http://www.fyldefair.co.uk/index.htmlHot News!ensally@fyldefair.co.ukCopyright 2010 SALLY RANKINE2010-08-15T20:23:12+01:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Sun, 15 Aug 2010 20:32:13 +0100sally@fyldefair.co.ukShows2010-08-15T20:23:12+01:00http://www.fyldefair.co.uk/Blog/files/47a9a5698ca88968556d198213569f43-14.html#unique-entry-id-14http://www.fyldefair.co.uk/Blog/files/47a9a5698ca88968556d198213569f43-14.html#unique-entry-id-14Only three more Champ shows now before Maisie moves up to Junior. There were eight present in Puppy Bitch today at National Gundog. Maisie took a very respectable Reserve with the first three all having been doing well at Champ show level so it was in good company.
We had entered the ProPlan puppy stakes mainly because I wanted to go under the judge for the day, Frank Kane. I was very pleased with Moo when we made the cut, Mr Kane commenting on how lovely Maisie’s ears were! We weren’t placed but I was happy that we had at least made the cut again. The ProPlan stakes are always very heavily entered and it usually means standing around for a very long time.
Today we made the trip down to the Bournemouth show. Day started looking like rain but that broke and the sun came out and turned out quite hot. We were only entered in our breed class today. Six present and today Maisie took 2nd to Sharnphilly Aukland who has been doing very well, and the class was once again full of quality and strong competition. So apart from two shows Maisie has been placed every time.....which is lovely as I am a complete unknown in the pointer world and I was also told that it would be very hard showing a liver/white. I think we’ve done pretty well in the circumstances and have received lots of support and friendly advice. Pointer folk are a lovely bunch. I am so proud of my sweet little girl who just loves to please me and has bags of character. Onwards and upwards!]]>sally@fyldefair.co.ukShows2010-08-03T22:34:04+01:00http://www.fyldefair.co.uk/Blog/files/43ac79284ab3aeec3bcfa0f9edccca58-13.html#unique-entry-id-13http://www.fyldefair.co.uk/Blog/files/43ac79284ab3aeec3bcfa0f9edccca58-13.html#unique-entry-id-13Today it was my birthday, and I was taking both my girls to Westpoint for the Paignton Champ show. It is no fun taking two different breeds with all the paraphernalia on your own but thanks to my trusty trolley I managed to get me, the girls and all my stuff into the showground in one trip.

Blondie was to be benched with her breeders Chris and Claire Mills and they were going to handle her if I was stuck over in the pointer ring with Maisie. Judge today was Mr R. Twyman, not someone I have come across before. Was a very muggy day but Maisie likes it warm. There were seven entered for Puppy Bitch and six present. Moo was a very good girl, she has certainly got the hang of what is expected of her now. I was absolutely thrilled when Mr Twyman pulled us out in first place. What a fabulous Birthday present from my baby. Now I had to wait for the challenge and hope that I’d get back to the lab ring to take Blondie in.

I was so pleased for Linda when her boy Wynbury Hawker Hector was pulled out for the Dog C.C. bred by my dear friend Caroline Tannahill. Hector later also took BOB.

Unfortunately just as I was on my way back to the lab ring I was told Blondie’s class was already in. Managed to get back in time to see Chris and Blondie pulled out in 3rd place in UG. I have some lovely photo’s of Blondie in the ring with Chris and you can clearly see she was enjoying herself with her old dad. She always gets excited when she see’s Chris. Many thanks to him for taking her in for me. Don’t think I’ll be repeating the experience too often having two different breeds.]]>sally@fyldefair.co.ukShows2010-08-01T17:55:33+01:00http://www.fyldefair.co.uk/Blog/files/4b9911b237de4d260386068c0f84c3f8-12.html#unique-entry-id-12http://www.fyldefair.co.uk/Blog/files/4b9911b237de4d260386068c0f84c3f8-12.html#unique-entry-id-12Took both of the girls to the Premier show at Thame on Saturday. Showers forecast but in fact turned out to be a nice sunny day. Maisie took 2nd in the Pointer puppy class. Unfortunately the steward didn’t call us back in to challenge for Reserve Best Puppy which the judge said afterwards we would have won. Never mind I will know for next time ;)

Blondie was in Open Bitch and won it which I was really pleased about as there was a good entry of labs and they were of very good quality. I was thrilled when Mrs Howes awarded her Best of Breed as well, qualifying her for Crufts for the second time this year. I think we really should go next year as I intend to semi retire her soon and she might not get the chance again, nor me for that matter.

