Exhibitions in April 2025

April 2025 will be a little quieter than the full month of March with shows. Of course our dogs also have a lot of private life and get dirty and have fun. But I often forget to take videos or photos.

On Saturday 5-4-2025 there was only one show in Luxembourg on the Kirchberg. Normally there are always double shows. That’s why the halls were not so full and it was much less stressful. We had Peter and Heidi with us in the junior class. Chris van Beirendonk was at the start with her Winnetou and a daughter of ‘Rock me Amadeus’. Martina Weissmann was there with

” Tilly” in the intermediate class. This is pure stress for me, but somehow I need it. There were only 2 males entered, one of which was an English champion. It was fuller for the ladies. ‘Heidi’ with 2 in the junior class, “Tilly” with 2 in the intermediate class, Chris alone in the open class with ‘Rose’ and Mr Menger from Germany in the veteran class. The judge were the friendly and technically competent Mrs Melchior from Luxembourg, she is an all-rounder and had another contender.

This is what it looks like in the hot preparation phase. I brush and brush and Paul has to hold everything…. then I decided at show Martina Weismann’s ‘Tilly’ in the intermediate class. That’s really stressful, but nice.

“Heidi”

” Tilly”                                                                                                                                    ” Heidi”

Queue “Peter” Heidi” ” Tilly”

“Peter”

Chris with Ch. ” Velvet Rose of Snowbootbears” a daughter of ” Ch. Rock me Amadeus” and our  “Heidi”

Family photos: the siblings ‘Peter’ and ‘Heidi’                                                                       and ” Tilly” & ” Winnetou”

Family photo of the winners:

Best of Breed and among the last 6 of Group 1 ” Winnetou aus dem Elbe-Urstromtal” owner Chris van Beirendonk

” Tilly” CAC, and Res -CACIB, ” West Side Story aus dem Elbe-Urstromtal” owner Martina Weissmann

“Peter” J-CAC-Luxembourg Junior Champion, new FCI Junior Ch, Best Junior Dog and Res Junior Dog of Group 1 (Judge Fraum L. Mach/CH) ” X’Texas El Paso aus dem Elbe-Urstromtal”

“Heidi” J-CAC, Luxembourg Junior Champion, new FCI Junior Ch. ” X’ Texas Amarillo aus dem Elbe-Urstromtal”

Impressions, here you can see almost all the classes that were judged on this day. Thanks to Mr Junghofer from Luxembourg, who took all these great photos.

In Costa Rica there was a show marathon of 4 shows on the weekend 12/13 April 2025. Silvia the owner of ‘White Socks from the Elbe-Urstromtal’ had hired a handler to show her ‘Socks’. This was very successful: 1 x she won the group and 1 x 2nd in the group and she became Champion of Costa Rica, our number 177 in our Champion Gallery.

Show in Goes/Nl on Easter Saturday 19-4-2025. 4 OES entered for Mrs Valerie Degeeter/Belgium

Chris had shown her new USA import ‘ Love N Stuff American Snowbootbears’ for the first time at a show, he is 13 months and was shown in the junior class. The judge wrote in her judge’s report about this young male:: Coat still in development and coat colour is still in junior colour!!!????? he is junior 13 months…???!!and exhibited in junior class!!!!

The breed standard is clear: a compact dog, square with a graceful arched neck. Take a look at the photo of Chris’ young male on the left and the winner and best of breed on the right: ’Waco of Hillbilly Heights by C. Calmerman

Think it is clear who meets the breed standard

Our beautiful junior bitch ‘X’Texas Amarillo aus dem Elbe-Urstromtal’, who has already won 3 times over this special champion class bitch ‘ Brwyns Zelda’, was beaten by her today. Owner is the judge and Best Friend of the judge Mr Wulteputte.
This was the 2nd CAC in the Netherlands for this bitch. The first one she won last year in June under Mr Jos de Cuypers/BEL. who gave my top winning bitch ‘Vorbildlich aus dem Elbe Urstromtal’ the 2nd place with the reasoning that the other bitch was shown in natural coat. He received this answer from me: ‘Natural coat or not, the dog under the coat must be excellent and not a “very good” dog!
He has shown this bitch a total of 16 times in the Netherlands. He won 2 times with the two Belgian judges. Twice he won the Res CAC and 13 times he got excellent and 3 times he got very good with this bitch. Recently at the EDS in Brno/CZ he was awarded very good in the champion class by the breed specialist Claude Ritter/France.

