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With an alert expression the Great Dane is this month’s judges’ choice
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Contents
Contents
February 2018
14
Tibetan Tib etan t treasures
Opinion Standing together
Art & culture Significant women who made a difference for dogs
4
16
6 Viewpoint
20 Trophies
7
Judges’ choice The Great Dane
Hector Heathcote discusses that ‘being nicer to each other’ could revitalise the showing world Is it time busy dog people stood back and took in the bigger picture?
Finding Rosie
A Welsh Springer Spaniel, hot on the scent of a group of deer, is recovered safely after an anxious evening for her owners
Special features Tibetan treasures
14
The subject of the Kennel Club Art Gallery’s latest exhibition
The story behind the donor of the magnificent Send Gold Vases
22
The breed standard, breed news on health and the breed council plus breed experts pick their three favourite Great Danes
Juliette Cunliffe provides a fascinating insight into the Tibetan breeds
18 The elephant in the kennel
Improving female representation on the Kennel Club Board has to be a major objective, says Amanda Winston
20
8
Peak performance
Send gold vases
Personality profile Peak performance
8
The 2018 Best in Show judge at Crufts talks about her life in dogs
Health matters What’s in the blood?
11
Vet Heather Covey explains all about blood tests
The Kennel Club, Clarges Street, London W1J 8AB www.thekennelclub.org.uk Chairman: Simon Luxmoore Vice Chairman: Steve Croxford Chief Executive: Rosemary Smart Secretary: Caroline Kisko
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Kennel Gazette is published monthly on behalf of the Kennel Club by BPG Media www.bpgmedia.co.uk To advertise contact Andrea Walters a.walters@bpgmedia.co.uk Printed by Warners Midlands Plc Kennel Gazette is the monthly publication of the Kennel Club. Views and opinions expressed within the Kennel Gazette are the personal opinions of the original authors
Editor: Carrie Thomas Editorial Co-ordinator: Sara Wilde Editorial Panel: Bill Moores (Chairman), Ian Gabriel, Philippa Gilbert, Robert
and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Kennel Club. Cover photo: Ch Vanmore Stop and Stare at Castleon bred by Laurence Morgan Evans and owned by Laurence Morgan Evans in partnership with Lionel and Evelyn Webb. Winner of 43 CCs, 17 RCCs, three group 1, one group 2, two group 3 and two group 4 as well as club Best in Shows. Photographer: ©Alan V Walker /The KennelClubUK @thekennelclubuk @TheKennelClubUK
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On my mind
Standing together Why a change in attitude could revitalise the world of showing By Hector Heathcote
T
he last two or three years have seen a number of new initiatives from the Dog Show Promotion Working Party. Most have been broadly welcomed and some appear to already be helping to perk up the show scene, at least at the edges. All of us will hope that they help reverse the steady decline in open and championship show entries. Without doubt, the average age of dog show exhibitors is creeping up. In many breeds, registration numbers are down. Everyone in the dog show world must surely agree that we need to attract new people to our hobby.
