CYPRUS, APHRODITE WINNERS SHOW 17th & 18th MAY 2008

It has been a busy few weeks, what with Summer fast approaching, looking at the jobs you keep putting off and then starting with the season visitors before you know it. So Craig has been busy with the paint brush, the housekeepers have been busy Spring cleaning and as for myself, well I got the better job of travelling out to Egypt a couple of times, in search of a property we could buy and use in the winter months. Not that it ever gets so cold here in Cyprus, but it is just nice to have that facility to get away and enjoy a different location. I am afraid buying property is a weakness I have, it is to some as most women will identify, like buying a nice pair of shoes and putting them at the back of the shoe cupboard, just incase an occasion comes up to wear them. I have this same fetish, but unlike shoes, I get more for my money, we generally see nice capital appreciation and we have a choice of homes around the world in which we can spend lovely holidays, maybe spending three months in one, three months in another at the same time as taking in a few dog shows whilst we are travelling. I suppose your all wondering how we can fit it in when we have the responsibility of our babies !!!! Well, let me tell you before you all start worrying. Our babies are our number one priority, we put them first and foremost above all that we do, however there comes a point when even the hardiest dog person needs a break, otherwise you start to lose the passion and the love because it then becomes a chore. So we have homes in Thailand, UK, Egypt, Cyprus & Dubai, the idea being that when we are in need of a break, then our homes are our sanctuary, we have the luxury and comforts of having our own things around us and we do not have to travel with suitcases full of clothes.

My parents then came to visit for 5 weeks which is always lovely to share some quality time together and as we thought this was going to be Dads last visit due to his increased mobility problems, it was extra special knowing we had to make the most of the time we were together. As it was, we managed to get them over to Egypt for 10 days to see the property and we all had a really fantastic time. The weather was at its best, the journey was easy for Dad to manage and Mum was much in need of the rest because caring for somebody, no matter how much or how little, it is the carer that always gets forgotten. So it was time for Mum to be pampered, hair done, massages, facials and daily swims. To be honest I have never seen her looking so good, so the break really did the both of them, in fact the four of us the world of good.We only had a couple of days after getting back from Egypt to the long awaited show here in Cyprus. It was a double show weekend, the Saturday being the Cyprus International Show and Sunday being Aphrodite Winners Show, Crufts qualifier Show, as well as being an International Show with a different set of Judges from the previous day.

         

         

There was quite a bit of preparation as we had 6 Danes entered, transport that didn’t match our transport load and 6 Danes that needed putting through their paces in readiness for the show. Fortunately a dear friend had a much large van and offered it to us for the weekend. He did stress however that it was old and in need of some minor T.L.C, we on the other hand were just grateful for the solution to our problem of getting all those Danes from A to B without any hassle. We travelled to his home to collect the van and carefully we drove back to our villa to get packed with all our show crates so we did not have the job the following morning. All was going well and the van was packed ready for an early start. It always pays to get to the show early, as places for tent erection can sometimes be difficult, especially if you are trying to get by the side of your ring number. We actually travel down without the dogs the night before to set up our tent and make sure that at least we have one less job to deal with the next morning. Our early morning arrival is something we have worked out now to a fine art, crates out of the van, dogs in to crates, chairs set up, water bowls ready, running order established and show leads and numbers set up on each crate. Now all we have to do is watch in anticipation at the other entries filing in through the main gate, eye up the other dog competition and make sure our own dogs are calm and ready for action.         

We have had a number of changes recently within the body of our Cyprus Kennel Club, A new President has been elected and subsequently new board members to support the new President. It would seem that a huge hole has been left in the balance book and the new committee have inherited massive financial losses that are currently affecting the running of the club. I am led to believe that a large percentage of the members are either NOT paying their fees, or selling puppies without papers, reducing registration fees to less than half of the previous year and this is seriously affecting all those that are playing by the rules. As a GENTLE REMINDER, if you are reading this and you are one of the none paying offenders, then I would like to personally remind you that ultimately you will be the ones losing out. So dig deep in to your pockets, get your fees paid in to the club and let us all get behind them and make sure that the standard of our shows does not drop. Its very simple, it accounts to, if there is no money in the bank, then the club will have to close it’s doors like any business without a cash supply. We have already missed out on the Champion of Champions Show and I believe many more shows will be cancelled if support is not given, so to all our club members reading this, pass it on to your friends who are also members so they are all aware of the current circumstances. We can not expect to enjoy great shows and not pay our fees on time. At this point we would like to pass on our congratulations to the new President, Mr Erodotos Neophytou and all his team, who without question always manage to put on an excellent show weekend and this weekend was no exception. The venue is centrally located, so at least we all have fairly equal distances to travel and at least consideration has been given to those travelling that bit further as to the running and showing times of your dogs, so thanks to one and all for that care taken. There are excellent catering facilities and the food was truly scrumscious. The rings were nice and big, especially for the larger breeds and as this was our yearly special Aphrodite Winners Show combined with its very prestigious Crufts Qualification Show, extra events had been included such as Fairground rides for the children, bungee jumping, a military dog display and some very popular local and ballroom dancing displays by local professional dancers. It was a great idea and it was nice for the visiting International Judges to see our show in such a positive light, however these additional displays, as entertaining as they were, did make the days events extend a little and many of the visiting entries who had to leave on time for flights, possibly missed out the final judging due to time factors being extended. It’s all trial and error and maybe something that can be taken in to consideration for the next large show event Cyprus puts on. The only downfall of the day and it seems to happen at each venue we attend and that is the water in the toilets decided not to work anymore, which is always a problem, A) for drinking water for the dogs, and B) general toilet requirements. The toilet attendant did a very good job with a few buckets of water and a constant supply of bleach, so congratulations to her as without her I think there would have been a real hygiene problem.

         

         

Classes commenced at 0830hrs, Danes lucky to have a mid-morning slot at 1230hrs, good in as much as you have time to get organised, bad in as much as you are showing in the heat of the day, dogs tongues hanging out do not present their best profile and Judges and Stewards by that time are almost ready for lunch. This weekend was a particularly hot one for the time of year, really just ending Spring and starting with the Summer temperatures for the day on our thermometer hit 36C, so it was really a case of getting in the ring as quickly as possible, finding shade under the Judges tent to stack your dog and keeping your fingers crossed that your presentation was done with the dogs mouth closed and not as with the Dane, slobbering all over in desperation of a drink. A little trick we did learn whilst showing as we did in Australia was to take a slice of lemon in to the ring and occasionally rub it around the gums of your dog. I have to say, it works a treat and when the Judge checks the teeth they get a wonderful fresh clean smell, instead of those whiffy meat smells that often hang around.
       
  

As this was a special show weekend for Cyprus there were many new faces from overseas. Representation from lots of our European neighbours who like ourselves, take time, effort, energy and money to support other shows. So on behalf of all the dog breeders and show people in Cyprus, may we at APOLLODANE GREAT DANES salute you and thank you for your contribution in making this show a success and for your attendance, as we for one know just how difficult it is, moving dogs of any size from one country to another. I have said it before and I will say it again, for all those show people who never step foot outside their own country with their dogs and believe they are at the top of their game, then try dealing with all the protocol of overseas shows, hotels, flights, transportation, stiff competition that you may be competing with for the first time, Judges of the highest calibre and language barriers. This really is dog showing and those dogs that are fortunate enough to take titles and prizes are deserving of every trophy, every medal and every certificate. So once again to all our foreign visitors, it was a pleasure to act as host country to your deserved wins. You bring not only additional revenue to our club, but you bring added competition which is always a pleasure to see and it is time Cyprus saw more new faces and more new breeds taking centre stage and on the winners podium.       

It is difficult logistically showing 6 Danes with 2 people, but hey, this is show world and you get by no matter what. Our Judge for the day was Mr Dusan Paunovic from Serbia who we later realised was a no show. Apparently some visa confusion at the airport and he had to return unable to enter Cyprus. Not a good start to the day, but quickly resolved and to no determent of either the dogs or their handlers. We were moved to another ring (so much for us going the night before to set up, but at least we were still in view of what was going on) Our new Judge was Slukin Sergij from the Ukraine and for us it was important to visit his ring to see what it was he was looking for, how he liked to move his dogs and to pick up any tips that may help us.

         

First in is Apollodane Adonis (Donny) who takes his Junior class by storm. He is turning in to a real showman, glides around the ring like his father “ZAC” and hold his head high like he owns the stage. The judge after going over him made the following comments on his critique, Typical Format, Very Effective in the ring, Excellent Neck, Strong & Beautiful Top Line, Beautiful Broad Chest, Good Angulations, > A Little Narrow In Hind Quarters, but still developing, Needs training for the relief of Muscles but will come with maturity. EXCELLENT GRADE.  
     
  

Next in is Apollodane Athena (Tina) who is now starting to look quite elegant although still a little “dizzy” in her attitude. Mum Heidie was a late developer in the ring, as too was Odette, so we know she will come in to her own, just for the moment we have to allow her the freedom of her mental development and hope the Judge sees the long term potential., he wrote on her critique.       

Excellent Feminine Head, A Soft Top Line, but still growing and developing, Good Front Chest, Good Angulation, Nice Set Croup EXCELLENT GRADE.

         

Darrington Darius followed the Juniors, he was in Open Male. He is a powerful dog, lots of movement, lots of energy and it is Craig responsibility to hold him back and calm his excitement. Again he stands well, presents like he is loving every minute and the Judge wrote.         

Good Strong Dog, Excellent Deep Chest, Excellent Angulation, Good Top Line, Colour although not typical is excellent. EXCELLENT GRADE and he was awarded C.A.C.

Rorlyn Who Spilt The Paint (Diva) Much more compact in her frame than our other girls, but a nicely presented bitch with lovely movement and nice head. She takes to the ring and shows us why we love so much these lines we have adopted. Grace of movement looks so elegant whilst running around the ring and to see a dog, no matter what the breed move correctly is absolute heaven. The Judge critiques as follows.
Very beautiful and Elegant bitch, Typical in Type, Very Strong Neck and Beautiful Head, Strong Top Line, Good Broad Chest, Excellent Angulation, Free and Fluid in Movement, Beautiful eyes excellent in colour, Good Pigmentation. EXCELLENT GRADE, C.A.C / C.A.C.I.B. 
      

Rorlyn White Collar Worker (Turbo) having gained a few kilos since his arrival in Cyprus, he is now what I would say worthy of his place in the show ring. He stands proud, he looks impressive and once again he knows how to move. The Judge critiques as follows,Typical In Format, A strong and Powerful Dog, Strong Top Line, Excellent Broad Chest, Excellent Angulation, Beautiful in Movement. EXCELLENT GRADE, C.A.C / C.A.C.I.B       

Now this is where it gets totally confusing as we are now down to the finals and all our dogs have been placed eliminating all other Dane competition. At one point we are in the ring with four dogs for Best Male, needless to say Turbo wins on this occasion. We are in for Best Junior male and Donny takes this, Best Junior Bitch and Tina takes this and then B.O.B Junior which went to Donny. Best female and this goes to Diva and now with a little more calm, the other dogs put away, we enter the ring again for Best Of Breed. I decided to handle Diva as Craig was dressed in his show suit and we felt for sure from the line up it had to be Turbo. We presented our dogs and we managed to pull in some handling assistance for Donny who was representing Best Of Breed Junior in the overall B.O.B. Turbo was looking good, moving well and being handled to perfection. I followed with Diva, not looking at all showy in my summer shorts and I’m A Dane Dad t/shirt !!! well after all today I was the saliva towel boy and not the handler. Our friend who HATES handling but just happened to be at ring side was doing a great job with Donny. The judge ran us, he stopped us and asked us to stack and present, he looked and he looked again and for a moment I caught him glancing over at me. ” Oh No” I thought to myself, he must be thinking what is this man doing entering the show ring looking as though he is on holiday. I tried to hide my legs behind Diva and then suddenly the hand went up !!!!!!!! WHAT ???? we looked in total amazement as my dear little Diva took Best Of Breed and poor Craig looking so resplendent in his red show suit and impressive Mantle Dane came second with Donny third. It just goes to show, no matter what your own personal thoughts are on the day, it is the Judge who decides and on this occasion he commented that for him, Diva just had that little more presence and showmanship. That was it, Diva was going through to Groups and for today Turbo had reached his limit.

We sat under our tent, watching the other remaining classes and indulging in the soft twirly ice creams that were being sold from the visiting van. In no time we were in to the finals of the afternoon and first in was Donny for Best Junior In Show. I can only say, what a complete fiasco. I have NEVER in my life seen so many Juniors line up for Best Junior In Show. To try and make some order of asemblance from this many dogs was impossible, but this is show world once again folks and you just grit your teeth and get on with it. The entrants went three times around the ring, there were dogs in front of dogs, by the side of dogs, behind dogs and I am sure if the stewards would have had their way, they would have stacked them on top of dogs. In my opinion as a spectator, it was wholly impossible to judge them correctly and effectively. The judge tried to request some form of order, language restrictions appeared to add more confusion and it looked like a show circus. Walking swiftly round the chaos a line up was picked, some very good dogs were clearly overlooked, some poor dogs managed to get through the net.

Fortunately the Best Junior In Show went to the Central Asian Shepherd Dog which in my opinion was a worthy winner. The dog looks very impressive, it is a nice specimen, my only criticism is in which the way it is handled in the ring. With such a beautiful dog in the very early stages of it’s show career, more care needs to be taken in showing the dog off to it’s best potential. It is not the dogs first major win, infact it has taken Best Junior In Show before and again well deserved, but handling and presentation form a huge part of the dogs recognition when it gets this far in a competition, so it could find itself losing valuable points the older it gets, so to our friend Mr Danilicheva, you have a great dog, you have taken some great awards, now for me, I would like to see you enter the ring with a little more professional handling, keeping your dog on a much tighter control and stop it sticking its nose up the backsides of those who know how to present. I am sure as you visit our pages regularly, come to socialise at our tent, you will not see this as being rude or disrespectful, just advice on a positive note. I would be only to happy to share with you some of our show presentation tips on handling large breeds in the show ring, showing respect, not only for your fellow competitors, but for the Judges. Unfortunately we have to deal with other less respectful handlers, mostly Doberman type dogs or Bull Terriers who’s owners / handlers seem to feel the need to spend most of their time in the ring throwing toys on the floor, moving their dogs constantly in to another dogs space or shouting at the top of their voices from ring side. My opinion is, if you do not know how to present your dog in the ring, then do not present it at all, because all you do is distract away from those that do know how.

Groups followed soon after and group 2 always one of the bigger classes was beginning to collect around ring entrance. Another strange result as one would assume that with Central Asian Shepherd taking Best Junior In Show, it would at least feature in the short list. Well not today for the Central Asian which was quite a shock, what was even more of a shock was the fact that our Diva, not only was she short listed, but she took third place in Group 2. Doberman was first, Miniature Pinscher was second, Great Dane third and Shar Pei fourth

(SEE SHOW PHOTOS)

It was a perfect day in terms of results, we were more than happy with our places and for us the day was finished and time to head off home in the van which was already starting to be a little temperamental. With dogs all loaded, our tent area cleaned and ready for the next day we headed off home. An hour from the venue to our home, so taking it steady we travelled back along the motorway until Paphos was in sight. Dogs out, into their feeding areas, a nice long drink (the dogs and not us) and we all fell exhausted after a full and eventful day.

SUNDAY 18th MAY 2008, CYPRUS INTERNATIONAL SHOW, CRUFTS QUALIFIER AND APHRODITE WINNERS SHOW.

Another day, another show, another set of Judges, but the fun is the same as it always is. Yes another hot day and I think possibly having an effect on the attendance of spectators as it all appears a little thin on the ground, but then as the day gathers momentum, the crowds start to appear, the entries are high and once again the number of overseas visitors has exceeded all expectations. Our own day got off to a bit of a bad start as Craig decided to leave the home a little earlier in expectation of any van problems, at least we would have time to find a solution. Talk about tempting fate, he had been left the home about 45 minutes when I called him the get the all clear for me to leave. he said all was fine and it was OK for me to set off as there appeared to be no problems looming with the van. Oh how wrong was he going to be. Not 10 minutes later when I had already left and was on my way did I get a frantic call.

 

“where are you” Craig says

“I am out of the village heading towards the motorway, why, what is the problem”

“Its the exhaust, its dropped off, I am stuck on the motorway, it is blazing hot, I have all the dogs in the van and I am not very happy”

YIKES! Nothing worse than a vehicle drama to set the tone of the day. I knew there would be no talking to him, I could sense his anger in the tone of his voice, so why would I want to add to that by being practical and giving him advice. It was my idea to borrow the van, so Craig had the perfect person to blame. I telephoned the guy who owned the van, I explained the situation and asked if he would communicate with Craig as there was just no reasoning with him when he was upset. The matter had a temporary resolve, I continued with my journey arriving at the show ground to find Craig in a much better mood than I had anticipated. I cracked open our first bottle of Champagne which was initially for the Kennel Club staff and Stewards for all their hard work, but at this point I thought Craigís need was more and not being one to let him drink on his own, I joined him along with some other Bulldog friends to an early morning tipple. Well it was not quite early morning, it was 1100hrs and in less than 2 hours we would have our first class. The more he thought about his little predicament, the more he stewed on it and the more he stewed, the more stressed he became. His worry was how we were going to make it home that evening, it was a Sunday and he had visions of us being stuck with all the dogs and no way to get them from the show. Our friend assured him he would find a mechanic, but no, Craig was looking for somebody to blame, I was that person and he was not letting go until he had orchestrated his row.

Classes commenced and once again the Apollodane Danes performed to perfection. This time our Judge was Erwin Deutscher from Austria. We had over the 2 days managed to show under 2 very nice gentlemen and their styles were each quite different.

Today for Apollodane Adonis the Judge had written;

A Nice Young Body, Excellent Type, Correct colour and hair, Correct Bite, Eyes & Ears, now up to this point I thought he had been writing about myself, but then it went on to say, Testicles in correct position, now I know he was not talking about me. It went on to read, Young neck, nice and strong, Excellent Top Line, Excellent Chest, Correct Tail Set, Good Angulation, Excellent Movement, Very Good In Character, EXCELLENT GRADE.

Apollodane Athena he wrote,

Nice Young feminine Body, Nice Head, Correct Bite, Eyes & Ears, Correct Colour and Hair, Nice Young Neck, Chest, Angulation and top Line, Correct Tail Set, Excellent Movement, Very Good In Character, EXCELLENT GRADE.

Rorlyndane Who Spilt The Paint, the Judge wrote;

Very Nice Type and Body, Correct Head, Nice lips, Correct Ears, Eyes and Bite, Beautiful Neck & Top Line, Excellent Chest, Good Angulation, very Well In Movement, Excellent in Character, EXCELLENT GRADE.

