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NEWSLETTER No. 15 SPRING/SUMMER 1995
Contents EDITORIAL by Ann Gatenby IT'S A DOG'S LIFE by Adam Wilson NEWS AROUND THE SHOWS by Ben Kemp FROM THE RESCUE by Kate Reed CHRISTMAS PARTY 1994 by Ben Kemp THE STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIER TEMPERAMENT by Alan Funnell BONE OF CONTENTION: STANDARD, GAMENESS AND TYPE by Tug Riley COMPETITION by Jamie Mace Nettle Cottage Dear Members and Friends, As we seem to have been lucky enough to have accumulated a fair amount of copy in this Newsletter I will make my bit short and (?) sweet. 1995 Crufts has come and gone, and a very enjoyable day it was too. Yours truly got the usual - nothing! - but managed to have lots of chat with lots of friends and enjoyed the bitch judging very much. I do not have a dog to show, so cannot comment on the dog ring, and as my benches were right opposite the bitch ring, laziness overtook me, and I had a good view without moving too far away from my bitches. The Downlands AGM has also come and gone, and we have a new President in Mr. Fred Clark, and two new committee members, namely Steve Palmer and Tony Gareffa. It was agreed at the first committee meeting that the officers of the club should stay the same, and the committee also proposed that we have a Puppy Co-ordinator, so Tony Gareffa was given the "dubious" privilege of dealing with this. Steve Palmer has taken on the job of Trophy Secretary, which I am sure he will do very well. Our next show is on 22nd October (Haywards Heath), and I look forward to seeing you there and having a good "natter". Don't forget the rescue stall always needs goods to sell, and buyers to buy, so keep them in mind when you come. Good luck with your dogs in 1995. Ann Gatenby
I was privileged to enjoy the Downlands Christmas Match; and, again, I was pleased to note that this club has an atmosphere missing from most Staffordshire Bull Terrier breed clubs, namely, a "family" gathering of old and young alike; capable of enjoying an afternoon with their hobby - enjoying their dogs - congratulations! Which brings me onto another aspect of "family". Our Emblake entourage hosts five bitches and a dog, "Jack The Lad." So we have to maintain a family atmosphere to enable them to live together, uncaged. The bitches are not spayed, two to ten years old; two of whom are Jack's daughters. Now, when the bitches are in season, Jack has virtually ignored his daughters' overtures; but he has the usual 'eye' for the others. Does he know! We also have no "top dog" - instigated from puppyhood, and maintained by a little common sense and a low protein/energy diet. How many Staffords work like a farm collie? As we all know, Vet's bills can be a trifle expensive. Unless it is a real emergency (internal or external wounds, etc.), why not just have a word with a fellow owner who has "been around" for a few years. Quite often, cramps, coughs, bald patches, slight limps etc. can be "home cured" either by diet or your own medicine cabinet. I wonder if Ibuleve worked for Mrs. Smart's bitch and her limp? Adam Wilson The Downlands Rescue received a massive financial boost at the Liphook open show on November 12th. During the Judge's lunch break a bottle of Bulgarian Red (1987 Reserve) was auctioned off raising the sum of £20 from Mr. Paddy Christey. The second lot for auction was a plate generously donated by Mr. Jack Carter. The plate was a beautiful piece depicting the life of Joe Mallen and was expected to raise a fair amount. After several tense minutes of bidding and counter-bidding Bill Blacker became the proud owner of the plate for a record-breaking £130. Downlands Chairman and auctioneer, Dave Harris, spoke of his pleasure afterwards and said that it was a "wonderful amount". Members of the club will be pleased to know that the committee continues in its quest to gain championship show status. Applications for the 1997 tickets have already been submitted and the Downlands has sent in its requested show dates for this year to the Kennel Club. More news as we receive it. Following on from the item in the last Newsletter, stamp contributions for the Animal Care Trust have been coming in much faster than previously. At the Christmas Party, Adam Wilson handed in a huge bag of old letters and postcards, many with unusual stamps attached. These have now been sent for valuation. Several other sizable contributions have been received, most notably from T. Wilson from near Basingstoke, Miss Heard and Mr Jones from near Woking, Sarah Hopgood and Peter Hopgood. Kathy Palmer said that the number of donations had definitely increased recently, and thanked all those who have so far contributed. Keep up the good work for this extremely worthy cause, Downlanders! Send your used stamps to Kathy at the address on the inside of the front cover.Many of you will remember the
