Lochaber Open Show

So this weekend saw my first breed judging appointment up at Lochaber and District Open Show in Fort William, I don’t need much of an excuse to visit that part of the world, I am totally in love with the Scottish Highlands but this was a perfectly good one anyway, I just wish I’d been able to spend a bit more time up there to enjoy the beautiful landscape. It was a bit like a mystery tour since I decided to just follow the SatNav and discover which route it was going to take me as we went along. I would normally travel up via Glasgow and the A82 up past Loch Lomond and through the Trossachs and Glencoe which is a stunning drive. Instead the SatNav decided to take me up to Perth then West along the A9 to Dalwhinnie before dropping back down to Lochaber via Laggan, more beautiful scenery to make a long drive much more enjoyable...









Ardverikie - on the banks of Loch Laggan, was used as the ficticious Glenbogle house in the TV drama Monarch of the Glen


Laggan Dam on the River Spean, to the south west of Loch Laggan


I didn’t arrive ‘til about 8pm having stopped at Strathmashie Forest on the way and taken the 7 dogs I had with me for a run up the forest to blow away the cobwebs after that 5 hour drive! We had another lovely forest walk early Sunday morning before the show too so I didn’t feel so bad about having taken them all that way.

I was sharing the judging with Stuart Platt (Caldonbeck) so just had 4 bitch classes - puppy, yearling, post grad and open and was pleased to receive a respectable entry of 23 and some really lovely quality bitches , I ended up having to really nit pick for the places but I was pleased as punch when the bitch winner went best of breed (under the referee) and then Pastoral Group 3 and my puppy went best pup in breed and reserve best pup in show. Both beautiful girls I would have happily taken home (think someone might have noticed though lol)

Full results were…
Lochaber and District Canine Society Open Show – 12th September 2010
Puppy Dog (1)

1 - McCallum's Borderbrook The Dauphin

Yearling Dog (3,1)

1 - MacDonald's Locheil Once in a Blue Moon
2 - Kempton's Borderbrook Show Me

Post Graduate Dog (3)

1 - Jones' Sianworth Firecracker
2 - Heggie's Dalond Blaze of Glory
3 - MacDonald's Bordertime Hot Chocolate

Open Dog (8,3)

1 - Turner and Alexander's Kaeleon Showstopper at Locheil - BD
2 - Gray's Locheil Joint Venture
3 - Kempton's Locheil Manhatten at Borderbrook (AI)
4 - Gray's Rosara Dream Boat

Puppy Bitch (4,2)

1 - MacDonald's Locheil Just Cruisin – BP RBPIS
2 - Kempton's Borderbrook I'm The Diva

Yearling Bitch (5,1)

1 - Donald's Locheil Violets are Blue
2 - Jones' Starside Gold Dust Over Sianworth
3 - Kempton's Borderbrook I'm The Diva
4 - Downie's Dalond Blue Bayou

Post Graduate Bitch (7,3)

1 - Hagan's Tribboch Thistle Do Me
2 - McCallum's Tribboch Truly Scrumptious
3 - Conacher's Locheil Chic Flick
4 - Downie's Dalond Blue Bayou

Open Bitch (7,2)

1 - Turner and Alexander's Locheil Funny Face - BB BOB PG3
2 - Jones' Sianworth Mystic Dream JW
3 - Kempton's Borderbrook Atomic Kitten
4 - Donald's Locheil Luck of the Irish

The hospitality was excellent and after the judging we sat and had a good old natter with some of the other judges and stewards over lunch before I embarked on the long drive home around 2.30pm I stopped and took my dogs for another run up Strathmashie Forest at Laggan on the way home so they had a good stretch of their legs first and happened across an impromptu hitchhiker at Dalwhinnie, some poor chap who had missed his train and since he was headed back to Oxenholme (just outside Lancaster) I agreed to drop him at Penrith train station so he could catch a train there instead so he got home at a decent time and I had some company for a few hours of the journey at least. I stopped at Sizergh (near Kendal) on the way home to pop in for a cup of tea and a natter with my mum and gran who were there in the caravan for the week (seemed rude not to since I was passing!) so we were pretty late home but young Rachel had done a great job minding all the dogs at home and they were all pleased to see us back. I was very glad to have Monday off work, despite it being a pretty hectic one but I’ll post more about that later.