Rorlyn White Collar Worker the Judge commented;

Excellent Type & Body, Strong Masculine Head, Correct Bite, Ears & Eyes, Wonderful Neck & Top Line, Good Chest, Excellent Angulation, very Well In Movement, Correct underline, Excellent Colour & Hair.

Today is not only special because it is an International Show combined with the Aphrodite Show, but it is also a little bit of a glory day for Apollodane as it was our hard work, efforts and contacts in the UK that managed to secure one of todays events “The Crufts Qualification Show” and an event that from speaking to some of the exhibitors is the only reason why they travelled by air land and sea to visit our beautiful island today. So on the basis that we have secured this very prestigious event now for the foreseeable future, we can only hope the word spreads and we see numbers increase year on year on year. After all, it was only through our very own struggles, travelling around Europe, chasing one venue after the other to qualify for Crufts that we realised there were many of our European neighbours closer to ourselves that would benefit from an event closer to home. So please, if you did not attend this year, then check our Kennel Clubs web site on www.cypruskennelclub.net
and under show news, you will see all the up and coming shows through until 2010. There is a list of hotels and if you require any further information, contact the Kennel Club direct or drop me a line and I will forward the message on for you.

So back to the show and we were now once again in finals for the running order, Donny takes Best Junior Dog once again, Tina takes Best Junior Bitch, Donny wins the day taking B.O,B Junior. Dive who sailed through her classes yesterday to take her place in the group line up today was happy to win her Champion Class and then go on to take Best Bitch. B.O.B today went to Turbo and now it was his turn to go through to groups. Lunch time break, the Judges went to eat and we sat in the tent, hiding from the sun and going in to round 2 of the broken exhaust. Was all this tension worth it I thought to myself, but no, Craig was not letting go, he was like a dog with a bone until he jumped up, said he was taking the dogs home in the small van and then coming back to collect me and the remaining dogs. Now how wrong did he think he was going to be with that statement. I had gone to a dog show to show my dogs, not to fight and row over something so trivial I was going to let it spoil the day. So off he went with 2 dogs in the small van, leaving me with the other 2 dogs and all the show equipment, oh yes and NO transport. I am sure many of you will know, when they start to have a tantrum, start to throw their toys out of the pram and their dummy becomes disengaged from their mouths, the best thing to do is let them get on with it and this I did.

Eventually it was time for afternoon classes to start, Donny was trying to tell me something by pawing his crate, so I kept opening the door to give him a drink of water, to which each time he was pushing his head against the crate door as if to get out. I prepared both Donny for Best Junior In Show and Turbo for his group line up, all the time fuming that Craig had still not returned, even though he had told me he was going home and not coming back. Its always a steel nerve that calls> their bluff, so I bid him farewell, told him to drive carefully as he had precious cargo on board and that I would endeavour to find my own way home later than night. A lady came to the tent to ask some questions about the purchase of Great Danes, I was at this point alone as Craig had now left and both dogs had been cleaned down for their final debut. The lady looked at me and said, Your dog has just done it’s toilet in its crate. I looked round and honestly you would have thought that dog had not emptied his bowels for a week, it was everywhere. Oh dear, what timing I thought to myself, but being the ever survivor, I got him quickly out of his crate, washed him down and hurried along to take my place in Best Junior In Show. It seemed to be a less frantic line up although still heavy in numbers, but sadly once again it was not the turn of Donny. So a quick run back to the tent to get Turbo for his Group and low and behold there was the returning prodigal son, Craig, still sulking, still not helping, but sitting with his chin down to his knees. I think it was a combination of early mornings, stress and to much sun. Anyway, off I went in to the group line up and a fine display of dogs it was, only this time as fine as they were, the Judge thought none finer than our Turbo for winner of group 2. Well how smug did I feel walking out of the ring and handing Turbo over to Craig. There you are I said, that’s your winner of Group 2, the dog you could not get to win B.O.B yesterday, maybe it is right what they say about the handler having as much impact as the dog. Oooooooooo he was green with envy and really eating humble pie now. His tantrum was now well and truly over and we were once again the best of friends forgetting the exhaust which had now been fixed as promised and getting ready for Best In Show line up. There were some really nice dogs in the Best In Show line up and for the most there were quite a few new faces which is always nice to see. The Afghan was very nice and although having had a major win the day before, looked set to win the day once again today. There was a beautiful Welsh Corgi, again a new face on our show stand and the most gorgeous Basset Hound which in my opinion was the winner for the day. We were all asked to leave the ring after we had presented to the Judge and there we must wait for the final result…

The announcements were in reverse order, Fourth place !!!! No, this was not the Dane, OK so we are still in with a chance, Third place was announced !!!! No, this was not the Dane, yes we are still in with a chance, Second place is !!!!!! No, this is still not the Dane and the remaining 7 quickly look around, the fanfare goes, the music kicks in and the announcement starts;

“AND THE WINNER OF THE APHRODITE 2008 CYPRUS INTERNATIONAL SHOW IS “BIG”, IT IS “VERY BIG” IT IS “BLACK AND WHITE”

…and there I am standing with the biggest dog left in the line up, the Great Dane and it could not have been more black and white as we were showing the Mantle so fulfilling all his announcements, the other contestants were looking at me telling me to move to the front of the show ring, some congratulating me as the announcement finished “IT IS THE AKITA” the announcer went on to complete. Talk about some VERY angry faces, not because we had not won, but because of the cruel announcement from the Master Of Ceremonies who clearly thought he was being funny trying to put them off the scent of the actual winner. The Akita who is actually owned by friends of our and is very beautiful, is neither, BIG, VERY BIG or BLACK and WHITE it was brown and white. Oh well, the stupid man on the microphone had ruffled a few feathers, but he did not spoil our weekend and what we had achieved was more than our expectation.

Our final call for the weekend was that we had made;

Turbo finished the weekend with Cyprus Champion to add to his already Australian Champion, he had become a Crufts qualifier and he had won Aphrodite Winner title, he was B.O.B (day two) and took 1st place in group line up.

Diva finished the weekend with Cyprus Champion to add to her already Australian Champion, she had become a Crufts qualifier and she had won Aphrodite Winner title, she was B.O.B (day one) and took 3rd place in group line up.

Donny finished the weekend with Cyprus Junior Champion, he had become a Crufts qualifier and he had won Junior Aphrodite Winner title and he took his place in the Best Junior In Show line up on both days following his B.O.B.Junior win.

Tina finished the weekend with Cyprus Junior Champion, she had become a Crufts qualifier and she had won Junior Aphrodite Winner title at the same time as taking Best Junior Bitch of Breed.

Polo finished the weekend with Cyprus Champion and he had won Aphrodite Winner title.

So finishing off 3 Champion Titles, 2 Junior Champion titles and taking 2 group places was for us more than we had expected. Our weekend was a huge success and we would like to thank all the Judges for their confidence in our dogs to put them through, to all the Kennel Club staff who work so hard to put these shows on and to the new President who’s first show this was in his new role.

We can now sit back a little as we have decided that this year we will concentrate our efforts on hopefully and successfully mating Odette who is expected in to season any day now. She will be covered with Zsacharias and advance registrations are already being taken to secure any future puppies they may have. We have a data base of names who have already expressed an interest, but for those reading that have not completed one of our Advance Registration forms you can do so here.

For those having already completed a form and who are still interested, please drop me a line to say, form already completed, we are still interested.

We have many more photos on our flickr site and you can get to the different sets by double clicking on any photo and it will take you straight there.

We hope you have enjoyed our update and show news. For those wishing to be removed from our list, please send a reply asking to be removed.

Many thanks and kind regards from all at APOLLODANE GREAT DANES.

LATEST BREAKING NEWS

The first bitch to come in to season on our expected mating is the beautiful CYPRUS CHAMPION / AUSTRALIAN CHAMPION / APHRODITE WINNER & CRUFTS QUALIFIER, Rorlyndane Who Spilt The Paint “DIVA” who you can see above or on the following link.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/apollodane/sets/72157605526917077/show/.

She will be covered in the next few days with the very famous “ZAC” who can be seen in full on the following link

 http://www.apollodane.com/blog/our-dogs/cyprus-best-dog-of-the-year-2006/ 

We would expect if all goes well, puppies to be born around the middle of August. We have already gathered from those interested, a number of advance registration forms completed on behalf of securing a future puppy. So could I please ask, to all those people who have kindly completed a form and for those who have not yet completed a form, if you are still interested in a puppy or would like to secure a puppy, could you please send an e-mail to info@apollodane.com with immediate effect. We understand many peoples circumstances change and we would just like to bring our details up to date so people are not let down, many thanks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

       

        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

   

    

     

      

      

      

 

 

 

 

 

For many people in the dog world, preparation for Crufts starts weeks before. For others it is a one off show visit to qualify their dogs and then they may never see another show until Crufts itself. For us, well we started our journey in winter 2006 and a visit to a Crufts qualifying show in Croatia. We then had to attend another qualifying show in the January of 2007 in Moscow to make sure our attendance was guaranteed. So for us, this was a journey of many months, many flying miles and many shows. We wanted to savour the whole experience, soak up the atmosphere and enjoy every minute we were there along with every hour of T.V coverage

To appear at the largest and most prestigious dog show in the world is every dog owners dream and like so many, we all hope our dog will shine on the day and bring home the recognition we as the owner think it deserves.

Although travelling with our Danes has become second nature, the UK poses a different set of guidelines to those we had become familiar with and used to whilst travelling around Europe. We are fully supportive of the strict quarantine restrictions as you just can not compromise on animal health issues. As for the rules on transportation, well I have to say it became a minefield of sizes, volumes, weights and height, combine this with the incredibly high prices being quoted, then you begin to wonders if the journey will ever take place at all.

We had researched the Judges in advance, we had weighed up our competition and despite numerous suggestions that our journey would be wasted, we decided that stiff competition was good & healthy competition and any suggestion that we would be better staying in Cyprus was like red rag to a bull, it made us all the more determined to attend the show and let them see what we were made of.

We had a fairly smooth and hassle free journey, Zac nicely crated in his oversized travel box and settled on his nice thick continental quilt for comfort. He really didnít care less where he was going, as long as he knew we were going to be at the other side to meet him. Arrival was quite late in the UK, but we are pleased to say that our friends had arranged for transportation from Gatwick to their home once all the cargo documentation had been completed. Zac is such a good boy; he really is no trouble what so ever when we travel and instinctively he knows that it is show time within a few days.

With Zac fed and watered and given a tour of his new home for the next few days, he settled down to sleep. We decided he had the best idea, so in hot pursuit we headed for our bed to make sure we were bright and alert the following day. Always surprising what a good nights sleep can give you, we woke to find a beautiful day surrounded by the most incredible back drop of acres of lush green fields, stables full of Danes and that morning chorus of ìcome and feed meî in various pitched levels of barking. The following couple of days were spent planning our journey to Birmingham, fitting in the grooming requirements and buying any last minute items we had forgotten or decided we would need.

Saturday was our show day, day three of a dog filled four days, so Friday night was sandwich making, filling the flasks with hot water and making sure we had adequate drinks for ourselves and visitors. Now at this point I was not sure if the purpose of our visit to the UK was to show our boy Zac at Crufts, or if it was to enter the Duke Of Edinburgh Awards for Industry. I say this because Craig made that many sandwiches, he really could have started a food chain, and so with this in mind, I thought maybe it was a small business start up grant he was hoping to secure. As we went to bed that night we were all made aware of our responsibilities and as a last reminder we were told to make sure the alarm clock was set for 0330hrs. I had fortunately remembered our alarm clock, so I took it out of our suitcase, set it for 0330hrs and then settled down for a few hours sleep as it was already approaching midnight. In no time at all the alarm clock was ringing its tiny little sides off, Craig was up and out of bed, in to the bathroom, shaved and showered before trying to raise me from my slumber. Not having much luck he decided to try his hand on the bedroom door of the remaining sleepy residents, only to be informed that the time was not 0330hrs, but in fact it was only 0130hrs !!!!!!! Whoops I thought to myself, seems like I left the clock on Cyprus time of 2 hours ahead of the UK, no wonder I still felt tired. For 2 hours I lay with my eyes open, listening to the outside sounds and afraid to fall asleep in case I did not wake on time !!!!!!!! Yes at the correct time of 0330hrs.

All dogs packed in their vans, our bags and show leads ready we all started our journey ready fro CRUFTS 2008. This was what it had all been about, this waiting time was now upon us and we were about to show Zac in the largest dog show in the world. A coffee stop at the motorway service station was almost about to put a stop to those dreams as Zac jumped out of the van and limped his way to the nearest tree to leave his calling card. Oh NO !!!!!! not a lame dog on the day of the greatest dog show in the world, this could not be happening to us. As we tried to put him through a few paces, his limp seemed to worsen, so we put him back in the van and decided to take him straight to the Vet when we arrived at the exhibition centre.

Arriving at the National Exhibition Centre was a feeling hard to describe. Beautifully groomed dogs in all directions, each one looking a winner and not one of them seemed in the least bit concerned at what the day had in store for them. We unpacked the car, filled our bags and followed the crowd. At this point it didn’t really matter which direction they were going, we were just so thrilled to be a part of the marching army. They walked and they disbursed, filtering off in to their own show arenas as we did the same. Handing in our tickets we soon found our bench, set out our blankets and went about locating the Vet. Before taking Zac to the Vet I wanted to see how bad he was with his limp, so I took him for a quick practice run in the ring before people started to fill the arena. Now I am not sure if it was the excitement of the ring or the other dogs his size pouring in, but for the moment Zac had lost his limp and was walking like a dream. A few rounds of the ring confirmed nothing more than a stiff joint that had clearly relaxed itself ready for action. It was now time to sit back, relax and enjoy the day, first watching all the other entrants arrive and set up their own bench whilst eyeing up the competition.

It is many years since I was a part of the show scene in the UK so I was interested to see how it had changed, progressed or expanded. My breed in those earlier years was the good old English Cocker Spaniel, although I have to say, most certainly not quite so heavily involved as we are today with our Danes. I think that the UK really set the scene for standards in showing and in breeding and many countries have the UK to thank and Crufts is still the pinnacle of any breeders dream. In my opinion though, and speaking purely from a Dane breederís perspective, I was surprised at how elitist many of the more established breeders were within their own breed and how difficult it was as a new comer to infiltrate such a tight nit club. We never have socialisation issues, we personally speak to anybody and everybody, nor do we let that sort of practise worry us or faze us, but it was clearly very obvious that some of the lesser established breeders and with some very beautiful Danes were just not being allowed in to take their share of the awards on offer at some of the smaller more local shows. I have never been a shrinking violet, the type to worry about another’s opinion or be intimidated by those thinking themselves holier than though or mightier than most. Actually I thrive on their insecurities and rise to the challenge, this was one of the reasons we had finally decided to attend Crufts 2008. You see many think that Europe is a distribution spot for Champion titles for dogs without class or distinction, quality or breeding. Now yes, I have to agree, many years ago this may have been the case, but NOT any more. You only have to look at the quality of dogs what ever breed you wish to cover and you find most of them, unlike years ago are not starting life in the UK. The quality dogs of today’s breeding pool are coming from European destinations and unless the breeders of the UK start to sit up and take notice, then I have to agree with many of the articles written in their very own dog papers, the breed will go in to decline.

I know personally of imports that are being sidelined because they have dared as breeders to import and they are told quite categorically that bringing in quality imports is not the route to obtaining a C.C that they must serve their time as the established breeders have done and only then will they start to be given credibility and recognition. It appears to me that a handful of those that have had years in the breed are closing ranks on those new kids on the block, when really they should be looking at the future of the breed and encouraging them to come on, bring in their new lines and develop the breed standard as it is written.

As a Harlequin breeder with a fraction of the years experience of many of the UK’s established breeders, I can honestly say I do not feel any less equipped to know a good Dane when I see one, nor am I less equipped to know the breeding patterns of the lines I am developing, but what I and many others like me do have, is a burning enthusiasm to take the breed forward and learn from those that are prepared to teach us. To those who close the doors, close rank and do not have the common courtesy to acknowledge another mans efforts when we are all striving for the same end, then I urge you to think of the future, look at where the breed has gone in the UK and start to relax the dictatorial approach that seems to be sweeping through at the higher levels in the breeding world.

There was a selection of what I personally would class as ‘GOOD DANES’ and I applaud those individuals who we actually took the time out to go over to and converse with and acknowledge their efforts. My own opinion was that the general standard of the Harlequin was far lower than those which we compete with in Europe, that we have shown against in Australia and that we have observed at the shows in America. I was disappointed that from a country who led the field in Harlequin breeding, that it had allowed its standard to drop so low. There needs to be a serious look at the colour of the Harlequin in the UK at the moment and although many would put confirmation over colour, it is the overall package that is the beauty of the beast. A couple stood out as being worthy winners, but if the truth were known, even these had come from imported lines, so the individual breeders had recognised that need for change and were doing something about it. It has been pointed out to me that getting a dog titled in the UK is far more difficult than in Europe, so to put the record straight, for those who have never stepped foot over the water to show, I can officially confirm that the European competition is far stronger, at this moment in time the Danes are far more attractive, especially coming from the Scandinavian countries, the colours are far more in line with what the breed standard suggests and the overall confirmation is how we expect our Danes to look. As for the Champion titles being easy to achieve, once again let me put the record straight. First of all, when showing under F.C.I rules we have to show with a dogs full dentition, something I know for sure some of the dogs in my Crufts open class would not be eligible for. We also have to show with a dog in tact showing both testicles, again something I know whilst sitting ring side the Judge pointed out to a couple of dogs handlers.

In 2007 we took a combined number of 42 separate flights with 2 adult Danes, we hit 16 different countries, encountered winters in Moscow, summers in Switzerland, stayed in 22 hotels, hired 18 vans, covered 42 shows and competed with numerous World Champions, European Champions, Mediterranean Champions and Grand Champions. We are not fortunate enough to be able to jump in the car, travel a few miles up the motorway and compete with a handful of UK Champions, NO !!!! Like many of our European colleagues, we have to put backbone and effort in to our presence at a dog show and when we do eventually arrive at our show destination, we compete based on the quality of our dogs and not on the favours we are owed. So in 2007 alone, to come out with Champion titles in 9 countries, Grand Champion in 2, European Champion, Mediterranean Champion, 30 Group Wins, 8 Best in Show, 3 Reserve Best In Show, Breed Champion 3 years running, Dog Of The Year and Champion of Champions for just one of our Danes ZAC I feel we have earned our stripes. To be given the frosty reception from some as we were is evident that the UK show scene in the Dane world has a lot to learn in order to bring it in line with the now very high standards of Europe.

