This competition is for dogs with owner’s resident in Wales, the dogs must have won a first prize in a junior breed class at any general Championship show, Breed Club Championship or Open Show, or a junior class at any general Open Show held under Kennel Club rules.

 

Held on the Royal Welsh Showground at Builth Wells on Saturday March 2nd 2019.

The canine event calendar is full to the brim, providing all requirements one could ask for in overload, I am sure everyone has their personal favourites and for us this event held under the auspices of ‘Cardiff Canine Society’ is one we would hate to miss supporting every year as both competitors and officially for the canine press since is inauguration.

My reasons you may ask are simple it is consistently striving to be at the top of its game for organisation and professionalism run with a great atmosphere and a room full of sporting individuals, who are genuinely thrilled for the winning exhibits.

The event receives sponsorship from a number of generous sources, this year the major sponsors were Happy Dog, Our Dogs, Dorwest Herbs, Birdbrook Rosettes, Will Harris Photography, Ken Andrew, Richard Morris, Les Portlock, Jackie Tonge and Olive Thomas.

Exhibitors receive the traditional Welsh slate coasters and a complimentary rosette, along with product from Happy dog and product vouchers from Dorwest herbs.

Richard Morris does the commentating including individual breed standards and history in dual language throughout ably assisted by Carol Sanders.

Birdbrook printed the Rosettes, Celebration the A5 colour catalogues with half a page per dog including pedigree and details about the dogs themselves.

This year saw a move of buildings on the RWAS site to the Clwyd Morgannwg Hall, this year it was once again laid out with thought, seated rings, white roses and the welsh flags were prominently displayed on the Judging table.

This competition allows for 84 dogs who apply for entry having won a junior class in it’s in breed within the qualifying period; these are split into two equal groups, one judged in the morning and one in the afternoon.

The first 42 dogs in group A are called promptly at 11am to collect their ring numbers before their numbers are drawn by Martin Sanders with his assistants and for the individual pairings in this knockout style of competing, the Judges as always are to be announced and Martin Sanders does keep this secret very well indeed, this year it was the well-known and much loved professional handlers Geoff Corish and Michael Coad.

Geoff Corish was born in Port Talbot, so a Welshman! a well-known handler, breeder and judge, he has been in dogs all of his life, starting in terriers and then handling other breeds; in fact, he has over the years handled champions in all the seven groups.

He is passed to award Challenge certificates in over forty breeds and has Judged in many countries all over the globe.

He has twice handled the Crufts Best in Show winner and has won 13 Crufts group 1 wins to date, the number of champions he has handled runs well into hundreds! However, these days he concentrates on Bichon frise and French Bulldogs with his partner, Michael.

Michael Coad has bred dogs for almost 50 years, the affix has made up champions in Pyrenean Mountain dogs, Miniature wire-haired dachshunds, standard poodles, and he is most famous for his bichon frise, who have had the biggest successes with many champions world-wide.

Together with Geoff they have won the Crufts toy group with three different bichons as well as three general all breeds championship shows best in show winners again with three different bichons.

Pamplona have owned or bred more champion and challenge certificate winning bichon frise’s than any other kennel.  They have also achieved Top kennel in the breed consecutively for thirteen years.

Michael and Geoff also breed miniature spotted ponies with huge successes having won supreme best in show on none other than three occasions at their premier show.

At this year’s competition Group, A was judged by Michael and his choice was the American cocker Afterglow London Grammar W18 co-owned by Will Harris & Jason Lynn as his winner, later he went onto be the overall competition winner.  Group B was Judged by Geoff Corish who chose the whippet Wolfscastle Hot Gossip Avec Ebonique owned by Owen & Brodie who went onto be the runner up.

In 2020 we have a leap year…so the competition will be held a little earlier in the show calendar on Saturday Feb 29th.  Further details and any changes can be obtained on the competitions website.

Zara Boyle

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