I always look forward to March, Crufts and Cheltenham races are both special days for me.

Molly has had a busy 6 months rearing a litter of pups and being spayed, she was looking good. Just imagine how us humans would be if we had had  babies and a hysterectomy! 

Kite, was entered too so off we all went, munching sausage and bacon rolls in the car on the way ,yum .

I had 3 homebred male Munsterlanders entered, Katie with Lionel (Crumpsbrook Bayleaf) 2020 BOB in field trial dog and Amos (Crumpsbrook Galangal) in post graduate, Jan and Tony with Otto (Crumpsbrook Woodrush) in Limit and Jo with Morgan (Crumpsbrook Jay) Post Graduate.

The day started well as Jo and her family Rob, Chris and Ben, who own Morgan had never attended Crufts  so we hopefully arranged to meet up on the car park and walk in together. While talking on the phone it became apparent our timings were impeccable we were being shepherded onto the same carpark. Jo asked what car we were in, I replied our black Bellingo, the next second Rob tooted the horn and by some miracle we were side by side. So far so good. Jo bless her was incredibly nervous and  Rob and the boys excited. Jo needn’t have worried Morgan looked gorgeous and they won their class.

Amos and Katie were a creditable 3rd also in post graduate .

Next in was Jan and Otto, they are such a team now and are becoming consummate professionals. Blow me they  too won their class.

Katie and Lionel were unopposed in their Field Trial class, Lionel is one of few full working and show champion Munsterlanders. He always puts his best paw forward and cruised round the ring to gain first. 

I had 3 dogs in the CC line up WOW. 

Congratulations to Annette Davis Green and Abdecker Dancer, she and her beautiful boy won the CC and Lionel was awarded the reserve ticket. 

Then it was the turn of the bitches, no pressure there then! 

Molly was a super starm she loved strutting her stuff her tail never stopped wagging. She came 4th in a large class. OK I thought, but it was straight in with Kite, quick lead and number swop and off I went again.

Kite flew round the ring loving every minute, she is so accomplished at this showing game. When the judge approached me for first place I was thrilled with my lovely girl. 

I had one more run to do for the bitch challenge so in we went again.

Round we all went, then one last free stack for the judge. Our Judge Gordon Horan walked to the judges table picked up the award cards and turned,  he strode toward me and presented me with the bitch CC.

I was so excited, but knew I then had to go against Annette and her handsome boy for Best of Breed I honestly thought she would get it.

We ran round together, our judge went to the table again, turned and with an outstretched hand awarded Kite Best of Breed. The poor judge got a hug, he seemed not to mind. Then I sobbed! 

I would sincerely like to thank Mr Horan for appreciating Kite and all of the Munster folk who came to congratulate me.

Also thanks to Heather and Colin for the calming support and photos. Long term friends who came to Crufts to watch us and who are now permanent lucky mascots.

I would also like to congratulate Erin and her Albahu kennel for winning puppy bitch and dog, they just happened to be Lionel’s babies. What a result. 

Slowly it dawned on me that I would be on the tele appearing on Channel 4 in the gundog group .OMG!

I love breeding my dogs and try to do the best I can, showing is subjective but the breed standard, I believe, is something that should be aimed for when mating 2 dogs. Munsterlanders have to be “fit for purpose” (the Kennel Clubs catch phrase) and the role of any gundog is to be able to do the job they have been bred for. Confirmation is fundamental for them to remain sound. I am really objective when looking at my girls and have tried to improve year on year. 

To do this whilst maintaining standards  for health and a wonderful personality is addictive for me anyway! This is what I strive for.

Kite’s temperament enabled her to chill for the rest of the day ,she slept on her bench, whilst I calmed my nerves with a swig or two of whiskey ! 

Chris bought Molly home and then returned to the NEC to hold my hand, it was an amazing day for both of us.

Being part of the festival that is Crufts is amazing, most of the other competitors were professional kennels. Crumpsbrook is 13 years old, a baby in comparison. Kite and I enjoyed every second, she made me so proud and hopefully we did the Large Munsterlander breed proud too.  