Show not judged on the group system so all in for Best In Show. I was stood next to Wendy Gordon and her lovely pointer Cracker who went on to win Reserve Best In Show, thoroughly deserved, he looked stunning in the ring. A really lovely enjoyable day spent in good company.

Sunday we were at our clubs members limit show which is always well attended. Maisie was in first and was awarded 2nd in AV gundog puppy. Judge commenting that it was a hard decision as we were both of excellent quality and movement.

Blondie was in AV Gundog Open Bitch which she won, bless her. Then when all classes finished we were all in for Best in Show. There must have been around 40 dogs in the ring. I was once again thrilled when Mr Michael Vines awarded her Best In Show. She is such a star and a sweeter dog you could not wish to meet. I am so grateful to the judge for giving us such a memorable day, and also to my friends for their support and great company during the day.]]>sally@fyldefair.co.ukShows2010-06-27T21:08:21+01:00http://www.fyldefair.co.uk/Blog/files/75aa9ece9a9fa84a41176adadbbc6b43-11.html#unique-entry-id-11http://www.fyldefair.co.uk/Blog/files/75aa9ece9a9fa84a41176adadbbc6b43-11.html#unique-entry-id-11The hottest day of the year so far and didn’t it feel like it? Got there early so that I could set up under the trees in the shade well away from the rings. Julie joined me and we spent a pleasant day in the shade chatting.

Maisie was in early. No pointer classes sadly, so she was entered in AVNSC gundog Junior. There were quite a few in the class and we were placed 2nd to a Weimaraner puppy. Maisie was glad to get back to the cool of her crate for a snooze. There were five Labrador classes and the judge for the day was Rachel Williams (Millerdan). Nice to go under a breed judge for a change. Blondie was in Open Bitch which she won, then we were straight in for Best of Breed and I was thrilled when Rachel awarded it to her.

Not that long a wait until the Group judged by Mary Knox (Coolfin). It was absolutely baking in the sun and I don’t know how all the judges managed in the heat. We made the cut but were not placed. Blondie is not in the best coat at the moment but she did at least put some effort in to her moving. I was very very pleased with her.

Julie and I decided to wait for the stakes classes as we had no hurry to get home and the dogs were very happy snoozing under the trees. Both of my girls were placed. Julie won the puppy stakes with Roxy and Maisie got Reserve. I was thrilled for Julie. Had a thoroughly enjoyable day in good company. :)]]>sally@fyldefair.co.ukShows2010-06-26T18:20:14+01:00http://www.fyldefair.co.uk/Blog/files/a83fe55330a11ad37f217dbe71fdd78a-10.html#unique-entry-id-10http://www.fyldefair.co.uk/Blog/files/a83fe55330a11ad37f217dbe71fdd78a-10.html#unique-entry-id-10Not far to go today to the Yeovil members show. Held at a very nice venue with fields all around the village hall. The ring was inside which worked out really well as it was a very hot day and at least the dogs were out of the sun in the hall...and the poor judges and helpers.

Maisie won the AV Gundog Puppy class which had a golden retriever and a lab shown by my friend Julie. Julie had won the Minor Puppy class with Roxy so sadly was a beaten puppy and couldn’t challenge for Best Puppy.

Blondie was in the AV Gundog Open which she won. Then we had the challenge so I handled Maisie and let Julie handle Blondie, and she did really well and Blondie got Best in Group and Maisie got the Best Puppy in Group.

We had to move the dogs around several times in the day just to keep away from the sun and we managed to keep them cool and comfortable, shame the same couldn’t be said for the handlers!