appeal for Justice for Dogs that featured on page 6 of Newsletter #14. We
can now report that the club has made a donation of £100 to this cause - which
you will recall was fighting against the ridiculously draconian but woolly in
interpretation Dangerous Dogs Act. A letter received by the treasurer
acknowledging receipt of the contribution runs: "What a wonderful start
to the day when your letter arrived with its enclosure. I am pleased to
confirm that this has been credited to the account with the Staffordshire
Building Society and I would be most grateful if you could convey my deep
appreciation to all those concerned for their generosity and support. The
good news is that the fund now stands in excess of £12,200 and our barrister is
in the process of preparing the application to be sent to Strasbourg [base
of the European Court of Human Rights]. Thank you for helping us to
take this first, important step."
Some of our readers may recall a feature called "Around
the Shows" which appeared this time last year, in Newsletter number 13. We
were hoping to make this a regular feature of the Newsletter, but unfortunately
the author then became unable to travel as far or as frequently and regrettably
had to stop writing the article. Do write and let us know. All the members of the club would be interested. You could see your name in print. And earn the undying gratitude of the Newsletter sub-committee for contributing something. Your newsletter needs you: now! Judges: Paddy Christey (Dogs), Tom Taylor (Bitches) The first Downlands show of the year has traditionally been well-attended, and this was no exception, in fact, it is possible that a record attendance was set at this show. I am reliably informed that well over three hundred people braved what was none too pleasant weather to get to this venue, at the Bohunt Centre, Liphook. The show was well supported by several stalls, selling a diverse range of goods, and the canteen was so busy that the food ran out towards the end of the show (I also know that well over seven hundred cups of tea or coffee were served). The sales table - with its new "Diamond Jubilee of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier" mugs and the Rescue Stall both did a roaring trade. One hundred and twenty nine dogs made a total number of one hundred and seventy-six entries (slightly down on last year's 137/191). The judging proceed without controversy - at least, no-one was arguing within my earshot - and at the break a book and a bottle of wine were raffled in aid of the Rescue, followed by a card depicting all those dogs made up in the year 1958 which raised a creditable £20. Finally Paddy and Tom met to choose their best in show. On this occasion referee Pat Pritchard's services weren't needed as the two unanimously awarded Best in show to Mr and Mrs Hudd's CANTIUM BLACKHEATH PRINCE. Ben Kemp Judges: Mike Homan (Dogs), Mrs J. Hemstock (Bitches) Day dawned horrifically early on Saturday 18th March - especially for someone as fond of his bed as I am - and we were up at 05:30 to make the long trek to the Birmingham NEC for the biggest Dog Show of the year. I accompanied Ann Gatenby and her daughter Vickie Robinson, who were showing two bitches, Ruby and Rose. Being naturally partisan I make no apology for spending most of the day watching the bitches being judged..... As a first timer at Crufts I had been expecting something on a large scale, but I was surprised at the sheer scale of the event. There were three hundred and nineteen dogs and bitches entered, and this of course was only split over two rings, there were three other huge halls all full of rings full of dogs of various terrier breed types! There was a huge variety of stalls - everything from retired greyhounds to computers had stalls - and there was simply no way to get round them all in one day. There were plenty of outlets selling food and drink - at the usual extortionate prices, I'm afraid. I saw several members of the Downlands - Fred Clark, Dave Harris, Pat Pritchard, Nigel Hunt, Steve Dickenson, Kevin Woodage, Ann and Vickie from the committee, Lyn Woodage, Carrie Brown - anyone else there, either I didn't see you or I don't know you! The Stafford dogs attracted an audience about four deep, sadly the bitches weren't quite so well-supported. The bitch judging finished slighty ahead of the dog judging, which luckily gave us a chance to watch Mr. Homan's judging of the final dog class in detail. Mrs. Hemstock found her Best Bitch in McCann's HIGHLANDS PIED