FOR CIRNECO DELL'ETNA

Just back from Paris and the World Dog Show. Having been at Denmark last year the "bar" was set very high so were our expectations for this show. This was an opportunity for France to show how they could better the World Show 2010. Unfortunately this years organisers could not have been to last years show. On arrival no signs, posters or banners to indicate the venue. The access way had dog mess all along it with no encouragement to clean up after the dogs as there were no bins to be seen so people just left it. Have they any idea what disease is being spread by allowing dog mess to be trampled by people, dogs and trolleys over the four days. Not a single bin was provided inside or outside the halls for doggy doo. Even the carpet in the rings was dirty on day 1 of the show.

I had a list from family and friends of goodies to buy and take back to the UK. Statues, collars, pictures, all of which we fully expected to see at the show. This has to be a first for me as I only managed to spend 12 euros on ice cream and cold drink. The stalls were very sparse and only what we would traditionally see at a UK Champ. show, so I came back empty handed. (David was pleased). The show fitted in two halls 5 & 6 of a very large venue which was still enough to wear us out by the end of showing on each day. Fortunately our rings were in hall 5 where we had space to set up and sit. Hall 6 was rammed full, in some areas wall to wall crates, tables, people and dogs.

The Show was a combination of two shows the World Show and a French Championship Show at the same venue. What seemed to happen in most cases was the French Championship Show took place in the Morning starting at 08:30am and the WDS in the afternoon starting at 12:30pm. This gave most exhibitors an early start one day and a late start another day which we welcomed the late start on the Saturday. But this then caused both our breeds to overlap so I had to rush straight from the Cirnechi ring to rescue David from the Pharaoh ring.

The judging in many breeds was something to write home about. Judges asking stewards what nationality the dogs were before placing them right through to judges doing two breeds at the same time. For a lot of the UK exhibitors it was their first time showing in Europe and many said it would be their last. I can only say that it was a far cry from the quality of Denmark and no comparison to the Professionalism of Crufts.

Day one was the French Championship and our judge was Mr. H. Lehkonen. His best of breed was the male, Colisto's Vincenzo. Hadranensis Remo won CAC for Jane Moore and bitch CAC was my own Anharbn White Wedding.

Day two was the WDS and our judge was Mr. Giovanni Battista Tabo from Italy. BOB was Remo for Jane Moore and Dominic Tricomi.

It was nice to see that Remo who was born in the UK took top honors as did my own Anharbn White Tiger last year in Denmark. This shows that the UK has some quality dogs.

What was also encouraging was the Cirneco ring on both days had plenty of spectators and support from the visitors. I did manage to get to speak to most and appologise if I missed some out. With plenty of photo's being taken during judging I would expect that facebook will be the place to look for photos and the full results can be found on the WDS site.

In Viljandi, Estonia Jokinen (Anharbn Yellow River) was BOB and finished his Estonian Ch title. His daughter Hertta (Vespinja's Hazel River) was BOS and junior BOB. In the group finals Jokinen was group 3 and BIS4 brace with his daughter.

Jokinen's son will be joining the Anharbn kennels this winter after the Finnish Winner show.

Congratulations to all the above winners with their well deserved placings.

A full weekend of Cirnechi and Pharaoh showing and a very long drive home after leaving Paris to go via Brittany to drop off our new puppy at his foster home where he will stay until January when he should be eligible to come home on the new defra scheme.

The summer Cirneco Club newsletter will be available to members at the end of July via e-mail and posted to the few that do not have access to the Internet

In November the Club will once again be supporting the Kennel Club with a booth at Discover Dogs London. If you can spare time to help on one or both days 12th & 13th November please get in contact.

Jill Morris

E-mail  ~Jill@anharbn.com

13th July 2011