“Doro” English Champion

Finally! It took a while, but we have achieved what we wanted: Jadore aus dem Elbe-Urstromtal is an English Champion

“Doro” is something very special. On the main land she has won everything what can be earned by an OES Lady. I was of the opinion that, in the motherland of the breed, she also could become a Champion. If you, in this case I, have set yourself as a goal that you want this, you have to be convinced of the fact that this will cost a lot of money and time, before reaching this goal. In April 2012, I started with Doro at the Show of Great Malvern and this went completely in the wrong direction. In July of that year in Peterborough, she became Best Of Breed and won her first CC (as the CAC is called in the UK), under Mr. Russel Jones. In December we went to Birmingham and here she won her second CC, with Best Of Breed under Mr. C. Barnes. Now, the only thing that was missing was a 3rd and final CC….. In March 2013 at Crufts, in Bath, in Peterborough and in Swindon, we didn’t get it. Doro got into season and should have had puppies, but I just didn’t want to give up and try it again. I had entered her at the Specialty Show for this Breed in Durham near Newcastle (900 Km away from Maaseik).

Last week Friday, we quickly visited the Int-Show of Eindhoven. Drove home, packed everything in the car and took Doro with us. Harry had taken the day of, to accompany me on this long journey. That night we drove to Calais (330 Km) and spend the night in a hotel close to the Tunnel. The next morning around 10.00 hrs we took the Shuttle to Dover. The weather was a disaster, it was raining cats and dogs along with a very heavy and strong wind. We had to drive very concentrated, in order not to be blown of the road. Just after the Dartford Tunnel the sky was completely black and the rain was so heavy that we almost couldn’t drive anymore. Afterwards the weather became better and saw beautiful rainbows, of which one ended directly on the motorway and we drove through it.. No! The pott of gold we have not been able to discover and Harry refused to stop on the middle of the Motorway. After 2 larger coffee breaks, we arrived, 560 Km later, in Durham. I had found a beautiful hotel for us, with lots of green for Doro and a quiet room. Our room was at the ground floor and thru a sliding door you could enter the terrace and the garden. Although I had my doubts, with regards to a quiet room. These gardenrooms where located along a long corridor, that could be used by guests of the hotel to visit the restaurant and the Ballroom. Since we had a long journey, we where also very tired and decided to go into our “four-poster bed”. Around 01.00 that night, I woke up because an alarmbell went off. I asked Harry what time it was and if he could stop the alarmclock. But it wasn’t the alarmclock, it was the firealarm, that went off and that at 01.00 in the morning!!! Heart fluttering and slight panic. Harry do something!!!! People where walking thru the corridor and Harry reported: “the evacuation has started”!!!! 2 seconds of a fright and it became clear to me what I had to do: Doro needed socks on, so that she stays clean and tight for the Show the next morning. And this is how the two of us went into the garden in pyjama’s. It was important that Doro stayed clean and in case of emergency I would show in my pyjama’s. Nothing happened. No fire could be seen and everything stayed calm. The alarm stopped and we went back into our room, undid Doro of her socks and she layed down on her pillow immediately. Harry was ordered to call the receptionist, but no one answered the Phone. At that moment the alarm went off again and Harry was told to go and ask at the reception what was going on? He however, wanted to get dressed first, but I thought that this would take too long. Harry refused to go bearfoot to the reception. So I had to do it myself and went over, in my pyjama’s. Everything was calm an no one to be seen. The night porter came out of his room and apologized for the fact that one of the guests at a Wedding Party had pushed the alarmbell. If it wouldn’t have been that late, I would have done something to these folks probably. So back to the room and into bed. Harry quickly fell a sleep, but I didn’t! My hearbeat was at 350 beats per minut for excitement and by the way, the guests from the Wedding Party came by and where everything else than quiet. At a certain moment the alarmclock went off and our important day started well. It had stopped raining, so I could walk thru the park with Doro. The Hall of the Seaham Leisure Centre was at a distance of 18 Km and we arrived at 09.00 at the Hall. Many of the OES people came to greet us. At 10.00 the judging started. The 46 entered OES where judged by Mr. Barrie Croft from the Malcro OES. He is, as well as the other two judges, who had given Doro her first and second CC, since many years a breeder of this specific breed. “Doro” and I where completely relaxed and all should go well. “Doro” won her Class, became Best Bitch and later Best Of Breed, that means BEST IN SHOW. With this victory she had gained her 3rd CC and had fulfilled the condition for the Enlish Title. She received beautiful presents, a bottle of Whiskey, a bowl made of cristal, a large Pluche-OES with a tail and a beautiful Sash. This last is a trandition in the UK and I do like that.

Mr. Croft had written a gorgeous judging report about Doro:

At 13.00 hrs the show had come to an end and I was thrilled, sentimental and dropped some tears of joy. Quickly packed the car and drove home, that will say we had to drive 900 Km back. The ride back was so relaxing, no traffic jams, not even around London, the cruise control had been set to 125 Kmph and around 19.00 english time we where at the shutlle and at 00.30 arrived home. Here Doro ate a chickenthigh and went to bed tired but satisfied.

On Monday, I just had to calculate, what this English Title had cost:

Drove 11.000 Km, meaning we drove to the UK 8 times. The hours spend in the car can not be calculated, as there ALWAYS are traffic jams around London.

Entry fee for the Shows                  333,80

Dogsitter for  at home                   850,00

Eurotunnel                                      1.117,83

Hotels                                                 852,19

Parking at Crufts & LKA                   63,67

Vetrinarian Pet Travel Scheme    224,00

Diesel for the 11.000 Km            1.595,00

3 advertisements in Our Dogs      817,00                       makes a total of: 5.853,49 Euro

What do we have from it? Totally nothing, just proving myself, that even after 43 years in this breed, I still have beautiful dogs who can also win the the Motherland of the Breed. “Jadore” is our 3rd English Champion. First was “Zermatt aus dem Elbe-Urstromtal” in 1994 and second was the beautiful “Ch. Y’Lookalike aus dem Elbe-Urstromtal” in 2004, who also won Cruft in 2004. One thing stand as a rock for me: Doro is the last English Champion. I am too old for these kinds of efforts.

The beautiful pictures made during the journey:

The Rainbow at the Dartford Tunnel

The hall in Seaham

Talking to Peter Coggins, the Showmanager.

The sashes and rosettes. The most beautiful one, all the way at the top in the middle, should be Doro’s.

Doro became Best in Show

My apple of the eye, gone with the wind in Seaham.

Simply happy and thankful for this fantastic dog.

“Doro” has won this funny pluche OES, who also has a tail. She is now laying on our livingroom table and carries the Best In Show sash.

On Friday, our Daisy had the responsible task, to keep Doro clean and dry. It was raining cats and dogs and for this case, I had packed a rain suit for Doro that Daisy had to put on her. She had never seen something like this, nor put on a dog. But she managed to get Doro into this suit. However, in our hotelroom, I found out that this suit in fact, is a suit for Bearded Collies and for Doro way to small. Daisy already had been wondering why this rainsuit was so tight…….