Clumber Notes
Maureen was, for many years, the Breed Notes correspondent for Clumber Spaniels in 'Dog World', until it ceased publication as a weekly newspaper which saddened many people. Maureen has continued her breed notes through social media and on Dog Focus. Her notes are produced below (from 26th September 2022).Please enjoy reading these and do feel free to contact Maureen with any relevant news. |
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31st January 2023
I was reading the breed notes in Our Dogs and noticed Ian Layfield commenting on when if ever litter brother and sister had done the double whilst still in Puppy. It set me to thinking about Clumber siblings doing the double. Our Sh Ch Maursett Mathos JW and his sister Sh Ch Maursett Mycate at Kiswahili, owned by Royston Walkling did the double and gained their crowns at 1 year and 1 week under Ian at South Wales Kennel Association in 2018. Following it up with a repeat just days later at Gundog Society of Wales under Jackie Ward. In 2021, Dave and Sue Boden and Paul and Hilda Monaghan both got the CCs with Sh Ch Tweedsmuir Just Cruzin Among Suelynda and his sister Sh Sh Tweedsmuir Just a Dream under Daphne Bailey. I would imagine that somewhere along the line there were other Tweedsmuir siblings that did the double. The last double was at East of England 2022 under Eunice King, when she awarded the Dog CC to Sh Ch Maursett Mallachie at Molvonia belonging to Paul and Sue Whitehouse, thus making him up and the Bitch CC to his sister our Maursett Marnie. Prior to these, I think the last ones I can remember were Lee Cox’s Sh Ch Vanitonia U Bet I Am and Sh Ch Vanitonia Wot A Liberty. We took a ride to Border Counties Gundog last weekend and we were delighted when Maursett Masikean took Best Puppy and Best of Breed at only 10 months old, under Nicola Calvert. Claire Nixon also had a good day with Stonilea Williams Charm, who won Vulnerable Breeds Graduate and was then awarded Best Vulnerable Breed by judge Irene Glen. Nominations for the Clumber Spaniel Club AGM are closing tomorrow (1st February) so anyone wishing to submit nominations or propositions needs to get these in sharpish to meet the deadline. Meanwhile, Eunice King (Acting Secretary of the Clumber Spaniel Club) has asked me to remind everyone about the Breed Appreciation Day on Sunday 19th February 2023. There are a few places left and we do need more people in the breed to move up the judging ladder. Do get in touch with Eunice if you are interested. Do keep the news coming in.
Maureen Taylor Email: maureen@maursett.com |
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25th January 2023
It was a cold and foggy ride down to Manchester for the first set of CCs for our breed. Patsy Hollings had a good entry and only three absentees. It was a great day for Lee Cox’s Vanitonia Kennel with both CCs coming from the Puppy classes, DCC - a first for both Vanitonia Rio Sonora to Bebecova and owner Ricky Furnell, with litter sister Vanitonia Secret Episode (owned by the Crocker, Frost Cahill partnership) not only gaining the BCC (again her first), but also Best of Breed, Best Puppy and winning the Gundog Puppy Group under Jeff Horswell. Reserve CCs went to Paul and Sue Whitehouse with Sh Ch Maursett Mallachie at Molvonia in dogs, along with Paul and Hilda Monaghan’s Sh Ch Tweedsmuir She so Sheek in the bitches. Best Veteran was Sue and Lauren Wilson’s Winhampton Oops a Daisy and Best Special Beginners went to Claire Nixon with Stonielea Williams Charm. I am sure Claire doing well with a youngster bred by Gerry and Lyndsey Steele would have cheered Lyndsey up as she has been very ill in hospital for over a week now. I am sure like me you wish her a speedy recovery. We took Pearl (Maursett Madrigal) - or hooligan mark 2 as she is probably better known - to the show to give her some socialisation and she enjoyed her day out. £15 well spent and one less for Tony to have to run around after at home. Meanwhile, hooligan mark 1(Gertie – Maursett Masikean) has a new trick. It seems it is great fun to divest Tony of his socks, not just while he is sitting, but especially when he is walking! I think she is trying to kill him, as I have no idea how he does not fall over. Gertie, of course, thinks a hoot, wagging her tail and woo wooing. If these two puppies make it to their birthday it will be a miracle. Crufts has extended its closing date until tomorrow (26th January 2023). This is something I cannot recollect the Crufts Committee doing before, so if you have not yet got round to entering you need to get a move on! It will be a low news time between now and Crufts so any big wins at Open Shows will be welcome news to fill in some space. We are now looking forward to some Open shows with Pearl making her debut in March, plus two weekends away with football related events, one being the League Cup Final at Wembley where we will be in with the great and good in the posh seats. Right off to do some gardening seeing as it is fine and not too cold. I need to get some leaves moved so the Snowdrops can be seen in all their glory. Do keep the news coming in.