European shows in my opinion at the moment are by far much warmer and more inviting and they actually go out of their way to congratulate you on your wins. Our experience has been most enjoyable to the point where we actively return year after year to support the overseas shows and I think a valuable lesson could be learned by many UK breeders not having experienced the warmth and hospitality of shows outside the UK to pay them a visit, check out the quality of the Danes and just see how tough it is to actually get placed under some of the strictest Judges on the circuit, never mind take a Champion title.

In Europe we encourage new blood, both in handlers and in our lines. When we enter overseas shows and take a good win, the first people to come and shake our hands are the locals. To be accepted in a country as a complete stranger means a great deal to us and we never dismiss it or ever take it for granted. I feel the UK Dane circuit in parts has lost this ability to see beyond their own closed circuit and there is a fear from new comers to actually enter shows or bring out their dogs which I feel is detrimental to the long term of the breed. Of course this is not all, it is a handful of breeders who have dominated the show scene for many years and who believe they are untouchable and unstoppable. We know it goes on in many countries, yet I have to say as a visitor it was very obvious to me and had I have been the type of character to let it upset me or offend me, then maybe I would think twice about going back. There were of course those who didn’t have this air of aloofness about them, clearly loved their breed and went to the shows, not only to show their dogs, but to make friends with new people.

The whole Crufts experience is awesome and for those reading from overseas and never having visited, it is a date for your diary you must take time out for. With over 25,000 dogs on show over 4 days, with every shopping experience catered for and with overseas entries now taking many of the top honours, it really is a dog show for people from all over the world. You need a good pair of walking shoes, a few pounds in your pocket and sufficient liquid refreshment to get you through the day.

As the Dane classes began, I took a seat ringside to see how the events unfolded. I wanted to get a closer look at the Judge Mrs J M Macdonald to see her style, to see what she was looking for and to see how she was placing her winners. As she worked her way through the classes it became obvious her style was more relaxed than had been anticipated. It is always nice to see a Judge sharing a few words with the handler and their dog, it makes life more relaxed and puts everyone at ease. I like the Harlequin and naturally they get my vote, but I have to say, there were some very impressive fawns who not only looked well, but who presented well. There were a couple of choices that again from a personal point of view I would have questioned, but this is about the Judges choice and not the exhibitors choice, so if that is what the Judge liked on the day, then I support her decision, after all that is what she has been invited to do.

It was soon time for our class, ‘OPEN DOG’ one of the more difficult classes of the day. In all over the day there were around 250 Danes entered in total, open dog and open bitch are the combination of the more experienced, more mature and more qualified in their field. Champions from all over the world come together in this class and it is the créme de la créme that go through and take the winning places.

I thought on this occasion my yellow show suit was most appropriate as red already seemed to dominate the show rings. What I had not planned for was a kidney infection which immediately saw my stomach bloat and combined with the extra few kilos I had gained in the winter months, getting in to the suit proved a little more difficult than had been on previous shows. I want to say that unfortunately it was not a case of Cinderella slipping in to the perfect fitting glass slipper, but more like one of her ugly sisters forcing her foot to win her Prince. Could I breathe in sufficiently enough to get the pants to meet in the middle, could I run around the ring without exhaling? and could I bend over my dog to place his feet if he did not walk in to his perfect stack. Well all this was a little late to start worrying about at this stage of the game, the pants were fastened and meeting in the middle, the last intake of air had been taken, enough to last me three times around the ring and the jacket was there to hide a multitude of sins, this was not about me I said to myself, this was about my dog. Who was I trying to kid, of course this was as much about me as it was about my dog, you see we come as a package and if the package was right then we stand more chance of a win. I am not one seen at the local shows in the UK, so how on earth would I get to stand out in a crowd already known to many. Well it was time to go out there all guns a blazing and let them see we were afraid of nothing and nobody.

The class was called, the dogs entered the ring and of all the 21 entries that filled out the ring completely, we focussed on nobody in particular. The Judge started to go over each dog with a fine tooth comb and slowly we moved around the ring taking up our place on each stop we made. All the time Zac was being given reassuring words to put him at ease and to pass away the time it took to get from initially entering the ring, to finding our time in front of the Judge. It took in total around 1 hour 15 minutes to go over all the dogs and as these were the top in their class, that extra time was so important. There was just one more dog and then it was our turn. Zac had been a perfect show dog, he had held his stack to perfection, he had not been bothered by any of the other dogs and his time in the ring and under the lights had not left him feeling like he does on a hot summers day show in Europe. Looking at me with dry mouth as if to say ìcome on dad, what are we still doing here, does anybody realise we are touching temperatures of 30Cî No here was Zac feeling very confident with himself and I could feel it coming through the lead. We moved slowly in to position in readiness for our call, I stacked Zac in a place I hoped we would not get moved from and I waited for the Judge to acknowledge we were next. As the Judge approached, she looked over Zac and then looked over the yellow suit. ìI like the suitî the Judge commented with a smile in her eyes ìwe can certainly see you coming and how old is the dogî She had a very warming approach to Zac, talking to him as she went over him. Zac turned his head knowing this lady had a kindness in her heart for the dogs on show, he looked up and planted a big sloppy kiss on her face almost as though it was staged. Thatís a good boy I thought to myself, you know the way to a womanís heart, a sloppy kiss works wonders every time. ìCould you move your dog for me, in to the corner, up to the top and then complete the triangleî Zac does as he always does and moves well. We were then asked to run up and down and once again Zac sticks to his routine. We were thanked and once again we took our place in the line until the remaining dogs had been seen. ìI am not going to place at this point, just going to pull a few outî I heard the Judge say to the steward. This was our time to stack and be ready for her to once again see how good he was if we were to get pulled out for the short list. Slowly the Judge went around the ring, going over every dog with a very keen eye and now the time had come for her to start selecting her short list. It seemed like a world away, the point in which she seemed to be making her selection and the point at which we were standing. So far only Fawns were making the selection and nothing of colour was getting through. Eventually her eyes focussed on Zac, she looked at the Black dog next to me, she cast her eyes back on to Zac and raised her hand in our direction for selection. WOW, I had hoped but had not planned for this. It now meant I had to extend the intake of air I had inhaled at the beginning of the class for another round of the ring, I had to keep my fingers crossed that the buttons on my pants would hold out and I looked at the T.V cameras and smiled politely as I thought if my mother is watching, the last thing I want is for her to worry I am getting to big for my pants. They do say T.V cameras put an extra 5 kilos on you, so there you go, what chance did I have, I was destined for a lifetime of ridicule of obesity in the show ring just by the fact that I was about to appear on national television. We all took our places once again as the Judge walked up and down. Now then, how would she move us, would it be round the ring or would it be up and down? As she walked behind the dogs it became evident we were going up and down, so our route was observed, we stood to attention and we waited for our time. It was a tense moment for some who took it rather more seriously than others, maybe because reputations were at stake. I got Zac in to position and off we went, down to the bottom of the ring, stop, turned around and then back. As we came back Zac lost his momentum for the moment, he had a shake of his head and a lapse in concentration. I stopped, turned around, walked back to the head of the ring and started him again in our time and not that expected of those left standing. ìThatís betterî the Judge commented when we got to the end ìnow we can see how you move properlyî She moved to the next dog as we stood to attention, perfect stack and now just awaiting the Judges decision. At this point I was more than happy with our position. We were in a short list line up, we had seen Champions from around the world being thrown out and we had seen dogs who we had admired from previous Crufts also being thrown out. Now we were left standing in a predominantly fawn line up, we were the ONLY Harlequin left standing and we were in what is seen to be the most difficult class of the day. Was I looking for a placing, well of course, we all like to think our dogs are worthy of a placing, but in such a line up, I was just happy to have seen some of the stiffest competition being thrown out leaving us in a chance position for a place, I was also happy to have proved that despite the negative comments received regarding European Champion titles and the fact that it was suggested we did not go to the trouble of making the journey to the UK to enter Crufts, here we were, standing with the ones who are taking the prizes and we were showing we had what it takes.

The moment was now very tense as the Judge went over the line up once again to make selection. Zac was doing me proud, he stood like he has never stood before and he knew all eyes were on the line up and more importantly on him as a visiting Dane. I could see out of the corner of my eye, all the people we knew and who had kindly travelled from all parts in the UK to watch us, so I would have loved to have had a place, if only to make their journey worth while. As the Judge moved to the end of the line up I could see Zacs ears starting to drop a little. Oh no, not now I thought to myself, please stay with me, keep your alert expression and keep those ears up. At that point the in-house loudspeaker system crackled on to make an announcement, Zac pushed back his head, his neck went long a lean and his ears gave him that perfect expression. There was a point when the Judge looked at us for what seemed like a life time, for a small moment I thought we were going to get first place, she then walked over and raised her arm at the ;

1st place, Fawn dog CH LOMONDANE GIES A BREAK JW ShCM (MRS C & MISS E CUNNINGHAM & ROBERTSON)

2nd place, Fawn dog CH GARSAK SIR ALFIE JW (MRS A, MR G & MR J HURST, HOOKER & LOCKEY)

3rd place, Harlequin dog, INT, GR & MULTI CH HILDYDANE ZSACHARIAS [ATC AJ00171CYP] (MR P BAINBRIDGE & MR C HULME)

Res Fawn dog, CH MYHALSTON MR MALACHI (MR O GREECHAN)

VHC Fawn dog, ROMULUS OF BACARDI [ATC AH00869HUN] (MISS TINA FIGENSCHAU)

So the final choice had been made and we had done what many thought we would not do. First of all we had been placed in the strongest line up of Crufts qualifying Great Danes, we had beaten Australian Champions, Irish Champions, International Champions, but the biggest surprise of all to many except ourselves was that we also beat the Top Winning Great Dane dog in the UK, most certainly for the past 2 years and I am also led to believe of all times, CH MYHALSTON MR MALACHI.

Our Zac had done it, he was now a Crufts winner to add to his list of impressive wins, he was automatically given life entry in to Crufts, but most importantly for us, he is entered in to the very prestigious Crufts Stud book.

What Honours Does a Stud Book Number Give a Dog?

Firstly it is an honour for a dog just to be entered into the stud book. An added bonus is that a dog never again needs to qualify for Crufts dog show, his stud book number is alone a good enough qualification to compete at this elite show. As soon as you enter the world of dog showing you will become aware of the words ’stud book’. The stud book will become an important part of your competition and with luck your own dog will one day have his own name in the Kennel Club’s stud book.

For us, this was the finishing touch to a great year. We had flown thousands of miles, we had been granted our dogs own frequent flyer card issued in conjunction with the Cyprus Kennel Club and Cyprus Airways, we had shown under some of the toughest Judges the show world as to offer and we had met some really wonderful people. To take a Crufts Winning place for us meant the world and we would like to take this opportunity of thanking the Judge, Mrs Macdonald for having the faith in our dog to place him in the winners line up. We would also like to thank all our friends & family who set off very early to make sure we had support in the ring at the time of our class. Special thanks also to all our overseas visitors, especially Kate from Athens ìCuidadoî who kindly gave up her time to stand ring side when her true passion is the Rottie.

With our part now over, we were able to sit back and watch the rest of the day’s events unfold and a full list of the winners can be viewed on the Crufts 2008 show result page. Craig set about attacking the army of sandwiches he made and fortunately we had something to offer our visiting guests what they arrived. With so much excitement we decided to travel North to visit my parents for the weekend as a surprise and when we knocked at their door they had just finished watching the class results on the T.V. She very kindly gave reassurances that despite the extra few kilos, the cameras had been very flattering to the yellow show suit and although it was not the choice of many conservative breeders and handlers, for us it did exactly what we wanted it to do and even today we are still taking calls from people who have become so familiar with the red and yellow show suits, that they were able to identify us on the T.V.

Sunday was a leisure day enjoying the traditional Sunday roast with my parents and Monday we took the opportunity of having the sperm of Zac frozen in readiness for any overseas interest we may get in the future. Unfortunately frozen semen is not something readily available in our part of the island of Cyprus, so after a long discussion with the gentleman who put Zac through his paces, we have decided to bring the system to Cyprus for all to enjoy in the future. We will first need to purchase all the equipment, we will need to complete the training and once all this has been done we can start to offer the service, not only in Cyprus, but I am told it can be transported to shows which we are in attendance at, so other destinations can also take advantage of the facility.

Following a few days shopping and stocking up with all those things you tend to miss and have grown up with, we headed back to our sunshine island of Cyprus, 7 days from when we first set out.

This coming weekend 15th & 16th March we have a double weekend show here in Cyprus and whilst Zac rests, it is now the turn of Donny & Tina to hopefully bring back some trophies. Harry is over in Latvia for the Winners Show and then over in Finland at his second show of the weekend so we wish him luck.

I have added over 100 photos to the Crufts photo link and if you double click on any of the photos it should automatically take you straight to the album [or click here]. Both Craig & I hope you enjoy looking through them, we hope you have enjoyed our own views and opinions of how the Crufts show was observed by us and we would like to thank all those who did find the time to come over, converse with us and make us feel very welcome.

As always, we enjoy our visits to the Greek mainland, the hospitality, the warmth and the genuine appreciation of the Greek clubs sees us return, show after show. We feel there is a genuine understanding of how difficult it is moving LARGE breeds in and around Europe, not only with our own Danes, but with many of the other large breeds that travel to shows far and wide. The disadvantage of living on a beautiful island such as Cyprus is that EVERYWHERE is by flying, other such country’s have the luxury of jumping on a pre-arranged coach or in to their cars and making the journey, albeit longer in time, at a more relaxed pace. What can we do ????? if you have dogs and you want to show them, then this is the price you have to pay. For living, Cyprus is one of the most beautiful islands that I could ever think of wanting to spend my life, for showing dogs, it has improved tremendously over the years and now boasts one of the better show programmes in Europe, one which I would recommend if you have not visited then you really must give it a try, for visiting other country’s, then to be honest we may just as well reside on Alcatraz, because once you are here with your show dogs you really are limited as to where you can travel at a budget affordable to the average pocket. So most Cypriot breeders content themselves with the shows on offer on the island, who’s standards are good, who’s entrants are high and who’s quality of dogs are improving year on year. To travel overseas is a luxury many dream of and to bring back prizes is something most only read about in the papers. So!!!!!!! to travel as we do is not something we just take for granted. We feel very privileged to be able to finance such trips, we feel honoured to be accepted by other kennel clubs and we are truly grateful to be awarded titles in country’s where the competition with local bred dogs is tough and very difficult to compete with. To be given a place on the winners podium consistently as we are is something we know is a recognition to be VERY proud of and our special thanks to all the kennel club members, the Judges and the entrants who cheer us and support us. It makes us very proud to be a part of your individual organisations, for the day or for the weekend and the extended hospitality as is shown is something we are happy to share with our colleagues in the hope that they too will visit your shows and share the experience.

Travel time to Larnaca has now been refined to around 1hour 30 minutes door to door. Our routine has also been refined to ensure quick and smooth check in for us and our Danes. This particular weekend I have to report being better than any we have experienced. I just hit lucky with the correct administrative girls at check in, the dogs were processed, our luggage whisked through and it was smiles all around as I walked outside to inform Craig we were now free to enjoy a leisurely drink and something to eat in he executive lounge before take off.

As I walked across the departure lounge to the outside car park a familiar face to the show world here in Cyprus appeared in the crowded hall. Demitri, our strong competition with the Bichon Frise was standing in the line up waiting to check in. The first time he had actually checked in one of his dogs to the aircraft hold so he was understandably a little nervous. After much reassurance that all would be fine, he waved goodbye to his 2 adult Bichon and put the other 2 puppies he was taking to rendezvous with their new owners on his shoulder in their very luxurious carry on bag and for the moment we parted company. Demitri spent time with an old school friend he had bumped in to and we went off in to the direction of the exec lounge for a peaceful meal before we departed. Remember at this point that we are still in the middle of the busy tourist season and the airports are filled to capacity, so our exec lounge indulgence is more a way of maintaining sanity over the maddening crowds now building up in the departure lounge.

Now happily relaxed and reflecting on how smooth everything had gone we were conscious of an announcement over the tannoy system.
“Ladies and gentlemen, could we please have your attention. Would all Cyprus Airways passengers please report to the main reception desk”
Both Craig and I walked over to what was now a sea of people fighting to speak to the reception girl. We handed her our boarding cards, she looked at us and said in a most apologetic tone.
“Sir, I am sorry to have to tell you, Cyprus Airways Pilots have just called a walk out strike for the next 7 hours, this will mean a build up of flight traffic, there is no guarantee you flight will take off at all today. If you wish you can re-book for another day, you can cancel, or you can take a chance and see what happens later”
“Thank you I said, but we have a number of livestock on the flight and I would like to know what your provisions are for them during this time”
Horror drained through her face as she realised the announcement she had just made was for us not going to be as simple as the options given. We had by now been joined by our friend Demetris and collectively decided to continue with our journey, providing we could be re-united with our dogs as soon as possible.
We were taken back through the passport control in reverse, we had to pass through a security check going the return direction and we eventually were taken back in to the departures hall which was now FULL of angry passengers. Fortunately we had each other for support and left immediately the departure hall to return to our cars. Our own Zac climbed in to the 4×4 and immediately fell to sleep stretched out full length of the car, Odette climbed in to the back of the van and did the same, Demitri took his Bichon and swapped them over in to our very large travel crates and his puppies did the same. For all the dogs this was complete heaven, luxury beyond belief. For us, well we took three chairs from the local cafe bar, set them up in the car park by our vehicles and spent the next 7 hours talking about shows, future, past and present.
Eventually the time came for us to gather our things once again and go through the whole ordeal of boarding our dogs, getting them settled and hopefully this time the flight staff were over their walk out and ready to fly us to our destination.

We arrived now very late. What should have been a 1700hrs arrival was now a midnight arrival and we still had the journey to the hotel to make, another 30 minutes on top. Fortunately a phone call ahead made sure our room was still available, the dogs were walked and fed and like us just crashed fast asleep. For what seemed like only minutes the Nokia phone was now ringing in our ears telling us that we had now had our complete allocation of beauty sleep and it was time to get both dogs ready for the show.

The hotel Stefanakis, room 113 or 112 are perfect for our dogs. 2 bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen and fantastic sized balcony for each dog ensured that both Odette and Zac had a good nights sleep without the need for them sleeping in their crates. It is not the most luxurious of hotels, but when you travel with dogs you are grateful for a bed for the night, never mind creature comforts. The most important thing for us is that we are accepted with our dogs and we are not having to worry about the concerns of the management, as in this case I feel they appreciate we are all quite respectful and know that any accidents which may happen are immediately resolved, either financially or otherwise.