Its a horrid day at Catherton foggy, drizzly. It seemed like an ideal day to write my recap of 2021.

The horses came home in the new year having been on their break at Margaret’s, sadly the first time Chris rode Pepper it was apparent he was not sound behind. He had been slightly unlevel before Christmas but nothing a 16 year old horse would not experience. This was a different level altogether. Our vet Clare came out and we arranged for him to go to their clinic for further investigation, she was suspicious of a branch of his suspensory ligament. This proved correct. Pepper is currently out again with the others (note plural!). He continued to enjoy his light hacking through the summer but his competitive days are over. 

February ticked along and plans were afoot to mate Molly at her next season. Crufts was postponed and Cheltenham festival ran under closed doors in March. Several prospective puppy families came to visit as soon as covid permitted. Chris was struggling with the prognosis for Pepper and I really pushed for him to get another horse. Monday 15th Feb I spotted an advert for a 2 year old Friesian cross gypsy cob. I loved him, so gingerly went to show Chris. After remonstrating for a while he too fell for the photo so I telephoned to enquire.

Harris was delivered here at the end of February, Chris and I spent an exhausting week building another stable. Thanks must go to Phil for door building skills. Harris has proven to be a wonderful boy, so easy to handle He has been given the best start in life having been bred on the farm where we got him.

The beginning of April I started beginners dog training classes here at home outdoors, slowly but surely whittling down my huge waitlist. Everything seemed” tickerty boo”. Jim our farrier was doing sterling work shoeing Pepper to keep him comfy. I entered a show with my gorgeous cob Heathcliffe with a plan of trying to qualify for the Ridden Traditional Cob Championships later in the year. Heath was shampooed and fluffed to within an inch of his life and looked a picture. I dusted off my showing jacket and off we went. As was minuted before in my blog, it went T.U. Heath sat down and fell on top of  me. The older you get the less forgiving the body and I was black and blue. Still after a physio check up for Heath, who had a tiny  sore area where the cantle of his saddle had pushed into his back , Chris took him to a dressage competition I had entered the following weekend and rode him for a second place. I hobbled around and did my best grooming. 

Molly’s husband to be ditched her at the alter. She didn’t appear too devastated, I was though and so began the search for another. In May Otto came to the rescue like a knight in shining armour,  a handsome suiter. First date went well and wedding plans were formed. May also meant we had our first covid jab, hurrah. I was back riding by then too, tentatively! We were opening the garden again for the NGS in July so we were beavering away. We had previously enlarged both herbaceous boarders so they were planted and a new set of  sleeper steps were put in the shrubbery. Chris’s clock tower was nearing completion, everything was going to plan.

June was beautiful weather, we had a lovely day out with some friends, David and Maggie, at Helens Festival – music, gardens and food. The Large Munsterlander Club managed to hold its champ show and Molly came into season. The rendezvous with Otto went well though Chris and I got a little wet holding them while they were tied in a short downpour. 

In July the weather was not so generous, on the day of our opening it was dull but we stayed dry with one short shower in the morning . The evening was a different matter, it poured. We still managed to have a helpers party outdoors under a huge gazebo with plenty of food and drink. I must mention one person was missing, our dear friend Al who was in hospital. He usually did a sterling job car parking. Little did we know what was to follow. Molly had her scan and had a tummy full of pups. 

Heath went out dressaging several times and qualified for British Dressage, My Quest and the gypsy cob associated championships. Sadly though, he was not right, after investigation he was diagnosed with laminitis. A horrid disease within the foot. I really took this hard, I have kept horses for decades and never experienced this issue. I blamed myself for allowing him to have access to too much grass. The summer had been mixed and normally by August we had no grass, not this year!  Plus he hadn’t had his usual amount of work after my accident. Box rest, muzzles, x-rays and blood tests ensued.  Heath was on a strict diet and was ravenous all the time. He was struggling psychologically with box rest getting stressed and grumpy, not him at all. I researched muzzles and thought it was worth a shot. Initially he hated it, tried to rub it off though it did allow him to go out onto his field but it was so distressing for me. Bless him, after a short while he accepted it and returned to daily turnout with his friend Harris. 

