I have received any enquiry from one of our overseas members Ms Ruth Bruskiewitz who lives in the United States of America if there is any member who belongs to the American Irish Water Spaniel Club that would be willing to be membership partners, that is she pays your subs in America and you pay hers in the UK, there are a few of us who do this already I being one of them, if you are willing to do so please contact her, you can obtain her details from the Year Book

This weekend the Manchester Championship Dog Show is taking place, Gundog day was today, we did not have classes but 6 Irish Water Spaniel were entered in AVNSC under Judge Mr Ben Reynolds-Frost, Best Dog and Best of Breed was AMCH/Sh Ch Whistlestop’s Elements of Magic (Merlin) owned by Judith Carruthers and Coleen McDaniel, Best Bitch was Foulby Calm before the Storm owned by Angela Williams, David Craig and Penny Willoughby.Merlin went on to win Gundog Group 3 under Judge Mr Mike Gadsby, what a start to 2012 for Merlin, having won the Gundog Group at Boston Championship Show and Group 3 today.

Unfortunately, the member who was going to cover Discover Dogs on Saturday 10^th March at the NEC cannot make it so if any of you who have the day free and who has a dog who has a “rock solid” temperament and would be willing to help the Association showcase the breed to the general public, can you please contact Chris Attwood on 01526 322081 or doonbeg@tiscali.co.uk. You do not have to pay to get into the NEC as they provide passes for those who are willing to man the Discover Dog booths.

 

Keep the news coming

 

Jean

01494 260458/07941830666

E-mail chessrose@sky.com     

 

 

I hope you all had a nice Christmas and I wish you all a Happy, Prosperous and Peaceful New Year.

 

Just a reminder that the closing date for adverts for the 2011 edition of the Year Book is the 7^th January, so don’t forget to send your adverts to the Year Book Editor Brenda Triffitt.

 

Judith Carruthers and Merlin (Am Ch/Sh Ch Whistlestop’s Elements of Magic made breed history last year since arriving in the Country  from America in April, they have won 3 All Breeds Best in Show, 2 Reserve Best in Shows, as well as being Top Gundog and 5^th Top Dog in all breeds at only 2 years of  age he has certainly made many friends in the UK as well as being a marvellous Ambassador for the breed, I am sure you will all join me in congratulating Judith and his co-owner Coleen McDaniel, also his co-breeder Stacey Duncan  on their success.

 

I had an e-mail from Gary, Paula and Bethany Davies to tell me that they had lost Pashmina Pugwash (Pugsey) he was their first IWS and had been suffering for the last three months with Cancer, he was nine years old, he was a much loved member of the family and had represented the Association at Discover Dogs, I am sure he will be greatly missed and as Gary says once you have owned a IWS you are hooked on them.

 

Some more sad news from Chris & Keith Attwood, they have recently lost Doonbeg Temptation (Brad) he was shown a few times when he was young but most of all he was their companion and friend, he had a lovely temperament which he passed on to his children.

 

News from Dukeries Gundog Society Open Show recently Best of Breed was Holbain Gooseander owned by Pauline and Stuart Furber and Best Puppy was Doonbeg Magic Dust owned by Chris and Keith Attwood.

 

This weekend the first Championship Show of the year took place, Boston  & District Canine Society Show, IWS were judged by Mr F Whyte, Best Dog and Best of Breed was AMCh/Sh Ch Whistlestops’s Elements of Magic (Merlin) owned by Judith Carruthers and Coleen McDaniel, Best Bitch and Best Puppy was Doogbeg Magic Dust( Morag) owned by Chris & Keith Attwood, Merlin continued his wining ways by taking the Gundog Group under Judge Becky Johnson and Merlin and  his daughter Morag  won BOB and BP for the second time following on from their success at LKA in December.

 

Keep the news coming

Jean

01494 260458/07941830666

E-mail chessrose@sky.com

 

I recently had an e-mail from Debbie Robinson, to say that the last mingle she arranged went very well, the next one will be in the Spring next year, these mingles are arranged by Debbie herself not the IWSA so if you would like more information, please contact her by phone or e-mail address the details of which are in the Year Book.

