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thanks Libor xx

HOW "ART" THOU?

by Richard Buckner (1812-1883). Mrs. Horace Marryat with her pet spaniel.

The Eurodog showin Kortrijk in Belgium is well situated in Europe to attract exhibitors from France, Netherlands and Germany and of course Belgium but this year it was able to boast that 34 countries were represented and 6,000+ dogs were shown over the 2 days 16th/17th November. I saw a busload of dogs and their owners from as far afield as Russia, such is the popularity of the show The panel of 58 judges came from 19 countries and as the Society were celebrating their 50th Anniversary show this year there was twice the number of normal CACs/CACIBs on offer. I see from the catalogue that 253 UK dogs made the trip.... the Pet Passport scheme obviously being put to good use. Mark Sedgwick and I judged the Cavaliers and the handsome entry of 140 over the 2 days was very satisfying, as they normally get about 50 each day. We decided that the easiest form of travel was by train so I got on at Newcastle and the 3 hour journey to London Kings Cross passed quickly. A short walk to St Pancras International station where I met up with Mark and Aum and we boarded the Eurostar headed for Lille. The journey only took 1 hour 20 minutes and moving at 186 mph you can understand why! In that short time we were served a light meal and wine. Nice, if somewhat nouvelle cuisine for my taste. A taxi then ferried us the half hour trip from Lille in France across the border to our Kennedy Hotel in Kortrijk in Belgium, set a stones throw away from the show venue, the Expo Centre which is a bit like the NEC. As Mark was judging on the first day I took myself off to Bruges with Raf and Christophe who generously showed me the sights. It was a delightful chocoholic day!

Saturday evening was the Banquet and Mark and I managed not to talk about who had won what, so I was able to go to judge on the Sunday without any preconceived ideas. We had the pleasure of Andreas Schemel, Desi Murphy (USA), Bojan Matakovic (Croatia) and Jenny and Hugh Clifford from Northampton at our table and it was a great evening with live music and delicious food.

Sunday judging started at 10.am and it was a surprise to discover no critiques were required. Each dog however still received a grade Excellent, Very Good, Good etc. The Cavaliers were judged in colours with dog and bitch classes Baby, Puppy, Junior, Intermediate, Open, Champion and Veteran. From the winners of each class a CAC/RCAC was chosen and after going through all the colours, the four CAC winners in dogs and the same for the four CAC bitches competed for the CACIB given to the best dog and best bitch from all the four colours. The two CACIB winners were then compared and a BEST OF BREED was picked. Mark and I agreed on the majority of winners with only slight adjustments when a dog was only presented for the one of the days, not two.

Our weekend in Belgium ended Sunday night with dinner in our hotel with some of the people we had met.

It had a been a marvellous show and we all made plans for a reunion in the future!

The trip home was relaxing...the train definitely takes the strain.

THE MAIN WINNERS...

BEST BITCH/BEST OF BREED....Wicked Taste of An Excellent Choice(Netherlands)

'Wicked Taste'..(Ch Miletree Constellation ex Ch Holly Berry of An Excellent Choice)

Dog CC....Stonepit Franco I Believe (UK)

RESERVE DOG CC.....Ch Gran Cru of Cuddly World's (France)

BEST OF BREED COMPETITION...Junior, Dog CC, Veteran, Bitch CC

CAC BITCHES in all the colours.....Havana and Gold Du Pre au Comte (b/t) France

Ch Black Value Cavalier Crazy Winner Girl (ruby) Switzerland

Royal Kiss of An Excellent Choice (blenheim) Netherlands

Wicked Taste of An Excellent Choice (Netherlands)

BEST JUNIOR and 6th place in Group 9 - Holmes Des Contemplations (France)

BEST DOG/BEST OF BREED and Group 9 winner....Ch Gran Cru of Cuddly World's (France) BEST BITCH......Ch Deshabille Moi De Cartledge (France)

BEST JUNIOR....Stonepit Believe in Angels (UK)

BEST VETERAN...Ch Juci Bacardi Rigo (Netherlands)

Dog CC....Ch Gran Cru Cuddly World's

Dog RCC...Stonepit Franco I Believe

RESERVE BITCH CC....Rockin Rebels Hello Sunshine (Netherlands)

New Champion

French/Luxemburg Ch Deshabillez Moi De Cartledge owned by Marie Claude Hemelot and bred by Thierry Carteau gained her Belgium and International Champion titles at the Kortrijk show on Saturday. She is by Maibee Moffat ex Carham Vanity Fair. Congratulations...