Then we were in for BIS. Blondie was full of beans and didn’t stop wagging her tail and looked very alert. I was thrilled to get Best in Show with her. The judge saying he would like to take her home with him. A great compliment from a cocker spaniel judge! Then it was Maisie’s turn. This little girl never seems to tire and she was very well behaved in the ring until a thoughtless spectator decided to slide a chair around just as I was moving her. Again was thrilled when she was awarded Reserve Best Puppy in Show.

Many thanks to the committee for a thoroughly enjoyable and friendly show. Special thanks must go to Mr Rodney Wyatt for placing my two girls and also to Julie for handling Blondie so beautifully.]]>sally@fyldefair.co.ukNone2010-04-05T10:49:47+01:00http://www.fyldefair.co.uk/Blog/files/9116547f27c27cec1e1821006b48aed7-9.html#unique-entry-id-9http://www.fyldefair.co.uk/Blog/files/9116547f27c27cec1e1821006b48aed7-9.html#unique-entry-id-9What a fabulous Easter weekend I have had with the girls. Blondie winning RBOB and BOB on Saturday and Sunday and 1st in the Easter Open stakes class winning £20...that’s a lot of doggie treats!
Maisie took Best Puppy in Breed on Saturday, Sunday and Monday and Puppy Group 4 on Saturday and Sunday, also winning 2nd in the Easter Puppy Stakes and £16 towards her doggie treats. Very very proud of this little girl at only 7 months old having won 4 BPIB and 3 PG4 and she takes it all in her stride. Well done girls xxxx]]>sally@fyldefair.co.ukNone2010-03-21T10:47:46+00:00http://www.fyldefair.co.uk/Blog/files/850ee084f7234b913083e81228920b2e-8.html#unique-entry-id-8http://www.fyldefair.co.uk/Blog/files/850ee084f7234b913083e81228920b2e-8.html#unique-entry-id-8Maisie’s first show without Blondie and our first breed show. I was very poorly and just about managed to muster the energy to get out of bed and get up to Slough. The Moo slept all the way bless her. I thought I had timed it that we would get there just before they broke for lunch after finishing the dogs. I had only just got my crate up and the Moo inside it before they announced that they would do Minor Puppy bitch ‘before’ lunch!!
Mad dash to get her out and into the ring with no time to run off some excess energy in the carpark, or get nervous which was a good thing. She behaved impeccably again. The judge pulled us out for 3rd place. I was absolutely thrilled with that at our first breed show. Couldn’t have asked for more from her. A lovely day meeting up with friends but didn’t stay to the end as was still feeling rough. Moo slept all the way back home. Don’t think she even noticed that Blondie wasn’t there.]]>sally@fyldefair.co.ukShows2010-03-07T10:43:57+00:00http://www.fyldefair.co.uk/Blog/files/bdd526a364fbe28630c8a8f028f6e641-7.html#unique-entry-id-7http://www.fyldefair.co.uk/Blog/files/bdd526a364fbe28630c8a8f028f6e641-7.html#unique-entry-id-7A bitterly cold morning with the sun shining. Letting my trusty satnav guide me to a venue that was new to me I chose the 'shortest' route. I was doing well until I got to the other side of Swindon and found the Oxford road completely closed with no diversion signs. Annoyingly had to go all the way back and get on the M4. I think in future I'll always punch in 'quickest' in my TomTom.