One way we could all help is by being more courteous, supportive and generally nicer to each other. I am blessed to have been deeply involved with a breed where people are, most of the time, a model of good behaviour. It is maybe a breed from which so many in other breeds could learn. I have come to believe it is time for a “be nice to each other” initiative. Could this be promoted through breed clubs? I would certainly favour a carrot approach initially but if some of the disgraceful flaming seen daily on social media does not desist, then maybe this calls for something longer and
firmer. Something that devotees of Radio 4’s long running “I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue” would refer to as a lot more “sticky”. The world of business is very well served by both gurus and prophets. For almost every business paradigm taught by one exponent, another will promote the opposite. It can be necessary to pour through pages of fluff to distill a grain of truth. However, there is one important conclusion on which almost all agree. It takes fewer resources to retain a client than to find a new one. Maybe if we substitute ‘exhibitor’ for ‘client’, we could adopt this as a lesson to be applied across the
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On my mind
Photo: ©The Kennel Club
world of dog showing before it is too late. Last summer I was dismayed when all awards were withheld in a class of two at a championship show. It is a popular, friendly, well supported show with a hard-working, approachable committee known for efforts to keep down costs, encourage participation and entries, and for its willingness innovate. The two young dogs had a number of things in common. They were clearly entered in classes for the correct breed. Indeed, I would wager that almost everyone attending the show, except maybe as St John Ambulance personnel or to serve lunches, would have correctly identified their breed. They were also both owned by new exhibitors. Each had chosen a quality puppy as best they knew and were guided. Persuaded by the breeders, they were dipping their toes into a new pastime, encouraged to show for the first time. They were the very new blood that our quirky community needs. They also did not understand why the judge appeared unable to decide which of the two was the best example of the breed. They thought that the best of the two would
be the winner and the other would go home to proudly display a second place card. The judges’ task appeared simple to them and both puppies would still be worth showing again as their new hobby ate into their summer weekends. What they certainly did understand is why we all appeared to have conspired to not want them at our show. There was no winner, no second and the judge appeared to be advising them to go home in shame and not come back to the welcoming world of dog showing. What a triumph for our community! Many shows now run introductory or taster sessions where those new to the show scene can join a group to be guided round the event with an experienced mentor. The conventions and idiosyncrasy that we all take for granted are explained, along with guidance in how to enter your dog, the class classification, judging procedure and placing of dogs. I do not know if the mentor will mention that if the judge does not feel that either your beloved first dog or any of the others in his class are good enough then you may all suffer the indignity of the dog show equivalent of being made to stand in the corner. But do not worry, we would like your money again next week and for you to avail yourself of another opportunity to be humiliated. When I express my distaste for withholding class awards, the standard retort is that the judge might qualify the dog for Crufts. Well I have thoroughly researched this point and I have news: you only qualify dogs for Crufts as an owner or from the handler’s end of the lead. When I judge, I assess each class, and put the best exhibit first. I reassess the remainder to find my second. I then repeat as required. In my world, the registration system determines if it can enter the breed, its age and previous wins determine what classes it can enter, and the judge puts them in order. Now here is the tricky bit. The Kennel Club’s Crufts qualifying rules decide if it can enter at Crufts. If you see a dog at the NEC in March that I have judged when it qualified for entry, and if you believe it should not be there, please write to the Crufts Committee, not me. I was just doing my job as contracted with the show committee. To withold CCs is of course entirely another matter. Everyone should read the declaration on the card before they award it, and then again before and if they sign it. An errant friend of my brother in his teens once accused me of being “too nice”, intending it as a clever insult. In time he grew up to become that way himself. Maybe it is time for us to not only use nice to pepper critiques, but to temper our behaviour to
each other and as a means of attracting new exhibitors. Some of us plan to continue to give time to puppies and their handlers, give latitude to the inexperienced, and go out of our way to encourage new exhibitors. Does anyone want to join us? ●
HECTOR HEATHCOTE Having grown up with working gundogs and sheepdogs, with the first dog of his own, a Norfolk Lurcher, Hector joined his wife competing at obedience and agility with her own lurcher and first Deerhound. Acquired 38 years ago as a companion, she became the foundation bitch of the Hyndsight Kennel, seven generations in a direct bitch line behind their 18th homebred UK champion made up in 2017. Hector first judged in 1990 and is approved to award CCs in three breeds. He is chairman of the Hound Association and has been active for many years in the training and evaluation of show judges. He was elected to the Kennel Club Board in May 2017, having sat on the Breed Standards and Stud Book Committee for more than 15 years. He also now serves on the Disciplinary Committee and Dog Health Group. Hector now works full time in canine reproduction and artificial insemination. This second clinical career now occupies him full time professionally after 35 years in equine veterinary practice. Away from dogs, Hector road cycles to keep fit and, when time permits, sleeps to prepare for the next overnight drive to a dog show.