PIPER,whilst Mr. Homan's Best Dog - and the subsequent Best of Breed - was Bradder's CH. DOMINO FLASHY LAD. Ben Kemp If any reader has an idea to enhance the format or improve the content of the Downlands Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club Newsletter - other than forcibly restraining Ben from contributing which we've tried without success - the sub-committee would be pleased to consider them. Remember, the Downlands is your club and you all have a part to play. Please submit your articles, ideas or letters to the Editor at Nettle Cottage, 36, Merepond Lane, Privett, Alton, Hants GU34 3PF. All contributions will be gratefully received. We hope to publish number 16 around mid-November time. Thank you. It is now a year since the Downlands Staffordshire Bull Terrier Rescue was
established, and although it has been quite a busy year, it has also been very
rewarding. We also express our gratitude to all that bring or buy and help on the Rescue stall, those that give donations, and to Kevin Woodage who cycled from London to Brighton and donated £160 from his sponsors - we know his lumps, bumps and bruises have now healed - well done, Kevin. Outgoing payments have been small - a donation of £50 was sent to Mrs. Drake of the Protection of Animal Life Society near Salisbury, Wilts, who rescued, looked after and later re-homed two Stafford brothers - who just could not get on together. £91 was paid in Kennel fees for two rescue cases. We try to keep Kennel boarding of Staffords to a minimum, preferring to re-home from Owners to new home direct - as this is less stressful, we feel, to the dog or bitch and therefore causes as little disruption as possible to the Stafford, who in some cases have suffered enough, although in extreme cases a boarding kennel will be used. It is the Rescue's aim to have rescued young bitches spayed. This will be costly, and we are endeavouring to find a Vet who will perform the operations at reasonable rates. So although the Rescue funds are comfortable at the moment, we do hope that you will continue to give us your great and much appreciated support to achieve this aim, and enable us to assist those Staffordshire Bull Terriers that need our help. Downlands Staffordshire Bull Terrier Rescue
Kate Reed
CHRISTMAS PARTY - 4th DECEMBER 1994 On a dull but dry Sunday morning almost seventy members and friends of the Downlands Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club converged upon and occupied Rake Village Hall for the annual Christmas Party. Admission was £1 on the door which entitled the partygoer to entry into a raffle with two fantastic prizes, entry into a match, a chance to hear two fascinating talks from well-established Stafford personalities, an opportunity to test both their canine and general knowledge in a quiz with a wonderful Christmas Cake as the prize, a wrapped doggy present for our canine friends, and entry into several exciting party games. For the children present there was also a fancy dress competition. The speakers were a little delayed, but the proceedings got underway at 11:30 when Adam Wilson rose to his feet to offer some of his views on a variety of subjects pertinent to our favourite breed. Unfortunately what promised to be a delightful talk was slightly marred by members of the audience who wished to offer their opinions whilst Adam was talking! It's amazing how many strong views are held in the club but how infrequently these people are moved to put pen to paper and actually write to the newsletter! Adam voiced several interesting opinions, not all of them necessarily correct, for as he said, it was in his opinion, but I found his submissions most intriguing. The second speaker, Alec Waters, gave a talk on how he feels the breed has developed over the course of the last few decades, not necessarily for the better in his opinion. Again, one man's opinion, some people agreed and some differed, but why have opinions if not to discuss them? Alec also advanced several suggestions, the one that sticks in my mind concerned dogs being shown by white-coated stewards and not having the owners or handlers even in the ring with them. All in all, two fascinating and thought-provoking talks from two well-respected gentlemen. We then moved on to the match. Judged by Mr. P. Ruth and ably stewarded by Lyn Woodage, a hard-fought knockout competition ensued which was won by Alec Water's bitch, Ashstock Tartan Express. Reserve Best In Match was Mr. and Mrs. Pocknell's dog, Blunoosa Highlander. Best Puppy in match was won by the Pocknell's Blunoosa Yabba Dabba Doo. A tray of eggs was also generously donated to the Best In Match by Adam Wilson. The raffles were drawn soon after the