Mrs DEGEETER was supposed to judge the club show of the Belgian OES Club last year. The show had to be cancelled with only 4 entries.
The regulations of the Belgian St Hubertus Kennelclub  force the club to invite a Belgian judge every 2 years.
So this year in October it is Mrs Degeeter who will be invited again. I fear that the number of entries will drop by 50%. That’s bad for this very small BOESC.
Of course no photo of the best bitch and my reserve bitch as he didn’t want to stay for a photo.
These are the days when I am really annoyed.

On the left our 12 month old ‘Heidi’ and on the right the winning bitch ‘Brwys Zelda’ owner Johan Wulteputte.

The breed standard is clear: a compact dog, square with a gracefully arched neck. Take a look at the photo and you will recognise for yourself what is right and wrong. Mrs Degeeter didn’t care, the knowledgeable spectators also ask her if she has tomatoes in her eyes.

The next day was the CAC show in Wieze/BEL, where Mr N. Slobodan/MS judged, his best of breed was the beautiful ‘Winnetou aus dem Elbe-Urstromtal’ from Chris van Beirendonk.

Group 1 was judged on this day by our Mr Johan Wulteputte/BEL. As expected, he left Chris with ‘Winnetou’ unnoticed and let the Beardie win, which we all knew would happen. Friendships, dislikes or whatever should not play a role in judging! Bad judges can do that and make use of the little power they have that day. I have a long list of judges who will never be allowed to judge a dog of mine. Mr Wulteputte has been at the top for a long time, now followed by Mrs Degeeter.

The last weekend in April was quite something. On Saturday, we went to the CACIB show in Lingen, Germany. I hadn’t been there in at least 15 years. Our breed is always judged outdoors, so it’s only nice when the weather is nice. We weren’t judged until around 1:30 p.m. So we left quite relaxed at 8 a.m. for a 2.5-hour drive north. The judge was Mr. N. Kerste, an Afghan breeder on his way to becoming an allround judge. He wrote the longest and most wonderful judge’s report on our “Caro” that I’ve ever received for her. Of course, she was named Best of Breed.

BOB ” Vorzüglich aus dem Elbe-Urstromal”  judge Mr. Kerste and BOS “Millionaire Keep Your Tail Up”

Mr. Dux judged Group 1. We were also among the last 6, but didn’t make it onto the podium. Mr. Dux actually really likes our “Caro.” We were a little disappointed.

On Sunday, I had to get up again at 7 a.m. and drive to the British Sheepdog Special Show in Dormangen, Germany, at 8 a.m. My dear Martina Weissman had entered her “Tilly” there for Mr. M. Wirth, Germany. The show is always outdoors and very nice in great weather. The Bobtails were judged right away at 10 a.m. Mr. Wirth was very impressed with “Tilly,” and she won Best of Breed.

Best of Breed “West Side Story aus dem Elbe-Urstromtal” owner Martina Weissmann with judge Mr. M. With, Germany

Finished at 10:30… now it was time to wait. At 4:30, the judging of the other breeds wasn’t finished yet, and I wanted to go home. I grumbled a bit and was calmed down with eggnog. But then it was finally time. The Best in Show was judged by Mr. G. Jipping/Nl.

The wait was worth it!

BEST IN SHOW “West Side Story from the Elbe-Urstromtal” Mr. Wirth, Tilly and Conny, Martina Weissmann, and the other judges Ms. A. van Bussel, Ms. I. Hectors, and Mr. G. Jipping

Photo with thanks to Bine Lönze