On
the 23rd and 24th August, the annual French National Belgian
Shepherd Dog Specialty took place just east of Orléans.
This show has become the largest and most important international
show in the Belgian Shepherd calendar, with just under 600
exhibits entered from many different countries in the world.
It is to the Belgian Shepherd world what the Seiger show is
to the German Shepherd.
Exhibits came from many different countries, with the best
of breed Groenendael coming all the way from Israel. There
was a huge international contingent of spectators, including
several groups from as far away as Australia.
History was made when a British owned and bred bitch, Corsini
L’Air du Temps at Belamba went Best in Show. She won
out of an enormous Open Class of 83 bitches on the Saturday,
went on to win the bitch CAC, Best of Breed, then ultimately
on the Sunday Best in Show of all four varieties of Belgian
Shepherd Dog. She was ably handled by the American, Russ Beach.
Corsini L’Air du Temps is owned and bred by Amanda McLaren
of Corsini Belgian Shepherds from a highly successful litter.
Her litter sister, Ch Corsini La Boheme was top Terveuren
in the UK in 2001. Both her parents are French imports, the
sire being Ch Magnum de la Clairière aux Louves, top
Tervueren stud dog in the UK 2000-2001, who was imported jointly
by Neil Harris and Amanda. Her dam is Lauren de Condivicnum
at Corsini.
Success also come to a number of other British dogs who went
over to compete in the show. Jackie MacAndie’s Tervueren
import from Belgium, Zeffirelli van de Hoge Laer at Niavana,
was placed 9th in the Open Dog Class (56). Babs Robinson and
Tommy Goode’s imported Swedish Tervueren bitch Hexen
House Guienevere of Xanova was placed 12th in the Open Bitch
class (83) and Phil Sharpe and Angela Moslin’s Tervueren
dog Nightfires Thunderbolt Into Wildfire was graded Excellent.
Jan Ralph’s homebred Malinois Bonvivant C’est Chic
was placed sixth in the Malinois Open Bitch class (21). Amanda
McLaren’s second bitch entered, the Terveuren Ch Corsini
Moulin Rouge placed fourth in the Open Bitch class (83).
