Top: The indoor
BIS ring, with
judge Bo
Bengtson in the
center. Above
left: Reserve BIS,
Grand Basset
Griffon Vendéen
Frosty Snowman,
shown by Gwen
Huikeshoven of
the “van TumTum’s Vriendjes”
kennel in the
Netherlands.
Above right:
Best Puppy in
Show was the
Irish Wolfhound
Miranda della
Bassa Pavese,
shown by owner
and breeder
Ludovica
Salomon from
Italy.
58
The Winners
Best in Show judging was indoors, which seemed a pity because the weather was wonderful. I was told, however, that it
had started to rain during BIS at every single show for the past
five years, and the club had spent a small fortune on indoor
carpeting that they were eager to put to use.
The first cut of nine included the Grand Basset Griffon
Vendéen, PBGV, both Smooth and Wire Standard Dachshunds,
Greyhound, Cirneco dell’Etna, Irish Wolfhound, Ibizan Hound
and Whippet. Four of these were selected for a final cut and
placed in order, with the Whippet Ch. Nothing Compares To
You at Crosscop first. She’s called ‘Hazel’ and is one of Great
Britain’s top all-breed winners this year. I had seen her before
and liked her, both on the video from Crufts (where she was
Reserve BIS) and in the flesh, but she looked even better now
and was beautifully handled by her 19-year-old owner. How
would she do in the US, I wonder? Of course she ought to be
able to win anywhere, but I have my doubts that her rather
plain fawn color with only a little white (and no eye makeup!)
would appeal sufficiently to AKC all-rounders, in spite of the
fact that the standard states all colors and color combinations
are equal.
Runner-up BIS was a breed we seldom see at AKC shows,
and then only (so far) in the Miscellaneous class. The young
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Grand Basset Griffon Vendéen, named
simply Frosty Snowman, came from
the Netherlands; although not officially
bred by “van Tum-Tum’s Vriendjes,” he
had, I was assured later, been whelped
in this famous kennel from two homebred parents. The handler also told me
that this was the dog’s first real show
at just over 18 months, which was difficult to guess from the dog’s easygoing,
happy temperament. It was good to
hear that specialist judge José Homem
de Mello from Portugal, whose Basset
Hounds are world-famous and who has
imported several top dogs from the US,
rated Frosty very highly. It will be interesting to follow his future; at his next British championship
show soon afterward, he won another BOB and Group 2nd.
Third was a lovely Greyhound bitch from Ireland, Irish &
Dutch Ch. Isla at Barnesmore Ad Honores, born in Belgium
but sired by US export Ch. Windrock Fernando. Fourth was
the Wire Dachshund Ch. Silvae Solo, bred in a kennel that
was already making up champions in the 1940s. The pedigree
includes a lot of Starbarrack blood from the US and Treis
Pinheiros from Brazil. I understand that this is the Dachshund
that placed second in the Group behind the Whippet at Crufts.
Best Puppy in Show was a 10-month-old Irish Wolfhound
from Italy, Miranda della Bassa Pavese, who is of part US
ancestry through her sire. Second was a stylish dapple Mini
Smooth Dachshund from Ireland, Glenariff Next Chapter, a
perfect illustration of the KC breed standard’s requirement
that a Dachshund should be “intelligent, lively, courageous to
the point of rashness.” Third was a Whippet that also came
from Italy, Rivarco Jack Daniels, and fourth was the Beagle,
Dialynne Peter Piper.
Frank Kane judged Best Veteran in Show and found his
winner in the PBGV Ch. Cappucino van Tum-Tum’s Vriendjes, from the same Dutch kennel as Reserve BIS and already
famous as the sire of the Crufts BIS winner Ch. Soletrader
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