Crufts & WELKS shows

I have just been so busy that have neglected the blog, so time for a quick update....

First a look back to Crufts where I had the honour to judge Pyrenean Mtn Dogs - and found my BOB in the Swedish dog, Vi'skaly's Harlem Shake (Vi'skaly's Stage Diver x Vi'skaly's Poppy Pinot), who then went onto Group 2.  A stunning boy with such a lovely head and expression.

Sam Moore then handled Phillip's Multi Champion Elbereth Matkamies to DCC & BOB under Sue Dunger, and Emma Bird handled Multi Ch Elbereth Kia Joins Bridus to BCC.  There were also big wins for Matka's daughter's Elbereth Pelinainen and Elbereth Suvituuli.  Lovely to have these two super dogs appreciated by Sue who introduced the breed to the UK.

Crufts winners (photo Pia Reynolds)

At WELKs Championship show the breed did not have CCs, but Matkamies took BOB under Mrs Rose Marie Emery from Sweden, and he then went onto his first group placing in UK - G4 under Mrs Lynn Salt

photo Alan Walker

I haven't yet introduced the new edition to our family, Tilkkuturkin Hallantuoma to Elbereth - Matka's daughter to Fin Ch Tilkkuturkin Bunahilkka

photo Nina Lahin

Who with the rest of the Elbereth family had an amazing day at Birmingham National;  first Matka won his 11th CC under Rodney Oldham, then baby Halla won her first ever puppy class, Pelinainen won Junior and Post graduate to be followed by their older half sister, Suvitulli winning limit.  Onto open where Judi Cross won the BCC and BOB with Ch Elbereth Marja (Int & Fin Ch Lecibsin Hapmi x Elbereth Satu), an amazing day ending with 6 month old Halla winning BPIB.

Matka and Kia also popped back to Ireland to gain the final point for their Irish titles and a little trip after Birmingham to Germany to add more points towards their German titles :)

Five weeks - and we get outside

Finally there has been a break in the weather and the puppies are now getting regular visits outside.  It is funny because at first the big wide world is so scary they want to come in, but once they realise they can run about and frolic/play in the bigger place, then they don't want to come in!  A couple of organised escape plans were put into action to get out of the puppy pen, so have had to resort to more cable ties to secure the panels!  Wednesday the weather was very kind, so plenty of outside fresh air, and now they are very peaceful in doors as Zoomies are outside, plus as a bonus all the poos have been outside.  At moment energy levels of a five week pup are such that they sleep for 2 hours, then run about for 15 mins, then back to sleep for 2 hours etc Plus now eating 4 hearty proper food meals a day with top ups from Tullu.

Managed some quick head shots outside

Lightening

Tanny

Triangle

Creamy

Dotcom

Tullu's puppies at week one

The puppies are very good feeders and is common they have each at least doubled their birth weights, at their weekly weigh in.  They seem a very content bunch - I guess its a combination of Tullu having enough working teats, and the six of them being able to feed easily, she is one of the accommodating bitches who roles over a little more on her back to unveil both rows of teats, unlike the bitches who will only lay on their sides, making it harder for pups to access the two rows.

Tullu is enjoying plenty of extra food to help her with the demands of the pups, I am a firm believer in the Royal Canin Mother and Baby/Starter formula, which certainly goes down well, she is on three meals a day, and her in take is more than double her normal daily allowance - plus its a much higher energy level food that the adult maintenance she was on before being confirmed pregnant. 

So onto the pups and the week one rogue's gallery!  Not great pictures, as had to use flash, and although pups still had their eyes shut they were squirming lots when camera flashed.  Next week will aim for natural light, so you can see their colours better, as look quite dark under flash.

"Lightening"(wolf sable ♀)

"Tanny" (black & tan/wolf sable ♀)

"Triangle"(wolf sable ♀)





"Creamy" (cream ♂)

 "dot.com" (wolf sable ♂ )

"Diamond" (tricolour ♀)

 

Summer Puppies - fingers crossed

Elbereth Tiia

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Exciting news today - Elbereth Tiia is in whelp to E Matkamies and puppies due possibly around 1st August.  Tiia is a lovely girl, from an exciting mating of E Taru at Pavoskas to Multi Ch Lumiturpa Otso and Matka's first litter are already showing great promise in the show ring and at home as loveable companions.