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Viewpoint
Viewpoint By Simon Parsons
O
ne of the problems for the world of breeding and competing with dogs is that most of its participants are, understandably, so absorbed in the practicalities of the hobby that very often they aren’t able to consider the bigger picture. Breeding dogs to the highest standard, taking care of them day by day, training them, travelling round the country and beyond to compete with them (not just in the show ring but in the other Kennel Club-regulated disciplines), judging them, getting involved in breed clubs or in running shows, and so on — all this takes up an enormous amount of time, dedication and energy if you are serious about it. And combine this with family life, the demands of making a living, and possibly other interests too, and it’s enough to use up most people’s available time. In addition, all these activities have become more and more complex over the years. Breeders nowadays are rightly expected to pay more and more attention to health issues and to have at least a basic understanding of genetics, judging is becoming more formalised, clubs (run by volunteers) are expected to play a bigger role in judges training, and so on. The problem as I see it is that most of us are so absorbed in all this that we tend to become isolated from the world around us, and this gives those outside who wish to control every aspect of dog ownership the opportunity to do so insidiously.
Often the views of dog people, too busy with dog-related activities, are scarcely considered — for which we have only ourselves to blame. I’ve often noticed that when there are Government consultations on canine issues, very few individuals from within the serious dog world — and equally few breed or general canine societies — take part and get their views across, which means that the freely given opinions of the veterinary profession and the welfare organisations get undue prominence. As busy dog people, we are all too ready to assume that someone else will put our point of view, when we really all need to make our opinions heard. Thankfully, the Kennel Club does a great job in keeping track of what’s going on in parliamentary and departmental circles
regarding legislation that could affect dog people, and I suspect few of us give the club enough credit for what it has achieved down the years in preventing, via its network of contacts, possibly draconian legislation from being put in place. This is certainly one area where the club’s work is largely unsung, but it is crucial to the interests of dog people. All around the world serious dog people are facing similar issues; recently, for example, we have seen proposed laws in various parts of Australia, which the efforts of the canine governing bodies have managed to make less frightening than they might otherwise have been, and in some American states, a country where the animal rights lobby has excessive influence. In Britain, too, legislation which could have serious effects on breeders may very likely be imminent. My point is: should we all pay much more attention to the place of the dog world in society as a whole, should we stand up more for our own rights, and should we do more to assist the Kennel Club in protecting our own interests?
SIMON PARSONS Simon Parsons has owned a variety of breeds but his first loves are the Corgis. He worked for Dog World newspaper for 39 years and awards Challenge Certificates in 13 breeds. In 2014 he instigated the revival of the Kennel Gazette
Photo: ©Laura Kolbach/The Kennel Club
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Personality profile
Peak performance The 2018 Crufts Best in Show judge explains how dogs became a huge part of her life By Robert Greaves
J
udging best in Show at Crufts is a huge accolade and 2018 sees Jill Peak stepping into the centre of the ring. I had the privilege of spending time with her at LKA to talk about her life in dogs and beyond. One thing is certain — she is truly looking forward to it.
Dogs have been a huge part of your life. A very successful exhibitor of Bayard Beagles and an international judge — how did it all start?
