December exhibitions 2022

The big exhibition took place in Brussels on the weekend of December 10th and 11th, 2022. We entered dogs for this show in 2021, the show did not take place. The entry fee was NOT refunded. So we couldn’t cancel “Cooper” and lost the money, also for “Lilou”. That is an amount of 250 euros!!! Ocean was also registered, we were able to transfer her to the champion class. This is modern highway robbery!!! There were 1 CACIB show in the morning and 1 CAC show in the afternoon on each day. We had booked the 2 shows for Saturday and only the CACIB show for Sunday. There were other judges too. On Saturday morning it was the Israeli Mr. Barak Lifac. In the afternoon Mrs. Lilian de Ridder from Belgium was supposed to judge, she was ill. As a substitute, the scoreboard said that the Irishman Mr. P. Lawless should judge. We saw him in the ring too, but he was  pulled out. We were judged by a woman from Serbia.We only found out her name, after she judged. This woman was the rudest thing I have ever encountered as a judge. I think she was disgusted with our dogs. She kept using wet wipes to wipe her hands. She did not specify the placement herself, but the unfriendly ring assistant did that. My conclusion from these two judges: Haven’t read much about the breed standard, don’t know anything about bad tooth positions, missing teeth, sloping back lines. These two have little understanding of the correct coat color and correct gait.

But that wasn’t the worst of it. From 7 a.m. we could go into the halls, the judging should start at 8 a.m. That’s very little time when showing bobtails. It took 40 minutes from the motorway exit to the parking lot, only one passage was open, which was later expanded to 2. The passage to the halls was blocked and we, like everyone else, had to walk down a very bad little path, unlit and with various high curbs. Then across a busy road to stand in line on the other side. All this on a narrow footpath, which was provided with holes and lampposts. Our cage fell over twice, as did Uschi. The same happened to many other exhibitors. Quite a few wheels broke off and I saw a lot of aggressive and crying exhibitors. I was close to having a nervous breakdown too. As a top point: the entrance gate did not open because it was stuck. So let in 30 minutes later. The way from the gate to the halls felt like 5 km, when you have to pull such a loaded trolley and table behind you, you reach your limits in terms of strength. We were near the Ring at about 7:35. Judging was supposed to start at 8 and I still had to finish Ocean and Uschi. That’s super stressful.

It was the coldest halls I’ve ever been through. Very bad information about where to find your ring and in which hall, i.e. pure chaos. Then I stood at the ring at 8 a.m. and was already frozen to a lump of ice. There was no announcement, otherwise I would have known that the judging would start 30 minutes later. Actually, I wanted to go home and no longer exhibit.

The judging was sh……. But the decoration in the halls was great.

Then we had to pack up our entire entourage and move one hall further to the next ring. It was 2 degrees warmer there. We had enough drinks and treats to hold our Christmas party. Every exhibitor from the Bobtails brings something with them. Everyone was there, only Johny Kieffer from Luxembourg was stuffy again and didn’t want to have anything to do with any of us. But we had fun:

Later, this unfriendly lady from Serbia judged but did not experience any kind of disability by any knowledge about our breed.

Conclusion of this day. Uschi was alone in the intermediate class twice and thus won a double CAC twice. Ocean was once 1 in champion class with double CAC and 1 x 2.

“Uschi”

At 4 p.m. we were in our hotel room under 2 thick blankets and it lasted until 7 p.m. to thaw. Actually we were too tired to go out to eat. But the doggies had to go out again, so we had to get up and go eat something.

The next morning, admission was at 7:30 am and judging began at 9:30 am. Significantly fewer exhibitors came than the day before. Everyone heard that I wouldn’t do it for 2 days, I’d rather stay at home. Totally understandable! If we didn’t need a CACIB in the 3rd country for our Ocean, we wouldn’t have come.

This time we parked directly opposite the entrance on the hard shoulder and unpacked everything. Found a private parking lot nearby and walked relaxed into the halls. It was still a long way from the gate to the hall, but much more relaxed than the day before. Arriving at the ring, we find out that Alain and Valerie from France are no longer coming and that Chris Beirendonk also stayed at home. So there were still 3 of us with 3 bitches. 2 in the open class and Ocean in the champion class. We no longer exhibited Uschi, otherwise I would have competed with myself. Mrs. K. Jasica from Belgium judged and “Ocean” became Best Bitch and therefore Best of Breed. She got the 4th CACIB in a 3rd country and now has the title International Champion. She is already Dutch, Luxembourgish, Swiss and Swiss Show Champion. “Love’n Stuff Elbe-Urstromtal” she was bred in the USA by Maryline and Kristi Marshall. It was 10 a.m. and we now had to wait until 5 p.m. for Group 1 to be judged. Nowhere did it say who judged the groups. I had to go to the secretariat, there was a list there. It was Serbian Mr. D. Tranvikar. With my 50 years in this show circus I know that we had not chances for a placement. But it’s not proper to just go home. We looked for a slightly warmer spot in a hall and killed the time there until 5 p.m. The ring of honor was very nicely decorated, we ran our lap and then it was over. Nevertheless we were satisfied. On Tuesday the “bill” for the ice agein the hall came: a bad cold.

The judge Mrs. Jasica, Best of Breed “Ch. Love’n Stuff Elbe-Urstromtal, Res- Best bitch Philip Truffin with Ch. “The Amazing Piper of Snowboot Bears”

Best of Breed “Ch. Love’n Stuff Elbe-Urstromtal

We won’t take part in this exhibition again any time soon, only in extremely urgent cases, or a great judge will judge.

On Friday evening, Paul and I took a taxi from our airport hotel to downtown Brussels and took a look at the beautiful old market and the town hall. There was a great laser show. The St. Hubertus Gallery is also a dream.

The impressions of these days in Brussels

Santa Claus Paul

The Christmas exhibition in Gorinchem/Netherlands on December 18th, 2022 was the end of a very successful exhibition season 2022. We didn’t need anything more for our “Uschi”, but I really wanted to go one more into the showring, before my knee operation on December 19th. In addition, it is always very comfortable at this show. Lots of space and beautiful Christmas decorations. The judge was Mrs. R. Lochs from the Netherlands. There were 10 OES entered, 2 males and 8 females. 1 bitch was missing.

It was a good day: “Uschi Glas aus dem Elbe-Urstromtal” was best of breed and ended the year as the most successful bitch in 2022.

  Paul and Uschi in the Christmas spirit

Gerda Jolink already had 2 OES from me: ” Ch.Wunderschön” and “Ch. Zweitausend aus dem Elbe-Urstromtal”, that was in 1983. Now 39 years later she got another bitch from me “Ultrachic aus dem Elbe-Urstromtal”. On this day “Ziva” won her 3rd J-CAC in the Netherlands and is now Dutch Junior Champion.

Our beautiful Uschi

Best Male: Ch. Vigilats Special Surprise,  the judge Mrs.  Lochs and Best of Breed  “Uschi Glas aus dem Elbe-Urstromtal”