Several trips away and lots of news, means that CHATTERBOX has fallen a little behind....I have now made a start on the back log and will catch up in a few days. If you have sent me stuff....dont fret, it will appear.
Gordon Inglis (Craigowl) judging at Border Union show in 1990.
THE FLYINS FINNS
How Virpi Laaksonen's dogs Tenho, Turo and Zola and Mila cool down in the hot weather after an agility training session in Finland. Looks great.
Geoffrey Porter (Ringcreevy) lost his mum on 19th July 2013. We send our deepest condolences to Geoffrey and his family in Northern Ireland.
SWISS BLISS
Lorraine Gillhespy (Lorphil) went to Switzerland recently to judge at the Cavalier and King Charles Spaniel Club of Switzerland. Lorraine writes "The venue was a racecourse in Aarau, about an hour's drive from Zurich and the hospitality from the club officials was superb. From an entry of 40 Cavaliers and 13 Charlies, I ended up with a 4 year old ruby bitch, Ch VDH & CCD Ch. Black Value Cavaliers Crazy Winner GirlforCavalier BOB and BIS.Such a show girl, excellent construction, glorious coat and colour and handled so well. She had a Turretbank sire and Woodville dam. My BOB Charlie was another ruby, although less mature than the Cavalier at only 20 months, but again a very special dog, and again superb construction, wonderful coat colour and presentation. Bred in Finland by Marja Kurittu, the dog was Marjaniemen Ivory's Trophy sired by Ch. Ivory's Rubinowy Scarb out of a Ch. Flivverway the Emmy, a B/T bitch that won the CC at CRUFTS this year.
DOWN SOUTH...
Ann Stocks (Rebinya) judged at the Southern CKCS Club Open show and her main winners were...
Lanola Sweet Wild Rose-Best Veteran, Juzandia Sargeant Pepper- Best Puppy, Ellemich Exclamation - BEST IN SHOW, Verheyen Garrick - Best Opposite
SERVICE WITH A SMILE
U.S. Army veteran, Joane Dandurand, had some tough experiences in the military and ended up terminating her enlistment early. When she got home, she suffered from post traumatic stress disorder but was able to train 'Hunter', her Cavalier, to be her service dog. 'Hunter' was a lifesaver, said Joane, who also suffers from multiple sclerosis. The little dog would alert her when she got anxious from PTSD by jumping into her lap to distract her or waking her up when she had nightmares. But as the multiple sclerosis got worse, she needed more help than Hunter could provide. If she fell, Hunter just wasn’t big enough to allow Joane to use her as a brace to get up. She needed a bigger helper.
Joane went to K9s for Warriors Organisation in Florida for three weeks in May to meet Lilly, a 3-year-old golden retriever, and receive training on her and bring her home. “The dogs already come trained but the training is to teach people how to work with a service dog.” The dogs are mostly shelter dogs or surrenders, which are then evaluated and put to work for veterans. If she feels nervous around someone, Joane can tell Lilly to “post” and the retriever will move between her and the other person. Lilly will also help her get up if she falls or has troubles from the multiple sclerosis. “My goal is to be a park ranger and then I can work by myself in my truck and have my dogs.” “Things are starting to look up,” she said. “My vet bill got a bit bigger and I have to vacuum more, but it’s totally worth it.”
CUTS A DASH
This 19th needlepoint pole screen, inspired by the image of 'Dash', is from the 1838 painting by Sir Edwin Landseer titled "Hector, Nero and Dash with the parrot, Lory", commissioned by Queen Victoria and today can be seen in the Royal Collection. The panel is 16 x 22 inches and the walnut stand measure 49 inches high. At the Hamshere Gallery http://www.hamsheregallery.com/
SPOTS AND STRIPES
Dorothy Berry (Kurranulla Cavaliers and Dalmatians) from South Africa sends us this charming story about Toby, the tricolour Cavalier. "When he arrived at
eight weeks I had a litter of Dalmatian puppies who became his new playmates
and what they did, Toby did. Including dinner time! You may notice the back end of Harriet, my sweet, patient Dalmatian. She was dragged over the fence and
savaged by a pitbull cross. A wonderful young vet did everything she could to save my girl’s life. At the time she was
only 22 months old and one CC short of becoming a Champion. Harriet was
in hospital for three and a half weeks and was operated on every day, removing dead and dying flesh, and finally having
her tail removed due to the top three vertebrae being crushed. So despite the trauma and the repeated anaesthetics, Harriet
survived to give me three good litters and treat Toby the tricolour Cavalier as one of her
own."
CAVALIER LOVERS GET HITCHED
Cavalier KCSC Chairman, Sheena Maclaine (Pennygown) and Eastern Counties CKCSS Committee member, Andy Vella (Cinderaic) have got married. The ceremony was attended by the couple's family and friends who wished the couple all the best for the future and looked forward to the patter of lots of 'little Champion paws'.
