European conquest, e.i. 2 x Dortmund and Jubilee Club Show in Aarau in Switzerland...

These incredible Vegas successes I want to dedicate "von Ascona" kennel, which celebrates this year the 30th anniversary of origin, grandmother of my Vegas - brilliant Vegas von Ascona, and her father - my unforgotten Conny. Evi, it is for You!

An idea of a trip for three so important shows has born in Majka`s head, and after few months of planning I was ready. I used to go for Dortmund shows regularly some years ago with my males, now time came for girls. I`ve heard a lot about Aarau, unfortunately 10 years ago I wasn`t able to go there with Aggy ;-( From time to time every ambitious breeder should go and see such event and so many dogs, because there were registered 301 hovawarts from several european countries and they were to be judged on 10 rings by the best specialist judges, what took of course place, except one little incident, but about it later.
6th May, Thursday. We came to Dortmund, we it means: me with Vegas & Maggy and Grzesiek with Zodiak Stella Polaris - Conny`s grandson. It was raining all the time, fortunately on Friday (7th May) weather changed and we came dry to Westfallen halls. Europa VDH Winner - hovis began on 11:00 and were judged by Sepp Jais (RZV) - nice, cultural and calm judge. Poland was represented by 4 dogs, beside of our three came from Holland Romeo Estilo, called Rens, Aggy`s grandson. Let`s go! Males, veteran class - one male, modest. He looked like female (for his age) with horrible french posture, of nice black and tan colour. Excellent note, solo. Next was junior class: me with Zodiak and 3 other males. And then the show begins - none of german dogs showed his teeth without problems, and couldn`t do one normal ring without jumping and biting their owners. Schock, I haven`t seen something like that for a long time. But my and audience the biggest astonishment was when judge gave 1st place to the dog who didn`t show his teeth, didn`t let to be touched, was afraid of the judge, many times tried to run away from the ring and didn`t run any ring without jumping and biting his owner (see photos). 2nd Zodiak, 3rd next jumping hovi and etc. In Poland such dog would get immediately "cannot be judged" note what took place next day by judge Helge Ludwig. In Germany after junior class comes intermediate and champion class. Intermediate: blond male, a little bit nervous. Champions: our Rens and known german champion. After dozen rings the winner was our Rens!!! Bravo! Now he needs only one CAC to get German Champion title. Working class - one black male. Open class: 6 males, wins the best one, well built black male. Males comparison wins the dog from open class, R.CACIB for our Rens!
Females, junior class first: Vegas and 2 more, known, often winning in Germany black and tan girls. Description and running. Vegas, as always matchless in move wins the class and gets VDH European Junior Winner title. It is the first time that polish dog gets this title ;-))) After junior class came time for champions. Vegas mother - Maggy and 3 others champions. Judge liked Maggy very much but he didn`t know what to do with me - 3rd time on the ring... Running, at first sight everybody sees who is the best, especially in move. 4th place for blond girl, 3rd was black and tan from Austria, and on the ring stayed Maggy and black female with strong overbuilt croup. It was a big surprise to everyone that 1st place went to the black one. Judge looked at me like he wanted to say: sorry, but you already won and got the title... Maggy`s description as always perfect only hair in changing time. Working class 2 females, one big, sterilized, aggressive blond and second one hairless, thin black and tan ;-) The blond one wins of course. Open class: only 2 black and tan girls, both uninteresting, thinner wins. Females comparison wins the big blond female from working class, all time barking and growling on another dogs, res CACIB went to black champion with overbuilt croup. The final Best of Breed comparison: Vegas, black male from open class, blond female from working and veteran male. Vegas, as always, the best in movement. BOB for aggressive blond female from working class. Then judge came to me and said: "brilliant female, remarkable, but she is sooo young". Oh yes, she`s young - only 16 months old ; -)) On the one hand little confusion but on the other: it is good - Vegas won the title, and Maggy got two CACs for German champion.

8th of May, Saturday national show. Hovis just at 13.00, not good because we must get to Switzerland, but there were only few of them, so till 16.00 we were after judging by Helge Ludwig (RZV). Males, junior class - the same dogs as we saw on Friday, but yesterdays winner was kicked out with "cannot be judged" note after he run away from the ring, Zodiak for the 2nd time 2nd after dog who was 3rd on Friday. Yes, we know - we are from Poland :-( Intermediate and working class the same dogs as yesterday. In champions solo german male, yesterday he lost with Rens. Open class, only 3 males, friday`s winner was absent, 1st place for a dog that looked like Afghan Hound, very strange, once with tail between his legs and next on his back - I`ve never seen something like that. Comparison wins champion.
Females: junior class, solo, black and tan female - yesterday 3rd. Me with Vegas in intermediate class and with us our competitor from yesterday. Vegas showed her movement again and after one ring she was placed with Exc 1. Next champion class and just at the beginning I hear: "Oh, you again, but I hope with another dog?" ;-)). Maggy got perfect description without any reservations and 1st place before austrian female, 3rd place for german one. Working class - 2 females, both were yesterday, blond one wins again. Open: 3 black and tan females, all average, the thinner wins. Females comparison wins "blondie" but BOB goes to champion male. No comments... It was time to go.