match finished. The winner in the 'free' raffle carried off a most impressive spread of Christmas food. Second place won an sack full of dog food and treats. The other raffle had literally scores of prizes, and almost everyone won something, no matter how big or small. Then on to the party games. In a departure from previous years, "Galloping Sausages" was replaced this year by "Galloping Liver". Despite the first attempt being declared null and void because the liver wasn't ready in time, both teams of five dogs appeared to thoroughly enjoy themselves. A closely contested round of musical chairs followed which left several owners breathless. After this Musical Sits was played and again both dog and owner seemed to have a good time. Throughout the day entries were being received for the quiz, and these were duly marked. The answers were announced, then the results were announced in reverse order. Congratulations - and the Christmas Cake - went to Mr. M. Pocknell for a very creditable 27 points out of a maximum possible of 31. Honourable mentions must also go to Barbara Smart (24) and Margaret Nunn (23). Commiserations to the others who took part. The final event of the day was the fancy dress. Ably judged by Adam Wilson, there were some very creative efforts - including a wizard and a Tina Turner look-a-like. The winner though, dressed as a Roman Soldier, and with her Stafford Gentle Beauty wearing a heavily-spiked collar, was Clare Leadbetter. There was only one entrant for the dog fancy dress, this was Jed's Flash Lad as a Father Christmas, an excellent effort by his owner Michelle Welland. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, as did most others there. I'd like to thank all those who put so much time and effort in to make the party the undeniable success that it was. Supreme efforts were made in the organisation, canteen, quiz, speakers, games, raffle tickets, match organisation, stalls, decorations....... If you weren't there, I hope this has given you some idea of the great time you missed out on - perhaps next year you'll come and see what you've missed! To everyone who did make it, I'm sure we'll all be back next year for the 1995 Christmas Party. I know I will. Thanks again for a great day out .
THE STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIER TEMPERAMENT
Having only owned Staffords for three years and been showing them for much
less time, I have found great differences in temperament of the dogs at the
shows I have been to. Walking along rows of show cages without my dogs and
looking at the dog or bitch inside and, while moving closer, offering the back
of my hand to them in a gentle manner, I found that I would get a face pushed
towards me for a stroke, a bark, or a row of pearly white teeth to see me off! A.K. Funnell This is the first in - hopefully - a new series of articles to be published under the heading "Bone of Contention" . These will be items designed to provoke thought in the readers and elicit a response, whether it be positive or negative. Some of the views we'll be publishing may be controversial; we stress that the views outlined in this section are the author's own, and in no way reflect the official policy of the Downlands Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club, its committee or members, the editor of the Newsletter or the Newsletter sub-committee. These articles will be published on an "as seen" basis, edited only for the purposes of clarity, decency or good taste. If you agree or disagree with the points set forth here, please let us know. We shall be publishing any responses to our "Bone of Contention" in a new section intended to start in Newsletter #16 called "Hot Under The Collar". We of the Newsletter subcommittee know our feelings on the matter, now put pen to paper and let us have yours. Please send all correspondence to the address on the back cover. In this issue, we print an item sent in by Mr. Tug Riley. Some of the views held by Mr. Riley are controversial, to say the least. Once again we draw your attention to the fact that these views are those held by the individual contributor, and not by us. End of disclaimer. Standard, Gameness and Type I can't help feeling that Staff. experts have got so set in their ways re: standard etc., that they overlook some good - and sometimes exceptional - dogs just because they don't conform to a set of rules SO rigid that they are in danger of becoming a straitjacket. As a comparatively naive onlooker at shows I've looked, listened and arrived at three conclusions:- 1. Standard With this one you need to take it away from dogs and apply it to something else in order to see the flaws. For instance, when you see