Well, February has finally arrived and as usual it’s a little quiet now on the news front.
Entries for Crufts have just been published and there are 73 Dogs (97 entries) and 83 Bitches (127 entries), giving 156 Tollers with 224 total entries. The judge this year will be Mrs Brenda Hutchison (Waverton), she last judged Tollers in 2013 giving CCs at The National Gundog Association Ch show, and previous to that, she judged at Bath Ch Show (No CCs) in 2010. Tollers won’t just be in the breed ring though! There are representatives of the breed all over Crufts – at the Discover Dogs Section, and also taking part in lots of other activities such as HTM, Agility, Regional Rally teams, Gamekeeper’s Classes and the Breeders’ Competition. I’m certain there are probably more I haven’t included, so if I’ve missed you out send me some details and I’ll post them on the run up to Crufts!
This week another C List Breed Specialist has been promoted to the Club’s B list, I am sure we would all like to congratulate, Jan Andrews, and wish her all the best for her future appointments, I think we’d all agree her location doesn’t make judging an easy task!
And, in case anyone missed it on Facebook , Happy 40th Birthday for the 5th February, to Caroline Morgan – Hope you had a lovely day!
At Merseyside Gundog Club Open Show on Sunday 4th February, Mr JM Irvine was judging and he awarded BOB to Suzanna Greenwood’s Jango, Eusanit Trick Or Treat and RBOB to Patrick and Jackie Fielder’s Fern, Eusanit Best Of The Bunch At Cretshengan. Fern also went on to win 3rd place in the RBOB Stakes Class. Well Done to all the Toller exhibitors on your placings at the show.
Next week, there are Toller classes at Swansea & District Canine Club on Sunday, 10th February and at United Retriever Club on Wednesday, 14th February. On Sunday, 18th February two breed specialists will be judging at Mid Western Gundog Society.
Online entries will close for Swindon & District CS (3 March) and Coventry & District Gundog Society (4 March) on the 11th February, (breed specialists judging); Torquay & District CS (3 March) online entries will close on 15th February; and finally, Hampshire Gundog Society (18 March) online entries close 25th February (breed specialist judging).
The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever Club of UK will be holding their 6th Annual Breed Championship Show on Sunday, 25th March, and will be judged by Mr Mick Howes, postal entries close Tuesday 20th February (Postmark) and online 27th February. Further details can be found on the Club’s website.
Toller Spotlight
It is very rare that we hear very much about Tollers doing Flyball, so I am pleased to say that Carole Reader has sent me some information on her wonderful dog, Chilli, Eusanit Visions of Chillbrav, who has an outstanding British Flyball Association (BFA) Flyball career and Show career too!
In 2010, at the age of two, Chilli was introduced to the sport of Flyball. A team dog sport made up of four dogs who do a relay race, where each dog collects a tennis ball from a spring loaded box. It is a lot more complicated than it sounds, but I’m sure you’ve all watched it on Crufts! He competed in his first open competition in 2011 with his regular team Brigg Muttley Mischief and his first BFA Championships the same year gaining 2nd place in their division.
He regularly competes in Open and Multi-breed flyball tournaments and he has competed in the BFA Championships every year. Chilli’s Flyball Team have been Divisional Champions 3 times and Divisional Runners-up twice.
In 2016, he also competed at the European Flyball Championships and the team were a creditable 4th in their division. 2017 proved to be a great year for the team, as they competed in both the BFA Outdoor and Indoor Championships, becoming Divisional Champions and Divisional Runners-up respectively.
At the moment he has gained almost 24,000 points, (his current Award Title is Ice Blue Moon for achieving over 20,000 points) in the BFA League and he has been the Top Toller in the BFA Breed Standings for the last 5 years in a row.
In his Show Career he has achieved 2 Best of Breed, 2 Best Dog, 4 Reserve Best Dog, 3 Best Puppy in Breed and 3 Best Veteran in Breed, at General Championship Shows aswell as Club Open and Championship shows.
At the fabulous age of 10 years old, Carole tells me that, he will still be competing in Flyball this year and will continue to do so as long as he is happy and fit enough, and as always alongside a successful showing career.
Author: Andrea Adshead