faye beating Sh.Ch.Shenanagin That’s It To Karidell; and finally Ch.Lindella’s Good As Gold beating Ch.Blandora Carbon Classic for Ankhors.

The final rounds saw Ch Ankhors Behuet and Ch Lindella’s Good As Gold eventually coming up against each other and the GSD selected as the overall winner of the contest, a very popular win, with the Pharaoh as runner up.

There was a brilliant tombola for the guests to enjoy, with many super prizes, and the main sponsors of the show were Royal Canin, whose generosity had to be seen to be believed.

The evening ended with dancing to Clem Cartledge’s music, but I didn’t stay for it as I had to be up early the next morning, and I didn’t get home much before midnight anyway!

It was a really superb event, beautifully organised and run by Meg Purnell-Carpenter and Annette Oliver (the commentator), plus their willing helpers, and not forgetting the hard working Treasurer Sally Hope. Thanks are also due to the City of Bristol Canine Society, the hosts, without whose help it could not have been run.