the new Jaguar do you get carried away over wheel arches or seat shape or bonnet flare? Of course not. You look at all of it, and it all comes together in one completely balanced machine. And that's what good design is all about. So then, it surely must follow that if a dog impresses with its head or forebody then the rest of the body must be inferior to the part which takes your eye. Surely the ideal dog is one that when you look at it you see a dog so good, so balanced that no one part dominates any other, and to follow on, if this is the way to judge - and common sense says it must be - how then can weight or height enter into the reckoning? A good dog must be judged as just that, a good dog, and to be fair how can you penalise for being inches or pounds over or under a rigid norm. I would suggest that rather than be confined to inflexible ideas of standard or type, common sense should again prevail. Put yourself in the position as it was originally. Surely, providing no speed or agility was lost a 50lb dog would be preferred to a 30lb dog. I'm not saying you should try for a 70 or 80 pounder - using the "no loss of speed or agility" yardstick would negate this - but it must have been proven in most arenas that "a good big 'un will always beat a good littl'un" and if you were breeding for fighting surely you'd aim for winners, wouldn't you? Which brings me to:- 2. Gameness Or, will he fight or won't he? Now here, unless you involve yourself with the dog-fighting fraternity (and what decent person would want to mix with that scum?) how can you possibly judge gameness? It mustn't be confused with aggression. Alsatians have that and so do poodles but that doesn't mean it can be backed up. Looks, even, are no guide. I mean, going away from dogs again, and judging purely on looks, who would've backed Rocky Marciano against Joe Bugner? Yet if you'd've backed Bugner it'd be good-bye money. And again on the theme of looking game and actually being game who promised more in looks and manner than Joe Bugner? And what a cardboard hero he was. I can't define it clearly - my own dog would grip a stick or tyre and the more you banged his head the tighter he'd grip, just shut his eyes and hold on. He'd fight any dog, anytime (for some reason he hated long-haired dogs) and I've never seen him really lose his temper. And yet if he was left in the kitchen - on his own, in the dark - he'd pee all over the floor, he couldn't stand being on his own in the dark. My bitch, on the other hand, got very fretful if other dogs came near while I was walking her. She'd go round and up me trying to get away from them until - and this is the point other dog owners never understand - when she'd finally had enough, she'd turn so fast, and do so much damage so quickly that I ended up apologising for my dog's behaviour! And that, I think, is the whole point, really. Your average Stafford may like to fight or it may not, but because of its beginnings when it does go it commits itself completely. I mean, going back to boxers again, any ex-fighter can, probably will, get fat, lose his legs, pant after very little exertion, but they never, never lose the ability to punch, to move their weight at the moment of impact so as to do the most damage. So with Staffords, the heart is there when pressed. The other dog always suffers. 3. Type Here's another one, sounds good but what does it mean? It's a politician's word, isn't it? He's a "good type". So little is actually said, yet so much implied. It's a very English thing and to me it's a word used which enables the listener to choose his or her own meaning, and enables the speaker to prove he meant something else! I mean, my dog was more bull than terrier, heavy fronted and moved - when he trotted - exactly like a bull, but another owner sees a lighter dog as a good type, so to me "type" is a thing that can't be nailed down and like beauty is a different thing to different people (I mean, if beauty wasn't a poorly defined term, who would marry us uglies?) Anyway, that's all I have to say on that, but before I end, a few more minor observations:- 1. Is it only my dogs who, when sneezing, whack their snouts on the floor? 2. I think owners should look at raising feed and water bowls at least six inches from the floor - my dogs seemed far more comfortable eating this way. 3. A cure for fleas taken from a book on horse illnesses and cures published in 1921: Mix one wineglass of Jeyes fluid into four pints of warm water and thoroughly soak the dog, taking care that ears and eyes are protected. I tried this on my own dog and it really does work. Mind you, it takes longer than puffing a spray or powder on but is considerably cheaper.
