Photo by John D Jackson
Best in show at the Labrador Retriever Club championship show last Sunday was the Italian owned and bred bitch Barberi’s It Ch Amber which was BIS at the East of England show last year. Also pictured left to right, are the judges Mrs M Prior, and Mr G Spagnolo, secretary Mrs Shelagh Walton and Chairman Mrs Robin Wise - see our June 27th issue for more photos

The came, they saw and they conquered! It was a case of overseas exhibitors rising to the top at the Labrador Retriever Club championship show last sunday.

Judges Marilyn Prior (bitches) and Guy Spagnolo (dogs) between them had an entry of 553 to judge at the lakeside rings on the magnificent Belvoir estate. Bitch CC and best in show was the five year old Italian owned and bred yellow bitch Mr Barberi’s Int Ch Amber which was best in show at East of England AS championship show last year. Dog CC, reserve BIS and BOS was the five year old French dog Miss Dreyfus’s black Int Ch/Fr Ch Ole.

Just to complete the overseas ‘whitewash’ best puppy was the one year old Norwegian bitch Miss T Sorbye’s Mambrinos Spellbound.

Not even a terrific thunderstorm on the afternoon of the Sunday could dampen the spirits of the those who enjoyed the event.

It was a weekend to remember for anyone in Labradors. The parent breed club in the UK celebrating 100 years of breed recognition with back to back open and championship shows, working team events, scrurries and displays in an events ring.

In memory of the late Mrs Gwen Broadley who did so much for the labrador breed, The Labrador Club of the Potomac and several other principal breed clubs in the United States subscribed towards and presented the Labrador Club with a huge ornate silver trophy which was presented as the best in show trophy to Mr Barberi.

That the whole of this took place on the Duke of Rutland’s Belvoir Estate in Leicesteshire was part of the magnetic pull that attracted a huge number of overseas enthusiasts to the U.K. for this once in a lifetime event.

At the end of the show and the weekend chairman Robin Wise paid tribute to the hard work of all those who had contributed to its huge success.

See OUR DOGS June 27th. for our special pictorial and winners’ feature.

The final line-up as the judges consider the two CC winners.

Photos by W Moores OUR DOGS
Show? What show? - the temptation was all too much for these exhibits
cooling off in the Belvoir estate lake!