HIGHLIGHTS OF 2018:
There was more happening during 2018 but my computer broke and I lost some information that should gave been added to this page.
8th of September: Having wanted one since I was just 2 years old -which means I waited 50 years!- I have now got A POODLE !!!
Say hello to 8 week old Miniature Parti Poodle LOTTIE.
25th of August: Jacky Walker's G. Kaylee competed for Yorkshire Bouncers at the British Flyball Associations Championships.
Their team won Division 10. Kayleee has gained her Flyball Dog and Flyball Dog Intermediate awards after less than a year in flyball.
13th of August: Bournemouth Championship Show. Rex (G. King of Hearts) won the Dog CC and Best of Breed. Rona was Best Bitch but had the CC withheld.
August: Ella and Hetty (G. Lucky Star) passed a 6 day course for the UK College of Scentwork. They now both have qualifications and
Hetty is trained in scentwork to police dog standards.
5th of August: BSD Association of GB Championship Show. Rona and Rex both graded Excellent. This time Rona only gained 2nd in Veteran Bitch, Rex again 1st in Limit Dog.
4th of August: Northern BSD Club's Championship Show. Rona graded Excellent, 1st in Veteran Bitch out of 3, Best Veteran in Breed out of 4.
Rex graded Excellent and 1st in Limit Dog (out of only one though).
21st of July: Christine Merritt's Reggie (G. Flash) won 1st in the Surrey Dog Training Club Championship Working Trials and gained his CD ex qualification.
The first Goldmali to have done so!
17th of July: Karen Denton's Barley (G. Only You) passed her Good Citizen GOLD test aged 1 year and 1 day.
The Gold rules now state the dog has to be a year old to take the test!
14th/15th of July: Joanne Apostolou's Zulte (G. I Believe I Can Fly) won into Grade 5 agility.
14th of July: National Working & Pastoral Breeds Championship Show. Bambi was 1st of 3 in Puppy Bitch, Rona was Best Veteran -although there was only one veteran!
7th of July: The new issue of "Your Dog" magazine has a large photo and article about Mandy Hodgkinson's Tarn on holiday (G. One Vision).
17th of June: PJ and Papillon Obi were looking for another Papillon friend, and so Walnut went to live
with them. Walnut has a much more interesting life now, being just one of two dogs. He also has a new name - Solo. I do miss him.
21st of May: Matilda the accidental Malinois x Golden Retriever, turned 16 years old. On the same day, our new rescue Malinois
gave birth to an unexpected litter of 4 puppies (22 days after she came here) -also Malinois crossbreeds, but much smaller.
Matilda 16 years old
15th of May: We passed the latest home inspection for the Kennel Club Assured Breeders Scheme.
13th of May: Birmingham National Championship Show. Bambi (G. Over The Rainbow) won 1st out of 3 in Puppy Bitch and then competed
against her litter brother Scout (G. On Fire, owned by Thea Jellicoe) who was best puppy dog. Bambi took Best Puppy in Breed.
29th of April: Karen Denton and Barley (G. Only You) qualified Level 6 Scentwork UK. Barley is still only 9 months old.
We welcomed home a rescue Malinois. More about her later.
21st of April: Working & Pastoral Breeds Association of Wales Championship show only had 2 Malinois entered, and both were Goldmalis.
Enid Rennie and Nicky Mackie's Goldmali No Limit to Hawksflight (Kyte) took BD and BOB,
whilst Thea Jellicoe's Goldmali On Fire (Scout) took RBD and Best Puppy - this was Scout's first show. That's both of them qualified for Crufts.
15th of April: There's no stopping these scentwork dogs! Karen and Barley (G. Only You) pass and place third in Level 5 Scentwork UK - 9 months old.
8th of April: And the next scentwork dog is off to a good start! Bianca Schofield and Fire (G. Noyau's Fire at Toverheks) does
a clean sweep and gains a result of 96 out of 100 at her first time competing in Level One!
30th of March: Christine Smith and Bliss (G. Kiss From A Rose)gain their Flyball Dog Advanced award.
18th of March: Karen Denton and Barley (G. Only You) does it again -placed first in the Scentwork UK trial Level 4!
Barley is 8 months old. She also passed her KC Good Citizen Bronze and Silver tests during March.
18th of March: Retford CS Open show. Our judge didn't make it due to the snow, so we had a rather cold and long wait
(okay, let's face it, I've NEVER felt so cold at a dog show before -
you could see your own breath!) until we could be judged by a replacement judge.
It was Papillons we were showing this time, and Mickey (G. Joyride) won PG out of 3 and then took Reserve Best of Breed. Molly was 2nd in Open for Benjamin.
10th of March: We did Discover Dogs at Crufts, with Malinois. I had not felt able to at all last year, and in 2016 I tried but didn't cope.