If you know a lot about Staffords and the Stafford world in general, then this could be your easy way of earning a fiver. Test your knowledge of dogs, owners, breeding and trivia in this new quiz sent in by the Downland's own Mr Trivia, Jamie Mace. Send your entries to: Downlands Newsletter No.15 Quiz, 99 Charles Avenue, Chichester West Sussex PO19 4HE, to arrive by 31st August 1995. The winner and answers will be published in the next
Newsletter. 2. Who awarded Ch. Allendale King his first CC and BOB, when and where? 3. Who judged the North of Scotland S.B.T. Club limit show on 25th March 1989? 4. Whereabouts is the scapula located? 5. How many CCs did Ch. Benext Beau win? 6. Who was awarded the Dog CC, Reserve Dog CC, Bitch CC and Reserve Bitch CC at the first championship show of the North of Scotland Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club on 20th May 1989, judged by Mr. J Miller and Mrs A. Gatenby? 7. How many ribs does the dog have? 8. Name the dog in the centrefold of the last edition of the Pit International Magazine. 9. Name the sire and dam of Ch. Lawbury Crackling Rose. 10. Who owns Ch. Black Ice? 11. What should the temperament of the Staffordshire Bull Terrier be like? 12. Mr. Alf Tittle judged dogs and bitches at Leicester Championship show 1990. Who was awarded the tickets? 13. Who owns Beefy's Black Ace? 14. Name the dog and bitch CC winners from the Three Counties Show 1979, judged by Mrs Nancy Bolton. 15. Name the bitch who won Best Puppy in show at the SBTC Championship Show 1992. 16. Name the dog on the front cover of the Stafford Bulletin Winter 1988 Edition. 17. Who edited and compiled the Staffordshire Bull Terrier Scrap Book? 18. Who owns Mitsee Bitsee Geisha Girl? 19. Name the Sire of Ch. Hurricane of Judael 20. Who is the Editor of The Welsh Stafford 21. Name the Reserve CC Dog and Reserve CC Bitch winners at Bath Championship Show, 1992. 22. Who awarded Ch. Ensbury's Little Lad at Shirestaff his third ticket? 23. Who bred Ch. Bellerophon Billy Boy and Ch. Judy of Brunanburgh? 24. Who judged Staffords at Crufts in 1939? 25. Which year did Ch. Ben's Renegade of Baracane win BOB at Crufts? The winner of the quiz in Newsletter no. 14 was Elaine Bruton, who asked for her £5 prize to be donated to the Rescue. Thanks and congratulations to her. And now the answers...... 1. Ch. Belnite Blitzkrieg and Ch. Spadille Midnight Lace 2. Junior 3. Mr. A. M. Bell 4. Mrs. I. Nelson 5. Mr. K. Davis 6. Brian Grattidge 7. 1987 8. Dogs;
Ch. Hot Pursuit, Ch. Kablice Midnight Caller, Ch. Boldbull
Blackjack, Ch. Pitbar Rebel Warlord, Bitches; Ch. Judael Masquerade, Ch. Zabaretts Razzle Dazzle, Ch.
Clairwell Lady In Red, Ch. Midnight Huntress, 9. C. Robinson and S. Pickering 10. Ch. Rogue Saga 11. Beastie Boy of Bow 12. Orion Devil's Girl 13. Hazelberry Go Go
TOP BITCHES OF 1994
The 1994 winner of the Perleen Shield and the Oakshire Salver
(for dog or bitch gaining most points at the Downlands Shows over the year) is
Mr and Mrs A Adam with Make Mine a Double of Christaff. |
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