Posts filed under ‘Charlie Parker’
Belatarr Double Win at the HWVA Champ Show!
Belatarr Mahalia Jackson
Yesterday was a fabulous day in the bright spring sunshine for the Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla Association Championship Show where an entry of more than 100 HWV’s were presided over by breed specialist judge Doreen Smillie. Tim wasn’t showing so was able to take pics and cheer team Belatarr from the sidelines, and the team most certainly delivered in great style!
Belatarr Charlie Parker in the ring.
To cut a long story short(-ish), Charlie (Belatarr Charlie Parker) romped home winning 1st Junior Dog, along with the Best Junior Dog trophy won by his father, Mingus, 2 years earlier, whilst his brother Gryphon (Belatarr Dizzy Gillespie) was placed third in the same class, qualifying himself for Crufts 2014 in the process. Charlie also beat the winner of the next two classes (Yearling Dog and Graduate Dog) and then the Veteran, Puppy & Junior Puppy winners to be shortlisted down to the final 4 (alongside the much older winners of Open, Limit and Post-Grad) for Best Dog…A fabulous result!
Belatarr Dizzy Gillespie
Next up came Charlie & Gryphon’s sister Billie (Belatarr Mahalia Jackson) in the Junior Bitch class, and, not to be outdone, she also took 1st place, qualifying herself for Crufts 2014, winning the Best Junior Bitch Trophy, and giving the Belatarr babies the Best Junior Dog and Bitch double-whammy – cue much excitement in and out of the ring!
Billie stacked for her examination.
A very proud day for Tim, and a great testament to the hard work of Jenny, David & Irene.
Charlie with a post-win glow (maybe!?)
Gryphon in the winning line-up.
Belatarr Boys at Crufts.
Crufts 2013 turned out to be a highly enjoyable and very memorable time for the Belatarr boys.
After shuffling and nudging through the sometimes impenetrable crowds around the TV-friendly flyball rings Django & Charlie Parker made it over to the HWV ring in good time.
Both were in a highly competitive Special Junior Dog class, amongst a quality entry of youngsters, and we were utterly delighted when judge Penny Williams placed Charlie 1st and then Django 3rd, immediately qualifying both boys for Crufts 2014. A great result, and very exciting for Jenny & David who, once again, did such a great job with Charlie, and at their very first visit to Crufts too!
Belatarr Charlie Parker’s Crufts wins.
The regular no-exit-before-4PM policy at Crufts ensured plenty of time for catch-ups, chinwags and some new meetings too, and the Wires attracted considerably more visitor attention than in previous years, with Adam manfully handling a nearly constant stream of enquiries and queries at the benches. After a 3:30AM start we finally made it home at 20:30 – so a very long day, but not one we’re likely to forget anytime soon!
Boston Championship Show Win.
Charlie in the ring at the Boston Championship Show.
Another great outing for young Belatarr Charlie Parker today, taking 1st Junior Dog & then Best Dog and Reserve Best of Breed at the Boston Championship Show under Stephen Hollings – excellent work, as ever!
Belatarr Year-End Round-Up.
2012 has been quite a landmark year for us here at Belatarr – Mingus gained his first CC in May and then managed to break his toe just hours before the Welsh Kennel Club Championship, resulting in a long and worry-some convalescence which was only completed at the end of October.
Django’s handsome brother Milo came back to stay with us for 4 weeks in Nov/Dec and proved to by an absolutely delightful boy who immediately fitted in to the pack as if he’d always been here, whilst he and Django had endless daily fun and games together:
The family together – Left to right – Milo, Django, Mingus & Phoenix.
Meanwhile our young pups have gone out and made their way in the world. Thanks to the sterling efforts of David & Jenny (with Charlie Parker) and Irene (with double-funster twins Billie & Gryphon) all four of the Belatarr show-pups qualified for Crufts, and all had significant wins at both Open and Champ Show level through the year.