We were outside again. Maisie was scared of some boys playing football next to the ring yesterday and today there were two full matches going on close to our ring. It was freezing cold even though the sun was out with the wind blowing quite strongly. Blondie was in first in Post Graduate which she won. Richbourne took BOB. Then it wasn't long before the Moo was in the ring. Sadly she was the only puppy entered. It's nice to have a bit of competition I think. She automatically got Best Puppy but then I suppose a judge can always withhold it. Quite a long wait then til group for which we were not placed. She was very very cold by then bless her but she was well behaved even though she had her eye on the footballers and moved a lot quicker away from them than towards! A free weekend of showing next week then shows Saturday and Sunday the week after. Can't wait.]]>sally@fyldefair.co.ukShows2010-03-06T10:42:28+00:00http://www.fyldefair.co.uk/Blog/files/dcacec44e37a1092f73459709ffa5ca9-6.html#unique-entry-id-6http://www.fyldefair.co.uk/Blog/files/dcacec44e37a1092f73459709ffa5ca9-6.html#unique-entry-id-6Not far to go to Maisie's second open show today. Judging was outside on the tennis courts and the wind was bitterly cold but at least it wasn't raining. There was no pointer puppy class so we were in Junior. One other dog there who was close to being out of Junior a nice liver and white. Maisie won the class and got Best Puppy. The group was held indoors so I sat ringside with her to get her used to being in and she slept on my lap for nearly an hour. No stress there then! She behaved impeccably again and took Puppy Group 4. The judge said to me " and this is also for the puppy the judge would most like to take home!". I was thrilled and very very proud of her.]]>sally@fyldefair.co.ukShows2010-06-19T18:44:50+01:00http://www.fyldefair.co.uk/Blog/files/643fc6e91440f87aea23341c18cf29d2-5.html#unique-entry-id-5http://www.fyldefair.co.uk/Blog/files/643fc6e91440f87aea23341c18cf29d2-5.html#unique-entry-id-5Another lovely sunny day even though there was a brisk wind coming in from the sea. What a lovely setting for a show. Maisie took Reserve in a class of 6 the first three winners all doing really well at Open and Champ show level so very pleased with that result.

Blondie took 1st in the Open class of 9 in very strong competition. The result was marred somewhat by a disgruntled exhibitor making some very hurtful remarks in the ring of all places. In the 18 months I’ve been showing I have never come across a bad loser before. :(

Blondie then went on to take Best of Breed. Very proud of her as it was a quality line-up for BOB. ]]>sally@fyldefair.co.ukShows2010-06-13T14:16:52+01:00http://www.fyldefair.co.uk/Blog/files/42498aefa0181be95798bae320e87b5a-4.html#unique-entry-id-4http://www.fyldefair.co.uk/Blog/files/42498aefa0181be95798bae320e87b5a-4.html#unique-entry-id-4We weren’t going to go to this show and only decided to at the last minute as it’s only a few minutes away from where we live. I’m so glad I did!
It was a lovely sunny day. I met up with Debbie and Chris and we parked ourselves under a lovely old tree for some shade. The judge for the day was Mrs Eileen Hughes of Sonnenberg GSP’s. The ring was very big and was lovely to have plenty of room to run the dogs around.
Maisie was in first for AV Puppy. There were more than 20 in the class and it took some time to get through the class as Mrs Hughes was very patient and went over every dog thoroughly and moved us in a triangle and up and down. I was thrilled when Maisie won the class. She got a bag of treats and a basket full of homemade dog treats and biscuits. She has also won a hamper from www.darlingsrealdogfood.com consisting of their fabulous raw meals and treats which we are having delivered later this week.
Blondie was in the AV Gundog class. Again a huge class and I was delighted when she was placed 2nd to a very nice flatcoat. She also won a bag of food and treats etc.
I am very grateful to Mrs Hughes for thinking so highly of my girls and for the lovely comments she made to me about them. Also to darlings for the wonderful prizes and to the show for putting on such a great day out.

]]>sally@fyldefair.co.ukShows2010-06-04T22:15:05+01:00http://www.fyldefair.co.uk/Blog/files/1c2b09fd7b5c84854012d239f60d2faf-3.html#unique-entry-id-3http://www.fyldefair.co.uk/Blog/files/1c2b09fd7b5c84854012d239f60d2faf-3.html#unique-entry-id-3No rain today, it was hot hot hot. By mid-day far too hot even under the marquee. Not a huge entry for pointers so judging was pretty brisk. Maisie has moved up to puppy now and there were five entered in her class and four present. She went really well and I was thrilled to get 3rd to a lovely Tenshilling puppy and a Mallardswood girl who had beaten her two days previously. So she has qualified for Crufts again but the proper way this time ;)