Both dogs walked and our own breakfast taken we waited for our Pet Taxi Nicos and his additional driver being his mum. The journey to the Markopoulos stadium takes about 30 minutes and you will see from the photographs it has actually got better in time as an Olympic venue, unlike some whose beauty has faded over the years. The weather was at it’s best and the sun shone down as the exhibitors registered their dogs and took up their places. Having been here last year we knew the procedure, we knew which way the sun was going to shine and we knew just where to go to make sure we were in the shade all of the day. Old friends we are always happy to see greeted us and welcomed us once again to the Greek mainland and a quick walk around to familiarise ourselves with the rings saw yet more familiar faces.

Our crates in place, our ring times sorted and our dogs ready for presentation we prepared ourselves for the day ahead. We had early show times so for us this was good. At least our dogs were well rested, they were not to hot from the mid-day sun and they had not become bored at all the hanging around. Show started prompt at 0900hrs and by 0915 we were in the ring with Zac who was just raring to go. We stood at ring side watching the other Danes in class go through their stuff and then it was the turn of Zac. Now I have to say at this point we had struggled keeping his attention as 16 days earlier both Odette and Heidie had chosen with precise and accurate timing, right in the middle of show season to come in to season. Yes here we are just as we embark on our 7 months of extensive travelling with 2 bitches re-enacting the sequel to “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” They don’t do delicate and feminine seasons, no, not our Heidie and Odette, what they do is bleed by the bucket full until they decide they have had enough, which in some cases can extend in to three weeks of constant blood loss. We had watched eagerly awaiting the blood flow to stop so we could decide if it was safe to take her and if all would be OK at the show. By the time the show came all seemed safe, the blood flow had dried up and both bitches had returned to slight normality, nothing that a good strong bitch spray, some Vics vapour rub and a bit of good supervision wouldn’t resolve. Our normal travelling routine had to be slightly altered to make sure Zac stayed well away from Odette and under the circumstances we coped very well. That was until on day 2, Odette with possible reaction to the flying decided to switch on the blood flow again just after she had done her class. I tell you, I could have donated to a battle field and still had more left over. Fortunately our red doggie blankets hid most of our embarrassment and she had at least finished showing for the weekend, but never the less, this still meant that Zac, super stud, thought his services were required and at every given moment tried to mount anything in site, fortunately this did not include the judge.

So day one we came home with a Champion class win for Zac and then Best Dog win with CAC & CACIB and an Excellent critique which read;

BEAUTIFUL HARLEQUIN DOG, SOUND AND ELEGANT WITH GOOD REACH OF NECK, EXCELLENT HEAD AND EXPRESSION, CLEAN EYES, GOOD FRONT, FORE CHEST AND DEPTH OF CHEST, GOOD SET OF TAIL AND CROOP, CORRECT HIND ANGULATION, MOVES WELL AND PRESENTED VERY WELL.

For Odette we took Champion class win and Best Bitch. Understandably in her condition she was a little giddy and in the head to head Zac won over with BEST OF BREED. Odette took CAC 7 CACIB with an excellent critique which read;

EXCELLENT SHOW CONDITION BITCH, EXCELLENT MARKINGS, FEMININE HEAD, EXCELLENT FRONT AND BACK, EXCELLENT TOP LINE, GOOD MOVER AND EXCELLENT TEMPERAMENT. WELL PRESENTED.

Paolo Dondina was the Judge, very nice, knew his stuff and got on with the job in hand. He was very precise about his requirements and expectations of your role as handler and his comments on the critique I felt were exactly what he was being presented with by way of our dogs.

So for us, part one of our goal had been achieved, Zac had taken B.O.B and had qualified for a second Greek Champion title but more importantly, Odette had now completed her 12 month campaign and had qualified as GREEK CHAMPION. She now stands at CYPRUS MULTI CHAMPION, RUSSIAN CHAMPION, GREEK CHAMPION AND EUROPEAN DEUTCHE DOGGE CHAMPION and is still only just starting out, now aged 29months.

We had the rest of the day now at leisure until groups later in the afternoon, time to walk the dogs, enjoy the friends who had still yet to show, take lunch and then watch the show jumping of which Athena Onassis was in attendance showing off her amazing skills in the stadium next door.

The afternoon judging commenced around 1530hrs and it was not long before Groups were up and ready to show. I always like to get in to the ring first as Zac needs his space to show off his movement. It still surprises me how many ring stewards still let smaller dogs in first, for example the good old English Bulldog who looks so majestic when walking at his own pace around a ring suited to his size. How on earth can a Great Dane or a Newfoundland be expected to show at it’s best behind the English Bulldog going at his own pace. Come on ring stewards, wake up to the fact that you are there to do a job and order of entry has to be top of your priority list. So many times we have fallen victim to the small snappy dog bouncing off the heels of the larger breeds wanting to run his course. get the big boys in first and then let the little ones follow and take their place and then if they need only to walk at a slow pace, or if they need to complete only half the ring circuit, then at least they can do so without interference to others who have the ability to stride it out and go the course.

The group judge was that of our class, Mr Paolo Dondina. He asked to see the dogs he had not already judged move and he asked to see stacked those that he had already judged. Zac I have to say consistently shows well. Show after show after show he stacks to perfection and presents himself in such a way that you just can not help but want to place him. On occasions he can be a little sluggish with his movement, it all depends on the temperatures and the size of the ring, oh yes and if he just happens to have one of his girls in season.

Presentation now over and the judge made his way to the steward to offer his results. In third place was the only announcement I focussed on which was the Harlequin Great Dane. So we had done it again, we had made our place to the winners podium and we were more than happy with the result. It is the judges choice and today the judge had seen other qualities in other dogs he placed 2nd & 1st over Zac, but in terms of our goals, we had done what we set out to do and come away with more.

It is always a mad scramble once your place in the groups has been decided and for us it was time to pack our things, call the taxi and return to the hotel nice and early to shower, feed the dogs and wander down to the local restaurant for dinner. A whole day sitting in the fresh air is sufficient to draw you to your bed for an early night and by 2100hrs we were all tucked up, Zac snoring on one side, Craig on the other and Odette banished to the outside terrace so she could continue in peace with her season.

Sunday another hot and sunny day, Nicos outside waiting in the taxi and all the crates packed in advance. The morning sun coming up over the Markopoulo Olympic stadium is a sight not to be missed, truly awesome and one of those moments when you reflect on the fortunate position you find yourselves in at certain times in your life.

Registration is always an easy affair, one that many other shows could well learn some lessons from. Ring side information is in Greek and in English, great for visiting exhibitors and there are sufficient programmes to go round to each dog entered.
Our show time was the same as the day before, nice and early and before the heat of the day kicked in, however this time our judge was Zvi Kupferberg from Israel.

Once again we watched as the other Dane exhibitors entered the ring, always making sure that we were ready for the ring steward as he called our numbers. Today’s biggest change to plan was that Craig was handler for the day, a little competition rivalry, so he was really out to do a better result than my own the day before. He first entered with Zac and true to form he showed magnificently, that was Zac and not Craig by the way, although I have to say, for someone who four years ago would not be seen in the ring, he is really making up for things. Zac once again won his Champion class, going on to take Best Dog and coming away with a critique which read;

CORRECT SIZE WITH BEAUTIFUL HEAD, EXCELLENT BONE, CORRECT TOP LINE, CORRECT FRONT AND ANGULATION, EXCELLENT STRONG DEEP CHEST, CORRECT COLOUR, EXCELLENT MOVEMENT.
he took CAC & CACIB (excellent).

A quick change over and now the turn of Odette in her very own Champion class. She trots happily around as if to kick sand in the faces of all around her. She stacks to perfection and presents herself well as the judge writes;

CORRECT SIZE WITH BEAUTIFUL HEAD, EXCELLENT TOP LINE, CORRECT FRONT AND ANGULATION, CORRECT BITE, LOOSE ELBOWS, CORRECT CHEST, EXCELLENT MOVEMENT, she took CAC & CACIB(excellent)

Winning her class and then Best Bitch she came head to head with Zac for Best Of Breed. The sun was now starting to burn through, I was handling Zac who I had rushed in from his ring side crate and the judge pondered as he asked us to move our dogs once more around the ring. Now at this point Zac had managed to get the beautiful sweet smell of Odette in season, Odette was happily flirting her way around the ring, throwing her head back as she trotted along teasing all the way. Zac was now pulling his way like an old English Shire horse, desperate to make actual contact with her. For sure the pace was a good one and fortunately we both knew how to use the situation to our advantage. We halted at the judges request, stacked our dogs once more and presented them to him for final inspection. By now our friends from Cyprus had all gathered at ring side to watch the event and the judge turned and said;

BOTH DOGS ARE BEAUTIFUL, THE BITCH IN PARTICULAR HAS A STUNNING HEAD, ONE VERY SELDOM SEEN SO BEAUTIFUL IN BITCHES, SHE IS QUITE REMARKABLE, BUT ONLY FOR THE FACT THAT SHE STILL HAS A LITTLE MATURING TO DO AND IS STILL A LITTLE LOOSE I AM AWARDING BEST OF BREED TO THE DOG. He than said, WATCH OUT FOR THE BITCH TAKING BEST OF BREED VERY VERY SOON, SHE IS GOING TO MATURE VERY, VERY WELL.

So another great result, points for Zac as we had hoped, recognition for Odette and a place in the group line up once again.
The rest of the day was spent supporting our friends, Giannis from Thessaloniki who travelled without his dear wife Erine and for who we promised to cheer from the ring side to make him feel more relaxed. Demetris from Cyprus with his Champion Bichon and his friend who took B.O.B from him on day one. Stella & Pheytos who’s beautiful Akita bred by Julie & Carl Nicholls from the UK and who did so well on day 2, but again lost out on the group win to our friend Giannis with his impressive Siberian Husky. Stella Mimis, Secretary, Athens Canine Society who I have to say that the makeover has taken years off her and she looked fantastic. It is like an old school reunion when we visit Greece and so nice to see Elena & Elias from Crete and Sissi Adramitli with her beautiful Bulldogs and who always makes us welcome to the Greek shows and has great admiration for our Danes. Mind you I have to say, I think Craig has been working his magic as he too loves the British Bulldog and I think secretly has withdrawal symptoms when he is in their company.

The group 2 now being called and Craig looking like a movie star from the film “The Blues Brothers” moves to prime position to enable him to show Zac to full potential. He is first in with no scuffles at the entry point from any of the small dogs trying to get in the ring first. Consistently he moves like a true professional, the applause rings out and the whistles are evidence that Zac is a real favourite with the crowd. He stacks well and he takes note of what is behind in order to plan his next move. The judge once again moved the dogs not seen by him in the class and an almost instant decision was made and the result handed to the ring steward. Where would Zac be placed in this group, or would he be placed at all. The places are being announced in reverse order, the cameras are flashing and the cheering starts to whip the spectators in to real enjoyment. In second place we hear being announced, in second place, the harlequin Great Dane !!!!!!! A great finish to a great weekend and once again a place on the winners podium for Group 2 line up.

As far as our results were concerned, we came for a possible Greek Champion title being completed with Odette and we got it and we came hoping for B.O.B on both the Saturday and the Sunday and we got it. The 2 group places on the winners podium were over and above our expectations and we are delighted with the final achievement. It was just now time to pack our things once more and take the taxi back to the hotel for a celebratory drink.

Monday we ambled down to the water front, took in the scenery and reflected on our wonderful weekend in Greece. By 1330hrs we were sitting at the airport ready to board our flight and once again we have to compliment Cyprus Airways in Athens for their excellent service and compassion towards our dogs. Arrival in Larnaca in time for sun down and home just in time for dinner prepared by our dear housekeepers Lalyn & Connie.

To see the full selection of photographs from the Athens show, left double click on any of the photographs and this will take you to our photo album selection with over 5500 photographs broken down in to various sets for you to view. You then click on Athens or click on the full selection of Apollodane photos.

In conclusion and it goes without saying, a huge thank you to the Kennel Club for making us feel so welcome, thank you to the administrators for keeping us up to date with show news and thank you to the judges who are never taken for granted and whos service, knowledge and support is very much appreciated.

Courtesy of Elena at www.koh.gr

We are proud to announce that on Friday the 13th July 2007 Apollodane Great Danes of Cyprus received certificate confirmation from the Cyprus Kennel Club that we are one of the first breeders to be awarded and recognised with; MULTI CHAMPION & GRAND CHAMPION TITLES OF CYPRUS for HILDYDANE ZACHARAIS & HILDYDANE HILDAS HEIDIE, also we are pleased to announce that our very own HILDYDANE ODETTE has just today been awarded MULTI CHAMPION OF CYPRUS at just 2 years of age.

Whilst being one of the first breeders overall here in Cyprus to be awarded the recognition of Multi Champion & Grand Champions titles for three of our dogs, this is the very first Great Dane recognition at such a level, so we are very honoured and privileged to be the first to carry this standard forward for all future Danes.

We have had a great 12 months taking many BEST IN SHOW AWARDS, GROUP WINS and of course not forgetting the very prestigious and current holder of DOG OF THE YEAR & CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS with Zsacharias.

Our very sincere thanks to all the judges who felt our Danes worthy of recognition in all the shows here in Cyprus since they arrived from Australia, thanks to all at the Cyprus Kennel Club for the hard work and effort they put in to the shows and to Hildegard Schliefert our guide and mentor for making it all possible. We hope to continue with our success and look forward to seeing you all quite soon at up and coming shows with not only our existing Grand Champions, but our very new and soon to be showcased, Apollodane Athena, Apollodane Astraeus, Apollodane Asclepius and Apollodane Adonis, born to Grand Champion Hildydane Hildas Heidie & Grand Champion Hildydane Zsacharias, photos which can be seen on our puppy news web page.

Some late night news to anyone visiting late this Saturday evening; 

Hildydane Zsacharias Wins Cyprus Best Dog of the Year 2006 & Winner of the Title Champion Of Champions!

Click the link for further information.

(plus) Ljubljana, Slovenia, A special CAC show for Molosser and big sized breeds, on January 13th 2007 presented by Slovenian Club for Molosser and Big Sized Dogs. Three shows over one weekend.

With the festive season way behind us and our waistlines way out in front, due to the excesses we have indulged in over Christmas, it is now time to turn our attention to the resolutions we made at the close of 2006, making sure we are some way on track to make things happen.

For us, reflecting on our 2006, we really could not have been any happier with what had been achieved. So what was for 2007? Well our none drinking, non smoking lifestyle threw two of the biggest New Year resolutions out of the window which meant at least we could concentrate on more adventurous goals. Yes OK, we could all manage to shed a few extra pounds, those home made mince pies and that delicious Christmas pudding adding inches to our waistline, but what we felt more appropriate, was a grater concentration on European Dog Show visits. So pledge we did, our solemn New Year’s declaration, our 2007 resolution, to fit in as many overseas shows as our calendar would allow was now set firmly in stone.

To kick start this New Year resolution, we had planned from October 2006 our first show of the New Year. The show was a triple show weekend taking in two International Shows, one on the Saturday, 13th January, the other on the Sunday, 14th January, both presented by the Kennel Club Of Slovenia. In addition to these two shows, the Slovenian Club for Molosser and Big Sized Dogs was holding a specialty show during the evening of the 13th January 2007.

We always enjoy the preparation, making sure the dogs are bathed, nails are clipped and all the grooming accessories are packed away ready for our journey to Larnaca airport. It has become second nature to us now and we each have our own specific functions by way of contribution to the participating of each show. Grace & Tony both help with bathing, Grace co-ordinates all the towels and blankets we take, Craig is on supervising the bathing, cleaning the ears, cutting and filing nails, organising the food we take along with any grooming products, and I stay well out of the way taking note of that old saying “To Many Cooks Spoil The Broth” I lock myself away in the office and make sure all Hotels are booked and fully confirmed, transport is going to be available upon arrival, that our show registrations have all been accepted and that all dogs paperwork, inoculations and Pet Passports are at the ready. All done, we set off on our journey, two adults, two dogs and two vehicles. It’s just easier that way, at least then we know the dogs will not be play fighting in the car getting dirty again, plus it gives us more room for the transportation of 2 giant Vari kennels.

Arrival at the airport saw a swift check in with Austrian Airlines, a lovely lady who also happened to have a second job working in a Veterinarians practice. Dogs weighed and the excess charge calculated at £cyp5.85 per kilo or around Euro11.50 per kilo which has to be paid in each direction, we handed over our credit card, paid our fees and awaited boarding instructions. With around 150kilos of excess weight you can appreciate this becomes rather an expensive love we have, but be that it may, we really have no other alternative if we want to enter shows in other countries. We so envy that of our colleagues who live over on the mainland and who can travel to each destination by car. It makes showing more accessible and certainly more frequent and with each one of our journey’s costing around Euro 8 to 10 thousand, we have to be certain that the shows we chose are the best for showcasing our Danes.

It was a smooth flight lasting about 2hours 45 minutes, a little cramped for passengers, but the dogs were well taken care of, warm and tucked nicely in the special section of the airline hold. Arrival in Vienna, Austria was perfect and in no time what so ever our Danes were through in to the arrivals hall and in our care. We secured the services of a Porter, loaded the dogs and crates on to the extra large transporter and headed through passport and custom control to our awaiting driver with specially adapted van. By now the time was around 2000hrs, it was a cold typical winters evening, the type we have all been led to imagine in our minds as a child of how Austria would be and we were not disappointed. Snow capped mountains, frost covered trees and a scene to compliment any “Sound Of Music” production, yes we were in Von Trapp territory and the HILLS were most certainly ALIVE as the song says. Introductions over, our driver Neso and co-driver set us on our journey giving us highlights and history as they drove us through the country side. We hired the services of a local company by the name of Transfer Services.

All I can say is how very convenient it was for us to employ these services, very similar to those taken in Croatia. It takes the stress completely out of the travelling; it allows us to enjoy the scenery and most of all it saves numerous arguments between Craig & me over who has navigated in the wrong direction and why we have ended up miles away from the destination we want to be in. So once again our sincere thanks and compliments to Neso who really made our trip much more enjoyable. He was there for us at the airport, he was available at 0630 in the morning to take us to shows and collect us again in the evening. He even suggested a couple of excursions which we took advantage of on our days off, which to be honest would have been sacrilege to go to such a lovely country and not see a little of the local culture.

The City Hotel was our chosen hotel for the duration. A large modern hotel in the centre of Ljubljana and as we like to do, we reserved one of their business suites to facilitate the fact that we had two large Danes and all our traveling luggage. Zac has a real snoring problem and either he goes without sleep or we go without sleep. With the facility of a suite, we can at least give each dog their own room which means we all get some sleep at the end of the day. Our bags unpacked, dogs fed and watered we head off to the local park to finish the routine before showering and falling in to bed. It was then we noticed our dear little Odette, possibly affected by her flight was now in full flow of her season. With absolute horror and panic, we wondered what we would do. Was Slovenia and it’s Kennel Club compassionate to the point of allowing bitches in season to still be shown, would our journey have been a pointless exercise and was our opportunity of showcasing Odette on her first overseas European trip all going to be thrown in to turmoil.