Photos: courtesy of Jill Peak
“Well the first dog I had was when I was about four, a Cairn Terrier. My great aunt was secretary of the Scottish Cairn Terrier Club at the time. We did not have him long and then turned to a Cocker Spaniel called Peter. He was a delight; I used to dress him up. He was a fabulous pet but, sadly, when he was about seven or eight he died of distemper (there was no distemper vaccination available at that time). Moving to London from Glasgow we got another Cocker, this time from the ‘Ware’ kennel; he was called Randolph and I can’t remember his registered name. At that time Tracey Witch of Ware had just won the title of Best in Show at Crufts (which she did in both 1948 and 1950).” Jill came out of dogs after she lost Randolph when he was about 12 years of age. After a spell back in Glasgow, Jill moved with her husband to Widnes, and, wanting another dog and undecided between a Dalmatian or a Beagle, she decided to go for a Beagle. Born in 1967, Yovec Beaufort, bred by Mrs Josie Partridge, who was a friend of Ernie and June Frogatt, arrived. Yovec Beaufort was sired by Moorcliff Dialynne Vagabond and Manico Trespass. Jill got him as a pet and one day, when visiting St Helens Agricultural Show and Open Dog Show, met a lady called Margaret Brown who said: “Why don’t you show him?” and that was the start! Going to shows in the North and in Scotland, they did a reasonable amount of winning, so decided to get another Beagle, this time a bitch from Jose Partridge. In Scotland Jill went to the Backmuir kennels which primarily bred West Highland White Terriers and Boxers but also had Beagles. They
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Personality profile
Yovec Beaufort (standing) with Yovec Firefly, April 1968. Beaufort was Jill’s first Beagle
Ch Bayard Pisces (Yovec Beaufort and Irrisistible of Backmuir), the first Bayard champion and only the fourth tan and white Beagle to gain his UK title
purchased a Beagle bitch called Irrisistible of Backmuir. Later, she was mated to Yovec Beaufort and produced Ch Bayard Pisces. It is interesting to note that Pisces was the fourth tan and white champion to be made up in the UK. In 1972 came Ch Bayard Olga (Bayard Garnet and Irrisistible of Backmuir), who won 13 CCs. Olga was later mated to Ch Dufosee Zenith and produced the two winners Ch Bayard Zither and her brother Bayard Zobra. Zobra was later exported to Germany. Ch Bayard Zither had her first litter by Douglas Appleton’s American Import Ch/Am Ch Pin Oaks Dynasty of Appeline, who produced the top sire Ch Bayard Zachariah. Zachariah sadly died in 1997. He produced many English and overseas champions and has put his stamp on the Bayard lines. One of the most remembered was Ch Bayard Syndicat of Lowyck owned and campaigned by Pat and Colin Lomax. She won Best of Breed twice at Crufts, under Veronica Bradley and Harry Jordon, and the CC at Crufts when a veteran under Sengior Dandino. She also won the Hound Group at Crufts under Harry Jordan.
Apart from Beagles, which breeds have you enjoyed success with?
Ch Bayard Olga and Jill in 1973
Crufts 1994, Ch Bayard Syndicat of Lowyck (Ch Bayard Zachariah and Tragband Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at Bayard), taking Best of Breed (she later won the Hound Group under Harry Jordan that year) with Jill, owner/handler Colin Lomax, and breed judge Veronica Bradley
‘Zula’, who I showed for some years and was fortunate enough to hold the breed bitch record for sometime.”
You judge all over the world and are much in demand; when did you start judging? “I first judged in 1969 at an open show at St Helens. I awarded my first set of CCs in Beagles in 1975 at Manchester Championship Dog Show. I now award CCs in all breeds in the Hound Group classified in the UK. I have judged many times at Crufts over the years, including the Hound Group in 2002. I now award CCs in many breeds across our seven groups, including six groups and Best in Show; hopefully I will get my final group, the Gundog Group, in 2019. I have judged extensively abroad in many countries. In 2016 I judged twice in Australia, which was my third trip there and was honoured to judge Best in Show at the prestigious Amsterdam Winners in 2016. I can’t tell you how honoured I am to be judging Best in Show at Crufts 2018.”
Most recently Nora, the current Beagle breed record-holder, has been to the fore. What’s her story?
