City of Birmingham show on 2nd September was not the most pleasant of experiences for most of our few exhibitors who had entered for this show. Of the entry of six, one was absent and it was decided by the owner of another that she is not yet ready to brave the thrills of the big ring. This left just four for judge Mrs Cartledge. However, when the previous breed in our ring had finished we were left to wait for the judge with none of us, including the ring stewards, knowing why were still waiting. Eventually we were told that she was still judging another breed in a part of the showground away from where we were waiting. As one does, we had made calculations to decide how early – or late – we could be in arriving at the show. We knew how many were due to be in the breed before us, but did not know that “our” judge had another breed in a different ring and thus that an entry of more than 70 dogs would take more than three hours. Eventually at about 2.30 pm we had a judge, and quickly the dogs had been judged. In dogs the CC was won by Steve and Alison Piearce’s Ahonpaan Esko at Sukunimi and the RCC was awarded to my Niko – Puulatva The Red Norseman among Inkivaari. By this time it seemed that our dogs were tired and bored and the two young bitches did not show well, as a result of which the CC was not awarded, BB was Cecily Byard and Tom Greer’s Valokki Kuura, who already has one CC and one RCC, and RBB was awarded to Abby Rolfe’s Enkelini Toivoa, who already has one RCC – she was also BP at this show.

News has recently come through that Kuura is being trained in the KC Good Citizens award scheme, and has been achieved the  Silver award. Kuura was bred by Irene Slater who has trained at least two of her own dogs to Gold standard. Congratulations to breeder and owner.