Barkly Bearded Collies
Welcome To - A HANDLERS DELIGHT.
-Barkly's Graduation-
--A HANDLERS DELIGHT--
My
introduction to showing my Bearded Collie (Barkly Solero)
by Kelvin Faulkner.
It
all started back in February 1999 with a visit to see a litter of puppies out
of Barkly Rigolletto (Wriggle) by CH. Caramac Crown Prince (Charlie).
The
principle aim was to get a dog or bitch to satisfy the desire of my partner (
Cathie Whittaker ) to get back the line of Barkly Coffee Bay (a should-be
champion but for a premature death early in December 1998). Rigolletto
is a Coffee daughter.
The
decision was made and Barkly Pecan (Pko) was chosen,
but a pretty little bitch was busy pulling hell out of my cardigan sleeve as if
saying "don’t take him, take me" .So we did ---- (take both).
It
was explained that because dogs were a lot harder to handle in the show ring
that I would be given the charge of showing Barkly Solero
(Sally).
Our
season of showing would not start until
The
day came and passed without me entering the ring as I had bottled out! Sally
was placed third handled by Cathie. The next was
The
next was Driffield and once again I couldn’t get my
head into gear to step out in front of all those people. (Sally was first in
minor puppy, and third in puppy bitch).
Midland
Counties was the day before my daughter’s birthday; it had to be an omen, so I
was determined to have a go under the watchful eyes of Ferelith
Somerfield.
Eager
to get in on time I was quickly into the ring with Sally. But Ferelith after arriving late at the show didn’t break for
lunch, but did take a fifteen-minute break, with the minor puppy class in the
ring awaiting her. In hindsight this worked to my advantage as it gave me time
to settle my heart rate and Sally’s exuberance at being in with this novice
handler.
Minor
Puppy started and Sally did the business and first place was won. Next was
Puppy Class and I was placed in the corner of the ring by the steward to await
all the other puppies being looked over by Ferelith.
I was then invited to join them. Ferelith chose Sally
as Best Puppy, which was welcomed by a round of applause and cheers from the
audience. I was ecstatic but what happens next?
Cathie
then informed me, that I would have to go back in
later in the show to compete for Best Puppy in Breed!
The
time came, seeming like an eternity! I was up against a seasoned campaigner,
David Hyde with his dog Natterjack Bonded in Black. Ferelith sent us both around the ring, I was the slower in
coming to the standing position and as I quickly started to straighten Sally’s
coat, Ferelith came walking towards me with her hand
out-stretched. Me, in my naivete,
thinking that I had missed a part of Sally’s coat proceeded to hand Ferelith my pin-brush to which she bemusedly informed me
that she was awarding me Best Puppy in Breed. I thanked her with the reddest
face you have ever seen. I left the ring to rapturous applause and plenty of
laughter (raucous, in fact, from Gill Shrimpton)
which made it all the more enjoyable.
Kelvin Faulkner (T.N.H.)
Post
script; Bearded Collie shows are for people who want the best for their dogs,
so if you enjoy the day out, your dogs most certainly will.
PPS;
Have recently been awarded top handler at Barkly thanks to Cathie (who did not
have a vote by the way).
barklybeardedcollies@btinternet.com
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