Maureen Taylor Email: maureen@maursett.com |
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10th January 2023
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18th December 2022
Apologies for the delay in the results from LKA, the past week has been a nightmare. Tony had a suspected DVT so Monday we were at Urgent Care in Stockton, followed by the specialist DVT Clinic at Hartlepool Hospital. Tuesday, saw us back again at Hartlepool - no DVT but another infection was noted so he was put back on strong antibiotics. Fast Forward to Saturday and Tony was feeling rough and tested positive for Covid. Unlike Tony, I am still testing negative, but will no doubt go down with it at some stage, so it looks like Christmas at Maursett is cancelled. Meanwhile I had a second head scan with dye to see if they can find a brain and am due another urgent appointment on Tuesday, so fingers crossed I stay negative until after that. We were late starting at LKA, so the bench party started early. Loads of food and drinks, so a big thank you to all who contributed. Peter Sheppard was awarding CCs for the first time in Clumbers and found his DCC (his all important 3rd) and BOB in Lee Cox’s Vanitonia Soloist, handled by Adam Gardner; I must admit, Bruin did try it on a little, but a patient Adam convinced him to be good. Paul and Sue Whitehouse collected the Res CC with Sh Ch Maursett Mallachie at Molvonia, while his litter sister - our Maursett Marnie - gained her 2nd CC to go with her string of Res CCs. At her first show, Vanitonia Secret Episode belonging to the Crocker, Frost and Cahill partnership picked up a Res CC out of junior. Best Puppy went to another attending his very first show, by way of Maursett Mordecai at Rocabec (Elvis to his friends) belonging to Julie and Peter Cummings. Julie shows and judges Bedlington Terriers, so a bit of a change for her. Best Veteran was Sue and Lauren Wilson’s Winhampton Oops a Daisy. Clumber registrations for the first three quarters of this year are down, but we have more registrations than the other minority spaniels, with only Cockers, English Springers way ahead and Welsh Springers just slightly ahead of us. Finally may I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and successful New Year. Do keep the news coming in.
Maureen Taylor Email: maureen@maursett.com |
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5th December 2022
The latest edition of the Kennel Gazette is out and the number of show societies that have de registered is awful. It seems many of the younger generation are not prepared to take on these shows and many - like me - are too old now, having done our stint in years gone by. I was a club secretary and treasurer for two different societies for nearly 20 years. The Lancashire Heeler Association have come up with a great idea. They have successfully applied to the Kennel Club to have one of their Open Shows purely for vulnerable native breeds. The proposed date is Sunday 18th June at Stoneleigh. Hopefully the Clumber Club will back this and it will hopefully give a nice entry for someone in the breed to judge. Mentoring could also take place at the show. We spent an afternoon at the vets last weekend as Marnie had a fight with some barbed wire whilst out on a walk and lost, 6 stitches later she is recovering, but my bank account isn’t! The Kennel Club have just announced that as of 1st January 2023, for a two year trial period, general and group championship shows can apply to be exempt from benching. Crufts will remain fully benched. I know that many societies were worried at the cost of benching and how to keep costs down. There has been a debate for years now with many wanting benching and many, including myself, who if at all possible, do not use it. My dogs are caged either next to me ringside, so I can enjoy watching the judging or - if absolutely necessary - on their bench in a cage. How often are benches too far away from the ring? As a minority breed, I fear we do tend to get pushed to one side. Congratulations to Paul and Sue Whitehouse who went Reserve Best in Show at Coventry Gundog with Sh Ch Maursett Malachie at Molvonia (Garfield to his friends). Terry Pearson (Lanspar) was the judge for Clumbers and Jane Howarth was the Best in Show judge; she must have been impressed with Garfield as she also gave him the CC and Best of Breed at Gundog Society of Wales in October. Linda Thorogood also had a good day at Crystal Palace Canine Association where Anbrook Don’t Stop Me Now at Harrifield (Stoker) was BOB and Best AV Vulnerable Breeds under Gavin Robertson and Gundog Group 2 under Paul Carpenter. I must give a little mention to Ruth Antieul who is a new Clumber exhibitor and went Res BOB and BPIB at the same show with Maursett Marceline. It is good to see that we are attracting exhibitors from other breeds into ours - Ruth also shows a Vallhund. Do keep the news coming in.