“Well, we got a Miniature Pinscher from Doug Langley called Ch Torpin Elegant Man, ‘Eddie’, and a black and tan bitch Ch Torpin Fragrant Maid ‘Emma’ who lived to be 17 years old. Also, a Whippet from Frank Muir, Ch Allgarth Principal, ‘Joe’. I also bred Whippet champions and I think maybe the youngest at the time to be made up was Ch Bayard Islay Mist at Dumbriton. On marrying Trevor the Aravorny Dachshunds came into my life and we made up a number of Smooth Dachshunds, my favourite being ‘Grotty Dotty’, Ch Aravorny Wanton Abandon who will be well remembered by many of the Beagle people for guarding the handbags on the bench. I also had a Pharaoh Hound called Ch Twinley Queen Zula,
“I started off with Nora’s mother Ch Bayard Make Amends, ‘Zena’, who won 21 CCs, and mated her to Ch Nedlaw Barbarian, who produced Nora, Ch Bayard Forgetmeknot JW, currently on 49 CCs. Nora is the 14th generation Bayard. She won her first CC at the Hound Show in 2014, under breed specialist Deryck Player, the day before she was seven months old. Her second with Best of Breed came at Driffield at eight months, under Martin Sanders, and her third with Best of Breed at LKA at 11 months, under David Craig. She also won three RCCs as a puppy and was best puppy in breed 10 times, making her top Hound puppy. She ended the year as a ‘babychamp’ but rapidly achieved her champion title at Manchester 2015, where she went Best of Breed under
Pharaoh Hound Ch Twinley Queen Zula, owned by Jill and one-time breed record-holder
Yovec Beaufort
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Personality profile
Miniature Pinscher Ch Torpin Elegant Man, from Doug Langley
Whippet Ch Allgarth Principal
Ch Bayard Forgetmeknot JW, ‘Nora’, winner of 49 CCs to date and the Beagle breed record-holder (with handler Sarah Gibbons)
Jeff Horswell. The rest is history. Nora has now been mated in-house to Bayard Meant to Be and we will hopefully have puppies at the beginning of February.”
You have a very strong track record of producing high-quality dogs across different breeds. When you step out into the Crufts Best in Show ring, what are you looking for? “First I look for type, without type there is no breed, then conformation and movement, which is very important.”
Outside of dogs what have you done over the years? “I used to do a lot of championship rallying, cars were, and still are to a point, my passion. I was very fortunate that in the early 1960s as there were not many ‘lady’ drivers, and
I had some of my cars produced for me. I was sponsored by Castrol and I drove works prepared by Hillman Imps. I got a lucky break with the Rootes group and drove some of their Alpines and Tigers. We did quite well at the championship rallies and hill climbs across Scotland, although we did crash a few times. Apart from rallying, I swam competitively when I lived in London. Unfortunately I did not have the dedication for training every day as ‘hair dos’ and swimming did not mix, so left the pool. In the late 1990s and early 2000s I kept show horses but with judging dogs, which usually clashed with the horse shows, did not get the chance to see them shown. My best win was second at Wembley in 1998 with my lightweight cob Aquarius, ‘Willie’ I must add that I did not ride him myself as he was too much for me, and we usually parted
Ch Bayard Make Amends, winner of 21 CCs and mother of Ch Bayard Forgetmeknot JW
company. He has now gone to a forever home in South Wales. I did have another cob called Bob he was a star and did quite well locally but unfortunately passed away. Bob was in partnership with my great friend Sue Kristopha who was also the owner of Nora. My other passion was pedigree cats, that I showed and made up champions and grand champions in Foreign Lilacs and Havana Cats.” ●
ROBERT GREAVES Robert Greaves has been a breeder/exhibitor of Norwegian Elkhounds for almost 40 years. He is a championship show judge of several breeds across the world and is a regular contributor to canine publications
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Special feature
There’s more to learn about the Tibetan breeds than you might think
Photo by Peter Ljungquist
Tibetan treasures
Tibetan Mastiff, Samantabhadra´s Xenjang Pompe
