It’s party, party, party at Fermoy!

Fermoy Canine Club
All Breed International Championship Show

Best in Show was Monica and Margaret Boardman’s Crufts group winning
American Cocker Spaniel Sh Ch/Am Ch San Jo’s Born To Party

Fermoy Canine Club had plenty to celebrate last Saturday as they held their first International Show under licence of the Irish Kennel Club at the Ferryhouse Sports Complex in Clonmel, a venue which has become such a ‘home’ for canine events in the last few years with some of the major shows taking place there.

This was Fermoy’s inaugural International event and it was a fitting start to the clubs journey down this path with the attribution of FCI CACIB’s. Secretary Marshall Craig, Chairman Stephen Hourihan and Vice Chairman Michael McCarthy, with the rest of their committee, had brought together an impressive panel of judges from around the world and indeed it was the stalwart of the club, a man who has done so much for this Munster based club, the International all rounder Michael McCarthy of the Castlelack Corgis who was honored with the special task of making the main awards at this important event for the club.

The ‘Party’ theme continued right to the last at this show as Michael chose one of the stars of the Irish show ring for his Best in Show winner. It was Monica and Margaret Boardman’s Crufts group winning American Cocker Spaniel SH CH/AM Ch San Jo’s Born To Party who topped the entry 1,855 exhibits that started out at the beginning of the day in search of the title of BIS at Fermoy’08. ‘Riley’s group win at Crufts had been followed up with Best in Show at the Irish Kennel Club Celtic Winners show on St Patrick’s Day where he was Howard Tonks choice, a win that brought the house down in the Cloghran venue. He had four Best in Show wins in all breed competition before his Fermoy win and will be traveling to the UK on a regular basis in 2008 in search of his third and crowning CC. Another young star made an impact on Michael for the Best in Show lineup and that was David and Morag Connolly and Judith Gregory’s Border Collie Tonkory Move Over To Huntly who had that remarkable and fantastic BIS win at Belfast last September at such a tender age and who was also BIS at Portadown in October under Irish Kennel Club rules. ‘Shane’ is another real big ring dog and we seem to be blessed with some real history makers in the main ring at the moment in Ireland. The first Fermoy Canine Club International Show was generously sponsored by Castlelack Canine Supplies and Arden Grange.

Full report will follow soon in OUR DOGS.

Paul Scanlon
SHOW DOGS IRELAND