Showing is not something I believed I would be spending my time and money on, however it turns out you can become quite addicted to it. We’ve had amazing successes and I’ve loved that I’ve got to show, place and win with all my ladies at Crufts.
2011 has started with a bang! All the girls went to Crufts, Sasha and Tia still somewhat out of coat and therefore not surprisingly they were not placed in the top Open Bitch class.
Ghost however had a great day, she was also still not back in coat, and was placed 2nd in the Limit class from an entry of 17. She then went on to be placed in the top four positions in Limit class at the next five championship shows before losing her coat for the summer.
Well – this season the girls surpassed my expectations, we’ve had a great year in the showring!
The season started very briefly on the second day in January. I had entered Ghost in a local show for her last time as a puppy, not only did she win Best Puppy but took Reserve Best of Breed too.
Sasha and Tia started the year at Crufts in March. Sasha sadly didn’t make the cut in the top Open Bitch class but Tia began the year on a high by winning the Limit Bitch Class.
Sasha has not been in the ring much this year but when she does, she is great fun to show – if you can keep up with her as she floats round the ring.
Ghost has had the best year of the three, her placings started up in Scotland in May with her first Crufts qualifying position. Her successes continued with another 3rd at Blackpool. And she finished off her stint in the Junior class by winning at Windsor.
Maturing beautifully she moved up to Post-Graduate and won the classes at Bournemouth and Richmond. Ending the year at the LKA I’d taken a chance and entered her in Limit. A hugely successful day winning the Limit class to gain her KC Stud book entry, then winning Best Bitch, the Bitch Challenge Certificate and Best Opposite Sex. A fantastic year, I can’t wait to see how she goes in 2011.
The 2009 show season ended in September at the clubshow and other than a few open shows to support local clubs the girls were done for the year and can be grubby again!! We have had a good year with both Sasha and Tia gaining their studbook numbers and Ghost being placed in every show.
Sasha moved up to the Open class this year, I was apprehensive about moving her up to this top class but she’s had a good year. She missed the National in May with a cut pad but went up to Scotland in fine form . . . winning a Stud book number meaning a lifetime qualification for Crufts. She also won a Reserve Challenge Certificate.
Tia however has had the best year of all the girls. Because of her age and her international championship points this year I had to move her up to the Limit class, and was concerned that it would be too much for her. Oh how wrong I was . . . .she has been placed in four of the five Limit classes at CC Championship shows.
In May she won the Limit class at SKC giving her entry into the Stud book, meaning a lifetime qualification for Crufts. And then in September won Best Bitch at Richmond. Well done baby!!
As a January baby Ghost was only old enough to enter the showring in July. She’s had a good summer and been placed regularly. She came closest to a Crufts qualification in August but was placed Reserve so will have to stay home next March. She’s grown in confidence and charm during the year and is great fun to handle, I can’t wait to see how she does next year.
The 2008 show season began in March at Crufts in March with both Sasha and Tia competing and placed in their classes.
After ending 2007 on a high, Sasha started 2008 well with a Reserve placing in the Limit Bitch class at Crufts. She has had a reasonable year with a few good placings and qualification for Crufts 2009 came at Paignton in August.
Tia spent the year strutting her stuff in the Post-Graduate classes and started the year with a VHC placing at Crufts. We also took her to Europe and at Dortmund in the open class Tia was graded with an ‘excellent’ rating, along with a championship point towards a German title.
She was placed VHC at the National Working show and then Reserve in the Post Graduate class at Paignton, one place away from a Crufts qualification. With three placings at qualifying shows but none quite high enough means she will miss Crufts next year.
The season this year has brought mixed successes. But we have ended the year on a huge high and with both Sasha and Tia qualified for Crufts 2008.
Sasha started the year being placed Reserve in her Crufts class, Post Graduate Bitch. I was so pleased with her. She loves the big ring, smiling all the time. I had trouble keeping up with her on the way round.
With Tia now in Post-Graduate, Sasha has to move up to the Limit classes. They are proving tough but she has got her sparkle back – or maybe it’s just that I’m using a different kind of bait!!! After a few disappointments she strutted her stuff in Wales to qualify for Crufts 2008, this takes her there for the third year in a row.
We ended the year on a high at the second AMCUK Championship Show, judged this year by Nancy Russell from Storm Kloud in the US. There were 30 entries in the the Limit Bitch class and in the big ring Sasha moved like a dream to win the class.
Tia grew out of the Junior classes at the start of the year and now has to strut her stuff in the big girl classes. With a smaller frame than most she does look small in the ring, especially when out of coat but we don’t care!
Our day at Crufts was great fun. Tia sadly wasn’t placed in the Yearling class but she loved the big ring and moved beautifully. She’s still massively enjoying being shown, a natural show-off and is getting placed in the Post Graduate class at the big shows. She took her first Best of Breed in July and a placing at Wales in August qualified her for Crufts 2008!.
In 2006 the rules changed in showing for Alaskan Malamutes with the introduction of Challenge Certificates. What does it mean? In simple terms two things: firstly we will now have UK Champions and secondly it’s much more difficult to qualify for Crufts
Qualification for Crufts last year was through a placing at any championship show. Qualification this year must be with a placing at a championship show that awards challenge certificates. So we have gone from around 30 opportunities throughout the year – down to just 7. Fantastically both Sasha and Tia gained these placings meaning both of them are qualified for Crufts 2007.
Sasha started the year in Junior classes with a 1st and a 2nd in two local Open shows before we went to Crufts in March.
Crufts was a great day out, especially getting up at 3.30am – very lovely. Sadly Sasha decided to drop her coat the week of Crufts and wasn’t placed. However we did gain local fame as we were used by the BBC within the Crufts coverage that year. Sasha generally had a good year in the ring, when she has a coat she is doing well and getting placed. A 1st placing in Post-Graduate at Paignton qualified her for Crufts 2007.
Tia took part in her first show in March in an AV Minor Puppy Bitch class. She wasn’t placed but seemed to enjoy it. She did better at the next one in April getting a 2nd place. It took a while to persuade her to move with me in the ring but now she seems to love the attention.
Her 2nd place at the National Championship show in May qualified her for Crufts 2007. She has had a great year being placed four times in qualifying positions at CC Championship Shows.
2005 was the first year that both Sasha and I entered a showring and despite being complete novices she did amazingly well.
Maturing early she took a 1st in Puppy Bitch at the East of England championship show, qualifying her for Crufts 2006. She then went on to take Reserve Best Bitch and Best Puppy under Mrs D Gatti.
We were placed in three other Championship show puppy classes and also took Best AVNSC Working Puppy at Clacton.
We both learnt alot in that first year and in September I wrote a piece for the Weekend FT about my experiences.