In order to qualify for Crufts, a dog must place either 1st, 2nd or 3rd in their breed or Not Separately Classified class at a qualifying Championship show the previous year. I've been showing Neka for about 4.5 years now and in every one of those years she qualified for Crufts. In fact, unless I'm mistaken, she qualified at her first attempt each year.
So why is this her first year actually at Crufts? After all, there are people who show dogs for years and years and never qualify them to go to Crufts. To qualify in a numerically small breed like Finnish Lapphunds is not nearly so difficult as many other breeds. However, it's still an honour to be able to take your dog there. I've gone along just about every year to watch and cheer others on - one year I showed someone else's dog. Keskiyo has been there before but someone else showed him for me on that occasion.
The reason Neka has never been before is because the timing has always been wrong. Her first year of qualifying for Crufts was out because the judge was her breeder, and breeders cannot judge their own dogs, for obvious reasons. The next 2 years Neka was in season during Crufts - the one time I cursed her seasons being so predictably regular! And if being in season wasn't bad enough, she was also at the tail end of her moult at that time and more or less bald. So, in one way or another, the Crufts ring wasn't exactly the right place for her.
As luck should have it, having her 9 puppies well and truly knocked her cyle askew and not only is she not in season, but her coat is gorgeous, thick & lush at the moment - almost back to it's fullest. So, at last, at the age of 4 years 11 months and 11 days, Neka got to go to Crufts. And I'm so glad she did - here she is coming 3rd behind her lovely half-sister Apina out of a large class of 9.
Going to a normal Champ show is a tiring enough event. The early rise, the invariably long drive from Devon, the lugging of bulky & heavy kit around - often through the mud and rain, etc. ( Are you wondering yet why we do this? When I put it that way it doesn't sound like much fun, does it?) Anyway, that's just a normal show. Crufts is a completely different event with something in the region of 28,000 dogs and their hangers on coming and going through 7 halls over 4 days. It's big. And, of course, it's often the one chance you get to catch up with old friends in the dog world that you have somehow missed meeting up with all year. So it's also busy. And very, very tiring.
I couldn't face venturing into this on my own with more than 2 dogs. It's difficult enough to cope with more than 2 dogs at a time under normal circumstances. Most years Jay would be there with me and we would have anything up to 4 dogs between us. This time Jay stayed at home with Annie who is too old and dignified to stay in a kennel these days, and I had promised to take Taika for Kate as she was otherwise engaged. So it was just me, Neka & her daughter. A nice team, if I do say so myself!
Somehow I managed to not get any photos of Taika at Crufts, so if anyone has one, I'd love a copy, please! I did find this one, though, thanks to Karen's husband who was documenting her spin round the ring with Taivas (I'm the one in bright blue). And, lo and behold, at her first ever outing at Crufts, Taika came 4th in her class, the largest of the day. And she wasn't even in full coat - result! (as they say...)
Then it was the boys' turn. As I didn't have Keskiyo with me, I was able to relax, watch and take photos at this point. Here are Taito (L) and Karhu (R) in their large class.
They went on to place 4th and 3rd, respectively, so I was one excited observer! I'm hoping that Andrew, the happy snapper, will have lots of photos of Emma & Taito for me. In the meantime, this is what Karhu thought of the whole showing thing, hanging out on the benches before going into the ring to do his thing.
The 4th showdog from that litter, Keksi, was absent from Crufts, afflicted with the same unfortunate timing as her mother - her season was due. Perhaps I should plan a litter of puppies from her in the hope she'll be able to attend in another year.
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