Day 1

Friday was a lovely fresh sunny day and following a lovely breakfast we wrapped sensibly for the cold fresh day that it was. The City was magical, still with many traces of Christmas on every street corner and in every shop window. With Odette and Zac by our sides off we went to explore the surrounding area. Ljubljana to me had many influences, Italian, Austrian; German, even Dutch with it’s waterways meandering through the City. Monumental bridges at various crossing points led to yet more history and culture, lovely shops and a packed market place selling all sorts of fresh produce. Harlequin Great Danes always cause interest when being walked in public, an impressive sight, majestic in their presence. I have never appeared on so many people’s holiday photographs as I have since investing in Danes, it’s the nearest thing to celebrity status I suspect.

The most impressive part of our day sightseeing was that of the famous Ljubljana Castle the most spectacular sight of Ljubljana. There is proven evidence that the hill on top of which it is situated was inhabited back in the 12th century BC Preserved from this early period of settlement are the remains of the Urn Tomb culture.

The first known fortification of considerable dimensions situated on top of the Castle Hill (Grad) was built in Illyrian and Celtic times. A stronghold was most probably located there also in Roman times. A document originating from the period between 1112 and 1125 mentions a medieval castle built in the 9th century, which served as the seat of the provincial rulers of the Spannheim family, who coined their own money in Ljubljana. In 1335 the castle became the hereditary property of the Hapsburg family and the centre of the Province of Carniola. In the second half of the 15th century a new, larger, circular castle was built by Duke Frederick III of Hapsburg, later crowned Roman German Emperor.

Ljubljana Castle is now a major tourist attraction and a picturesque venue of numerous cultural events including concerts, theatre performances, exhibitions, congresses and official receptions, which add a special flavour to the lively pulse of life in Ljubljana. Having exhausted ourselves climbing the very steep hills and steps to get to the top, we marveled in the photo opportunities, a little flushed in the cheeks, we posed for the holiday dog show album. The views were incredible, rolling mountain scenery covered in snow and tinted with the afternoon sunshine. It was picture post card and my camera nearly collapsed due to the number of pictures I took. The dogs were in their element, fresh clean air, crisp and clear for them to run and enjoy. Forest, greenery and a landscape to die for all added to their excitement.

We were out walking for about 4 hours with the dogs before deciding to take them back to the hotel and let them rest before we set off once again to explore. We passed what appeared to be a very popular and quite famous Pizzeria and although not my most favourite dish of the day, the smell was enchanting. It wound its way through the streets catching you attention wherever you were and like the Pied Piper it led you cleverly in to its doorway. An early night followed, dogs and owners in a state of mental and physical exhaustion collapsed in to a heap on their respective beds. Odette on her many absorbing blankets due to the sudden onset of her coming in to season sporting “Young Child Size Pamper Pads”, a sight to be seen to appreciate the funny side. Zac on his special show blanket getting the occasional aroma of Odette and Craig and I with bedroom door firmly closed to soundproof us from Zacs heavy snoring. It was a lovely family gathering, one soon to be over as our start the next day was a very early 0600hrs in readiness for show registration.

Driver present and correct, van packed, dogs ready, it was off to the show for the first of our events. Check in was from 0700hrs and my first question to the officials was if they would allow Odette to be shown as she was in season. Fortunately and very much in our favour, the Kennel Club of Slovenia have an acceptable policy which meant great news for us. I know the FCI rules state that their own policy is to allow bitches in season to be shown, but at the end of the day, it really is down to the individual clubs. Here in Cyprus we are told this would not have been allowed, a situation I fully appreciate and am fully supportive of, however we were not in Cyprus, we were in Slovenia and under the circumstances I was happy for their over ruling on the matter. Thanks to them for having such a relaxed and open view on the matter.

We found our ring and then set ourselves up far enough away not to be hassled by all the activity, yet close enough to see what was going on. A few of the regular faces seen at other shows started to appear, visitors from Italy, Austria, Hungary, Germany, Netherlands, Finland to name but a few. It’s a real International Show and great to see some fantastic competition. It was also good to catch up with friends only previously communicated with via e-mail; our friend Slavi from Valvasorsland greeted us and welcomed us to her country.

A lively character, so full of energy, and a great passion for her breed. She wasn’t personally showing in the first show, but due to her very large following had collected an impressive 13 Danes to show in the Specialty show later that day. We exchanged news and updated each other on latest events and it was clear to see we had the same sense of humour. Slavi was most definitely a respected figure head in the community, a real authority on Danes and a support to all her puppy owners. Wherever Slavi went, her pup owners followed. Dog Shows, Dane picnics in the country, you name it and they were all there together. Lovely to see such camaraderie between like minded people and a great network to be a part of.

Dane classes started in earnest, nice and early and we were first to get the ball rolling. Judging was split in to colours with Damir Skok of Croatia taking the Judging for the first of the International Shows with almost 2000 entries.

As always in the individual classes we expect to perform and do well and this we did. Zac standing to attention winning his Champion class, Odette not quite sure why in her hormonal condition she was being made to stack to perfection for the judge. She did well and won her Intermediate Class so it looked like we were on to a good start. We then came to Best Dog line up and in my opinion there was no contest. Zac loves to show and he deserves to win and on this occasion the judge thought so too. So Zac was now through to B.O.B line up. Who would the Best Bitch be I wonder? Not a question I need to linger to long over as the line up took its place and there stood before us Ch Sun Della Baia Azzurra, the recently titled World Champion, owned by Silvanna Marcolina of Italy. This to those of you who have not yet familiarised yourself with our Zagreb Show news is the Harlequin bitch we were up against in Croatia. A two show weekend, were handled by a Croatian professional handler, we lost under a Croatian Judge, Igor Mioc. However under the German Judge, Hans Wiblishauser on day 1, we triumphed over the World Champion and took Best Of Breed.

So here we were again, same line up for B.O.B, our very own Multi Champion Zsacharias owned and handled by, yours truly Paul Bainbridge and the World Champion title holder, handled by professional Croatian handler under the Judge and President of the Croatian Kennel Club, Damir Skok !!!!!!!! Now then, let me consider the options !!!!!!! or do they need to be considered, Yes folks, you have guessed it and you have guessed it correct. The Croatian handled World Champion was awarded B.O.B by the Croatian Judge, a worthy winner in the eyes of the Croatian contingency and one up on the day to the Italians. Well done and our congratulations go out to them, but in the words of Dan Cook in his column in 1976 “The show is not over until the fat lady sings” we still had 2 more shows to go.

 

It seemed a long old wait until the evening show commenced but watching the large breeds pour in through the door was testament to the quality of dogs in and around this area. I have to add at this point the organisation so far had been perfect, right the way through from administration, registration and finally organisation. Credit due to all those involved, and congratulations for perfecting such an event. Catalogues in dual language, easy to understand announcements and a whole selection of multi lingual assistants available to point you in the right direction. Shops, stalls to buy your doggie bits and pieces and a selection of places to satisfy you hunger. Finally our wait was over and the time was now ready to enter the ring for the Speciality Molosser and Large Breed Show. Judging again was split between colours, Lisbeth Mach, Switzerland responsible for Black and Harlequin, Rajko Rotner, Slovenia responsible for all other colours. It was a very popular show with 81 dogs being judged between the two judges in their respective rings, eventually coming together for B.O.B. I had previously had the good fortune of showing under Rajko Rotner so knew his style and type. Lisbeth Mach however I had not shown under so this was a new experience. Earlier in the day I visited her class purely as an observer to get a feel of her likes and dislikes. It appeared from the comments coming out of the ring this lady held no punches, she was firm and fair and was not generous with her Excellent critiques. Now for me this sounded perfect, it seemed like here we had a lady who was not afraid of telling it as it was, not afraid of going against the grain of having to fall in to line and a lady who judged from her heart and her passion rather than politically or financially. So if a good dog was presented then it seemed Lisbeth Mach would be the first to recognise it and give credit were credit was due. All we had to do was hope that what we were presenting fell in to that category.

Our classes were presented and once again Zac showed to perfection. The first initial comments from Lisbeth Mach filled me with confidence and I was quietly confident that she liked him, although it never pays to be over confident as anything can happen in these shows as we know. Zac took his Champion Class which was one out of the way and now on to Best Dog. When Zac’s time came, he also took Best Dog and this was really starting to look quite promising. I was really nervous as I knew this lady was a perfectionist and her expectations were of the very highest standard.

Please Zac, don’t lose interest at this point I thought to myself, I need you to be on your best behaviour, this show is important in terms of your credibility, so stay focused and don’t let yourself down.

On to Odette and again she showed well and won her class, but I have to say her hormonal way affected her Best Bitch class and the winning bitch was our Italian contender and World Champion, Sun Della Baia Azzurra and it’s Croatian handler. Once again like an old re-run movie, our Zac and the World Champion were head to head. The tension was unbearable as Lisbeth Mach looked over once again the Best Dog & the Best Bitch. Beads of perspiration were collecting on my forehead and the palms of my hands were wet with anticipation. The World Champion does look rather impressive when presented in the ring in as much as it does stack well, credit due to Anti Lucin for his handling; however she is not a choice of bitch that I particularly rate in terms of overall appearance. It’s my own personal opinion, but I find her rather straight in front and lacking any depth in chest to take such coveted titles, but then I am not judging and each Judge has different qualities when expressing their expert opinions. We were asked to run round the ring, to complete the triangle and then to re-stack our dogs. You could really see the judge was taking in every aspect of our respective dogs and then the hand went up, the congratulations offered and YES, it was Hildydane Zsacharias for the Best Of Breed My goodness me, we had done it again, we had taken the number one spot from the World Champion and this time from a Judge with impartial opinions which made the win all the more appreciative. On leaving the ring the talk was how strict Lisbeth Mach had been and how her shortage of Excellent critiques was very apparent. My own opinion on that is TOP MARKS to a Judge who does not feel duty bound to give excellent critiques when an excellent is not a worthy observation of a dogs overall presentation and performance. Smug maybe of me to feel that way, as I understood upon leaving the ring, from the five excellent critiques given, we had been awarded two of them, so I have to say a great result and a great honour to show under a Judge with such high values and principles.

Our next event was Best In Show and I have to say the line up was mammoth. I have never seen a procession of such impressive dogs for such a long time, they seemed to be filing out forever. We all duly found our spot and went on to present as anyone would in the Best In Show line up. Best In Show Judge was once again Lisbeth Mach which in some respects can be good, but then on the other hand they are confronted with other spectacular dogs which have not previously been seen by them. All you can do is stand and hope that you are doing your best. The lights are intense, the crowds are big enough to rival any major Hollywood red carpet event and the dogs are first class. This lady who had been so impressed with Zac was now combing through her contestants with a very critical eye. She was what I class as one of the Grand Dames of Show Judges, the old school type who do things as they should be done regardless of who they upset. How refreshing to show under such a distinguished Judge and what a pleasure it was to know the decisions are going to be based on the quality of the dogs and not the number of favours that are owed. There was a run round, a final stack and then the announcement Reserve Best In Show !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wanted to pass out at this point because Zac had done so well and we were so proud of him, it would have been the icing on the cake to be recognised at this very high level for some place on the winners stand, but then the standard was really of exceptional levels and just to be there was an honour and a privilege. “Reserve Best In Show” goes to !!! and this is when a good command of the local language comes in handy, “THE?.?.?.?.?.?” A voice behind me says, that’s you, "THE GREAT DANE “RESERVE BEST IN SHOW” wow !!!!!!! COULD WE BELIEVE OUR EARS, NO WAY. Here we are in a strange country with some of the very best in Large breed dogs being judged under such a strict eye and we had taken RESERVE BEST IN SHOW. The Best In Show went to the Hungarian owned Newfoundland; Ch Skippers Emperor King Of Helluland owned by Bela Siklosi which had previously taken second place at the World Dog Show in Poland and which had won this years European Show in Helsinki. So in view of it’s track record, I have to take my hat off to the result here in Ljubljana and can honestly say it was a fair and honest win and well done to them, but hey, what a fantastic dog to take second place to. So !!!!! What was it I was saying about the show not being over until the fat lady sings? We took a beautiful trophy presented by the President M’s Alenka Cerne, a wonderful glass Harlequin Dane Head presented by the Judge and a special wooden carving gift chosen personally by the Judge which added a very personal touch to the event.

 

Our day had been wonderful, the judging strict but fair and the results remarkable and our Italian World Champion contender was now on level pegging, out of 4 shows together, we had each won 2 Best Of Breeds, one of ours leading to Reserve Best In Show, both our own wins had been independent Judges away from the country we lived in, both the World Champions had been given by Croatian Judges with a Croatian handler. We had one show left for the weekend and how lovely it would have been if we could have made it 3 B.O.B show wins to 2 in our favour.

It was a very late finish and we didn’t get back to the hotel until after 2300hrs, so exhausted and tired were we dinner was the last thing on our minds. Once again dogs fed, watered and walked in the park, we did just manage to take in a take away to eat in our room. Bed soon followed and before long that all too familiar ring of the alarm clock was serenading us from the bed side table.

Day 2

The whole process begins again, same ring, different Judges and once again colours being separated in to different classes. Now today we had a British Judge by the name of Robin Searle. A gentleman of similar principles to those of Lisbeth Mach. A gentleman with a long history of Judging at some of the most prestigious Dog Shows around the world and I have to say again, although never having show under him previously, his reputation preceded him by way of his thorough eye for detail, his strict rule on presentation and his immense knowledge of the breeds he was judging. This really was going to be a challenge and immense fun, as I had heard so much about him; I was really looking forward to presenting under his watchful eye. His first classes were that of the Bulldog, a big group which I understand he has a wealth of knowledge being a breeder himself, and then he went on to the Danes. Harlequins were at the end of his judging day, by which time the competition was really starting to come through. I was trying to get an understanding of his preferred type, but it was very difficult as nerves always play the bigger part, especially when stood on the side lines watching your competition. Soon it was our turn to show and we entered the ring in Champion class with Zac. What can I say!!! What a lovely man with a manner so very calming on the dogs. He scrutinised with a very critical eye, he checked the teeth, he was very clear in his instruction to present and show and he was patient when external distractions took your dog’s eye off the ball. As I said, we were one of his latter classes, by which time the remainder of the arena was being prepared for agility classes with some of the smaller breeds already weaving their way through the tunnels and over the hurdles. Zac with the more experience knew to stand his corner and not be put off in his presentation and although occasionally thinking it was time to play, his ears stood upright and his attention followed these little critters as they did their stuff. From a show point of view, whilst his attentions were being diverted Zac really looked a picture to be framed. He stood to perfection and the little smile I saw from Mr Searle’s face as we ran around the ring made me think that he liked what he saw. Sure enough Zac won his Champion class going on to take Best Dog. It was now the turn of Odette, but just a quick recap here to remind you that hormonal bitches just wanting to be loved do not always make the best of their show potential. She entered the ring and I immediately explained why Odette may present herself with tail up. It’s a woman thing and when you’re looking for loooooooove you do what ever you can to attract attention. Mr Searle gave us our instructions and off we went on our way. Up and down twice, then round and round coming nicely to a very neat stack. Well, that was the instruction until she caught sight of the Jack Russell pounding up and down the slides, through the hoops and in and out of the tubes. What fun she thought to herself, I think I would like to do a bit of that was the thought now firmly in her head, and an about turn she did facing completely the opposite way to the way I had stacked her and being a real challenge. I tried to regain composure whilst Mr Searle checked over the other bitches, but NO, our Odette was having none of it, there was far more fun going on in rings 1,2 & 3 than in ours and if it was at all possible she was going to transform herself from the elegant Great Dane she was, to some hyper energetic Jack Russell that she wanted to be. Suddenly I caught sight of the way she was looking at these Jack Russell Terriers darting round the ring and I could not believe my eyes, she was PICTURE PERFECT just unfortunately facing the wrong way. Quick thinking on my part with a little instruction from Craig on the outside of the ring and I managed to manoeuvre her in to a position that actually allowed her to see what was going on in the other rings, yet at the same time present herself in a way acceptable to the Judge. Our cunning paid off and she went on to win her Intermediate Class going straight in to Best Bitch. Ahhhhhhhhhh Yes, Best Bitch and this strange feeling of Deja Vu suddenly overtakes me. Once more we find ourselves in the Best Bitch line up with our friend the Harlequin World Champion who so often goes head to head with Zac for Best Of Breed. How nice if we could triumph over her again today with Zac, how it would be the icing on the cake and how we could revel in his achievements. Odette now fixated on the Jack Russell stood proud, her top line was perfect, her angulations a credit to any Dane owner and her presentation was first class. Her movement to the edge of the ring was not her best, but her return was in keeping with her surrounding, that of the home of Lipizzaner horses. She trotted courageously through her movement, swishing her rear end as she went past the World Champion. “Go girl, go girl” I said to her as she stepped up her movement, “head up and show”. We ground to a halt, I faced towards the agility class for her to enjoy and the rest was up to Mr Searle. Sadly I have to say of our Zac and the World Champions impending head to head, this was not going to be the case, because TRIUMPHANTLY I am so HAPPY and PROUD to announce, after much deliberation from the expert Judge Mr Robin Searle, Hildydane Odette was titled BEST BITCH knocking the World Champion completely out of the show. Our 17month old Harlequin bitch in Intermediate Class had scored top honour over a three year old World Champion in Champion Class and there we were in a head to head with each other, Apollodane versus Apollodane, not something we had prepared for as Craig quickly threw his jacket to the side, grabbed hold of Odette and with a smile the size of a Cheshire cat famed in his moment of glory for Best Of Breed with our lovely boy Zac and our up and coming girl Odette. If ever there was a moment of triumph to be savoured it was this very moment, the moment when our young girl took top spot from a mature World Champion and her professional handler and when we then went on to take Best Of Breed with Zac. To add to our success of the weekend Zac also qualified under Lisbeth Mach as Slovenian Champion, so how happy were we ? I have to say, VERY HAPPY INDEED.

So our show results read as follows Intermediate Class Win for Odette in all three shows and a Best Bitch Win on day two. 3 C.A.C with excellent critiques and 2 C.A.C.I.B. giving her a nice start to the years results for 2007.

With Zsacharias we took Champion Class Wins at all three shows, we took 3 Best Dog Wins, 2 Best Of Breed Wins, a Reserve Best In Show, 3 C.A.C, 2C.A.C.I.B and the very well deserved title of Slovenian Champion.

