Great news from Crufts – NW members Garry & Sue Reynolds young dog Niatona Wreck It Ralph was awarded the RCC – this follows on from winning another RCC & a CC at the back end of 2022 – not to mention going BIS at the NW Open in January 2023 – happy days in Middlesborough
NW Committee member Kerrie Couzens must think she’s dreaming, not just winning the CC with her Dog Niatona Arlo Coombes at the MB&C club show (under Wynny Southworth), that’s a great result by any measure, but to go on and win another CC the very next day at the Merseyside show (under Vicki Butler), that is something else. And we’ve not finished there, a third CC the following weekend at Birmingham National (under Lorraine Rollin). This puts Arlo into record breaking territory – sharing the quickest route to his title, only recently established in 2021 – from zero to three CC in 8 days!!! Whatever next, many many congratulations from the North West!!! Three photos follow presenting a pictorial record of this magnificent achievement.
MB&C SBTC -L-R Judge Wynny Southworth, Kerrie, Breeder Di Taylor and Dog judge Jeff Ford; Arlo handled by Alan Hedges
Merseyside SBTC – Same assembly – with judge Vicki Butler
Birmingham National – judge Lorraine Rollin, on left.
The Butlers made their usual pilgrimage up to Scotland for the SKC/Scottish club shows and came away with the customary Best Veteran awards at both shows with Ch Joemikeste Play The Game.
Cast your mind back to 2021 when NW member Karen Jones made up her bitch Ch Chiswelstaff Black Velvet at Kamaristaff, pictured below at the SCCA show in 2021 (the first Ch show after lock down).
Since then this bitch was mated to top stud dog Ch Elitebulls Challenger resulting in 7 puppies – the Royal litter, back in June last year. So why is this news? Well six of these puppies have been shown in 2023 with a varying degree of success in particular Kamaristaffs Royal Ransom at Bowtman winning the DCC at Blackpool, plus two RCC’s either side of this show. In the meantime Kamaristaff Royal Velvet took the BRCC at SCCA (see photo below) and multiple Best Puppy awards have been won by Kamaristaff Royal Rumour and Kamaristaffs Royal Gem. I daresay that this is only the start of things to come for Karen and the owners of this all conquering litter.
Keep your eyes on these, they are now in Junior.
No sooner has the above news been recorded, it’s instantly out of date. As well as keeping the above bitch from this litter Karen also kept a dog – Kamaristaffs Royal Rumour – this dog won the CC at Paignton under Brian Aubrey.
Watch this space, it’s a certainty that we shall hear more from this quarter.
The Jackson’s have had a quiet year so far after last year’s helter-skelter culminating in being awarded the SBT Annual Top Breeder by virtue of breeding three Champions that achieved that status in one calendar year. This time around one of those Champions took the CC at the SCCA show Ch Jackabyte Javikah, reminding us that the Jackabytes are still around.
A terrific result under judge Terri Owen at the North East June Open show for Dawn Holmes with her young bitch Barielle Special Edition – she won her class, then went Best Bitch and finally BIS – that’s going some and this follows taking Best Puppy at two of the breed Champ shows at the back end of 2022.
Up to Scotland for the Border Union show, judged here by Graham Turley, his second Champ show appointment some 25 years after the first. His RCC in bitches was Emma Miller’s Skyland Eruption from Limit and reward for Emma after all these years, although she has enjoyed a taste of the big time lately handling Ch Dringshaw Athos for the Walthams.
Get the bunting and champagne out – Steve & Caroline’s Briganah Don’t Stop Me Now is now a Champion, winning her third CC under Mary Coble at the 2023 East Anglian show. What a triumph for this small and very successful kennel – it’s just a massive pity that co-breeder Steve Simpson wasn’t present to witness this fabulous event. However Julie had been persuaded to attend and what a show to choose.
Pictured here with the judge is the NW Chairman Roy Day, Caroline, Julie and handler Alan Hedges – the latter getting a tad ubiquitous having handled two NW dogs to their crowns in recent weeks.
Just a foot note – there are now seven Briganah Champions, all bred by Steve & Julie – this puts them amongst the elite breeders resident in the North West.
Whilst we are on the East Anglian show – the Best Puppy here was Emma Miller’s bitch Skyland Consort.
The pleasure of winning anything never seems to dim for Liz Stanway, especially when it’s a big one – her dog Waystaff Strikes Mayhem took the Dog CC at Notts & Derby under judge Helen Reaney. This was his first CC after winning three RCC’s – so congrats to Liz & Paul. The dog lives with Pete & Carol Cordwell and a proud moment for them too. This dog won two more RCC’s later in the year, at Downlands under Paul Boland and the East Midlands under Debbie Saunt.
Whilst we are in the Stanway mode, Liz surreptitiously acquired a bitch puppy from Andreas Kalergis (from Holland) which she managed to hide from Paul amongst the Stafford throng. He is now aware of this addition – her name Northpoints Dressed For Success at Waystaff – so why mention her? She only took the Best Puppy award at Paignton, her second show.