After 20 we came to my friends house - near Stuttgart. Ania and Andrzej - thank you very much for your hospitality! 9th May, Sunday. We woke up at 4.30 and drove to Switzerland. After 3,5 hour, of course in the rain, we got to Aarau. Judging was going to begin at 9.00. Huge place, lots of friends from whole Europe and finally beautiful weather ;-) Young dogs were judged by Elisabeth Kapsch from Austria, champions by Annette Gund from Switzerland, about whom I`ve heard for the first time, but now I know why... Rings were placed for a few hundreds meters from each other, broad and long for about 20 meters - enough place for us to run ;-) The biggest classes had for 80 dogs, registered 301, rings - 10, judges also 10: 2 from RZV, 2 HZD, 4 from Switzerland, 1 from Austria and 1 form Finland (very demanding judge, the sharpest in our hovi world - excellent note from him is an honour). The show began... Junior males, 12 in class - first they were described one by one and at the end running for places. Zodiak got excellent and 4th place, because he lost to much of his fur, but the winner was for me horrible - because of his curly coat.
Junior females, 22 in class, in Bratislawa was only 10 but we handled it ;-)) Vegas was described as first. Next we looked forward to Maggy`s class matching begin on the other ring on the second end of the ground. After judge description of all females in junior class, went again to the ring only "excellent" ones and we started to run. In running we are matchless so it went good, so good that judge showed us the end, because we were to fast, and the rest didn`t keep up ;-))) And Vegas run, and run, as always stared at me with her "wonderful back line" (judge`s words from description) and she run out the first place with judge`s comment that she`s without any reservations, there is not any single thing to change in her ;-)))))) There are no perfect dogs and I have such one, hahaha ;-))))))) We got applause and order to go to the main ring for BOB comparison.
Meanwhile Maggy was on champions ring, judging by unknown for me Swiss Lady. What she did by males it was obvious that she doesn`t have eye for picking up good dogs, but what she did by females, if was just disgusting... Maggy got description for A4, everything excellent and brilliant and in the end that she`s to thin. For german judge this is the most important thing - as much thin as better, usually dog moves then also good. After all dogs` description we started to run, but one moment later we were stopped - Maggy is too good in movement and judge had to give somehow the 1st place to the female of her friend from the club table! Female with ears holded out, elbows out and with overbuilt croup! And Maggy went out from the ring with comment that she`s to thin and movement doesn`t matter!!! Of course - view minutes of running with this disaster and whistles would be too loud... We left it behind and went to main ring.
15.00 o`clock, main ring, the final comparisons has just begun. First males, judges - Kapsch from Austria and Krämer from Germany (both judged totally different classes on show), they judge together 6 males, from junior till veteran class, they are to choose Best Male. They decide themselves for black and tan, big male from intermediate class with tail wrapped in a ring on the back, nothing special for me. Next females, commission consisting of Tapio Eerola from Finland (so it`s going to be chaff ;-) and Margit Bothur from Germany, 6 females on the ring including Vegas, as always the youngest. First they felt Vegas, looked under her tail and breast. And finally we started to run - lucky us, we were first in line, so we could rage, the ring was 50x20 meters - something for us. In short time I caught up with veteran female and I glance at judges. I see their admiration and opened mouths ;-)))))))))) So they noticed how brilliant is Vegas in movement ;-) Selection started of course from throwing out the champion (judges faces when watching her elbows out - invaluable, and the best comment will be at the end), next intermediate and open, then veteran (very pretty). On ring stayed two females: my Vegas and judge E.Dietschi with her blond female from working class, so... but we run one more ring, and I hear that the Best Female of this show is the one from junior class!!! Astonishment, shock, applause! These are the moments for which is worthy to live ;-)) Judge from Finland came and said: "it was obvious, here is no other winner" ;-)) So many complements, from so many specialists - incredible. Minute later we started to run for BOB, judges Kunze and Feix from Germany. First they felt Vegas and looked under her tail and then we started to run. And we were running, and running, and running - I couldn`t caught breath, I hear "walk", and one moment later "run" - and for 20 minutes like that. Male stopped running long ago, he was just walking so I overtook him. Finally I hear "stop!". And later I didn`t hear anything more, they said something through microphone, and I was standing and waiting, they were looking at us and speaking something, so I asked what should I do, what`s going on, me? And all judges said: "of course"! And this was a story how Vegas won Best of Breed on jubilee hovawart show in Aarau in competition of 300 another hovawarts ;-))))))))
Then came to me judge from Finland and asked: "where is her beautiful mother? Why she is not on the main ring as the best champion? How anybody could give 1st place to that kind of female with such crooked elbows? The only one who is a match to the winner is her mother!" - and these words said in company of other judges were much more important than the fact Maggy didn`t win champions class. Words from such demanding judge! Next were only photos, congratulations, prices, congratulations and finally we could go home, it means to Stuttgart 250 km. On Monday we drove home, of course in the rain. But it was worthy. Unforgotten trip. So many hovawart in one place, such big success, so wonderful memories, it can happen once in live time. Thank you all for so nice words, congratulations from whole Europe, and appreciation of my breeding work. That gives me more power to further development. Thank you!!!

Dortmund Europasieger friday 07.05.2010

veteran male