 

I sent a mailing out ten days ago so it should be with you all by now; it contained the calling notice for the AGM next year, together with the membership renewal forms and details of advertising in the 2011 edition of the Year Book. You will see from the renewal forms that as the bank has been taken over, we have a new sort code and account number, if any of you decide you want to set up a standing order can you please make sure you put your name in the reference details so when I get the bank statement I know where the money has come from. You will also see that the fees have been increased this year, we have not had an increase for a decade and with the economic climate it was felt by the members present at the AGM it would be advisable to have this increase, this will enable the Association to continue to subsidise the Year Book . I know from your comments that the Year Book and Topknot newsletters are greatly appreciated by you.

 

News from Karen Stirk and Zoe Stirk, their new puppy Doonbeg Morgan Le Fay at Grakar went to the Exonian Canine Association and won the Gundog NSC Graduate Class, Best Puppy and the Puppy Group, her father is Merlin and her mother is Doonbeg Guinevere (Tawny) and she was bred by Chris and Keith Attwood, their English Setter Ravensett Diamond Reserve won Best of Breed and Gundog Group 4.

 

This weekend , the last Championship  Show of the Year LKA  took place the judge for IWS’S was Mr Chris Bexon, there was an entry of  41 with few being absent on the day, The Dog CC and Best of Breed was won by AMCH/SH CH Whistlestop’s Elements of Magic (Merlin) bred in the USA and owned by Judith Carruthers and Coleen McDaniel, Reserve Dog CC was Antdela Tuttti Frutti owned by Ant Andrews, Adele Blades and Allison McNaught, the Bitch CC was won by Holbain Capercaille, owned by Pauline and Stuart Furber, the Reserve Bitch CC was won by Rosaleen Riona at Cuvana owned by Sue and Arnold Hempstead, Best Puppy at her first show was Doonbeg Magic Dust owned by Keith and Chris Attwood. Chris has been showing for nearly 40 but was a bundle of nerves waiting to go into the ring.

 

Merlin again did the breed proud by winning the Gundog Group under Judge Mrs Carol Coode.

 

Merlin’s Sister Claire won the Gundog Group at an International show in Stockholm, under Judge Mr Murray Armstrong so it was a very successful weekend for their breeders Coleen McDaniel and Stacey Duncan.

 

Marion Kong arranged the members and their dogs for the Discover Dogs Event at Earls Court last month; they had a busy couple of days answering questions from the general public thank you all for giving your time to take your dogs to this event.

 

Just a reminder that the closing date for adverts for the 2011 edition of the Year Book is the first week in January.

 

I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and I wish you all A Happy, Prosperous and Peaceful New Year.

 

Keep the news coming

 

Jean

01494260458/07941830666

E-mail chessrose@sky.com      

 

 

The committee of the Association have asked me to see if any members who may  feel that they  do not want to serve on the committee but have the space to store, and are willing to run the Breed Stand . As you know we have had the breed stand for over twenty years, in that time it has been kept and run superbly in the past by Peter Rochford, Peter Box and most recently Pat Wake but unfortunately the present members of the committee do not have space for it, anyone who is interested in helping the IWSA and requires more details of what it would entail please contact our Secretary Chris Attwood on 01526 322081.

One of our youngest members eleven year old Georgia Brown  attended the YKC day at Newark recently, the children present had four sessions of an hour each so Georgia did 2 obedience sessions and 2 handling sessions with IWS Beaufield First and Foremost (Flion) and then at the end of the day there was a qualifying competition which Georgia won. She did really well as it was hotly contested and the dog perfomed well, pulling out all the stops at the end of a long day, by winning the competition Georgia qualified for YKC handling competition at Crufts 2012. Some of you may have seen Georgia in the ring as she has been showing my Crazy Daisy for the last eighteen months.