Leeds had Helen Wall judging this time around and the recipients of the two CC’s were both NW members – first up Garry & Sue Reynolds’ Niatona Wreck It Ralph winning his second CC
And this was followed up with BCC going to Tracey Hamilton & Robert Murphy’s Bonnie Lass of Angels Peak Shawrigg – this was her second CC, too.
We’ve not finished there though – Andy & Linzi Mayren, having campaigned here, there and everywhere last year competing in Veteran classes have gone to the other extreme – Minor Puppy (both sexes) with their latest two Staffords and having performed fairly well with these two so far have hit the jackpot with the Dog Fergiestaffs Polar Bear, winning the Best Puppy award at Leeds.
Simon Thomas judged the WK show in August – his Best puppy was Skyland Imperial, litter brother to Skyland Consort (BP at EASBTC), both bred and owned by Emma Miller – that’s the third Skyland Stafford doing some serious winning in 2023.
Whilst we are at Builth Wells – the Bitch CC went to Martin & Karen Johnson’s Tillcarr Kissed By Fire – her 2nd CC – she pretty quickly gained the vital third a couple of weeks later at the City Of Birmingham show (under Wayne Jackson) – this latest Champion puts the Tillcarr kennel on seven Champions bred by the Johnsons, plus one other owned by them as well.
At the Northern Counties Club show in September we witnessed much rejoicing emanating from Tracey Hamilton as her bitch Bonnie Lass Angels Peak Shawrigg received her third CC – congratulations Tracey and Robert. The judge was first timer in the UK for Rini Van Wijk, from Holland.
New member Joanne Bowman and her bitch Sikaistaff All Of Me have been enjoying some success of late, winning the odd class here and there and also picking up three awards – Best Special Beginners at the City of Birmingham show and Driffield and also at Richmond – here they are below.
The Northern Triple is no more – the North East has pulled out – they realised that they didn’t need the Triple to guarantee a good entry as they proved with stand alone shows over the last couple of years. That leaves Northern Counties and Darlington both run at Ripon Racecourse. The former in the recent past has been allocated a large marquee so with two rings there is some semblance of a Breed club show. This year Rini Van Wijk from Holland was judging the bitches at his first UK show at Northern Counties and his CC winner was Tracey Hamilton & Robert Murphy’s Bonnie Lass of Angel Peak Shawrigg – this was her third CC.
The next day at Darlington North West members featured in the top honours – first of all Paul & Christine Quinn’s Callastaff Five Years at Bowferry was awarded the BCC (under Anne Dick); the BRCC going to Karen Jones Kamaristaff Royal Velvet and the Best Puppy – Andy & Linzi’s Fergiestaffs Polar Bear.
Another NW member, well a few of them, owned the Best Veteran at this show, that’s the Hamason crew, led by Claire Cox- Robinson, seen here handling Studstaff Sugar And Spice at Hamason. I should give hubby, Spencer a mention, plus Mum & Dad, the original Hamason’s.
Over to Belfast – not many make it from mainland UK – you have to be very keen to make the trip. One person that did was Anne Preston and she didn’t regret it. First of all she won the best Bitch puppy with her home bred Kahamaia Circle of Fire followed by a first in Limit bitch and then Bitch RCC with Tillcarr Fire Inigma. Judge here was allrounder Tom Johnson.
Up to the far north of Scotland for the Club show – we know the rest of the Kamaristaffs have been knocking on the door (other than Royal Ransom) and it was here that Karen’s own bitch took the honours at this show with the BCC for Kamaristaff Royal Velvet, to add to the two RCC’s gained so far this year – judge Lukaz Kozlarek (from Poland).
This show has been very kind to Karen – it was here that the dam of this litter – Ch Chiswelstaff Black Velvet at Kamaristaff got made up in 2021.
The next show is at Builth Wells for the SWKA show, Dave Lee judging here and a third CC for the Quinn’s Callastaff Five Years at Bowferry – no photo from the show, but we do have one from the proud owners – a display of the wins.
Midland Counties was judged by Jennie Smith and she awarded the above bitch (Callstaff Five Years at Bowferry) a fourth CC, too late for the mural (no room anyway). The Best Veteran here was Gem Rowe’s dog Ilori Akinlana, chalking up his fourth such win and collected another at the East Midlands show.
At the Downlands show Wayne & Karon Jackson’s Jackabyte Nemesis took the bitch CC – this dog had a marvellous start to her show career in 2021 winning a RCC from minor puppy (and another in 2022) – the judge here was Helen Reaney.
The trip to South Wales for the club show was certainly worth it for Anna Boulton – her bitch Dusklight Del A Soul strutted her stuff to the Best Puppy award under our very own Vicki Butler, couldn’t find a photo for this show so this one is of this youngster winning the same award at the North West in January 2024.
At the last Ch show of the year – LKA (judge Steve Thomas) – Dave & Julie Cartwright’s bitch Elitebull Skyefall followed up a RCC win at the Merseyside show earlier in 2023 with a second RCC, a nice Christmas present.
North West Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club 