This time I had a cunning plan. My wonderful, trusted puppy buyers!
Heather with Lupa (plus assorted friends and husbands) manned the front and were absolutley spot on PERFECT.
A dog who loves everyone, and an owner who happily chats to anyone -I could just sit back and relax.
And Ella with Hetty kept popping over, both just as perfect. Fen and Ritzy were in the pen and both were excellent.
THANK YOU everyone for your help, you all (that includes John, of course) made it possible for me to do
Discover Dogs again. You took the pressure off me, and I ended up only speaking to a few but extra nice people.
Now just let's forget about going to the ladies on my own, now THAT I didn't think I'd survive!! Crufts truly is VERY busy.
Highlights of the day: Finding out that Hetty is currently the ONLY Malinois Pets As Therapy dog in the UK. Having a TV
dog trainer not believe Ella when she said Hetty is a PAT dog, as "She's a Malinois, they can't be PAT dogs!"
Well she is, and she's perfectly suited for the role. I have tried so hard to breed friendly and outgoing Malinois, and I am
getting there. They can still work, they still have drive, they may LOOK soft, sit up and beg for a treat and want to cuddle, but they are still very capable dogs.
When they NEED to, which isn't when meeting NICE strangers wanting to say hello.
I also must not forget that Hetty took part in training demonstrations which were live streamed on the internet,
and Karen with Zelda did a Scentwork demo on the Thursday.
And once again, ALL the Malinois that took part in Discover Dogs over the four days of Crufts, were descendants of Ripley.
Ritzy and Fen at Discover Dogs
Heather and Lupa at Discover Dogs
Hetty and Lupa at Discover Dogs
Ella with Hetty
Hetty the PAT dog
8th of March: Crufts, pastoral day. What was I thinking, entering 4 Malinois? AND having to bring "Discover Dog" Fen with us as he can't be left alone
all day. Wow, 5 Malinois, 4 cages, 3 chairs and all the show stuff, despite using a trolley it was NOT easy getting from the NEC car park
to the right hall! Do remind me to stick to just two dogs in future! We were running so late we thought we'd miss the judging.
Thankfully we didn't.
Rex (G. King of Hearts) was 2nd out of 2 in PGD, and 1st out of 1 in GCD, handled by John.
Rona (G. Fabulous) was entered as a veteran for the first time, and won the VB class out of 4, handled by John.
Bambi (G. Over the Rainbow) was 2nd of 2 in PB.
Dana (G. Lullaby) was 1st of 1 in PGB, handled by Benjamin. NO hint whatsoever of the upset Dana had at Crufts last year -she was fine.
Which meant I was much better too!
Having watched the BOB and BP judging, we assumed we were finished, and John went off with Ella to get some lunch.
After a while we noticed people standing around in the ring looking like they were missing someone.
Turned out that this year they were picking a Best Veteran in Breed, from the dog and bitch winner. And Rona was
wanted back in the ring! She's not an easy dog to handle so John always does it. Now I sent Benjamin into the ring with her, where
they were handed the rosette stating BEST VETERAN IN BREED. She beat several foreign multi Champions for this,
so although we are still hoping for that magical third CC to appear one day, which it didn't this time, we were really pleased with Rona.
Rona
28th of February: Still ill in bed on my birthday, so I wasn't able to go with John when he had to take Arnie to the vet for the final goodbye.
Aged 15 years and 9 months Arnie's time had come, just days after that of his brother's. Too many dogs gone this month.
25th of February: Karen Denton and Barley (G. Only You) passed Level 3 Scentwork UK and placed fourth in the trial. 7 months old.
25th of February: Enid Rennie and Kyte wins AV Puppy at Okehampton Open show, out of 5.
24th of February: Newark & DCS Open show. I was in bed with the flu but John showed Bambi (2nd) and Mats (2nd too), and then got Penny, Mats and Santee eye tested clear.
22nd of February: Jennifer Skelly lost her Shadow, one of the accidental Maligolds. Shadow could not have wished for a better
home and was much loved all his life -15 years and 9 months old he was.
18th of February: Matlock & District CS Open show. Wow! Bambi took Best Puppy (out of 3) and then Best of Breed ! Rex was RBOB. Dana got a first as did Mats.
10th of February: Enid Rennie's Kyte (Goldmali No Limit) went to his first ever show and took 4th out of 11 in AVNSC Open!
2nd of February: My lovely Abby went to sleep for the last time. One very special Papillon who will be much missed.
28th of January: Karen Denton and Zelda (G. Kalinka) became the first ever dog to win the first Level 7 Scentwork UK trial!
20th of January: Manchester Championship Show; Bambi's very first show. She was a bit unsure but not too bad, and qualified for Crufts which was the aim.
Rex took Best Dog.
