Dogs in the running to be champions at Crufts

TEN dogs from the Henley area will be appearing at this year’s Crufts.

Melanie Roberson, of the Gainsborough Estate, will be showing her Shetland sheepdog at the four-day show in Birmingham, which begins on Thursday at the National Exhibition Centre.

She is entering for the second time after she first competed about 30 years ago with her mother’s sheepdog.

This year, she is entering Violet, who is 16 months and will be showing in the junior class.

Mrs Roberson, the former landlady of the Saracen’s Head pub in Greys Road, said: “Just after the covid lockdown I bought a Sheltie that wasn’t show quality but bought her to breed.

“I then bred Violet from this dog and she has done exceptionally well. She qualified five times and has had an exceptional summer where she has done really, really well.”

She takes Violet to ringcraft training every Wednesday in Knowl Hill and has won best puppy in show five times in local competitions including in Henley, Padworth, Bradfield, Southampton and Reading.

Mrs Roberson, who lives with her husband Colin, said it feels surreal to be returning to the Crufts ring. She said: “More than 350 Shetland sheepdogs have entered so this competition is going to be very hard but I feel very glad just to be going because it’s such an achievement.

“It’s the unknown I’m worried about. It does get a bit scary at times, especially if they’re not doing what they’re supposed to do. She’s a tiny bit out of coat at the moment so I’m not expecting too much but it’s a real achievement to be going.”

She added: “Violet likes to bark in the ring, that’s her only flaw. I just can’t get her to stop doing that!”

Sue Croft, from Woodcote, will be showing Kukki, four, a Finnish Lapphund, a medium-sized breed at Crufts. She will be in the postgraduate bitch class for her breed.

Mrs Croft, 66, a retired headteacher, said: “Kukki doesn’t do a huge amount of competitions but she does enough to qualify every year.

“She was a puppy the first time I entered her but now she knows what to do and I am going so that she has a lot of fun.”

Kukki has shown in county competitions and the Windsor Dog Show and has done Crufts about three times.

Mrs Croft also has Kissa, nine, of the same breed, who is a double-award winner at Crufts after winning his limit class four years ago and postgrad class a year before that. He has since retired.

She said: “I’ve got lots of Kissa’s offspring who are going to be there. He has got daughters and granddaughters who are going to be there so it’s quite a sociable thing. She is a very good girl and she just wants to please so she will do exactly what she’s told.

“It’s not unknown for a Finnish Lapphund to be rather independent and have their own views on what should happen. They are a fluffy breed and they do require special attention and lots of grooming.”

Cheryl Biddlecombe, from Sonning Common, is showing her 22-month-old Frankie for the second time and his mother, seven-year-old bitch Fergie.

Fergie is a Kennel Club champion after she won four challenge certificates in shows across the country and she and Frankie are both Briard’s, a French breed of a shepherd dog.

Last year, Frankie won best in puppy class for his breed in the competition.

Mrs Biddlecombe, 77, said: “We’re hoping for a full house this year. Frankie will be in the ‘limit’ category this year. He has to stand and be led over to the judge, preferably show himself off to his best advantage and the judge will go over him and he will be asked to move, usually in a straight line up and back and then a triangle.

“Then you come back to the judge and stand very proudly and hopefully then win his class.

“Frankie is very excitable and he loves being in the ring too. He just finds the whole thing an absolute hoot.

“He loves his handler Richard. They have got a very special bond and it’s lovely to see them in the ring together. He has taken to it really well.”

Fergie will compete in the veteran category, which is for dogs aged older than seven.

Mrs Biddlecombe, who has had Briards for more than 50 years, said: “She has gone through the age range from puppy to junior and right the way through to open class which is mainly for champion dogs. She has done it all, really and she has won a lot. Fergie has always been absolutely wonderful. She takes to it like a duck to water. It’s her thing. She loves being in the ring and being the centre of attention.

“I would hope that we stand a chance at doing well. I think if we were to get placed somewhere in our classes, we would be more than happy with that.

“It’s just an honour to be there at Crufts and it’s an even bigger honour for me as a breeder to have so many of my lovely youngsters competing.”

Frankie will be accompanied by handler Richard Forsythe while Fergie will be handled by Ryan Pevy. Three other Briards which she bred, Chavell Bonjour Maisie, Purdy and Sansa, will also be showing.

Fiona Tompsett, from Whitchurch Hill, is entering two of her English Setters, who will be one on Monday.

Mrs Tompsett, an accountant, has been competing at Crufts since 1995. She has two other English Setters and five smaller dogs which she does dog agility with. She had a best bitch in breed at Crufts about 15 years ago with her show champion, Pip, also an English Setter.

Dominic and Grace will compete in the junior class for English Setters, which is the gundog group.

Mrs Tompsett said: “I’ve shown dogs since they were six months, which is the earliest you can show them.

“I’m feeling reasonably optimistic. They’re definitely ready. It depends what other dogs are there and who else is showing. Lots of things can impact how they perform.

“The best thing for them is for them to practise with other dogs so I go to ringcraft club in Knowl Hill and I’m also on the committee of the Maidenhead and District Canine Society.

“You have to be reasonably fit because they’re quite big rings at Crufts. You’re mostly just replicating what happens in the showroom.”

Mrs Tompsett added: “It’s a nice event to go to. It’s pretty much the highlight of the calendar.” Jane Bailey, from Shiplake Cross, will be entering her pomeranian Bramble, who is two-and-a-half.

Mrs Bailey, who lives with her husband Jim, has shown pomeranians at Crufts since 1995 and has previously won with Angus in the puppy class for the breed.

This year, she hopes Bramble, who will be showing at Crufts for her second time, will perform well in the post-graduate bitch class.

She said: “I’m always nervous when I get to Crufts. I go to shows anyway but Crufts is a little bit special. I’ve made sure I’ve done everything I can with Bramble but she can have her moments.

“When you start preparing for a show, you have to bathe, trim and make sure everything is in the correct place.

“But other than that, they’re just dogs, dogs’, they like to run around and get muddy but they are a very intelligent breed. They learn things very quickly, especially things you don’t want them to learn.”

Diana Bowsher, who lives near Checkendon, is entering three of her six whippets.

She will be showing Levi, three and Wrangler, two, and Indy, a rescue, will make his debut at the event. Levi has won first in breed previously.

Mrs Bowsher said: “Indy is doing graduate and the other two are doing the good citizen’s class which involves the fact they’ve also done basic obedience and they will be judged on their shape. I am optimistic but I don’t expect anything as such.

“Out of the three of them, Wrangler probably performs the best. He’s outgoing, he moves well and he’s got a happy disposition so he just takes it all in his stride.”

Mrs Bowsher added it has always been a goal of hers to enter a rescue. She has been entering her dogs at Crufts since 1991.

She said: “I bought him with his five brothers when the breeder couldn’t manage to sell her litter in Wales.

“She really wanted someone to rehome her puppies. I’m very proud of him.”

Her dogs will also be in the racing and coursing classes. This is lure coursing and if they succeed then they can get into further classes. Lure coursing is a competition for dogs to use their ability to run fast and visually focus on motion.

Mrs Bowsher said training her whippets is about patience and understanding but they take to classes easily.

She said: “I’m very used to doing this. I know what I’m doing and I don’t really have difficulty training them. As a breed Whippets are very intelligent.

“It's not asking them to do too much. They have to stand for a while and look good with their legs and feet still.”