Friday 20 May 2011

Bristol ‘Best in Show’!




The Fun Dog Show in Bristol was exactly that. Fun. Dash was the VIP guest (in her fancy coat and matching collar) and we opened the event by breaking the good news that I’m now patron of the Bristol Dog Action Welfare Group, or Bristol DAWG for short (http://southwestdawg.wordpress.com/). This is a fantastic organization, dedicated to rescuing and rehoming abandoned greyhounds and lurchers. It was founded in 2009 by Elkie Lonnkvist and has consistently rehomed an average of six dogs per month. The dog show was a fundraiser but also an awareness-raiser of the continued plight of these lovely creatures. I’m pleased to say we met lots of happy, healthy hounds and their devoted owners. Judging proceeded swiftly through the categories of ‘Best Puppy’, ‘Best Pedigree’, ‘Most Handsome Dog’, etc. until it was our turn to select the ‘Best Greyhound or Lurcher’. How to choose from fifteen impressive specimens? Although I’ve met plenty of greyhounds (and lurchers) in the three and a half years that I’ve owned Dash, I still consider myself a greyhound enthusiast rather than an expert. After looking up and down the line of dogs, I made the hounds do a lap of the ring. If it’s good enough for Crufts, I thought. In the end, the selection was made and the rosette awarded (the greyhound at the far right of the group picture). It was only afterwards that one or two of the organizers remarked on the similarity of the winner, at least in colour and markings, to Dash herself! Ah, well, it just goes to prove there’s only one ‘Best in show’ in my life – the ‘Bitch of the Year’ herself.

No comments:

Post a Comment