The Midland Counties Championship was our last big get-together where a very substantial entry of Wires was present for breed expert Rachel Thompson to judge. We had a lovely, and highly successful show, with the Belatarr clan eventually achieving 1 x 3rd place, 3 x 2nd places and 1 x 1st place. This was Mingus’ comeback show, following his broken toe (and a definitely-not-yet-ready-for-the-ring-again effort at Darlington!) and he took a highly respectable 2nd in Open Dog, beaten only by this years Crufts Best of Breed, whilst Charlie won his large (8 entries) and highly competitive Junior Dog Class. Charlie’s excellent critique was a further source of pride for all concerned:
“Pleasing well balanced yearling. Lovely head and expression with good furnishings. Clean neck into well assembled front. Lovely proportions in profile with strong rear. Topped off with a coat of good colour and texture. Covered his ground with ease.”
Charlie & Jenny in action.
This great result proved to be just the start of a roll for Charlie, however. Just a few weeks later, at the Huntingdonshire Canine Society Open, he won 1st Junior AVNSC and then took best AVNSC, beating several top adult HWV’s, including one recent HWVA Best in Show winner along the way…not content with that victory he then went on to take Gundog Group 1, a phenomenal day, especially given that 12-month-old Charlie & his handler Jenny had never even been to a dog show just a few months earlier!
The show year finished on another high as Billie (Belatarr Mahalia Jackson) took 1st Open & Best of Breed under Gavin Robertson at Yeovil & District Open on 3oth Dec. On the very same day Charlie was back in action too, this time at the two-day Luton Canine Association Premier Show, where he was 1st Junior HWV and went on to take another Best of Breed, beating a large entry including the years’ top-scoring HWV puppy (now also in Junior) as well as the Open & Post-Grad HWV winners along the way. Fabulous work!
In Mid-November Django and sister Ruby (Belatarr Nina Simone) trekked over to Hampshire in order to be hip-scored. Their results came back a few weeks later and exactly matched each of their parents – 5/5 for Django, the same as Phoenix, and 4/3 for Ruby, the same as Mingus. Django has had a pretty full-on and energetic puppyhood, which has perhaps resulted in a little additional wear & tear, but both scores are pleasingly under the breed average and represent the final test for the success of this litter.
A quick mention too of the Hungarian Wirehaired Viszla Club of Great Britain Breed Specific Seminar that Tim attended. Scheduled for the day after the Midland Counties Champ Show, and presided over by Crufts judge Lindsey Townsend, this proved to be a really excellent, well-organised and highly enjoyable day which attracted a very large attendance. The afternoon was dedicated to an exam and the writing of a highly detailed set of 5 (full-A4 page) critiques, and, a week later, Tim was delighted to learn that he had successfully passed the Seminar, nicely in time for his first confirmed HWV judging appointment.
Puppy Updates.
It seems hard to believe that the Belatarr dozen are approaching 12 months old, but next month will see them celebrate their 1st birthday. Meantime it’s been as busy as ever in the lives of the pups:
Django, with his ever more luxuriant facial furnishings.
After a slightly delayed start in the ring our own Django is finally now becoming quite the showman and has racked up a series of Champ Show 1st places from his handful of appearances so far. His (usually!) superb carriage even won him a Best Puppy and then Best in Show award and the local DHK Pedigree Charity Dog Show where he beat approx 60 other (mostly adult) show dogs to collect his first ever trophy.
Like Phoenix & Mingus before them Django & his brother Finley also successfully completed their Puppy Gurus Advanced training this month, during which time Finley developed an evident love for agility – a whole new string to the Belatarr bow!
Their brother Otis lives with his Hungarian pack over at Nansavallan Vizsla in Cornwall. Much like his father before him he has rapidly developed a superb deep red harsh wire coat and is proving to be a complete natural at gun dog training:
Otis demonstrates his new skills.
Otis at 11 months.
Meanwhile, in a well-earned break from the show-ring, brother Charlie Parker has been enjoying the sights and sounds of rural France along with his big brother Oz the Chocolate Lab:
Charlie learns a new skill.
…and another.
A happy boy.
and a well-earned snooze.
Back on this side of the channel, and following their successes in the show-ring, brother and sister act Gryphon (Belatarr Dizzy Gillespie) and Billie (Belatarr Mahalia Jackson) have also been learning new skills as they try out for both working and obedience tests:
Gryphon, who has clearly learned to read.