He now reads CYPRUS, GREEK, AUSTRALIAN, BALKAN, CROATIAN, BULGARIAN & SLOVENIAN CHAMPION, BULGARIAN GRAND CHAMPION, APHRODITE WINNER, ZAGREB WINNER, 5 TIMES BEST IN SHOW, 3 TIMES RESERVE BEST IN SHOW & MULTI GROUP WINNER, HILDYDANE ZSACHARIAS.

Our special thanks are extended to the Slovenian Kennel Club for their expertise in putting on such a professional show weekend, for their administrative excellence prior to the commencement of the show and to their organisation on the days in question. We would also like to thank the President of the Molosser and Large Breeds club, M’s Alenka Cerne who initially advised us of the show taking place when she visited Cyprus in October 2006. Our appreciation is shown for her club allowing us to grace its pages as one of it’s winners and we value their confidence in our bloodline and the dogs we showcased to be given the title of Reserve Best In Show and Slovenian Champion. We would also like to take this opportunity of thanking the Judges on the day of which we were fortunate enough to show under, that of Mr Damir Skok, M’s Lisbeth Mach and Mr Robin Searle. Thank you to them for again seeing what we saw when we first identified these wonderful individuals to become part of our family. All that was left now was our own celebration; a nice relaxed evening meal and a reflection on the weekends events.

Sunday had been a great day for us, we had finished off the weekend with more than we set out to achieve and what’s more, to be given the recognition by such prestigious judges was testament in itself as to how good our Danes really are. We had also been fortunate to meet some very lovely people over the show weekend and our Croatian friends Kruno, Renea & Dominic took the time to come over and visit and although we didn’t get to long to spend with them, their interest and support was very much appreciated.

Monday was a leisure day so we decided it was a nice treat for both ourselves and the dogs to go and visit Lake Bled. What a spectacular day out, our dogs tucked nicely in their Vari Kennels in the back of the vehicle and us in front taking in all the breath taking scenery. We went up in to the Castle, we took lots of photographs and we were spellbound by it’s magical atmosphere.

We tried the well known Bled Crème Cake, well actually Craig found space for a second and on our return to the hotel we stopped off at Slavis home at her invitation to sample local cuisine, home made bread and a swim in her Olympic size pool back-dropped by snow capped mountains. (Slavi shares our joke with the pool comment).

She had a great set up for her Danes and was all ready for her impending arrival of three litters. We arrived back at the hotel with just time to pack our things and get in a few hours before setting off on our return journey to Vienna.

Once again Austrian Airlines were a delight to check in with, nothing was to much trouble and our dogs were with us until boarding commenced. 2hours 45 minutes later we were home in Cyprus to temperatures of 20C and sunny blue sky. Grace had prepared one of her delicious Sri Lankan curries to greet us upon our return and then informed us that at 1600hrs that afternoon, Heidie had come in to season also. So off in to the safe run, enclosed on all sides we now have Odette in season and Heidie in season, only this time they are both for real with no false alarms. It is our intention to cover Heidie with Zsacharias on or around the 25th January 2007 and retire Heidie for a while to hopefully enjoy motherhood to it’s full.

Our boy Polo has pulled muscles in his back end so is on steroid tablets to ease the inflammation. That’s what you get for trying to show you are top dog vocally and scale a fence to get to bitches in season that you have no hope in hell of getting over. Roxy our rescue Dane has just undergone a 2 hour operation on a damaged liver. We don’t know exactly what the final diagnosis is as we are awaiting the results coming back from the UK, but she really has gone through it these past few weeks poor girl. The unfortunate thing with a rescues is you don’t know what their history has been before you take them in to your home, so it’s a little like Russian Roulette. The only thing you can do is give them lots of T.L.C and keep your fingers crossed they pull through whatever makes them sick. Happy to say after five days under observation with the vet, she is now home and looking much better with a little glint in her eye.

We hope you have enjoyed our show news entries to date and we hope you continue to return for our blog, monthly newsletter and photos.

Best wishes for 2007 and all the very best to one and all.

Things really are now becoming a bit of a haze !!!!! which dogs, which country. Our European adventure continues and our next stop on this whirl wind tour is Athens once again. We chose Athens because although we had been very fortunate to have Zac already made up to Greek Champion under their existing rules of 3 C.A.C under different judges, we had also managed to qualify Heidie on a previous visit to 1 C.A.C. It seemed such a pity not to at least try our hand at completing the title and although 2 C.A.C over one weekend would be a tall order, we took the attitude, if you don’t enter you don’t win.

Now regular faces at Larnaca Airport, the check in staff process the paperwork with ease, we pay our excess funds and we go upstairs to the outside café area and enjoy the late afternoon sunshine, watch the people as they arrive and just relax in readiness for our flight. Zac always on show for the passing photographer, he poses this way and that way like a true supermodel. Heidie on the other hand is more interested in the three cats that have found their way via the roof in to the café area. One smell of cats and Heidie goes in to overdrive. Sometimes I think rather than bait them in the ring with tit-bits of meat, maybe I should put a small kitten in my pocket, that really would do the trick, as well as cause chaos to my rivals. In no time we have been called, our dogs collected and taken to the aircraft and we sit back on board ready for our journey. It’s a busy flight, commuters going home for the weekend, Christmas shoppers going to pick up that something special and the odd scattering of romantics going away for what one can best describe as “an old fashioned lovers weekend” Us, well we were on our own, no other dog show entrants on that flight, although we did see a few spectators who were going along to see any new competition that may have hit the show circuit recently.

In no time we are ready for touchdown in Athens, the usual mad scramble to the passport control and then the unenviable wait for the luggage. With our past experience in Frankfurt (see Zagreb Show News) we have now become nervous that all airports are the same. I have to say, in the case of Athens Airport that could not be further from the truth. If all airports took a leaf out of the book of airport staff in Athens, traveling would be a much nicer experience. Porters on hand to assist you as soon as you enter the baggage re-claim hall, friendly staff wanting to help you and even the customs officials smile and greet you in a way that fills you with confidence. They along with all other airports we have visited need to just concentrate their efforts on the passport control staff, who considering this is your first point of contact with that particular country seem to have all come out of the same training school. I don’t think I have ever once met a passport control officer who has wished me a pleasant stay in their country. Dogs collected safe and sound, luggage all nicely stacked on the trolley with the Porter and straight through to our awaiting pet taxi Nick and his mother. It is so nice to just sit back and enjoy the journey, taking in the window shopping and observing the surrounding areas. About 30 minutes and we were at the London Hotel in the centre of Glyfada. Checked in we went up to see the room, only to discover that if we had toy poodles the room would have been great, but with 2 Great Danes unfortunately this was not my idea of a good nights sleep for either the dogs or for us. It had laminate wooden flooring which immediately flagged up problems. Eight heavy hoofed paws pattering up and down all night would be like torture whilst trying to get to sleep and the lack of space would make life impossible. We decided to try our luck with some other hotels before we settled in to the hotel London just in case we managed to find anything with a little more space. Sadly we came upon what seems to be an ever growing problem, that of the fact that hotels view people with dogs as a no go area. As a Travel Agency Proprietor I have to say this really gets on my nerves. You are either in the business of letting rooms or your not and turning away good business at a time of year when hotels are operating on 40% occupancy and less, my thoughts are this is business they can ill afford to turn away. As we know, the majority of people who travel with their show dogs are more respectful of the circumstances than the average traveler, they care for their surroundings and they are appreciative of noise which may occur from time to time.

In the London Hotel at the time of our stay we had the unfortunate situation to share the hotel with four water polo teams of school children who seemed to think it wholly appropriate and acceptable to run up and down the corridors past midnight screaming and shouting. When the tutors were eventually found the noise was then transferred to the rooms of the school children who gathered 12 in a room. The poor people who were showing dogs the next day of which there were quite a few had absolutely NO SLEEP, despite numerous complaints to the hotel and despite numerous protests to the children and their tutors. Why is it that Kennel Clubs in their recommendations for accommodation in general think that dog owners are worthy of nothing less than sub standard accommodation. I for one like my creature comforts, I am not a snob and I do not put myself on a pedestal, but when it comes to a good nights sleep, decent accommodation is paramount in my opinion. In Nicosia I stayed with Craig and my parents in what can only be described as a hotel frequented by ladies of the night. Rooms rented out by the hour, doors banging all night and the sound of satisfied customers of a sexual nature ringing through the walls. We all slept fully clothed and on top of our towels what little sleep we did get. Our hotel in Zagreb was very much the same until we absconded and found sanctuary in the four star Zagreb Astoria. Here we are again going through the same performance, lack of care when suggesting these hotels, people traveling many, many kilometers, sometimes spending days on the road, finally having to make do with accommodation normally they would not give a second glance at. I am beginning to get very angry at various levels. First towards the hoteliers who see us as little more than a problem. They are so short sighted they can not see beyond their noses. The hotel in Zagreb that eventually saw us as adding to their weekly target figures saw us spend money in their restaurant each evening on food, they saw us have room service when we were peckish and they saw us enjoy a bottle of champagne to celebrate our Champion wins. So you see, quite a bit of business being turned away, not only from us, but from all those other people who travel with their dogs. What I would like to do is start a data base of accommodation around the world at various levels, places where we the dog owners know that rooms offered are big enough for the dogs we are transporting. To add to that I would like to add to it names and contact numbers of any facilitators, or facilities where transport can be arranged without the need to stress over driving in strange cities to venues not known. We surely as dog owners must have come across hotels and taxi firms who actually pleasure in our business and we must have all stayed in hotels that we are happy to share with our doggie partners around the world. So if you can start me off with any of your recommendations, for hotels, hire transport companies, taxi companies, facilitators, that is people locally who are happy to arrange all these things for you or anything else you feel may assist in future travellers at future shows, send an e-mail to info@apollodane.com and let us see what we can collate between us. We had no option to stay at the Hotel London and the Saturday, tired through lack of sleep we set off on our journey to the Glyfada Old Airport Arrivals Hall. It was a strange feeling driving up to it as you imagined it as it was supposed to be and not as an International Exhibition Centre. Inside was as you can imagine HUGE, set out in rings and with lots of space to set up your crates and prepare your dogs.

We got set up right next to our ring which on the first day was ring number 8. It was a great position and had lots of space for practising with the dogs and for me changing in to my show suites without the need to be running as we often do, backwards and forwards to the toilet. Horrible places some of those toilets to get changed in, but get changed we must if the judge is to take us seriously and how I have seen particularly in local Cypriot shows how dress sense has improved in the ring. It might be said that my suites are a little on the loud side, but to be honest, that’s my personality and I have now become a little superstitious were they are concerned so continue with them I will. Zac was first in his class, Champion Class and showing like a dream. He was a bit lazy when he first went in, but he soon knows its time to perform and quickly steps it up. He wins his class and is chosen Best Dog, now it’s the turn of Heidie. Heidie is getting a little hormonal and I worried this would stop her from doing her bit. She is more concerned about the possibilities of coming in to season than showing in the ring and just wants to be loved, not good when you are trying to convince the judge she is a prize winning bitch. She pulled it off, showed very well and we came away with winning Open Class, taking Best Bitch and getting one more C.A.C & C.A.C.I.B towards her Greek Champion title. B.O.B was taken by Zsacharias, a real professional we are now beginning to see. That all important wait for groups took us through to around 4pm and with a stroke of luck, they actually started the afternoon session with the groups first. Group 1 in, shown and decided, group 2 standing nervously on the side awaiting introduction. Once again we are at the front, once again we show to perfection and once again we are pipped to the post for a local dog the miniature schnauzer. A lovely dog, but we are large breed lovers so struggle to see the same qualities in them as we do in our own. The same schnauzer went on to take Best In Show, so to lose out the Best In Show winner was quite acceptable. Saturday night was yet another night without sleep due to screaming children. Some dear friends who were staying in the same hotel, non drinkers I have to add came to breakfast quite hung over.

“What ever is the matter” we asked. “Oh we couldn’t get to sleep so we decided to drink some red wine to knock us out after we complained and it never got any quieter”

Now any kennel club responsible for recommending accommodation not befitting it’s clients should take heed. They are driving perfectly respectable non drinkers to the bottle. So please, please, please, do not think you are doing your members any favours by just offering the first thing that comes to hand. Plead with the hotels, tell them we are respectable citizens and that we respect other peoples possessions and if they need to charge a deposit in case of damage I am sure many would be happy to leave it on the understanding that it is refunded upon departure if everything is left as it was found.

Sunday saw us move to ring 3 a day when we really needed to take Heidie and show her to her best. A lovely Steward made sure we had a call in time to prepare and the Argentinian / English judge the nicest person you could wish to meet. He took time not only to go over your dogs, but to set you aside and cover points which in his opinion were of value to you and your future shows. Interesting points he made as he was deciding Best Of Breed once again between Heidie & Zac. He looked closely and kept going back to go over Heidie. We moved round the ring, we went up and down and then round once more and the winner Best Of Breed was Zsacharias, but only just he tells me as there were many qualities he said he preferred in Heidie over Zac. Personal choice of course at the end of the day, but always nice to hear different judges opinions and always good to take them on board. We have had one judge give a critique stating Heidie didn’t have a full set of teeth and then we got one the following week to say Heidie had a good full set of teeth. So as personal opinion count quite highly in the marking, some may say that it is not always a true reflection of what they are seeing, but at the end of the day it is the judges decision that is final and we respect that no matter what. So Heidie had lost Best Of Breed to Zac, but what she didn’t lose was her entitlement to be awarded Greek Champion title. With an excellent critique and her C.A.C & C.A.C.I.B. Zac went on to groups, a line up of 41 we were told as I couldn’t see the end of the line up as it was so far away. Short listed to 12 and then down to 6 and we were still there. 3rd , 2nd & 1st place announced and we were still left standing, but hey, we had done well to get where we had and after all, we did get Heidie to Greek Champion, Zac was already Greek Champion and we got 2 more Best Of Breed, so who was complaining, not us. So Heidie now showing signs of spotting, her rear end quite swollen, we took her sign to inform us that her season was imminent and completely out of timing. Mind you Heidie has always been one of those daughters from hell who would be 2 months late, have you rushing to the chemist for testing kits, only to discover she was in fact just IRREGULAR. Her last season produced a phantom pregnancy so we feel it appropriate to listen to her body and draw to a close our European adventure for the time being. We were due in Helsinki next week and St Petersburg the week after and really looking forward to going and competing with Danes we had not competed against. The body clock the way it is we decided to take the opportunity to cover Heidie with Zsacharias and give them both a rest until in to the New Year when we will bring Zac out again accompanied by his new showgirl Hildydane Odette. By then Heidie will be settled with her little brood, fingers crossed and she can enjoy a well earned rest. So in 4 countries over 6 weeks we have collected an impressive number of titles we are very proud of for both our current showing Danes. For Heidie we have taken:

• International Champion
• Bulgarian Grand Champion
• Bulgarian Champion
• Balkan Champion
• Croatian Champion
• Greek Champion
• Aphrodite Winner
• Zagreb Winner
• Crufts Qualifier

To add to her already achieved:

• Cyprus Champion
• Reserve Best In Show
• Best Great Dane Cyprus

For Zac we are proud to announce in 4 countries over 6 weeks we collected for him:

• Bulgarian Grand Champion
• Cyprus Champion
• Bulgarian Champion
• Balkan Champion
• Croatian Champion
• Greek Champion
• Aphrodite Winner
• Zagreb Winner
• 10 Best Of Breed
• 2 Group Wins
• 1 Best In Show
• To add to his already achieved
• Australian Champion
• 4 Australian Best In Show

All this would not have been possible without the careful selection of the judges who we would like to thank for having the faith in our Danes to take the titles achieved. They do a very hard job, sometimes extremely chaotic and very disorganised, but they come through at the end of the day and for that we are truly grateful. We have visited some lovely countries and our thanks to the kennel clubs of those countries for hosting such events and making it all possible. We have travelled with some fantastic airlines and to those mentioned on previous show news we would like to thank you for your continued efforts in assisting us, making our journey hassle free and for taking the stress out of flying. Thanks also to our dear friend Susan Charalambous who I have to say with her colleague Gerdi have taken on a new dimension in the Travel Agency here in Paphos. They are now fully trained and highly qualified in the transporting of dogs throughout the world, mind you they should be the hassle we have put them through. Thanks to all those people we have met on route, who have shared our success and us theirs, to the companions we have sat with ring side and for those offering us assistance with shows past, present and future. For the time being we will take a break, we will share the joys of motherhood with Heidie if she and Zac manage to get it together and we shall resume our showing in the New Year.

In the meantime, a quick reminder to those of you who can and will assist me in compiling a database of accommodation at various levels around the world, please send me your information and experiences so I can start to put a list together on my site. Any additional information regarding dog friendly taxis, dog friendly car hire companies, dog crate hire companies, people who are just happy to lend a hand, then send it all via my e-mail at info@apollodane.com For the time being that is show news update completed until 2007, which after all is not that far away. Keep checking in to see how we get on with the romance between Heidie & Zsacharias and watch how Odette performs in her run up to becoming our next multi champion. She is already showing great movement in the ring, has taken a number of coveted titles in Australia before we brought her to Europe and we feel she will equal that of her companions Heidie & Zsacharias. Thank you for sharing our show news with us, we hope you continue to enjoy our diary notes and our pictures, come back again soon.

N.B I would like to make it known that the incident at the London Hotel was in no way connected to any recommendation made by the OKA (Athens Canine Society) All arrangements with them by way of information, prior to and during the show was of first class standard and can be fully supported and endorsed by us. The comedy of errors at the London Hotel was wholly the responsibility of the hotel and it's management team. 

For those faint at heart, or of a weak disposition, read no further. This entry carries a PG rating and may cause offence to those who are happy reading the less informative novel or something with a romantic twist.

We are now becoming seasoned travellers, hardened round the edges to those minor travel hiccups that occur as a matter of routine when globe trotting around Europe.

Our day starts in earnest, a great journey from Paphos to Larnaca and the smoothest of check in’s you could wish for with 2 full size Vari Kennels, 2 full on Great Danes and clothing enough to film the next sequel to “Return Of The Ice-age” I am not kidding you, Craig really must suffer with Obsessive Behaviour Disorder as every time he packs the case, you really would think he was leaving home for good. We have spare this, spare that and spare the other, just in case. Just in case what is beyond me, as all I need are my 2 signature suits, one red one yellow, my show leads and a pair of shoes I can run in without fear of them coming off in the ring as they once did during a lap of honour for a Reserve Best In Show, oh there I go, title dropping again. Well you better get used to it as there are quite a few titles to drop over the next few paragraphs, some of which I hope like us you will raise a glass to our trusted and most loyal companions, “THE GREAT DANE” “cheers” and enjoy their success as we have done.