Maureen Taylor Email: maureen@maursett.com |
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5th October 2022
Sunday saw the Clumber Spaniel Club hold it’s Championship show at North Muskham with Karin Brostam Berglund from Sweden judging. It was a fine day with plenty of sunshine with a cool wind so we were able to enjoy having the judging outside. There was a fairly high absentee rate with 23 dogs and 28 bitches present; it was nice to see a good number of dogs that do not usually grace the Championship show rings entered. I know Peter and Jackie Sheppard were taken ill with Covid hence their tribe was missing. I do hope that Jackie feels better soon as I understand that Covid has been worse for her than for Peter. Talking of Peter, he has asked me to remind folk that he still has a few calendars left. The dog CC and Best in Show went to the winner of Limit - Maja Bubalo’s Hrothgar’s Hop Skip’n’Jump, with Dave and Sue Boden’s Sh Ch Tweedsmuir Just Cruzin Among Suelynda, handled as usual by Hilda, getting the Reserve CC from Open. In the bitches, it was again Sue and Dave collecting the bitch CC, Reserve Best in Show and Best Opposite sex, from Novice with Suelynda Kreme Della Kreme. This is her first CC and she also won in the Special classes, gaining a first in the Special Post Graduate Dog or Bitch class. Best Puppy in Show was Ricky Furnell’s Vanitonia Rio Sonara of Bebecova (who also won the Special puppy class under judge Mr Ken Bartlett). The Special classes were well supported and Junior Dog or Bitch was won by Maursett Melwyn, handled by Lucy Wareham for her mum Rachel. Open was won by Marjorie Charlesworth Ironside’s Tavirosh Sugar Plum Fairy who is now being handled by James Taylor. There is, of course, no overall award for the special classes. A nice gesture from Paul and Susanne Whitehouse who donated a piece of crystal for both the Best in Show and Best Puppy in show, something the winners will no doubt treasure. The kitchen seemed to be doing a roaring trade and everyone seemed pleased with the food. I can vouch for the Red Velvet cake which was yummy! All in all, the show was a hit with all and it was especially pleasing to see the children encouraged by having junior handling and with everyone getting a rosette. It did seem that we have reverted back to the shows of old, where all were encouraged and the atmosphere was really good. Well done to the new committee who certainly seemed to work hard to make the show such a success. Eunice King, Secretary of the Clumber Spaniel Club, has asked if anyone picked up her coat by mistake as it is missing - it is navy blue with a red motive on it. Talking of Eunice, her granddaughter Kirsha was stewarding at the show and she did an absolutely sterling job in the ring. I am at present shovelling food in one end of the puppies and cleaning it up coming out of the other end. It is hard work trying to clean up before they stand in it and tread it all over - the joys of breeding! I must give a thumbs up to the Kennel Club. We recently opted to join the Assured Breeders Scheme after much deliberation. Tony applied for the puppy registrations on Thursday afternoon online; these were approved and showing on our account by 6pm the same day. Not only that, but the printed registration pack also containing the documentation landed on our doormat yesterday morning - just five days after we hit the ‘send’ button online. The Kennel Club certainly gets and deserves our praise for this. Do keep the news coming in. |
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26th September 2022
We are now heading towards the shortest day with the Autumn equinox having been and gone - so days are now shorter than nights Where has the year gone? Oh and him indoors is already playing Christmas songs! Darlington saw Carol Page judging and unfortunately there was a number of absentees. The dog CC, his second at consecutive shows, and Best Puppy was Lee Cox’s Vanitonia Soloist who had a fabulous day going on to win the Gundog Puppy Group, then Reserve Best Puppy in Show under Patsy Hollings. In the bitches, it was another CC and Best of Breed for Paul and Hilda Monaghan with Sh Ch Tweedsmuir She’s so Sheek and a Reserve CC for Maursett Mimi, who is owned by Ryan Ennis Holden and was handled by our daughter Hannah. This was Mimi’s first show so you can imagine how overjoyed Ryan was and how proud we were. The entry for Gundog Breeds Association of Scotland is 10 - no CCs here, so not a bad entry for Colm Beattie. The entry for the CSC Championship show is 67 dogs making 77 entries which is a fabulous entry for Karin Brostam Bergland. The Specials have 23 dogs entries for Ken Bartlett. I am told that there is still time to book your lunch of pies and peas and that raffle prizes will be gratefully received. We have a hectic run of shows coming up with four shows in under two weeks. It seemed a good idea at the time, but now I am not so sure!
Do keep the news coming in. |