a little less. The Tibetan Spaniel has far less coat, its top coat silky in texture, smooth on the face and front of the legs; on the body it is of moderate length, but lies rather flat, while the undercoat is fine and dense. In contrast the Lhasa Apso has a long, heavy top coat that is straight and hard, with moderate undercoat. The Tibetan Spaniel was often kept in monasteries, but not always. Some have claimed that it is a ‘holy dog’ or that it turns prayer wheels, but neither is true. However, they were valued as watch dogs, both in monasteries and the home, and made wonderful companions on pilgrimages and trading journeys, often acting as ‘bed warmers’. The Lhasa Apso, like its cousins, must be constructed in such a way that it is able to cope with extremes of temperature and fiercely bright light. It is essential that it has good ribbing and particularly characteristic of this breed are long eyelashes, so that the fall of hair protects the eyes from the sun’s glare but does not cause irritation. It is believed that this breed has been in existence since 800 BC but, as I have mentioned, written records did not then exist. This breed is most closely connected with the white, mythological snow lion, an animal believed to be so powerful that when it roars, seven dragons fall out of the sky. Although they were kept in homes and also in monasteries to give a warning bark if intruders managed to get past the Tibetan Mastiffs tethered outside, the Lhasa Apso is not sacred. The Tibetan Terrier, like the Tibetan Spaniel, is very closely related to the Lhasa Apso, although in personality rather different and, among other things, was used to herd flocks of sheep and goats, something I have seen in Tibet. Over time, there has been confusion between the Tibetan Terrier and the Lhasa Apso, partly because both are called ‘Apsos’ by Tibetans. Even the British Museum is home to a preserved Lhasa Apso which is still labelled ‘Tibetan Terrier’. This
Tibetan Spaniels owned by the late Ann Wynyard (Braeduke)
Photo by Carol Ann Johnson
I
n the UK, the only Tibetan breeds with which we are now familiar are the Tibetan Mastiff, Tibetan Terrier, Lhasa Apso and Tibetan Spaniel. Some consider the Shih Tzu a Tibetan breed, but it is in fact a Sino-Tibetan creation, which found its way to the West from China, not from Tibet. Breeds we do not see in Britain are the Kyi Apso and the rarest of breeds in Tibet, the Sha-Kyi or Tibetan Hunting Dog, about which very little is known. Used as a hunting dog, as its name implies, it has a much shorter coat than other Tibetan Breeds and the tail is not always carried over the back. The word ‘Kyi’ means ‘dog’ in Tibetan, so that is straightforward, but the word ‘Apso’ can lead to some confusion because it is the word Tibetans use to describe any long-coated dog. ‘Apso’ is a shortened form of ‘ara’, meaning moustache and ‘sog-sog’, which means hairy. The Tibetan Mastiff is called Dho Kyi in many countries, meaning ‘tied dog ’. The name ‘Terrier’ in the Tibetan breed of that name is also something of a misnomer, for it is not a true ‘terrier’ and to add to the confusion the Tibetans refer to both the Lhasa Apso and the Tibetan Terrier as ‘Apso’ or ‘Apsok’. We should keep in mind that although the Tibetan breeds have been around for hundreds of years, the earliest written records in Tibet did not come into being until around 639 AD, so it is difficult to substantiate any claims made about these breeds before then. We should also consider that the Tibetan people are mainly Buddhist and therefore believe in reincarnation; they believe that all dogs may have been human beings in a previous life, or may become a human in a future life. In the case of the Lhasa Apso, it is said that many of these are monks who have erred in a previous existence. The Lhasa Apso and Tibetan Spaniel are actually the same height of 10 inches at withers, but the latter generally weighs
Photo by Carol Ann Johnson
By Juliette Cunliffe
Tibetan Terrier, Ch Waterley Dressed to Impress
Sha-Kyi or Tibetan Hunting Dog (Published 1934)
Kyi Apso
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Photo by Juliette Cunliffe
Special feature
The author’s last three Lhasa Apsos, Modhish Palden Lhamo, Vallena Kytyhana at Modhish and Modhish Nagpo Chenpo, who all moved to live in Nepal in 2009
year, an interesting difference from most other breeds. Used as a herding dog and guardian, both for homesteads and travelling caravans, Tibetan Mastiff bitches are a minimum of 24 inches high; males 26 inches or more. The two sexes show marked differences; males carry noticeably more coat than females but quality of coat is of greater importance than quantity. The hair is fine but hard and in warm weather the Tibetan Mastiff drops undercoat, which is why dogs kept in colder climes frequently carry more coat than their southern European counterparts. The Tibetan Mastiff is thought to be possibly the oldest of all large dogs, but the first recorded evidence of the breed is from 1271 when Marco Polo made his historical journey through Asia. Polo first encountered them accompanying Tibetan traders, each man taking a couple of these dogs with him because they were so bold, two being able to attack a tiger (which he called ‘lion’). On the subject of size, currently so controversial because in China many enthusiasts seem to consider ‘bigger is better’, Marco Polo described them as being
Photo by Juliette Cunliffe