So now fully checked in and I have to say, Cyprus Airways have now really got our travel arrangements down to a fine art. They are kind, caring and very compassionate when it comes to check in. They take our request, they process the paperwork with the minimum of fuss and they happily apply their 50% discount on the dogs very own frequent flyer card. Yes we have our very own “DOGGIE FREQUENT FLYER CARDS” a great little initiative set up by our local Kennel Club Of Cyprus and our local airline carrier, Cyprus Airways.

All boarded and bound for our first stop over in Frankfurt, we settle back and get ourselves focussed on the time ahead. I have never been a big on board reader, going more for people watching or just staring out of the window wondering even after 40 years of flying and 25 years running my own travel agency chain, just how do they keep those aircraft in the sky. Before long our four hour flight is on descend, our seatbelts are safely fastened and the mobile phones left on in peoples pockets start to ring the tune similar to that of the local bell ringers practise night down at the local school hall.

The arrivals lounge at Frankfurt airport is one of the largest I have seen in many years. It is a very impersonal sort of place and you can almost cut through the tension and vibes the staff give off. Craig & I quickly get in to our routine, him for the luggage, me to sort out where the dogs will come in from, to reduce hassle and stress for the dogs. I approach a gentleman in uniform, asking in a very polite manner where I would be likely to collect 2 very large dogs from. He pointed me in a direction on the other side of the arrivals hall without speaking a word and only half lifting his eyes from the local newspaper he was engrossed in.

“Hello” I said to the gentleman I had been directed to,

“Do you speak English”

“I have just arrived on the Cyprus Airways flight from Larnaca and wondered if you would be so kind as to assist me, telling me where I can collect 2 very large dogs that accompanied us on the same flight”

Again pointing now in the very opposite direction, I realised things here in Frankfurt were going to prove a little difficult. Patience is a virtue I told myself, stay calm and all will come good. Off I went, back to the other side of the arrivals hall, once again to approach the gentleman in uniform I had first asked the question to on first arriving. I am now beginning to feel a real sense of inappropriate behaviour, rudeness and a lack of care for pets and live stock. I asked if it was possible to speak with a supervisor of the arrivals hall as my thoughts as a passenger where that I was not getting the assistance I required, I therefore needed the intervention of a little more authority, somebody with a little bit of care and compassion. Actually, care and compassion are two things we found totally lacking at Frankfurt Airport, but undeterred we pursued our investigations with a different approach, this time interjecting with a few demands rather than polite request as we had already unsuccessfully tried. Nobody seemed in a position to either want to help or be in a position to help and with 2 dogs anywhere in Frankfurt Airport at this time, my patience was running out. The uniformed figures disappeared and we were left wondering what our next move was. A strange country, a strange airport, 2 dogs missing and not a sign of help anywhere to be found. Suddenly, on a conveyor belt the speed of lightening, our 2 dogs arrived, both about to crash in to each other if action was not taken immediately to stop the belt. When the request was made we were greeted with,

“we can’t make the belt stop”

Not quite the favoured response, especially as there was a red stop button the size of a soup bowl right next to where the guy was standing. Craig did just manage to catch the button with his foot as all hands were full trying to stop the cages banging in to each other, the belt came to a halt and 2 very, very stressed Great Danes emerged. After a short time of composure, we collected our things, balanced them precariously on the odd shaped trolleys and passed our way to the customs hall.

Now!!!!!!!! You have to imagine the scene. We are 2 guys dressed very smart, we have 2 of the largest Vari Kennels balanced on top of very odd shaped trolleys, in other words, we were really struggling to make any headway in direction, one way or the other. On top of that we each have a Great Dane out of the cage and walking by our side, in addition to all our luggage, that of my O.B.D partner who has packed for the Siberian winter and another case full of dog grooming equipment to service the entire dog show. It was only then did we realise that the first confrontation we had encountered with the unhelpful official on “bulky item reclaims” was making his way to the customs official. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh, whatever makes me think our encounters with these surly officials is far from over.

“Good Morning” I say in a jolly way,

“How are you this morning” Oh yes, I forgot, these are men in uniforms at Frankfurt Airport, they are not paid to be polite, respond in a kind way or indeed show that they have a side to them that is less robotic than an Arnold Schwarzenegger Terminator film extra.

“I want to see in that case” he says pointing at the case, not on the top of my luggage mountain, but the one at the very bottom. You’re having a laugh I thought to myself, but not wanting to disappoint, I asked for assistance to remove it from the pile.

“That’s not my job” he said in a raised voice.

“No, I fully appreciate that it is not your job, all I am requesting is a little assistance so I can fulfil your request. As you can see I have 2 very large dogs, I am trying to manoeuvre a very odd shape luggage trolley and you wish to see, not the case on top of my pile, but the one at the very bottom, so without wishing to appear rude or disrespectful, I would say that you are trying to be obstructive in your demands”

“PUT THE CASE ON THE COUNTER” he now shouts,

“DO IT NOW OR YOU WILL BE ARRESTED FOR OBSTRUCTION”

Oh I thought to myself, this man really does have an identity problem, or very small genitalia, both of which usually require a uniform and a position of power to counter balance the problem. I wasn’t about to question the size of his genitalia the mood he was in, so I thought it best to pamper to his identity problem. I turned to Craig and asked that I hold his dog whilst he picked up the Vari Kennel, removed the luggage from underneath and presented it to the now very irate and very audible customs official who by this time had gathered round him his working colleagues with equally sizeable identity problems or matching miniature genitalia. As Craig lifted the Vari Kennel, the water from inside the drink bowls spilt on the floor and as Craig went to put the requested suitcase on the counter, he slipped, lost his balance, fell in a direction of the customs officer and then all hell broke loose. Zac jumped in to the air thinking this was a game, we were surrounded by 8 uniform clad custom officials with CS Gas pointed towards us, semi automatic guns focussed on both Craig, myself and the dogs. Craig was then pushed head first into his luggage and secured in handcuffs and the area was cleared of all passengers. What then followed was the biggest nightmare I have ever encountered in my entire life. Craig was marched away by 4 of the 8 officials; he was taken in to a room and beaten until marked. He was then strip searched, he was tested for drugs, alchol and had all his clothing removed for this process. Needless to say, their tests proved unfounded which seemed to aggravate them even more. He was then intimidated by the ring leader of this gang of airport employed thugs to a point they thought they would reduce him in to some sort of aggressive response. Fortunately for Craig, he maintained a level of calm and allowed them to continue with their beating, knowing that in a closed room full of airport officials; his alibi against theirs would not stand a chance. It is terrible that we are made to feel like this, but this is the reality of dealing with men in uniforms in a strange country. I am at this point surrounded by the other 4 guys, still with guns towards me and still with gas canisters pointing in the direction of the dogs.

“PUT THOSE DOGS AWAY NOW” one of them screamed at me, “NOW DO YOU HEAR ME”

“Yes I did hear you the first time and my dogs are not aggressive, they are show dogs, show dogs that are now getting very stressed”

“I insist you bring a VET immediately and if you do not, I will report you to the authorities”

within minutes a VET arrived, she defused the immediate situation and went to get our dogs some water. I am at this point also taken to a side room where I was checked for drugs, not only on my person, but in my system. They took hair samples, mouth swabs and wrist swabs, they breathalysed me and they went through every item of my luggage piece by piece. They knew by looking at our tickets we were transit passengers with three hours to connect to our onward flight to Zagreb. I knew their game and I knew what was going to happen and that was, unfortunately they had made such a spectacle of themselves, they had now to justify their actions.

“WHICH CASE BELONGS TO YOUR FRIEND” they demanded.

“He does not have a case, we are sharing a case. We are going to a dog show in Zagreb, we have a connection in 3 hours and all our things are together”

“We will take you to your connection, you can get your flight and your friend will stay here until we have finished with him”

That’s very strange I thought, “On what basis are you keeping my friend”

“ASSAULT” they replied.

“OK” I said, “Let me explain to you. My friend and I have travelled together, I was there at the time of the incident and there is no way that it can be classed as an assault, so unless you have incredible witnesses, backed up by supporting camera evidence, I really think you are making a very big mistake. We both leave together, or we both stay and if we stay, you then have the problem you have created with our dogs that will then have exceeded the time allocated for them to be in the air travelling. This is now clearly about pride and about money, so let us now talk to the airport Police, the official Police on the airport, we are all very tired and this whole situation is getting quite out of hand. If we do not get to speak to the official airport Police then for sure we will be pressing our own charges. Within minutes the airport Police were brought in, statements were made various options were offered and to be honest, at this point, with 2 dogs in tow, a show to attend and a no win situation (uniforms tend to stick together) I asked how much they wanted for us to be in a position to leave. A figure of £500 was quoted, we were escorted to the cash machine, they took our money and we had literally minutes to get our onward tickets to Zagreb and continue our journey.

We sat on the 1hr 30minute flight from Frankfurt to Zagreb, exhausted and angry that we had allowed the situation to pass without pressing for further action. The reality of the situation is, when you are in this situation and you know people have a point to make; you are never ever going to win, so the easiest option is to agree and walk away. So many people are behind bars and in prison cells for crimes they did not commit and it is easy to see why. Here we were two guys, travelling smart, being polite, drug & alchol free. Our only crime was that we probably portrayed a lifestyle that many in their position dream of and envy. Jealousy and resentment set in, they try to intimidate you by fear and when you do not submit, they create a situation they know will cause problems, i.e making you miss your flight.

I am convinced from a feeling at the very bottom of my psyche, the reason they were insistent on knowing which case belonged to Craig was so they could plant something in there wholly inappropriate and illegal. They just made too much of a big thing about which was his case and wanting to know where his things were. We will never know and we will never get to the bottom of the mystery, but from our point of view FRANKFURT AIRPORT BEWARE stay away at all cost, do not give your business to Lufthansa the local carrier and handling agents as we found them to be totally incompetent in their care for dogs, they had a general disregard for passenger welfare and their arrogance, intimidation and obstructive behaviour is not something fare paying passengers wish to encounter. That is opinion based on our experience and it is for you to take note and make up your own choice, all we can do is guide you as we have experienced.
We will NEVER travel Lufthansa based on this experience, we would NEVER travel through FRANKFURT based on this experience and when it comes to travelling to shows with our dogs, we have learned direct services are the only option we would consider for the welfare of our dogs.

Arrival in Zagreb was a huge relief; the airport staff were in complete contrast, helpful, polite and genuinely interested in why we were visiting their country. We had arranged transport through a local guy Kruno Canic http://www.eco.hr/ I have to say, in my search, this guy was the only one who came to my assistance, except that is for a friend Anti Lucin who we had met previously at a show in Athens and in his limited time frame managed to come up with some suitable alternatives, thanks to Anti for that. Anyway our guy Kruno, who you would best describe as a facilitator, not only found us the perfect vehicle, but instead of having to negotiate our way around Zagreb over the whole 4 days, he provided a driver who collected us at specified times, drove us to our destination and collected us when we were finished. We could not have been more delighted with his service, he was on time, and he had a local knowledge second to none. For those of you reading my site, ever deciding to visit Croatia or any region within a 500kl radius, give this guy a call. He will organise hotels that are dog friendly, he will transport you and your dogs or he will get you transport, he will point you in the best direction for making your trip enjoyable and hassle free and he is always on the end of a phone which he can even supply for your duration, to save on those overseas charges when you need only to make internal calls. He even visited us at the show, brought his family along for support and took some of the nicer photographs whilst I was in the ring with Heidie & Zac. Special thanks to Kruno, Renea, Dominic for their support and assistance.
We drove to the hotel, it was dark, it was late and we were all very tired. On entering the hotel, the strong smell of painters varnish engulfed the reception area; two painters were busy trying to make use of the time when there were no customers about and there were cloths and ladders everywhere. We checked in and were directed to our room. A small 60’s style room that had seen better days and not really in keeping with a standard of accommodation either Craig or I had been used to. The most important thing was, we could at least feed our dogs, take them for a much deserved walk and just collapse in to the bed which filled four corners of the room. We were so tired and so hungry, we had actually passed the point of resistance, we fell in to bed and not a murmur did anybody hear from us until early the next morning.

It was a lovely crisp, sunny autumn day, the dogs had been fed, watered and walked and we had satisfied our hunger by taking a full cooked breakfast. We then decided to explore the surrounding area in the hope of getting a feel for Croatia. A few kilometres in to our walk we passed a beautiful hotel, new in design and adjoining a selection of very upmarket shops. The hotel was called Hotel Antonovic Zagreb. Craig went in to check availability and to see if they had any policy on the acceptance of dogs and we were shown promptly to a selection of rooms by one of three very polite, able and conscientious reception staff members. We decided to go for the larger room, although more expensive than originally quoted, it was more than adequate for our needs. There was a lovely health spa, business facilities a lovely restaurant and it was very central to the main town. The gentleman on reception even provided us with a vehicle large enough to transport our dogs from the hotel we would check out of, back to this new and impressive hotel. Within 45 minutes, we had returned to our original hotel, packed our belongings, paid our bill and checked out. We were transported courtesy of the new hotel back to the Hotel Antonovic Zagreb, we unloaded the luggage, moved in the Vari Kennels and then collected the dogs, taking them in and up via the public areas as quickly as possible so as not to cause disturbance. Just as we were about to enter the room the guy from reception came up to the third floor and informed us, the manager of the hotel a Mr Goran Kartelo had seen the dogs and told his staff to advise us the hotel did not have a policy for dogs, this was despite being clearly told by three staff members a price per night in addition to our own cost and actually accepting the booking, even after seeing the dogs. I could not believe what I was hearing. Here we are, having being moved out of our previous hotel by the Hotel Antonovic Zagreb on the understanding that our booking was to be accepted, now we were being told that that confirmation was not now valid and that we would have to leave. I am now starting to wonder, was it the size of our dogs that people took a dislike to, or had we suddenly turned in to some sort of football hooligan look a likes. After a long and very in depth debate with the manager there was no way he was going to change his mind and back down. He had completely undermined the decisions taken by three of his staff in front of them, he had realised his position was now in question as the directive and pet price had obviously come from somewhere in his establishment and as a compromise offered me the use of the transporter van which would be left out on the street for my dogs to sleep in whilst we enjoyed the facilities of the hotel. My reaction to that was of pure horror and disgust. I would have slept in the van myself first before subjecting my dogs to a night on the streets in the back of a van where crime is not the lowest in Europe. How dare this obnoxious and very rude man even suggest such a thing. I asked if he had children to which he puffed up his chest and proudly answered,

“yes, I have children”

“then may I ask, would you be happy letting them spend the evening in your van, out on the streets for just an hour, let alone a full night”

“ no” he says “and I do not know how you can compare my children with your dogs”

well that’s actually very easy when they have a parent with such little knowledge of animal welfare and customer care to look up to as a role model. The three reception staff were at this point in total embarrassment, more for the reaction of their immediate superior, the gentleman they were supposed to rely upon for direction and support and here he was making a complete fool of himself for all to see. The head receptionist kindly called another hotel who were happy to accept our booking and who looked beyond the dogs we had managing to see it as a financial gain along with any free advertising this booking would create by word of mouth bookings through our UK based travel agency business. We moved quickly on to the Best Western Premier Astoria Hotel in the town centre. A beautiful hotel and a General Manager any company should be proud to employ. She was accommodating to our needs, sympathetic to our experiences at the Hotel Antonovic Zagreb and was very quick to correct any of the wrongs this rude and very unprofessional man had tarnished his country and his profession with. Our stay there was most memorable, the kind staff were quick to ask how our day at the show had gone and there were numerous photo calls with staff members and our Danes. I have to say, realising his unprofessional manner may do him more harm than good, that same evening he appeared at the Astoria Hotel in an effort to redeem himself and extend an apology for his unacceptable behaviour. It’s nice to see that at least some people know when they are wrong and they have the backbone to go out of their way to try and put it right. Our thoughts on this are such that, in Croatia, make sure you get it in writing as what is said is not always what is done, this was the advice given by our facilitator Kruno. Or as we later discovered, let the likes of the facilitator do it all for you to save confusion or misunderstanding.

Saturday was an early start and we needed to be at the show arena and checked in by 0800hrs. A great venue and my first impression was how very organised and how very professional it all looked. Three very large show arenas, indoors and set out in such a way to allow access all the way round the edge which was home to pet shop units and show memorabilia. It actually reminded me of a mini Crufts and I was surprised to see just how many dogs were filing in through the gates. Outside there were motor homes in abundance, all sizes from the over night size to the week long stay deluxe look at me I have loads of money type. We found our spot away from the ring as this had been over crowded by Doberman and Rottweiler owners, not a good mix with a Great Dane when fighting to get in to the ring. Our cages set up, our dogs settled; we sat back and watched with anticipation. Classes were large, standard was high and a sneak peak at the other Great Danes left us a little nervous. There were 32 Great Danes entered in the book and it looked like our biggest competition certainly on paper was the Polish World Dog Show 2006 B.O.B World Champion. The Great Danes eventually came to their slot shown in colour groups and then set up against each other, Best Of The Best.

Zac was first to be shown and as predicted he sailed through his various classes. Proud as punch we then entered the ring with Heidie. Heidie has always liked to be shown, but these last few occasions she has been more content cuddling up to Zac and wondering when it is they two will be getting it together and having a family rather than performing in the ring. She presented well, her move around the ring excellent, her stack was first class, then he asked to see her teeth.

“TEETH HEIDIE” I say sternly so she knows what is expected of her. That was it, memories of the judge in Bulgaria must have come flooding back to her.

“No way” she must have said to herself, you poked a pen in my mouth last time and it hurt, there is no way you will do that to me again.

“GOOD GIRL HEIDIE, TEETH”

“no, I have told you, I am not going to show you my teeth, so there”.

“COME ON HEIDIE, TEETH, GOOD GIRL”

“good girl me all you want, there is no way I am showing you my teeth, so lets get this thing over with and let me get back to my cage, its far to busy, its far to noisy and I have other things on my mind like when I am going to come in to season”.

“OK” the judge says, “round the ring once, forget the teeth.”

Off we go, round the ring and in to a perfect stack. The judge comes over, shook my hand and we get Best Bitch Open Class, but she missed out on being given an excellent critique and the possibility of Croatian Champion. Well young lady, that’s what you get when you start to play games, the judges are not impressed and you really get what you deserve. So we are now left with B.O.B to decide and yes it was our Zac and as I thought, the Harlequin World Champion who with her numerous other Champion titles was a force to be reckoned with, especially as she was being handled by a very competent and very experienced professional handler from Croatia, points in his favour immediately I thought. We both stood with perfect ease, the bitch being show on an extended lead, Zac as normal solid as a rock. Once, twice, three times round the ring, like a gazelle he moved.