Gorgeous head-shot of Gryphon (courtesy of Sharon Newman)
Billie, demonstrating her retrieve from water whilst showing off her perfect top-line. (courtesy of Sharon Newman)
….and the dried-off version.
Gryphon & Billie awaiting their next adventure. (courtesy of Sharon Newman)
Bristol resident Milo (Belatarr Thelonius Monk) has also been over to France this summer, and looks to have picked up a new interest of his own:
Milo waiting to be served at the pub.
Starting with his muzzle Milo now has a super, tight wire coat developing over his whole frame.
Milo on top of the world (well, the cliff, at any rate).
Across town is Digby (Belatarr Oscar Peterson), another Bristolian Belatarr with a super red wire coat:
Digby at the beach, back in summer.
Whilst down near the south coast are two of the Belatarr girls, Ruby (Belatarr Nina Simone):
Ruby says hello.
Ruby, keeping up the family tradition.
and last, but most definitely not least, is our very special little girl Ella (Belatarr Ella Fitzgerald):
Ella, in full bloom amongst the heather.
Ella with hew new big sister Ilka.
Ilka showing Ella the ropes….or is it the other way around?
Much more Puppy action coming to the blog very soon with a report/ photo-montage from the Belatarr litter reunion day…
Mingus hits the big-time!
This last weekend saw Tim & crew set off on the 950-mile round trip to the Scottish Kennel Club Championship Show at the Royal Highland Showground on the outskirts of Edinburgh. Mingus was up against the big boys in his first Champ Show Open class, presided over by breed expert Jonathan Parry. Despite being the youngest in the class Mingus well-and-truly rose to the occasion, driving round the ring in great style, and we were absolutely thrilled when he was awarded 1st Open Dog – beating the Crufts 2012 Best of Breed, along with the only UK male Champion HWV plus the only male currently with 2 CC’s in the process.
Moments later things got even more exciting when Mingus was awarded Best Dog and won his first Challenge Certificate – given to HWV’s at only 8 shows each year, these are the ultimate accolade in showing:
The CC means that Mingus is granted a Kennel Club Stud Book Number and an entry in the revered Stud Book, which in turn means that he is also now qualified for Crufts for life and is one third of the way to becoming a champion, and all at just 2 years of age! We were delighted that his breeder Jacqui could also be at the show (en route to a working test with Mingus’ sister Love) to witness her baby all grown-up and hitting the big time in the show ring! We’re just so very proud of our beautiful boy.
Mingus back on home ground – wet and muddy in the garden.
A little later in the show Phoenix (who had most definitely never looked better – motherhood certainly becomes her!) also put in a great performance and qualified for Crufts 2013 at her first Champ Show for nearly a year, and also her first since her humongous litter of 12.
…and speaking of the Belatarr Twelve, Charlie Parker was the first of the baby boys to take to the ring, and went straight in at the deep end earlier in the month at the National Championship Show, where he thrilled Tim and also attracted a lot of other attention ring-side with his ultra-stylish and ultra-sound movement, not to mention his super-affectionate personality and beautiful head. Owners David & Jenny’s hard work and dedication certainly paid off when Charlie also qualified for Crufts at his (and their) very first show – cue excited squeals all round! Charlie took the whole thing in his stride and proved that he’s definitely made for the ring…his journey is only just beginning!
Belatarr Charlie Parker
Charlie Parker will always be a very special boy to us – he very nearly stayed on as part of our pack, and it was a considerable wrench to part with him, and a very emotional time when he left us for pastures new.
He now has a wonderful life with his new family of David, Jenny and (very importantly!) big brother Oz the Lab, who definitely takes a leading role in teaching young Charlie the ropes. This extremely handsome boy now looks uncannily like his dad, Mingus, and will also be the first of the Belatarr Babies to hit the show ring – very exciting for all concerned! Many thanks to David and Jenny for allowing us to share these fabulous pics of their boys:
Charlie & Oz hit the beach.
Aged 5 months.
The team!
Rewind back to 3 and a half months old, and Charlie meets snow for the first time.
Belatarr Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla. 