August 28th Molly and Otto’s pups arrived. They were a delight.  Heath continued to improve and began work gradually. Pepper was hacking out steadily but that worked well because Heath could only walk. Families came to visit the pups who were blooming.

September Chris and I were busy with our new extended family.  Chris entered Harris for his first trip out to an in-hand show. This is not Chris’s “thing” but important to do for Harris’ education. He blew us away by winning the youngstock class 1-3 years, running with Chris beautifully. Next on the horizon will be backing in the Spring.

Sadly this month we lost Al, our gorgeous friend who died at home. He and Sally had become wonderful friends and we will both miss him immensely. His curries were legendary. Al and I also enjoyed a tot or two of Whiskey. I will always toast him when I indulge, quite frequently in the Winter! 

Pups were booked in for their microchips and health checks late October and I made my decision on a puppy whom we had called Pony as she had a perfect black saddle patch on her back. This name has stuck though the saddle is not so obvious now.

November dawned and we took delivery of a new, larger greenhouse. Erecting a greenhouse is not for the faint hearted. John and Jas came over to help, 3 days later it was up. Pony our puppy had “helped” running off with tools, instructions and chewing the never ending supply of cardboard boxes. 

Christmas was on the horizon and Chris, Sal and I drove to London to watch the London International (formally Olympia). We chose the freestyle dressage day which was amazing . Charlotte and Pumpkin were incredible. We picked up Sal’s mum who lives nearby the Excel arena and returned home the same night. The day finished with Chris and I sat up in bed at 3.00pm eating mince pies and sharing a cup of tea (don’t ask!) 

Pony loved the Christmas tree, baubles were delicately removed, red beads were pulled off and the red reindeer blanket round the base had fringes on, how lucky was she!  Seriously, no baubles, beads or reindeer were harmed, well so far anyway! Her focus is back on to her plethora of toys. 

Her growth has been amazing, her personality is adorable and she is so much fun. I am excited to bring her out showing next year. Molly has been spayed so can have an uninterrupted season. 

I am delighted whatever my families choose to do with their Munster babies. Jan and Tony have continued success with Otto and his daughter Caoime in the showring. Jo and Morgan have taken to their new hobby, showing amazingly well. Katie brings Lionel out on occasions, he is a full champion, the perfect dog! Hope to see Amos out next year, he is maturing beautifully. It will be lovely to see Sarah, Keiko and Lincoln to. I am so proud of you all. Lets hope we see a few more Crumpsbrook  Munsters out next year.

This blog is just a snapshot of a busy year at Catherton, Chris and I adore our lifestyle though at this time of year there are not enough daylight hours. Evenings are special though, roaring fire, Munsters on our laps, horses fed and happy, chucks shut away from Mr Fox. What more is there? 

Wishing you all a wonderful 2022  however you choose to spend it.

Spring 2020 started so well, BoB at Crufts with Lionel and Kate , PG win for Otto and Jan. Molly and Roskos’ gorgeous litters’ arrival the very next day and Cheltenham races the following Tuesday. Whoopy, life was good.

Then the world turned upside down. Life for us here at Catherton didn’t change too significantly ,we continued to exercise the dogs and ride the horses .The weather was glorious and Chris and I spent many a happy hour outside with the puppies. Sadly their families couldn’t come and see them but we recorded lots of video footage to enable everyone to feel a part of their development .

 Jan , Rosko’s mum, was unable to make the journey to see the pups, that didn’t stop us analysing each and everyone by video and photo! 

The beginning of May the little splots went to their new homes. They were blissfully unaware of the task ahead of them, giving their owners a focus for the troubled times we were experiencing. 

The garden was beginning to get into its stride and plans were afoot to maybe open for the National Garden Scheme, after all this wasn’t until July !