Tiia has only been shown lightly but has many wins including RBB at the Southern Finnish Lapphund Society shows in 2011 and 2012.

"Sam the scan" says five puppies! 




 

COI 5.1%

FLC of GB Championship Show

The 6th April saw the FLC of GB Championship show - the first Crufts qualifying show for Matka x Penikka's pups so we were excited to see them out under Finnish specialist Matti Tuominen.  What a lovely day, with some super results and the babies did us proud.

E Hunajakarhu

In puppy dog E Miskakarhu & E Hunajakarhu made their mark, with a 1st and 3rd respectively - thus both qualifying for Crufts 2014,  with Miska going onto win Novice dog too.  His critique from the judge was "Excellent type and proportions, beautiful strong masculine head and beautiful expression, good bone and well angulated, good body and good top line.  Good mover and well presented." 
E Hunajakarhu added a 2nd in Junior, and the comments were "Excellent type, good proportions with good bones, lovely masculine head with good expression, well angulated, not yet in full coat.  Good mover and well presented."

Then Kay & Charlie's  Elbereth Myrsky qualified from Yearling, which is lovely as he has very busy weekends so doesn't get to many shows.

Dog CC - Multi Ch Elbereth Matkamies ShCM

The open dog and good citizen class were won by Matkamies, who was then awarded his seventh CC.  His critique read, "Excellent type, good proportions, pleasing head and expression, good neck, top line and tail set, excellent coat quality, well angulated and moves well, showing himself very well."

Then it was time for the girls to do their bit, with puppies E Suvituuli and E Kaikki Meille Allforus in the puppy bitch class.  With Tuuli taking the win just ahead of her sister, Tuuli's report was "Lovely puppy of excellent type, excellent proportions,

E Suvituuli

very promising head and expression, excellent tail set and angulation, moves very well.  Very promising." and for Kaikki, "Very nice puppy with excellent head, good neck and top line, well sprung ribs, would like to see better bone, well angulated and moves well.  These two girls also secured further placings in junior/novice.

E Miskakarhu (photo by Karen Anderson)

With Miska & Tuuli taking Best puppy dog and bitch respectively - it meant the finale was the litter mates challenging each other for Best Puppy in Show, with the lad, Miska taking the award of BPIS.

L to R: Miska, Kaikki, Tuuli, Karhu

All above photos courtesy of Mark Treasure, except where stated

 

What a Weekend!!!

Its started with a trip to the Kennel Club - with Sam Moore and Matkamies to represent the SFLS in their annual Good Citizen Awards, and we were delighted that the SFLS was 1st Runner up in out category. 
One amusing part of the day - was having arrived at Vauxhall underground - Sam and I realised the station did not have a lift and it was an escalator ride down to the platform!   I was thinking I would have to change plan and get to another station - but asked a helpful member of staff who said - no problem we will just stop the escalator.  So a pull out barrier was put across the middle of three escalators - and the staff waited and checked to see it was empty - and then hit the emergency stop button.  Leaving Matka, Sam & I to walk down!  On the return trip I pressed the "HELP" button at the information point at the foot of the escalators, to hear a cheerful voice saying welcome back doggy, pleased to have you at our station again, and that we could use a stopped escalator again.  Great service well done Vauxhall.

Elbereth Tarmo (Photo by Ian Reynolds)

On the return trip home Matka enjoyed a walk home from Hampton Court station - along his favourite tow path walk - but decided on a few swims and victory rolls to celebrate!   This rendered him grubby and smelly and wrote him out of the show the next day!

I decided to enjoy a day at the show without a dog, and just keep Sue & Kia company!  The show was the National Working & Pastoral show at Sky Blue Connection Leisure Centre at Coventry, so you can imagine our surprise that as judging was about to start Julie & Pawel phoned to say they were "lost" having mistakenly gone to RAS at Stoneleigh, a few miles south!  They arrived in nick of time but somewhat stressed so as I was foot loose and fancy free I groomed up Teebo (Elbereth Tarmo) as he had got a shade damp in the walk from the two wet car parks on his travels!  and I suggested that as Julie was a little stressed from the hurried trip that I show him,  it was a very large junior class (8 present) and Teebo won, he was really on form and went on to win 3 classes and reserve BOB to Ch/Int/Lux Ch Elbereth Kia Joins Bridus, under Mrs P Roberts.  As well as it being a special day getting BOB & BOS the wins meant so much more, BOB for Kia gave her, her Sh CM and the three class wins gave Tarmo his Junior Warrant (both subject to KC confirmation.).  Teebo is the first dog winner of the JW and the second overall, the JW give him his stud book number too!

