April 25th, 2012 Calhoun O'Cockaigne registered in English Stud Book

Last week I was sent a certificate from The Kennel Club in England with an accompanying letter that they have included Calhoun in their Studbook! This following his result achieved at Crufts. I think it is the first Dutch Deerhound in Dutch to achieve this. Calhoun's brother, Cscarf, of course, is also in the English possession.

  I'm getting more proud of my little guy. Now but hope that a good breeder finds it interesting to use him, I would love to have a puppy of him.  

12 April 2012 Hoope

Cheytah O'Cockaigne wins Best Of Breed too hopeful.

Traditionally, since 1998, we go with the Easter days to Hopee (Germany). The combination of show and coursing, we find the pinnacle of the hounds. It is always very cosy there and the weather can be different from blizzards and-20 to your T-shirt in the sun. Unfortunately we had decided because of the bad coursinggedrag of our Calhoun not to travel to hope this year. Of course I soon regretted it. Sonja also had Cheytah and Silva opted out of the coursing but would go to the show. This took place on Good Friday, April 6. There were 25 Deerhounds, 6 males and 19 bitches, signed up for the German Judge Gunther von Lehn. Fortunately, this judge adopted a little more stringent than going on and 11 hounds got an excellent, the rest very good which is actually far too high for some. More about this soon. Cheytah was reported in the use dog class and won this. Moments later she became best bitch and then Best of breed. In The final inspection, she was selected until the last five. Sonja was in any case not for nothing travelled to hope!  

27 March 2012 Babenhausen

 Babenhausen 25 March 2012

On Friday 23 March we leave for Babenhausen (Germany). It is the first coursing of this year and even a DWZRV-sieger coursing. We are very curious what Calhoun is going to do after the long winter break; Will he start again full of enthusiasm or let him know again? The weather is beautiful, plenty of sun with a temperature of around 20 degrees. Unfortunately I am bullied by a flu and can not really enjoy the beautiful surroundings with its many walking possibilities. Grandma Amy is of course also of the party and enjoys again plenty of the outing. She explains several kilometers a day and loves to greet and smell everyone and everything. As expected, Caintha is already peeping from the first morning and how often we tell the hair that she is not allowed to walk, she continues to do it. Especially Sunday morning, when the Deerhounds are on the turn, it is difficult. On Sundays, the Deerhounds are running. There are 18 reported and 16 of which 2 males: Cunamara's Miles by Eva Petzold and Calhoun. They run in the third course. Calhoun shows itself as usually very enthusiastic but if I let him loose at the start he runs the first 50 meter very doubtful. Then he gives gas and runs great, Miles has to check. Then runs Cheytah with Delightfuldelusion. This bitch is not very friendly at the reception so we decide that I start Cheytah and that Sonja is already at the shelter. Cheytah runs a fantastic course. By cutting off Delightfuldelusion It is first at the shelter and shoots them past the hare. Gerd sure runs behind her, no more looking at what Cheytah does. Which comes with full momentum stormed, can not in time brake and rams Gerd in his knee cavities. Gerd can just keep standing! As one last, Silva starts, she runs a neat course.

After the first circulation, Cheytah is on a shared fourth, Calhoun on a fifth and Silva in ninth place. If Calhoun starts again in the afternoon, at least it makes sense to continue for the DWZRV-Sieger title, if he doesn't start, we don't have to drive to Hopee where the DWZRV-Sieger show takes place.

Before the second turn starts before the Deerhounds, Sonja will let her girls do a pee. Unfortunately, it turns out that Cheytah is slightly crippled, because of the enormous hard ground she has yet again suffered from her toe. Fortunately he is not thick so with a few weeks of rest it will go again but it is of course sin, the title she can forget. Silva sits in the first course but keeps it seen and remains. Cheytah would run in the second course so soon I get Caintha from the caravan, she can join as a begeleidhound. I guess I can't do them any bigger fun though…. If I let the slip line shoot she keeps standing! Apparently I have said too often that she is not allowed to walk but this makes it a lot easier for me in the future.

Calhoun sits in the fifth course so I still have just the time to get him hot to walk/jump. More than enthusiastic, he drags me to the start, but when I leave it, he also keeps standing. He jumps a bit back and forth, looks at me and when the hare comes back he puts a sprint. He is very fanatical when he takes care of the hare but once Ghualainn arrives he will take a neat distance! As it should!!