confusion has been added to by descriptions of some being as small as Maltese Terriers, others as large as Russian Poodles; in fact they were two different breeds. In the past, Tibetan Terriers were registered as Lhasa Terriers, another complicating factor. I live in the Himalaya and am aware that here the dividing line between these two breeds is not always clear. Many Lhasa Apsos have forefaces which are far too long for their breed, with corresponding scissor bites. However, typical specimens can still be found, more so in the case of Tibetan Terriers. It is important to mention that I have seen close relations of the same family, some looking like pure Tibetan Terriers and others seemingly pure Lhasa Apsos. The other thing I have noticed here is that chocolate and livercoloured Tibetan Terriers and Lhasa Apsos exist, and their colour is not frowned on at all by Tibetan people. I often ask myself why we omit these colours from our breed standards by requiring a ‘black nose’. Various things have crept into our breed standards over the years. In the 1930s the Hon Mrs Bailey stated that in Lhasa Apsos ‘golden’ or lion-like colours were preferred, but in fact Tibetans give preference to pure white dogs; the lion to which they compare the breed is actually the snow lion. The Kyi Apso is another breed not currently known in Britain, though it has had a few followers in the USA and Europe. A club was founded in 1995 but collapsed in 1999; registrations came to a halt the following year. A relation of the more substantially boned Tibetan Mastiff, this large, playful dog stands 22 to 28 inches at the shoulder and weighs just under 100 lb. Its coat is overall longer than that of the Tibetan Mastiff and it has a bearded, shaggy muzzle. Used as a flock guardian, its temperament is generally relaxed and affectionate but it is assertive when defending its territory. Like the Tibetan Mastiff and many other large mountain dogs of the Himalaya, the Kyi Apso only has a single oestrus per
the size of donkeys, but donkeys there are considerably smaller than those we know in the West. Conversely, in the 1980s, several Tibetan people I met who had recently left their homeland described Tibetan Mastiffs that were up to 36 inches at the shoulder, much taller than those with which we are familiar. Although I live in Nepal and have travelled in Northern India and Tibet, I have not seen any dogs so large, although I do believe they have existed and suggest that the very large Tibetan Mastiffs have been used in breeding programmes to help create what is now generally referred to as the Chinese type of Tibetan Mastiff. Before closing I must briefly introduce you to the Himalayan Sheepdog, also known as the Bhoté Kukur or Bhotia, a breed used to protect large flocks in mountainous regions. It is a sub-breed of the Tibetan Mastiff, best known among the Bhotes, the mountain people, principally of Tibetan descent, living in Nepal and in parts of Northern India. The Bhotia is sometimes brought to lower ground but thrives better at high altitude and it has been found that they have no interest in mating each other at lower levels. The Bhotia, although still a sizeable dog, is smaller than the Tibetan Mastiff. The skull is less massive, the bone less substantial, and the coat very much shorter. Thinking back to the early days of the Tibetan Mastiff in the UK (post war), I wondered then, and still do, whether some of them were closer to the Bhotia than to the Tibetan Mastiff we know so well today. There are other breeds in the Himalaya, but sadly space does not allow me to discuss them all in the confines of this article. However, I hope this has whetted the appetite of those who share my thirst for knowledge, to delve further into the many and varied breeds related to those we know and love. ●
The Snow Lion is a mythological beast
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Kennel Club Art Gallery
Significant women who made a difference for dogs As the UK celebrates 100 years of women’s suffrage, the Kennel Club’s latest art exibition also recognises some incredible women
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Photo: ©The Kennel Club
he Kennel Club Art Gallery’s first exhibition of 2018 is entitled ‘Significant Women – who made a difference for dogs’. Opening on 15th February, this exhibition comes at an important time, where many in the UK will be celebrating the centenary of women getting the right to vote. This exhibition, which has been curated by Valerie Foss, focuses on a total of 38 women who made major contributions to the dog world during their lifetimes. With exhibits drawn from the Kennel Club’s own collection, as well as from private collections, this exhibition is different from any other held at the Kennel Club Art Gallery. It honours the women who made such a difference in the world of dogs. Once upon a time the breeding and exhibiting of dogs was a thoroughly, and deliberately, male preserve. But thanks to the energy and determined persistence of a number of the women included in this exhibition things have changed. Nowadays, everybody has an equal opportunity to play a part in making a difference for dogs.
