I'm just about recovered from my epic day yesterday, so I'll give my impressions of Blenheim and then have go at downloading my photos (in spite of Karlin's careful instructions, I'm still not good at reducing size!).
The day was a bit epic because I was travelling from Coventry to Blenheim by bus. Lots of rain in Warwickshire - which made me wonder why I bothered to bath 2 dogs on Friday, but it was worth it when they dried out and had lovely silky coats. Got to Leamington all right via 2 buses, then got on a third bus to Stratford - driven by a driver who had never done the route before; one wrong turn, directed back onto the right road by the passengers! Then the windscreen wipers failed - in pouring rain - so every so often he had to stop, get out and wipe the windscreen clear... Finally got to Stratford (still raining hard), found the next bus (to Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire), got on - and it promptly broke down (beginning to think I have a bus jinx!). 45 minutes later we got started, arrived at Chipping Norton - and Oxfordshire was dry! Caught a bus to Woodstock, a short walk to Blenheim Palace, and we finally arrived an hour later than planned.
Still in time to enter the fun dog show, so Oliver did Musical Newspapers (made very complicated by gusts of wind blowing the newspapers everywhere!) and Aled did The Dog the Judge Would Like to Take Home (fortunately she didn't want my Aled!). The weather was sunny but windy - ideal for the dogs. There was a big marquee, with indoor rings for the Cavalier/Charlie match and other events, and lots of stands - a display of the dogs who had won BIS at the Club Ch show since 1954, a bookstall, a Health Information Table (saw Tania's leaflets), a tombola, the auction stuff, a raffle of a lovely quilt depicting Cavaliers (auction and raffle proceeds both going to health research), and a few of the usual trade stands.
Outside there was a ring for the fun classes, which was also used for a demonstration by the Clever Cavaliers display team, and for a parade of the finalists for Companion Cavalier of the Year (which Oliver was in). A lot of the prominent breeders were helping with the organisation, so not many top show dogs around, but quite a lot of the smaller show breeders there, enjoying their dogs. It's a pity Tania couldn't stay until lunchtime, because then she could have seen Oliver and I strutting our stuff and identified a fellow CT-er! Because I've shown Oliver in the past, and still go to Club shows (mainly to get free heart checks!), I knew several people and sat with friends, which was mutually useful for dog-holding and photo-taking! Oliver's breeder was there - on crutches; she had a knee operation and the hospital managed to break her leg in the process!
Lots of people from overseas, and quite a lot of pet owners who had heard about it and just come along.
Highlights of the day for me:
- My little Aled not only coping with a crowd and about 150 Cavaliers, but really enjoying himself - playing (flirting!) with passing Cavaliers, being fussed, behaving impeccably in the ring, staying with strangers when I was busy with Oliver without a murmur, spending hours on buses - he was great.
- The couple from the Czech Republic that I met on the train back from the Malvern show last year and met again at Stoneleigh this year, who came and said hello and gave me a 2011 Cavalier calendar (in Czech!).
- At the end of the Clever Cavaliers display (which finished with some agility), everybody - pet owners and show people alike - piling into the ring to have a go on the agility equipment.
- The Fancy Dress class, which included a Goldilocks (a Blenheim in a curly wig) with three teddy bears! Winner was a black and tan with head framed in rose petals and sitting on a plant pot - a Dog Rose!
- Taking Oliver into the ring for the Cavalier of the Year parade - the winner was a girl from a family whose 16-year-old son had been badly injured - Abbie has accompanied and supported him every step of his rehab, a very worthy winner. Oliver got a certificate, a toy and a bag of Royal Canin CKCS food.
- The number of breeders I spoke to who are now routinely scanning their breeding stock (and almost all of whom have at least one dog with SM, which is really waking them up to reality). The more these breeders encourage other breeders to scan, the better!
- The several people I spoke to (including on the Health Table) who expressed deep appreciation for Rupert's Fund.
- Buying Dennis and Tina Holmes' new book, 'The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel: The Origin and Founding of the Breed' - absolutely fascinating, with a lot of photos I'd never seen before, and copies of the original KC registration forms for the earliest dogs (some with parents frankly labelled 'Crossbreed'!). It costs £8 and should be available through the bookshop on the Cavalier Club website.
- Having a chat with Dennis Holmes (Leogem) who organised the Cavalier of the Year; he praised CavalierI did have the Talk for its info and support for owners with SM Cavaliers, and said what a shame it was, with CT and CC, that just a few nasty people spoil things (not all on one side!). His very handsome young dog (18 months and scanned A) has just won its first CC and people are already asking to use him at stud(!), and Dennis is saying no ways, not until he is at least 2.5 and rescanned clear. I really think there is a little puff of a wind of change...
- Chatting to the owner of an antique shop in Woodstock, who came out to say hello to my dogs. He'd heard about the Cavalier weekend and cannily got in a stock of antique Staffordshire dogs and had been gobsmacked by his sales - many of them, he said, to breeders and judges from overseas.
- The Japanese family who stopped to make a great fuss of the dogs while I was waiting for the bus in Woodstock, including a blind boy who loved the feel of their silky coats.
- The driver on the bus home who when I produced my pass and £1 for the dogs' fare (50p each), looked at Oliver and Aled and asked how old they were, and when I said (slightly mystified!) 9 and 3, said with a completely straight face 'That's all right, dogs under 10 go free'!
We left home at 6.30 am and got home at 9.45 pm, and I have two very tired dogs today (not to mention a rather tired human!). But it was a good day.
I'll have a go at my photos tonight!
Kate, Oliver and Aled