GAIETY OF SPIRIT

Lauren Nickaci in Pennsylvania USA has a precious girl 'Royal Companion Gaiety at Truluv' who will be 15 years old in February. She was bred in the Netherlands by Wendy Hiberts-Goodman. Sire is the German Cavalier, bred by Dieter Heymann, Multi Champion Immenhof's Union Jack and the Dam is Royal Companion Love Me Do. You go, Gaiety

MERRY MARYANN

Maryann Hogan (Stavonga) had a great day at the Southern CKCS Club where she took BEST BITCH/BEST IN SHOW with Stavonga Silhouette under judge Karen Bartlett (Pebblecombe). Seen below left to right) Best Veteran... Korolevsky Natalya,'SILHOUETTE',Best Puppy/Best Dog...Charalier Dress to the Nines for Charlesworth

UNUSUAL ITEMS

This is the first Toy Spaniel micromosaic paperweight Hamshere Gallery in London have ever seen. Set in Belgium black marble these “Fermacarte” were popular at the end of the 19^th century. After a design by Antonio Aguatti .......5 ¾ x 6 ¾ inches, the mosaic 2 ½ x 3 ½ inches.

CLARET JUG

Austrian novelty decanter with plated mounts and coloured glass eyes. 10 inches high Circa 1920

TOP THAI

Top winning Cavalier in Thailand 2013 is Ch Knattings Dancing In The Dark. Owned by Yupayao Sakawee and handled by Flint Than Teeravedj. Bred in Sweden by Eva Holmberg by SE UCH Sanickro Knight of Honour out of SE UCH Knattings Mayflower....many congratulations

As from 29th November 2013, Ann & David Stocks and the Rebinya Cavaliershave a new address.They will be at 17 Partridge Close. Rainworth.Mansfield
Notts. NG21 0GT.

FRENCH MAID

Nathalie and Gypsy Wife

Gypsy Wife des Beylias (a daughter of Craigowl Lily Marlene and Upper Class des Beylias) to the delight of her owner/breeder Nathalie Boutin-Triquet, has fulfilled all her early promise. Some of her successes include Best Cavalier Puppy at the World Show in Paris 2011, Best Junior Cavalier in 2012 at the Cavalier National Specialty,French Champion in 2013 and now has addedInternational Champion to her string of titles......well done

TOLE TRAYS

Tole trays are normally made of metal and enameled and decoratively painted

Rod Russell from Florida has sent in these two examples that were sold recently at an auction in Omaha, Nebraska. The first fetched $2,000 and the second $3,500

English 19th century tole tray with Spaniel. 1840 - 1850. Measuring 31 1/2" x 22"

English 19th century tole tray with mother-of-pearl inlay on the border. Sir Edwin Landseer did the original oil on canvas of this image, "Queen Victoria's Favourite Pets". 1840 - 1850. Measure 29 1/4" x 23 1/2".

LEOGEM DOES CANBERRA

Dennis and Tina Homes left the cold front in Britain for the Southern Hemisphere and Canberra where they both judged at the CKCS Club of Canberra show on 9th & 10th November.

Dog CC and Best in Show under Dennis was Ch Cobbets Cockney Rebel.Reserve Dog CC and Reserve Best in Show was Ch Miletree Eclipse.Bitch CC was Ch Caribelle Fairy Tale, Reserve Bitch CCDapsen Glitters in Diamonds.

Ch Cobbets Cockney Rebel

Ch Miletree Eclipse

Ch Caribelle Fairy Tale

Dapsen Glitters in Diamonds.

....day two dawned in Canberra

....with Tina judging. She gave the Dog CC and Best in Show to Ch Melloway Adrenaline Rush with the Reserve Dog CC awarded to Ch Dapsen I'm Sexy and I Know It. The Bitch CC went to Ch Miniatura Massachusettswith the Reserve Bitch CC going to Ch Carbrook Eternal Love.

Ch Melloway Adrenaline Rush

Ch Miniatura Massachusetts

Ch Carbrook Eternal Love.

Ch Dapsen I'm Sexy and I Know It

WHO WAS BEST IN THE WEST?

Miyuki Kotani (Rathbrist) from Longford in Southern Ireland judged the West of England CKCS Club Open show and and is seen here with her main winners.

BEST VETERAN ... Jordanic Italia Evydal

BEST PUPPY/BEST IN SHOW...Charnell Clematis at Salegreen
BEST OPPOSITE.....Charalier Dress to the Nines for Charlesworth

........with apologies to the master Flemish artist Jan Van Eyck....