For once the Puppy Stakes class worked out just right for us and it was under a huge marquee in the main ring. Stuart Mallard was judging. Again Maisie went really well and we made the cut. No placing but was very pleased with Moo’s performance. Again a super day in lovely company and we managed to get home at a reasonable time. Thanks to judge Yvonne Kent (Lokmadi) for Maisie’s placing.]]>sally@fyldefair.co.ukShows2010-05-29T21:57:22+01:00http://www.fyldefair.co.uk/Blog/files/5e62e0130c1094ca98b49cf46671a443-2.html#unique-entry-id-2http://www.fyldefair.co.uk/Blog/files/5e62e0130c1094ca98b49cf46671a443-2.html#unique-entry-id-2I like this show, it’s only a 15 minute drive for me. The weather was miserable. Light rain and cold. We had one judge so the boys went first and although there was wet weather arena’s the boys did half of their moving outside in the drizzle.

Luckily because it started to rain harder they moved the spectators area and made the indoor ring bigger so we didn’t have to go outside. That was lucky as Maisie doesn’t do wet and I was sure she was going to put the brakes on as soon as she realised it was wet. :( There were eight in her class. I was very pleased when the judge pulled her out for VHC. She was very well behaved, couldn’t have asked for more. Later we did the stakes class but didn’t come anywhere. By then the heavens had opened and along with another pointer and handler we were marooned over in the stakes tent until the rain subsided enough to make a mad dash over to our benches. Typical Bath show weather! Many thanks to the judge for her placing.]]>sally@fyldefair.co.ukShows2010-02-28T21:37:59+00:00http://www.fyldefair.co.uk/Blog/files/86bb365cd8f7412cd631b77c6408e5bb-1.html#unique-entry-id-1http://www.fyldefair.co.uk/Blog/files/86bb365cd8f7412cd631b77c6408e5bb-1.html#unique-entry-id-1What an exciting day it was for me today. Maisie's first Open show. She was so well behaved and took Reserve in a Junior class of seven dogs. I was thrilled with her as she was the youngest there. She thoroughly enjoyed her day.
Blondie took the Limit class and then Best of Breed. She was feeling very sprightly today after her hormonal surges of late. She then went on to win the Gundog Group. By this time I was frozen as the equestrian centre was colder inside than out. Mud everywhere and hard to keep the dogs clean. Maisie then went in for the Minor Puppy Stakes and again behaved impeccably although she was quite cold in the ring and shivered a bit. She took VHC so very pleased again.
Then it was in for Best in Show. Blondie tried to turn around to see what the judge was doing when he was going over her and he walked away and came back and said let's start again. That's it I thought, I've blown my chance now. However she stood still this time and then away we went around the ring. She was still full of beans after a long cold day. I was the last to move. We all stood for the judge again and then I hear the word ' the labrador'.....wow I couldn't believe she had done it again and within six months of her last Best in Show. Fantastic that I have qualified her again for Crufts next year and this years isn't even over yet! Well done my girls and many thanks to my 'kennel maid' for the day for looking after Maisie when I was in the ring with Blondie. A huge thank you to the three judges for making this a memorable day also and for their kind words.]]>sally@fyldefair.co.ukShows2010-05-21T21:24:02+01:00http://www.fyldefair.co.uk/Blog/files/fad7c670ceb537e80d3f80cbdb81cc98-0.html#unique-entry-id-0http://www.fyldefair.co.uk/Blog/files/fad7c670ceb537e80d3f80cbdb81cc98-0.html#unique-entry-id-0What a fantastic day we had. The sun was hot and there was no breeze. Everyone was baking.
Maisie was in Special Yearling and there were six entered and all present. I was delighted when she won the class under Mr Roger Taylor (Maundale) and took Best Puppy in Breed. Later on she took Puppy Group 1 so we had to go back all the way to Exeter the next day.

Best in Show judge was Britt-Marie Young (Farouche). Unfortunately her judging was delayed by a couple of hours so we didn’t get in for Best in Show until around 6pm. Maisie had been snoozing most of the day so was still very fresh. I was overjoyed when she was awarded Best Puppy in Show. She won some money, a bag of treats and a big bag of dog food and had her photograph taken on the podium. I was most delighted that she has now qualified for Crufts 2011 along with Blondie. Huge thanks to her judges today.]]>