Our congratulations to the happy couple.....Sheena and Andy.
THE TALE OF TRICIA AND TYLER
Tricia Webb from Middlesborough credits her beloved Cavaliers with motivating her to recover from the grip of anorexia and saving her life. So when she was told her beloved eight year old 'Tyler' had lymphoma and just four weeks to live, she vowed to do whatever she could to keep him happy and comfortable.
Eight months on, 'Tyler' is still here, tail still wagging with happiness, thanks to the tender loving care of his 34-year-old 'mum' Tricia. TLC means taking him out in one of her old wheelchairs.
“My dogs are my life and that’s what got me better.That’s why I would do anything for them,” she said. "It was heartbreaking to leave 'Tyler' behind when he could no longer enjoy the same long walks as her other three dogs, 'Bodie', 'Max' and 'Sam'. Tricia, who lives with her mum and dad, has suffered from anorexia since she was 16. She describes having been “in and out of hospital” and the toll the illness has taken on her body, causing brittle bone disease osteoporosis. But in the past nine years, whenever she has been at a low ebb, it is her dogs that have always seen her bounce back. She said: “I’ve had them since they were pups. They are like my kids. I sit and talk to them about any problems I have. Obviously they can’t tell anyone! I love them so much, when I was in hospital, they would ask me ‘what’s your goal or reason to get better?’ I would always say, my dogs are my goal.” “My mum and dad ask “what do we say to spur you on if we lose Tyler?” “I tell them, remind me I’ve got another three dogs there that need me as well."
LAND AHOY
Royal National Lifeboat Institution lifeguard, Ian Chattun, had a busy Sunday afternoon recently at Aberporth, on the west coast of Wales, when he went out to assist a broken down personal craft only to return to shore with a family pet. Ian paddled out on the rescue board to investigate and found that a local boat owner was already helping but as the lifeguard returned to shore, one of his RNLI colleagues on the beach spotted a Cavalier paddling out to sea. The family pet was following his owner, who was kayaking out to sea, unaware that his pet was on his tail. Ian quickly turned around and picked up the dog who was by now struggling to keep his head above water.The Cavalier was safely returned to shore, on the front of the rescue boardm and was soon reunited with his family.
HENNIE TAKES HER LEAVE
from Linda Flynn (Linjato)"I first met Hennie Seeder de Vries in 1984 at a Hypermarket in Belgium, having been introduced by Wendy
Hilberts-Goodman. Hennie said she would bring a Cavalier along
with her so I could recognize her and her husband Gerrard. Little did we know that day the friendship we
would form and that it would last almost 30 years! Hennie was a kind loving person whom I called my little Belgian Mum, and my son looked upon her as a grandmother. She was an amazing lady who in her younger
days was a bookbinder, but what many people didn’t know about her was her
passion for languages and music. She
taught herself to speak French, English, German and Russian! She was also a
self-taught very accomplished pianist, which never came easy for her due to the
deformities of her fingers on both hands.
After we returned home to the UK from living in Belgium, our friendship continued and she would come to the UK every year for two weeks holiday, and the highlight for her was always go to Club Show weekend and Crufts. She was known by many and loved watching the Cavaliers and chatting to people. In those early days, including myself there were only a handful of breeders in Belgium. Hennie and her husband Gerrard were very successful in the show ring not only with the Cavaliers but also with their Irish and English Setters which they had before adding Cavaliers to their family, having bred and owned Mistry’s Gamble, the top Irish Setter for many years, and many other Champions in both Irish and English Setters. Hennie was the first person to import Cavaliers from the UK to Belgium, her first was her precious Sanubray Super Sue who she had from Molly Coaker, she then bought a lovely Tricolour boy from Di Fry. Later she also imported two girls from Rhonda Banks and the Choya Kennel. On one of her visits she fell in love with Linjato Ace of Base’s litter brother Linjato Mr Moonlighter, so off he went to Holland and became a Multi Champion and features in many of the pedigrees of today’s successful breeders, and Hennie was so proud of the fact they he went onto live until he was 18 years of age becoming Belgium and Holland’s oldest Cavalier . She was also a co-founder of The Pejaytoyspa in Beligum which was a joint breed club for Cavaliers, King Charles, Japanese Chin & Pekingese and worked tirelessly for many years, encouraging new members to show their dogs at the Club Show. Sadly two years ago Hennie suffered a severe stroke, and was no longer able to make her annual pilgrimage to the UK. Last weekend was the annual show for Pejatoyspa which she was on her way to, but during the journey wasn’t feeling too well and had to return to the residential home, where she was admitted into hospital later that day, but was still asking who had won at the show. Sadly Hennie passed away on the Monday evening. A little lady with the kindest heart….. Hennie, I will miss you always."
Hennie was a welcome visitor at our UK shows and her lovely smile could warm the coldest of venues.
.....don't go too far away...lots more on it's way in the next couple of days...