Canine Supporters Charity
CONTEST OF CHAMPION SHOW DOGS 2003
Canine Supporters Charity
Charity Registration Number 289046
President: Peter Purves
SATURDAY 5 APRIL 2003
On Saturday April the fifth Stevi Boyall and Lucy Cook were given the honour of being invited to demonstrate Heelwork To Music at The Contest of Champions, held at the Thistle Hotel, Heathrow, London. Stevi and Lucy usually work their Aunty Sheila's Labradors Heather and Briar, but Sheila was working Ticket with them both at Enfield (Heather was fourth well done Sheila and Heather, and Briar - was Briar!!!).
I offered to lend the girls my collies Brookie and Jilly for this prestigious demonstration and much to their credit the girls started to train these two dogs for the event.
Nothing ever runs smoothly does it? You could count on two hands how often both girls managed to get together at the same time with the dogs to train.
These two certainly are very dedicated when they are asked to do something and put their heart and soul into the training when they had the opportunity.
Saturday dawned - it felt like a beautiful summers like day in the warm spring sunshine.
Pauline, Lucy's mum picked me up at nine o' clock in the morning (we had been requested to be there by lunchtime) We had quite a pleasant journey only losing our way briefly on our final approach.
On arrival we introduced ourselves to Karina Le Mare who invited the girls to have a practice in the room. This room was enormous comfortably accommodating tables and chairs, the disco equipment, tables for the raffle and still leaving enough room for a large ring. Of course everywhere was carpeted and balloons in varying shades of blue were floating above the tables, the overall effect with the huge chandeliers and hundreds of ceiling lights was one of grandeur.
Unfortunately the DJ hadn't arrived, so off we went to find some coffee at the local Mac Donald's, returning after an hour or so to find the DJ had now arrived and was setting up his equipment. Eventually at three thirty the music was ready and the girls managed to have a couple of practices to decide which way round to do their routine.
Our immaculately turned out friend, Peter Purves, appeared to greeted us. At this point we put the dogs away to rest and got ready for the meal (in between times we kept having a go at the very well stocked tombola) we all came home loaded with prizes - I am not sure about the swimming aid for dogs though.
People and dogs began arriving thick and fast now and the noise of happy chatter was quite amazing. Then off to dinner, to find we were seated next to people from our own neck of the woods. Grace was said and we drank The Loyal Toast - a nice touch.
The inimitable Peter Purves gave a first-rate after dinner speech along with Vince Hogan of Our Dogs magazine.
Then at last The Contest of Champions, interestingly enough judged in pairs, the crowd were very appreciative and camera's flashed repeatedly. What a challenging job to judge these exceptional dogs, already champions in their own right.
Judge Manuel Ramirez Munoz (Spain) CSC/Our Dogs
Judge Gitty Schwab (Luxembourg) CSC/Our Dogs
Judge Vilmos Kardos (Hungary) CSC/Our Dogs
The contest proceeded until just four dogs remained. This was the moment the girls would give their demonstration.
Both these young ladies possess super natures, it was now nine and a half hours since we first arrived, the audience had been in uproar with applause, shouts, and whistles as the final four were chosen.
Jilly by now was as high as a kite Brookie was a lot calmer. Into the ring went the girls to be greeted by the crowds clapping - Jilly was sure this was especially for her, a quick trot round the ring to help focus the dogs, the girls assumed their starting pose, very nice they looked in their matching outfits. They both had their hair in bunches tied with big daisies, pink bikini tops, modern pink tops, white three quarter trousers, pink socks and white and pink trainers. Stevi is fifteen and Lucy is sixteen. The music was a summer mix that ended eventually in a Jaws theme. The girls and the dogs really did well, I was proud of them. At the end when the Jaws music is playing Stevi is in front enacting swimming, whilst Lucy crawls Brookie behind, before dropping into the splits, Stevi and Jilly look left and right together while the singer asks Where are you Dave. The crowd gave them very well earned applause, which these two young girls definitely deserved.
The final four dogs were then judged, with the Tibetan terrier being the overall winner - it was certainly a beautiful dog.
After presentations to the judges and the winning dogs the disco was next, but at this point we decided to make tracks for home, it had been a long day.
Pauline finally dropped me off at two thirty on Sunday morning, they had still got quite a distance to get back home. Thank you Pauline for being such a super chauffeur and companion for the day (and a lot of the night) Thank you Sheila Tannert for sponsoring us all to go. Thank you Brookie and Jilly, but most of all thank you Stevi and Lucy - Cousins, Good Friends, Good Humoured, and Good Dog Trainers as well. You are both stars.