The IWSA Open show was held on Saturday 5^th November,the Judge was Judith Carruthers there was an entry of 27 which is higher than what have been at several Championship Shows lately, five were absent on the day  Best Dog and Best in Show was Sh Ch Malanis Sandor By Glenderry ShCM owned by Vickie Norman Massa, Reserve Best Dog was Holbain Devil Dexter owned by Pauline and Stuart Furber, Best Bitch was Holbain Goosander also owned by Pauline and Stuart, Reserve Best Bitch was  Holbain Slice N Ice owned by Liz Brown Best Puppy was Malanis Daisy owned by Hannah Cooper and Best Veteran was Fynder Frieze owned by Pauline and Stuart.

During the current economic climate it was nice to see several spectators had made the journey to watch the show, seeing them made me think  about what it had actually cost Don and I to attend and it was quite frightening  when I actually added up the cost, the diesel full alone was £80,  I can see why entries at shows have been declining  and it also shows the dedication of the committee members whose attendance along with exibitors who had entered have to the breed, indeed one of our committee members lives in Devon, so I suppose our fuel bill must have been small in comparison to hers.

Gundog Breeds of Scotland Championship Show was held yesterday, there was an entry of 7 with 2 being absent on the day for the Judge Mr R Sadler. Best Dog amd Best of Breed was Sh Ch/Am Ch Whistlestop’s Elements of Magic (Merlin) owned  by Judith Carruthers   and Coleen McDaniel, Rserve Best Dog was Holbain The Partner Of Kiahmist owned by Angie and Ian Biggs, Best Bitch was Holbain The Cofession Of Flyenpig owned by Miss C Smith Reserve Best Bitch and Best Puppy was Malanis Daisy owned by Hannah Cooper. Merlin want on to win Best in Show under Judge Mr Clive Davies.this is the second time that Judith has won Best in Show at this show with an Irish Water Spaniel as eight years ago I had the privilege of judging the breed and I awarded Best of Breed to  Sh Ch  Finnish & Danish,Norwegian, Swedish and American Champion Fynder Freethinker who went on to win Best in Show.

 

The Gundog Breeds of Scotland Champion Show will hold a special place in Marie, Gary and Jennifer Nicholls memories as they won the Bitch CC and Best of Breed with their Pointer  Lokmadi Francis Partridge at Stonesview from an entry of 88 the Judge being Mrs P Smith, she is owned by Jennifer who is  a member of the Associations and one of our Junior Handlers, I understand that her Mum and Nan shed a few tears  as this was the first CC for this young bitch and her handler.

 

 

Keep the news coming

Jean

01494 260458/07941830666

E-mail chessrose@sky.com

 

 

 

This weekend the Midland Counties Championship Dog Show is taking place, Friday was Gundog Day, IWS’s did not have CC’s on offer, there was an entry of 13 with 4 being absent on the day for the Judge Mrs Vickie Norman Massa to go over Best Dog was Antdela Tutti Frutti owned by Ant Andrews, Adele Blades and Allison McNaught, Reserve Best Dog was Holbain The Partner Of Kiahmist owned by Angie and Ian Biggs, Best Bitch and Best of Breed was Holbain Goosander owned by Pauline and Stuart Furber, Reserve Best Bitch  and Best Puppy was Malanis Daisy owned by Miss Hannah Cooper.

 

I have had the following e-mail from Marion Kong “Liberty achieved her Silver Agility Warrant this weekend just three months after gaining her Bronze. She has been running so well and so consistently and has had so many high placings that she has been able to accumulate another 200 points in such a short time”, Congratulations Marion and Liberty  it is lovely to hear of an Irish Water Spaniels doing so well  at agility.

 

One of our younger members Jennifer Nicholls who is 15 years old and has been doing very well handling Duck Tollers and Pointers in the ring has started showing  Sandra and David Rawlinson’s IWS puppy Pharises Pasa Doble and I am pleased to say that at this weekend’s Yorkshire Gundog Society Open Show won 1^st prize in the Graduate class and was Best Puppy in Breed, congratulations Jennifer, It is so very encouraging that Jennifer along with Georgia Brown are doing so well, keep the good work up girls!

 

I look forward to seeing  many of you at the Association’ s Open Show next Saturday.

 

Keep the news coming.

Jean

01494 260458/007941830666

E-mail chessrose@sky.com