Kathleen Duchess of Newcastle’s Borzoi Ch Tsaretsa
Within the exhibition space of the art gallery, information and images regarding 20 of the most important women who have brought about this welcome revolution are featured. This is accompanied by a comprehensive exhibition catalogue, which also includes information on a further 18 women. These women came from all walks of life and brought different talents to their activities as breeders, exhibitors and hardworking committee members. The full list of the 20 women included in the exhibition is as follows: Queen Victoria (1819-1901) Frances Power Cobbe (1822-1904) Mary Ann Foster (1839-1906) Queen Alexandra (1844-1925) Alice Stennard Robinson (1852-1932) Maud Earl (1864-1943) Maria Dickin (1870-1951) Kathleen Pelham-Clinton, Duchess of Newcastle (1872-1955) Lorna, Countess Howe (1887-1961) Florence Nagle (1894-1988) Gwen Broadley (1906-1999) Barbara Burrows (1909-2005) Elizabeth ‘Dibbie’ Somerfield (1910-1977) Veronica Tudor-Williams (1911-1989) Muriel Pearce (1915-2001) Jean Faulks (1915—2015) Catherine Sutton (1919-1987) Bettie Town (1923-2013) Sybil Churchill (1926-2008) June Atkinson (1926-2011) Of the 20 women appearing in the exhibition space, those of particular note are Alice Stennard Robinson, founder of the Ladies Kennel Association, and Kathleen Pelham-Clinton, Duchess of Newcastle and the first Chairman of the Ladies’ Branch of the Kennel Club. The formation of the Ladies Kennel Association in 1895 rocked the very foundations of the male-dominated canine world. The Ladies’ Branch of the Kennel Club followed soon after, being established in 1899. It took until 1979 for women to become full members of the Kennel Club; 80 years after the formation of the Ladies’ Branch.
Along with these two important figures, the exhibition also features Queen Victoria, who was well known for her love of dogs and an inspiration to many; the famous canine artist Maud Earl, and the remarkable Florence Nagle. It was Florence Nagle’s commitment to equal opportunities for all that led the Kennel Club to allow women to become full members. The display will include information regarding these pioneering women along with a number of exhibits related to their work in the dog world. These include portraits of Veronica Tudor-Williams’ Basenji Fula of the Congo; the famous Beagle Ch Rossut Triumphant, bred and owned by Catherine Sutton; and a portrait of Sybil Churchill’s Cairn Terrier Ch Campanologia Pricket, painted by Marjorie Cox. There is extra interest in these exhibits as they have all been painted by women artists. Visitors to the exhibition will also have the opportunity to view original photographs featuring many of the significant women and their dogs, a medal won by Queen Victoria’s Pomeranian Marco, as featured in the November 2017 Kennel Gazette, and a silver model of Kathleen Duchess of Newcastle’s Borzoi Ch Tsaretsa. This unique exhibition provides a wonderful insight into the influence of women within the canine world and how their tireless efforts have made a difference for dogs. The Significant Women featured within the exhibition shared intellectual integrity, honesty of purpose and a passion for their breeds. The world of dogs, once a bastion of male dominance, now celebrates the valued input of women. ● Significant Women will run from 15th February until 29th June, 2018. The Kennel Club Art Gallery is open Monday – Friday, 9.30am – 4.30pm by appointment. To make an appointment please contact the art gallery at artgallery@thekennelclub.org.uk or on 020 7518 1064.
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Photo: ©The Kennel Club
Kennel Club Art Gallery
Photo: ©The Kennel Club Arts Foundation
Florence Nagle judging Irish Setters at Crufts, 1961
Photo: ©The Kennel Club
Photo: ©Private Collection
Portrait of Ch Rossut Triumphant bred and owned by Catherine Sutton
Alice Stennard Robinson
Catherine Sutton, 1971
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Great Dane Judges’ Choice
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