I just love Crufts , meeting up with all my Crumpsbrook family its a joy. I always try to encourage and support new people to the showing game . I remember my first experiences at showing at Crufts ,the butterflies in the tummy, the shaking hands, getting emotional when it goes well. The wonderful feeling when you are on your way home and I love it when others get to experience the same, it wasn’t that long ago, and Crufts has been good to Crumpsbrook. Cassie, Crumpsbrook Acacia, has consistently performed well and her offspring are coming up behind her. We treat the whole day as party. Pete ,Marce and Jackie come in the car with us and we were fed en-route by Marce, wonderful sausage sandwiches washed down with a couple of bottles of bubbles.

I do appreciate that not everyone or every dog is cut out to go in the show ring, and it gives me just as much pleasure when my Munsters branch out in other fields especially when one of Jas and Dougie’s litter, Dill owned by Becky and Paul, make an appearance in the main ring at Crufts doing a Cani-cross demo. We arrived at the show in time to rush to a big screen and cheer them on. Well done you 3!

Anyway back to the showing. Firstly I would like to congratulate Karen on showing Hugo, she has struggled with her nerves for a while now and I have taken him in. He adores his mum and I have hoped that one day Karen would feel able to take him in the ring again. She surprised me by giving it a go on the biggest stage, her thinking was that it was such a huge class that people would not notice her ! So in she went.

Mariet has torn the ligaments in her foot so was unable to run Fynn so Pete ,who so looks the part (new hobby here Pete!) who had  run Fynn with success last year finishing 3rd, was called upon again.

Kate went in with Lionel, Hugo’s brother, both of which are Jas and Dougie puppies. He has been really in form doing well at lots of shows this season.

There were 11 dogs entered in this class, Post Graduate, 5 of which were my puppies, Annette with Simon and Annalise, who only just made it being stuck on the motorway in an accident, with Pippin.

 As I sat by the ringside watching I was so proud of everyone , I know it sounds like a cliché but its true, my heart was beating out of my chest. I couldn’t wish for a lovelier bunch of owners.

Because the class was large the judge, Mrs Hartley made a second cut. Kate and Lionel, Karen and Hugo and Mariet ,Pete and Fynn were all called forward, along with Mandy with her father Malcom’s Moss, Crumpsbrook Rather Gallant, (a son of Cassie’s brother) and the Masons Ichbin Jedi Obi Wan.

By this time I was so excited and when Mrs Mason walked up to Mariet with Fynn to award him the class I leapt out of my chair cheering , then she went to Karen and Hugo for second, more cheering. The Masons were 3rd, Mandy 4th and Katie and Lionel 5th..I was like a kiddy in a sweety shop. What a result!

Things calmed down a bit, just a bit! Cassie was in her first veteran class, she is a super star, so professional. Again a huge class 11 entered so I wasn’t confident. As I knelt to stack her something happened to my leg, I had a sharp pain down the inside of my thigh. I hate my ageing bones. Anyway the pain lessoned as I ran her but there was no way I could kneel to stack. Luckily Kite has struggled to focus when I kneel with her she just wants to play, so I stand to stack her, this meant at least I am practised in another way! Cassie looked a picture and ran well and was pulled in 2nd, I am delighted another highly valued Crufts award. I rushed out to swop to Kite for her first time in the ring at Crufts. At this point I must thank my “stylist to the stars” Marce, for fruffing (don’t ask) the girls. In we went, again a big puppy class, 5 entries. At first Kite just wanted to play I could have done with a little more time with her before going in but I needn’t have worried, something clicked in her head and she stacked and ran so well, with all the professionalism of an old hand. I couldn’t have been happier with her performance. Like her mum she was awarded second, brilliant!

 

I must mention Keiko and Sarah, Lionel and Hugo’s sister, the poor thing had such a long wait for her class she was totally bored, not surprisingly, so today was not her day, lovely girl though, give her time she is so like her mum Sarah.

We were so late finishing we had to rush off to the horses and dogs at home, another bottle of bubbles was consumed on the way home. 

Well done to everyone at Crufts ,all of the prize card winners, it is a special day. I am off there again tomorrow, Sunday to have a day there shopping and watching main ring events.

Marce bought me a shopping bag with Mad Dog Lady printed on it , maybe it has some truth! 

See you at WELKS