Mustn't forget the new little babies, E Hunajakarhu, E Miskakarhu and E Suvituuli who all behaved impeccably, and had a great family reunion.  

The Second CC

Last year when CCs were first offered for the breed, the bitch CCs were well spread, with no bitch winning more than one CC, and so I guess as 2012 started the pressure was on to see who would win a second CC.  

Elbereth Kia Joins Bridus

At the Finnish Lapphund Club of GB's second Championship show judged by top Finnish allrounder, Hans Lehtinen, the bitch entry was higher than the dogs (37 dogs making 54 entries and 49 bitches making 64 entries.) so competition was strong, therefore absolutely delighted that Sue and Emma Bird's Elbereth Kia Joins Bridus headed a strong open bitch class and went onto win her second CC with me handling.  Her first CC was won at Birmingham last May under Sue Dunger, when she did double with brother Matkamies.  

Kia is a very big winner overseas as well, having numerous CACIB and she took BOB at Luxembourg, she actually has more than the required 4 CACIB for her International title - but under FCI rules we have to wait until a year and a day has passed before trying to win the qualifying CACIB for this title.  Last year in addition to her CC she won BB at Working and Pastoral Breeds of Wales and BOB at South Wales.

Elbereth bred dogs had a lovely show with 4 of Mamo's young babies, E Tarmo, E Tulin Kaukaa for Limishka, E Mysrky and E Leena qualifying for Crufts at their first Championship show, we also took first and second place in the breeder's competition, having fielded two teams.

Crufts

prejudging

Crufts turned into a two day affair for "Team Elbereth" having qualified for the Breeder Finals, I had to persuade some friends to come along and help show the team on the Friday.  The breeder competition is a points based system, with teams from all breeds collecting points throughout the year, and then the Kennel Club invite the top 50 teams to the final.  Throughout the year, many Elbereth lappies have done their bit to be in the team (s) and I am grateful to their owners support, though it made it a tough call to select the team for the Final.  In the end "Team Elbereth" were represented by myself and Matkamies, Sam Moore and Penikka, Chris Murray and Mikko and Emma Johnstone and Kia.  Sue and Marian, came to support, fetch and carry and take the pictures!

Final judging - photo by Yossi Guy

Each of the teams (three or four dogs) were prejudged by Stuart Plane in ring 1 before the teams lined up to enter the main ring just ahead of the day's group judging.

Then came our exciting entry to the big ring, along with the other teams, a very impressive sight of just short of 50 of the top breeders in the country represented.  We had been advised that the judge would select 10 teams for a short list - and then we would be moved again, so I for one was delighted when our team was called out to make the shortlist.

The judge looked at each team again - and we had the daunting task of running in a line across the large main ring and then all around it in a line, just kept everything crossed that none of us would trip up!  Then to line up again for the final review.  The winners were the Livera Pomeranians, and runners up were  the smart border terriers, but in THIRD place were the finnish lapphunds.  Absolutely delighted, and special thanks not only to the teams handlers but also to Matti Takenen and Jukka Kuusisto, Taina Miettinen and Sue & Roger Dunger for helping me to establish my line here in the UK, all four of the finalists go back to my original bitch - Sulyka Mischa at Elbereth, and her famous pet passport mating to Fin Ch Lumiturpa Nörri, through Toive, with Mikko being the son of Int/Fin Ch Lecibsin Hapmi, Penikka the daughter of Fin/WT Lecibsin Kultakuono, and Matka and Kia not only grandkids of the delightful Hapmi, but from the special litter to Multi Ch Lecibsin Macce. 

You can watch the final on the You Tube channel, with the lappies featuring at 3.50/10.50/12.44/16.06/23.44/24.23/24.51/27.19 minutes





Then as if we had not had enough excitment for the weekend we returned early on Saturday to set up the SFLS Breed stand - and show the dogs under Mrs Pearl Chetwynd (Curdeleon).  I was delighted that Matka won the res dog CC, winning open dog and the Good Citizen classes.