“Stack”, “move”, “up”, “down”, “stack”, “round the ring again”, the judge demands. This was exhausting, not only for the dogs, but for us handlers. The judge moves in, he takes a final look and then shakes the hand of the winning Great Dane Best Of Breed handler and do you know what, I am very proud to say, that handler was none other than “yours truly Paul Bainbridge from our very own Apollodane Great Danes” YES we had done it, we had taken the title B.O.B and we had taken it from under the very nose of the Polish World Show World Champion. We were delighted to win and we were over the moon to have accomplished it with such stiff competition. I went over and shook hands with the other handler and I went over to shake hands with the owner, but more importantly it was our Zac who deserved all the glory as he really did out perform and show what it is he is really made of.

Now we have the long wait to the Group, always an opportunity to catch up with friends and send text messages back home to inform of our success. There we sit, minding our own business and thinking to ourselves how very quiet it was considering there were Groups to do and a Best In Show. We strolled over to the Secretary and asked where the Groups were being held and at what time, to which we were told, they had started about 1 hour ago in another hall adjacent to the one we were sitting in patiently. A mad dash followed by a selection of grooming aides, we ran as fast as our legs would carry us in to the hall. It was massive and absolutely packed to the rafters with people and dogs. Finding a steward we asked in a panic,

“Could you please tell us when Group 2 is on”

“Immediately after this she said, this is Group 1”

wow, we had just made it, one of the problems we have found showing in a strange country were the local language is not your own mother tongue. Group 1 went in and Group 2 was at the ready, the Great Dane Hildydane Zsacharias at the very front. I learned my lesson long ago, our Zac likes to show how he can move, so I need to get in first to show him to his best potential. A woman with a Dogge Argentino came to the front and said,

“may I go in first as my dog is a little vicious and does not like dogs in front of him”.

“No absolutely not” I replied,

“my dog is also vicious and needs to be in front”.

My dog was bigger than hers so she was not about to argue. The fact that Zac stood there with not an aggressive bone in his body made me feel a bit of a fraud, but in these shows, “you gotta do what you gotta do” in order to showcase your dog to its best potential. I stood there waiting for group 1 to be decided and just happened to ask the steward

“who was judging group 2″.

“It’s the German judge” she said, “the one that was judging your class”.

Oh my goodness, how fortunate is that. This is the guy that placed me over the World Show Harlequin World Champion. I asked,

“how many were in my group” to which I was told

“41 in the group and your now on, please run round the ring and the steward in the ring will tell you were to go”.

The applause is always gratefully received, especially in a foreign country were competition is stiff. I ran until my little legs would run no more, Zac showed himself a treat and as I passed the row of judges I heard a lady judge say in a loud voice

“ I love the colour of your suit”

We stopped at the full circuit, got ourselves in position and made sure that we angled ourselves sufficiently enough to be seen from all corners of the auditorium. Each dog came in, each dog presented in a similar manner, our Zac, well he just stood his ground listening for the occasional goat bell which Craig wears round his neck just incase Zac decides to drop his ears and take the relaxed approach. One tug on the bell, the ears go up, his eyes alert and his stance like a tiger about to jump on his prey.

“STAND ZAC, GOOD BOY, STAND” “ZAC, SHOW”

He responds to every word, every sound he familiarises with us is there to give him reassurances we are still in sight and his body is firm and taught, muscled from the summer of exercise, swimming and running. This is pay off time, the proud moment seeing him standing there knowing he knows what he is supposed to do. Once again we are asked to run around the ring and once again like the Lipizzaner horse he resembles, he trots around showing himself with the utmost pride and then we go in to show mode again. The group of 41 I can see being reduced. I don’t know what exactly it is he is throwing out as my nerves will not allow me to absorb such detailed information, just movement. Now we are down to 7 left in the ring, the lights burn down like a forest fire creeping towards you, I feel beads of perspiration trickle down my face,

“come on “ I say to myself, “I am going to dissolve any moment”, and then the announcement comes,

“third place “THE GREAT DANE” how happy were we to hear we had done so well. We jumped in to the air, we gave an almighty thump into those burning lights with joy and we ran to take our place on the winners box. As we both stood for photographs, I did as I always do, turned to the camera and as I smiled, under my breath I said “ thanks to our mentor for having faith in us”

Our time for today was over. Craig had done his bit in making sure all the dogs are fed, exercised and cared for before we arrive. He makes sure the dogs are ready for their classes on time and he makes sure that whilst we are in the ring showing, we are doing so to the highest levels. If we are not, a quick glance in his direction soon puts me right. We are a team effort you see and although the ring work is my domain, none of it is possible without his hard work and efforts. He says he is happy with the saliva towels and the groom shine and he is so proud when we are both having our photos taken.

So home we go, packed up and ready for another day tomorrow, only this time, more dogs, more Danes and a different set of judges to impress.

Sunday we headed back to our spot from yesterday. You get very superstitious and convince yourself it was the place you were sitting or the cloth you took in to the ring that helped you get first place the day before, so trying not to break tradition, you do things in much the same way once again. Today we were showing much earlier and the number of people seemed to have doubled from yesterday. Ring side was very busy, to busy in fact, the entrance often being blocked to get in to the ring for your class. Add to that the fact we could not understand the language, often meant we stood bemused at what was going on. It’s a little like understanding sign language if you are deaf or hearing impaired, you take on different qualities of the events going on around you. We have now mastered this and feel very relieved when our class is called in the sequence we have worked out. Heidie showed much better today, a judge clearly observant in animal behaviour, taking his time and getting the dog to pamper to his needs. Heidie showed her teeth as though she had just walked out of the dentist from a clean and polish, but today we have one very noticeable difference in her showing, that of her handler. Today Craig decided to come from behind the scenes and try his hand in the ring, It’s not entirely new to him having shown a little in Sydney when we were going through our induction with the master of all ring techniques Hildegard Schliefert. What you learn with her you will never forget, only because she would kick your backside the next time in the ring if you got it wrong ☺ Craig stood in the ring until instructed to move, he constantly showed Heidie even if he was not being requested to do so. His time in front of the judge was announced, he moved forward, he stacked beautifully, a little wide on the back legs, but a quick indication from me standing on the ringside soon put matters back in hand. He was asked to move the dog round the ring, he was asked to move her up and down and then finally he was asked to stack her and present her to the judge. The judge walked over to complete his critique, he took one final look and the winner once again of the Open Class was Hildydane Hildas Heidie, only this time Craig had achieved what I hadn’t and that was an excellent critique, a CAC & CACIB and the most coveted title of all Croatian Champion. Bravo to Craig, applause from all around the ring and applause to Heidie. As Craig soon found out, your moment of glory is short lived, he had to get out of the ring to make way for some serious competition (ME) I am not having him pinching my job, if I do who will be the saliva towel man ☺ Zac struts his stuff once again, sails through his class’s and once again is down for B.O.B. Unfortunately though, today was not Zacs day, B.O.B was not in his grasp and so we settled the weekend with both Heidie & Zac becoming Croatian Champions, both taking the additional title of Zagreb Winners, Zac had achieved B.O.B and both had taken away CAC & CACIB. The best reward of the weekend was that we had qualified Zac who started life on the other side of the world, first in Sydney then moving to Perth before his resting place here in Cyprus for CRUFTS 2007, so hopefully if his Rabies injection results are correctly timed we hope to see him there making a name for himself along with all the other quality Great Danes some of which we had the privilege of seeing last year.

So the titles now read over the past 6 weeks in 4 countries
BULGARIAN GRAND CHAMPIONS
CROATIAN CHAMPIONS
GREEK CHAMPIONs
CYPRUS CHAMPIONS
BULGARIAN CHAMPIONS
BALKAN CHAMPIONS
ZAGREB WINNERS
APHRODITE WINNERS
INTERNATIONAL CHAMPION
MULTI GROUP WINNERS
BEST IN SHOW WINNER
Add to that previous titles of
AUSTRALIAN CHAMPION
RESERVE BEST IN SHOW WINNER
BEST GREAT DANE CYPRUS

Our next show is on Saturday when we enter the double show in Athens. Zac is already qualified as Greek Champion so for him a B.O.B would be nice with CAC & CACIB. For Heidie she is just two CAC short for her Greek Champion, so full concentration on her this weekend and everything crossed.

We have really enjoyed the shows we have been to and we have seen many different levels of entrants with many styles of showing. What it has taught us is that our love of Great Danes is growing each day and what we are in the process of doing with support of the FCI and the Kennel Club Of Cyprus is set up the Great Dane Club of Cyprus with a view to improving the breeding programme and implementing strict codes of conduct which are to future benefit of the island.

We returned via Croatian Airlines again another very helpful airline, booking us, our luggage and our dogs all the way through from Zagreb to Larnaca without having to worry about collecting them in Frankfurt. Upon arrival once again in Frankfurt however, that same level of arrogance, that same level of obstruction and that same level of unhelpfulness was there to greet us. Once again the information Lufthansa ground handling supplied was less than reassuring, they once again lost track of our dogs, nobody could give me information as to their whereabouts and nobody really seemed to give a damn that I was travelling with 2 very large sized dogs, confirming my thoughts that FRANKFURT AIRPORT AND ITS STAFF has to be rated one of the most unhelpful airports anybody would have the misfortune to travel through in my opinion, so once again, for peace and convenience, stay away at all costs and use other airports and other carriers where ever possible if you really do care for your dogs as much as we do and do not want to go through the experiences we encountered.

Please continue to enjoy our site, please pass on our link to your friends to enjoy and we look forward to sharing our news of Athens sometime next week. Thank you for taking the time to read our show news, we will see you back here soon. X x

November in Sofia didn’t quite leave me with the memories I once held in my head of my time spent here 40 years ago, running through the sand on a hot summers day in the then very under developed coastal resorts of Golden Sands and Sunny Beach and the Hotel Siniger which I doubt would even still be standing, made way for ultra new modern hotels and paving the way for Bulgaria’s entry in to Europe in one months time. Arrival in Sofia airport was immediately cold and uninviting, officials with uniforms not wanting to do anything to help, only wanting to intimidate and patronise. Strange really I thought for a country on the brink of entering in to Europe and knowing what the Europeans demand in terms of service. I would imagine there are a lot of jobs occupied, not by those that are qualified to do so, but more for those that are in a position to influence somebody else getting on in life. Our dogs eventually arrived to lots of shrugs of the shoulders, grunts and groans in either Russian or Bulgarian and the odd pointing of the finger to go and stand in line and wait. A queue for this, a queue for that, then another queue for something else. Amazing how all these queues to get in to a country many would just want to pass through, rather than spend any time in and yet in the UK, people just seem to wander in at will, settle without problems and before long start claiming their rights. I have to say it for the Bulgarians, in terms of who they allow in the country, their strict regime of checks upon entry have to be applauded.

Outside was cold, dark and very busy. Sofia airport is not huge, yet there seemed to be quite a lot of activity in the immediate vicinity. Our hired mini bus driver was awaiting our arrival, standing by the exit door displaying our names, as though he would have missed us, passing by with two of the largest Vari Kennels and a Harlequin Great Dane strapped to each handle of the luggage trolley. It was more like a scene from the film “BEST IN SHOW” than a discreet arrival of two tourists from Cyprus. A short journey to our accommodation for the four days took us to the very lovely Apartment House www.apartmenthouseiztok.bg just on the outskirts of Sofia City Centre. We were shown to our room number 2, a lovely sized suite comprising of large double bedroom, living room, kitchen area, bathroom and a fantastic outside terrace area big enough to keep a herd of elephants, never mind 2 Great Danes. It was a great space, ideal for letting them lose some of their energy, yet being in a position to keep an eye on them. Quickly unpacking, feeding the dogs, taking them for a walk, we then settled for the adjoining Moderato restaurant & bar belonging to the same hotel chain. A spectacular place, we were told in the top ten restaurants of Bulgaria each year. Food was good, service was excellent and the fact that such quality was so close to our room was an added bonus. Our heads hit the pillow not long after 2300hrs and not a sound did we hear from either of the dogs until they woke the next morning fit and ready for the show.

It seemed easy with so much space available to us on the outside terrace to prepare the dogs before we left for the show, so after a good hearty cooked breakfast served in our suite, we boarded the mini bus we had rented for the day complete with driver. The Academic Stadium was a stones throw from the Hotel and before long we had set up with our crates, registered with the secretary for the days events, tried to find a sympathetic bi-lingual entrant that we could attach ourselves to so we didn’t miss our class and hey presto, we were away. First showing was Heidi who was in Open Class, followed by Zac in Champion Class. It was such a difference to any temperatures they had been used to showing in, both more adapt to hotter climates such as Australia and Cyprus. Temperatures were COLD with a Capital C. and the dogs didn’t know what had hit them. I have to say they both performed much better than I had expected in view of how cold it actually was.

A good turn out of dogs, many breeds we had not seen before which was interesting and both our dogs went on to win their class, Heidie going on to win Best Bitch, Zac going on to win Best Dog and then Zac taking Best Of Breed. Today was a C.A.C Show and both Heidie and Zac took Excellent Critiques and were awarded C.A.C each. It was as it always is, a long wait then until the group which had to be transferred indoors due you failing light. Not good I thought, as Zac had spent most of the evening in the hotel room flat on his back due to the highly polished laminate flooring he had never previously encountered. A quick practise run put my mind at rest and I just hoped his ability to perform was not hindered by the ice skating surface we were about to encounter. It is always difficult in these foreign countries to know what is going on, especially in the order of the programme, so you just sit and hope you get it right, follow what you think is happening and if all else fails, ask the steward to make announcements in English, which in this situation was impossible, as even the locals struggled to get announcements in Bulgarian, most being done in Russian. The group arrived and Zac showed to his usual excellent standard, he performed well on the shiny floor and it was me that tottered round with trepidation, wondering if I would fall at the next turning point. Stacked and in position we were then asked to move again around the ring, this time the numbers being reduced until four were left to re-stack and present to the judge. Forth place announced, Third place announced and then Runner Up in the Group the Great Dane “Zsacharias” First place in the group was the Rottweiler which eventually went on to win Best In Show. So our day ended with qualification for Bulgarian Champion for both Heidie & Zsacharias, Excellent Critique, C.A.C and the added bonus of qualifying Heidie for her International Champion Title.

Day 2 and the Kennel Club Of Bulgaria’s very own International Show saw a much earlier start, an even bigger turn out of people and the same set of results for us as the day before. Heidie & Zac both winning their class, Heidie winning Best Bitch, Zac winning Best Dog, Zac going on to win Best Of Breed and finally once again taking Runner Up In Group to the Bernese Mountain Dog which took Best In Group. Best In Show for the day was the Yorkshire Terrier. We always make the most of the shows, normally getting to know some really nice and very interesting people. A couple of names to mention on this trip are Sarka Jebava, “De Sarina Chihuaha Kennels” Czech republic, http://desarina.sweb.cz who I have to say I envied when I saw her bringing in all her exhibits in a travel crate big enough to put Zacs evening meal in to. She had previously had Great Danes but since moving in to an apartment in the centre of Prague had to choose a breed more suited to her living space. She was our bi-lingual interpreter for the second day, a great knowledge on the various show scenes in Europe and a lovely person to get to know. She even came to our rescue when we discovered that by taking the Bulgarian Champion on both days, we had also qualified for Baltic Champion and Bulgarian Grand Champion for both Heidie and Zac, even loaning 10 Euro to pay for our certificates as by this time we had completely run out of local currency and Euros spending 360 Euros over the weekend on certificates we hade qualified for. It appears standard practice in Bulgaria, not only to pay for entry in to a shows, but also to pay additionally for any certificates you may win on the day. I have to say, this is the first time we have done this and it will be interesting to see if this is a practice carried out elsewhere on our travels through Europe. I don’t object to it, I was just rather taken aback by the procedure.

Another name to mention is Inna, a lovely young lady resident to Bulgaria who took a particular liking to both Heidie & Zac and who has kindly supplied me with photographs from the show as you will see. She was showing a nice young male Dogo Argentino who looked lovely in the ring and until he had his testicles felt by the judge, appeared rather show worthy and a possible winner. I must say, it is never good to criticize the judge as you never know when you may cross their path in the future, but this particular judge had a style of judging quite extraordinary, concerning himself more with the number of teeth a dog had in its mouth than the overall confirmation of the dog with or without it’s testicles. Understandably the number of teeth are important, as are the presence of testicles, but if the dog is calm and in no way showing signs of aggression, then if the judge is so concerned about the number of teeth in the dogs mouth, he should at least show some indication that he is not afraid of finding out for himself. My experience was that despite my having held Heidies mouth wide open and then closing it to show her bite, he was still not convinced she had a full set of teeth. I might add, it was now plummeting in temperatures, the dogs were shivering with cold and having had her mouth pulled open for him to look in once, twice and a third time, Heidie was getting pretty fed up. He then started to prod in her mouth with his pen, rolling back her tongue one way and then the other again with his pen, to finally admit she was indeed with a full set of teeth. No wonder the Dogo Argentino turned round to bite him when he grasped his testicles !!!!! I think I would have done the same. Needless to say I expressed my disapproval at his handling of the dog in the ring, especially over an area quite incidental to the remaining part of his requirement to judge and score points. He still scored Heidie a perfect score, giving a C.A.C, Excellent Critique and a C.A.C.I.B making her an International Champion. You can imagine my horror when he turned up in the ring to judge Group two, so I felt quite pleased to take Runner Up in the Group considering I had given him such a hard time. So we finished the weekend with

Class wins for Heidie & Zac both days Best Dog for Zsacharias both days Best Bitch for Heidie both days Best Of Breed for Zsacharias both days Runner Up In Group for Zsacharias both days Bulgarian Champions both dogs both days Balkan Champions both dogs both days Bulgarian GRAND CHAMPIONS both dogs both days. International Champion Title for Heidie

A great weekend of showing, a great weekend of results and a special thank you to Julia and all the members of the Bulgarian Kennel Club for help and assistance before our arrival, on booking a lovely hotel and for arranging the transport, without which we really would have struggled. To all the judges for their assistance in making worthy title holders of our lovely Great Danes and for seeing in them what we saw before putting them in the ring. Special thanks to the Apartment House Iztok Hotel, Sofia, in particular Rossi who looked after us, made sure our driver was on time and that our breakfast was delivered early each morning, a great place to stay and with a genuine love for dogs. Now we are packing for Zagreb, the winter woollies are ready to go and hopefully another successful trip to come, watch this space for more news and show information on our trips to Croatia, Greece, Finland, Russia & Slovenije over the next few weeks. Congratulations to all our friends who showed with excellent results at the World Show in Poland, to those who can make it, it would be nice to see you all at the Mediteranean Winners Show here in Cyprus in October 2007.