Dogs enjoying one of their forest runs…



Esther, who appears to be rather enjoying her holiday in the caravan...

The Big Trip North

When Joy had said she wanted to use Bond I had offered to drive up to Heathers with her. It's a journey I've done on my own a few times from our house (320 miles and approx 5 hours) but I do a lot of driving and actually quite enjoy it and Joy lives another 200 miles and 3 hours south of me so it's actually quite a mammoth trek from Fritwell to Roy Bridge!! In typical Wren style she comes in season and needs to be mated on one of the busiest weekends she could pick!! A week before we move house, my Nan's funeral is on the Friday morning, I have 2 litters of puppies at home and the weather really isn't that great either. Still...a promise is a promise and I really wanted to go see the two litters of Spark puppies that Heather has at the moment too so off we went. I took half of my dogs with me, leaving Gemma with the cockers, the girls with pups and the girls in season (and Squirrel of course).

We had a pretty good journey up but we did experience an awful lot of weather!! lol Everything from beautiful blue skies and sunshine to fog, snow, sleet, rain and strong winds, changing every 5 minutes...that's Cumbria and the Scottish Highlands for you I guess!! We did however get stopped by the police just outside of Crainlarich, I had a headlamp out (had been fine the day before!) so now I have to get a new headlamp fitted and certified by a garage to send off to them and also produce all my documents at a police station in the next 7 days...as if I haven't got enough on at the moment!! lol

We took the slightly more scenic route (in my opinion)...heading up the A82 out of Glasgow takes you along the banks of Loch Lomond and up over Rannoch Moor and through Glencoe on the way to Fort William. Simply stunning scenery.

Coming down into Glencoe on our journey up...

As usual, a warm welcome and good food awaited us at Roy Bridge, it was nice to see Ron and Heather and all the dogs...but especially Mercy, Bond and Spud. Mercy was really pleased to see me which was kind of nice but also made me realise just how much I was missing her, I really love that little dog and she's been gone for over a year now. Spud has matured a lot since the last time I saw him, he is of course Wren's litter brother but they're not really that alike. He does just have the most gorgeous appealing head, I can't quite think who he reminds me of, if anyone it's probably his grandfather Sunny. Anyway, here's a pic I took of him in his favouriote spot...stood on the cabin roof so he can peer over the fence...funny lad.

We got two good matings so fingers crossed for some scrummy pups in 9 weeks time. This litter is going to be quite interesting...Wren could easily have all black/white pups but a plethora of colours is possible...ee red, blue, tricolour, sable, seal...anything really!! lol

We got some stacked pics of Daisy's puppies...just 4 weeks old so some were a little more willing than others. I was really taken with both blue/white puppies but they're all really nice. Here's some snaps of them...




And this is the blue merle bitch we all liked from Evie's litter too, what a cutie!

Took the dogs for a good run up the forest at Spean Bridge before we set off home Saturday lunchtime...I am so jealous that Heather gets to run her dogs here every day, stunning views and perfect for free running a pack of boisterous collies!! lol









We hadn't been on the road for long before we got to Glencoe, lots of walkers out everywhere but the search and rescue helicopter was scouring the moutain side as we drove through, we had wondered whether it was a training exercise but then heard on the radio that there had been an avalanche and tragically 3 people killed. Stunning scenery but treacherous in those sorts of conditions. The snow started to get much thicker as we headed up over Rannoch Moor...


...but we were soon back down out of the snow and had a clear run all the way home with no stops.

Finally home safely and it was great to see Squirrel after all the worry. Kitten was a bit peeky though, vomiting and running a high temperature. I think she may have picked up a bit of a bug but I've put her on some antibiotics and she's eating again and seems a bit brighter but she's not yet back to her usualy 'giddy kipper' self so I'll just keep an eye on her, poor little Kitty-Kat. Joy just had a quick coffee and then headed back down to Oxford where a couple of junctions from home her headlights failed...would you believe it??!! Bloody good job we hadn't taken the Berlingo up to Scotland or we would have been in trouble! lol