CRUFTS
Judge: Mr W R Irving
BEST of BREED: CH KINGSRIDGE TOP TIP
DCC: CH KINSRIDGE BACK CHAT
RDCC: MARCHDENS MARK MY WORDS
BCC: CH KINSRIDGE TOP TIP
RBCC: CH BLAKENS TOOTIE FRUITIE
BEST PUPPY: BELLEVILLE SLIPKNOT
Crufts is the first championship show of the year which has classes for Norfolk Terriers, and the entries qualify by having a stud book number or being placed 1st to 3rd in any championship show the previous year in 2016, or at Manchester or Boston in 2017. Crufts rotates the breeds over the four days, and after Sunday last year, Terriers were back to Day 1, Thursday 9th March.
Judging Norfolks this year was Terrier specialist and former Chairman of the Kennel Club, Mr Ronnie Irving. He drew a reasonable entry in the dog classes of 19 with just one absentee, and one in 2 classes, but these classes at shows last year were poorly attended. The bitches as usual were far more numerous at 41, with 14 abstentions – making 27 present with a total of 59 entries and 44 actually in the ring, if my maths is correct; nothing like the high entries three or four years ago.
Diane Jenkins had an amazing day winning both CCs, first with her dog, CH KINSRIDGE BACK CHAT gaining his 7th CC in the dog classes. Home bred he is by Ch Kinsridge Cash Back out of Ch Kinsridge Gung Ho; her tie-up with Maureen McPhee’s Foxhouse kennels in the past has been very productive with both Ch Kinsridge Gung Ho and Ch Kinsridge Hot Tip being out of Foxhouse bitches, Foxhouse Funky Foxtrots to Kinsridge, Gung Ho’s dam is by Ch Krisma Crossfire out of Ch Foxhouse Firedance.
Once again CH KINSRIDGE TOP TIP reigned supreme; this was her 32nd CC with her 20th Best of Breed. Her sire Ch Kinsridge Top Gun is by one of Diane’s previous big winners, Ch Kinsridge Top Dollar, but he did not fancy a career at stud much and is now a much loved pet. Top Gun’s dam was Oktumi Elude, by Jaeva Duty Free out of Boduf Lady Binx, one of a remarkable pair of litter sisters, with Oktumi Emma Em, who has been a goldmine for Martin Phillips, producing his Ch Jaeva For Petes Sake and Jaeva Gorden Bennet amongst other good dogs. The Jones’ Oktumi kennel is far better known amongst Welsh Corgis, and they acquired this bitch Boduf Lady Binx from Mr C Hanson – she was by Ch Belleville Smart Alec out of Strathinver Magic Obi with Boduf. What bad luck for the Jones that the bitch they kept Oktumi Els Angel did not breed and they sold the other bitches.
Ch Kinsridge Top Tip (Martha) was out of Am Ch Kinsridge Hot Tip, herself a dam of six champions in the UK, USA and Norway. She was by Kinsridge Jack Daniels, an AI son of Am Ch Max-Well’s Cyclone out of Ch Kinsridge Wild Child. Her dam was the Maureen McPhee bred Foxhouse On Fire at Kinsridge, by Ch/Am Ch Kinsridge Free ‘N’ Easy out of Kinsridge Rock Chick at Foxhouse.
Winning his 5th Dog RCC was MARCHDENS MARK MY WORDS, from the first litter bred by Denise Horne, piloted in the ring by her aunt Jackie Phillips. He was sired by Mary Atkinson’s Moortop Marks Delivery, who she bred by Blakens Sugar Candy Dips out of Moortop Again No Choice.
His dam though, Lady Miss Cheif (which spelling my PC tries to correct) is out of another daughter of Oktumi Elude in Kinsridge Mischief Maker, and her sire is Jaeva Gorden Bennet bred from Oktumi Emma Em.
Jackie Phillips also exhibited her own CH BLAKENS TOOTIE FRUITIE to the reserve CC in bitches. She has had to play second fiddle eight times last year, but still won 3 CCs, two as Best of Breed. Home bred from two different lines she is by Ch Blakens Xpress Yourself out of Vision Express at Blakens who was originally owned by Denise’s mother, Margaret Horne. Ch Blakens Xpress Yourself is by Ch Moortop No Choice. Ch Blakens Tootie Fruitie’s dam is another daughter of Kinsridge Mischief Maker – Lady Miss Cheif was a repeat mating of Vision Express. One cannot get away from those two Oktumi sisters from Boduf Lady Binx in the background of their pedigrees.
Best Puppy was Cathy Thompson-Morgan’s BELLEVILLE SLIPKNOT. Born on 27th June, too young for LKA, he qualified at both Boston and Manchester. He is a red son of Ch Strathinver Sea the Stars and Ch Belleville Silk Slippers, and this was his first championship show with CCs awarded.