When we receive the certificates, Calhoun shows that it has not received a "rejection for the day" but a minimum number of points for its constantly shown interest.

      This was again a very disappointing coursing and I think we should really try to get Calhoun back on the run otherwise I can buy geraniums to sit behind.  

  14 March 2012 Crufts

Extremely successful CRUFTS for O'Cockaigne!!!

  On Friday 9 March, Sonja Hansen and I, together with Calhoun and Cheytah, leave O'Cockaigne towards Birmingham. We Stay with Betina Adams in her mobile home like previous times. Betina is the owner of Cscarf, the brother of Calhoun and Cheytah. The Saturday we spend the preparation of the hounds for Crufts, taking pictures, a good walk and relaxing.              

  Sunday morning from the springs, hounds take care and fast towards Birmingham. Before the Deerhounds turn, Finnish spires are approved in the same ring. This gives us a good time to talk to them and to prepare ourselves well. Cscarf and Calhoun are both reported in the Open Dog with an entry of 11. It is a strong class with several English champions in it. Beforehand we had decided that Sonja would bring Cscarf, her leg length fits better at the speed that Cscarf develops and so both Betina and I enjoyed Cscarf while he showed his fantastic gait.

Soon we see that the Judge Mrs. E.A. MacDonald is gescharmeerd of Cscarf and Calhoun but that doesn't say anything. After having walked again, she goes into placement and picks up as number one CSCARF!

I can jump a hole in the air but my joy knows no boundaries when she then designates my Calhoun as second!

Two Dutch Deerhounds, two O'Cockaigne siblings, placed as the first two, who would have thought!

But we are not there yet, Cscarf must of course come back for best male, of which 50 are reported and present! After many laps, Mrs. MacDonald can't get around it, she makes Cscarf best male and with this he wins the CC!!

This is his second, a third for his English championship, will not be that difficult anymore.

Cheytah has also been reported in the Open Class. Here are 9 bitches including 7 English champion! A very strong classroom. Cheytah shows me well and I see that Mrs. MacDonald regularly looks at her. Hopefully we'll be posted!

And yes, we are allowed to go to third place! What am I happy with!!

Best Bitch is Ch. Drawing Down The Moon to Cusidh by Claire and Elise Cartmell. This bitch was BOB last year!

The election of BOB is therefore also very exciting and above our expectation our Cscarf as the best of the breed is finally pointed out!

To the extent we know, to date, there has never been a continental Deerhound best Deerhound at Crufts and that makes it extra special!

Betina shows Cscarf in the honour ring. From this huge Hound Group he is selected in the last 10 but then the fairytale keeps on.

As on a cloud we drive back to Pershore where the Champagne for "You never Know" was already sneaky cold but such a huge success we really ever expected!!!

A huge thank you for the Judge Mrs. E.A. MacDonald for her sincere approval and Marc Gale for the beautiful pictures.

After such a long and emotional day it is according to Calhoun well resting on a real bed!

 5 January 2012 Granny Amy

          Hurray!!!

Today, January 5, 2012, Grandma Amy, Edle Emmy vom Welzerberg, has become twelve and a half years! She is still in very good health and mentally there is also nothing wrong with her. She knows exactly what she wants and as it has always gone with her; Her will is law. As soon as Simon wakes up, Amy also stands up to take his place in bed. She loves that and it always takes me at least 10 minutes to get her back from bed. The slice of cheese, which she gets at our breakfast in the morning, you don't have to forget! And I'm late with making their supper, Amy lets see it though! She has periods that she is a bit less active but the last few days she runs a whole round of more than two kilometers in the morning and also in the evening we walk a little bit. If she is on the leash and she doesn't feel like it, she stays as a donkey and does not resist a leg anymore. To move her you have to push her! She runs loose and she makes no sense then she just turns around and walks back. But if she makes sense, she determines the route and can sometimes happen that you are on the road for half an hour or that your hair is suddenly lost because she has disappeared through a hole in a hedge or an open fence. She is just as curious as when she was two!                              We hope to be able to enjoy her for a long time!