July 2007 Update: We are not Showing at the moment. Our attention is totally focussed on Obedience Training at which Bobby (pictured below) is showing outstanding brilliance at!

Sparhawk Sapphire Knight. What a grand title! This small bundle of fun didn't know what fate had in store for him. Actually he was earmarked for showing together with his litter brother but I thought that maybe I wasn’t quite ready myself. So, I had them both checked out, was given a few tips and “the go ahead” and thought well, why not. If not now, it would have to be several more years down the “breeding line” before I was in the same position—so Sparhawk Sapphire Knight ended up in the show ring!

Our first show was the Championship Show at Grenoside Community Centre, Sheffield on Sunday 26th October 2003. We had both done the “ring craft thing” but this was something else!!

We made sure we were the last into the ring and I watched closely as the other exhibitors did their bit whilst Bobby (Sparhawk …….) just looked around, probably wanting to play with all those other black dogs he’s so used to seeing.

We were placed 2nd in the Special Triers class and even got a Rosette—what a day. I was so shattered and it was only about 10:30am. We stopped to watch the rest of the Championship and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

What I did learn from this is that it’s not as easy as it looks, especially with a breed whose coat takes a lot of grooming to show standards.

Bobby has now entered his fifth show and we are still enjoying it all, despite the long hours grooming, but we find it therapeutic—Bobby often falls asleep on the grooming table—fortunately I manage to stay awake!!!

Our aim was to get qualified for Crufts 2005, which we thought would take at least a year of showing, but we actually achieved that aim at the end of our 3rd Show, so we'll be exhibiting at Crufts in 2005.

I have now revised that aim. We have two goals. One aim is to get a 1st, 2nd or 3rd place in a Championship Open Class which gives Bobby automatic entry into Crufts for life, and the second is to try and get into the final line up at the shows to compete for Best Dog. Tall orders I know, but certainly achieveable and it gives us both something to aim for.

Everyone has been so helpful in these first few months and for those of you out there reading out webpage we send you a big THANK YOU!!