We did in fact open with online prebooking and no refreshments. Picnics were encouraged , the sun shone, though it was very windy and we were fully booked. All charities will have suffered this year but we did our bit and raised almost £800 on the gate and plant sales for NGS cancer care charities . They are an amazing organisation. If you have never visited any private gardens open for the NGS look on their website, it is a lovely experience and hopefully home made teas will be allowed this year, a useful enticement for Chris particularly who loves cake! 

Chris and I have made a few alterations to the garden ready for next year, enlarging the herbaceous borders, adding steps in the shrubbery and a bird bath in the veg garden. Chris has been beavering away on a clock tower for the barn roof. There will be a weather vain on the top, a 4 sided clock with a brass bell hanging underneath striking the hour. I have been reassured that the bell will not strike through the night as the tower is in close proximity to our bedroom window! 

We were forced to postpone agility during the November lockdown ,the season normally ends around then with a competition/ party. Once the lockdown finished we arranged the competition immediately and invited everyone . We had the best day, such fun and laughter, humans and dogs were so happy. We ate pumpkin soup , Chilli and cheese scones, Ginger cake and Carrot cake, just managing to keep warm. Everyone was so appreciative, especially of Jill and Gracies’ agility to music demo, fantastic. Fingers crossed for an Easter start to the season.

The horses have been for their holidays as usual. We are preparing to fetch them back having fetched hay, painted stables, washed out the rubber flooring and put new bedding down. They are both looking fat and resemble polar bears so a bath and clipping will be order of the day made much more civilised by our gas powered hot shower, an addition last year.

Both horses had a good year competing wise after a slow start. My new cob Heathcliffe  has grown in confidence, he struggled working in with other horses, being a submissive soul he was very wary.  We finished the season on a great dressage test and I can’t wait to get going this year. 

We managed to attend a socially distanced outdoor concert in the summer at Malvern Three counties showground. A Queen tribute band played, there were 6 in our bubble, we had a picnic and thoroughly enjoyed the evening as did the band who were playing for the first time. It felt so good to be out and about with friends again.

Chris and I returned to Malvern for the Autumn flower show. We were loaded up with plants, after all I was suffering withdrawal from horticultural retail therapy! 

Our newest member of the family Puzzle, Molly and Rosko’s daughter had an arthroscopy in October on her elbow having had lameness issues. Our main concern was the practicality of her recuperation here at Catherton where our dogs are blessed with lots of space. Our amazing longstanding friends “the Harrisons” took on the challenge. Puzzle remains with them and is doing incredibly well, she has been to hydro therapy, has had weeks of controlled exercise and, fingers crossed, is looking brilliant. We will be forever in their debt, thank you. She loves her new family, and her new best mate Sox. Before the covid tiers altered The Harrisons bought them over for the first time since the op, this was harder for me than Puzzle, seeing her here again, a beautiful grown up 9 1/2month old was tough. She ran around the fields with Sox, not her mum, grand mum and great grand mum, and never cast a backward glance when getting in the car to leave. I am pleased to say all of her litter mates are doing extremely well and are much loved.

Munsterlanders are wonderful dogs and we are fortunate to still be able to influence the breeds health. As their popularity increases this may became more difficult and we must all pull together and be transparent about our pedigrees /lines and health scores . My own feeling is transparency about non tested puppies who have had issues like Puzzle is essential and once x rays are taken those plates must be scored. The improvement will be a slow journey, especially as elbow scoring  has not been around for as many years.

It is very easy to focus on the negative aspects of this year, covid continues to affect all of us in one way shape or form but I am optimistic 2021 will be better. Projects for 2021 are a revamp for the kitchen, to join British Dressage and compete in the Traditional Gypsy Cob dressage series. Chris can do veterans BD with Pepper now along with his dressage to music. We are going to redo his music this year to suit the next level for his freestyle. My fingers are crossed that some dog shows will go ahead to,  I have missed them. I also hope to be able to take our holiday with our girls and the Harrisons, Sox and Puzzle, postponed from this November.

I wish everyone a Happy New Year. Look after yourselves and I will look forward to socialising again soon.

 I