Crufts… a dream for every real breeder. A dream that – thanks to Romanian Kennel Club and Targu Mures Kennel Club became easier to fullfill on september 1st, last year. For the firs time in Crufts history, Romania was allowed to organise a qualification championship for this exclusive competition. So, we didn’t waste too much time and we registered for Targu Mures CACIB with Figo, where we were judged by Pia Lundberg and we received the OK for Great Britain.
At the beginning of march 2008, together with two best friends and with their Deutsche Kurzhaar - Brus we went to England. In three days we crossed Hungary, Austria, Germany, France and we arrived in England where we were “greet” by a sharp, cold wind, not resembling with the spring we had at home. But we were determined to keep the optimism and the self-confidence brought from Romania.
For us, fhe fisrt days at Crufts were just for visiting and watching the others participating in show. We were very pleased to notice that all the participating nations had their flags hoisted and that the Romanian one was among them.
The Deutsche Kurzhaar were judged and although Brus was very loved by the english breeders, he did’n get a title. We were a little bit disapointed and our hopes for Figo went low, and that’s why the competing day found us not so nervous as expected. But the things had changed, when we enter a room full af wirehaired dachshunds, about 92; they were everywhere, in all the colours possible, barking loudly in their cages, or walking with their handlers in the ring. It was like nothing else was there, except for them. We hardly found our place to seat and our competing numbers and we took out Figo from his cage. We thought that nobody will notice us, but soon we were surrounded by the english breeders and assaulted by their questions: where are we from, who are the dog’s parents, what is he eatting, how are we taking care of his coat… Although they were not so generous in their appreciations and making all the time the difference between them, the british and us, the one from the continent, they told us that they like very much Figo’s long and elegant neck, his angulatinos and his wired hair, and when they saw him walking, they were very impressed by his movement.
Finally, it came our turn to enter the ring. The judge, Mr. Derek Smith was very sober and attentive, analising every dog also static and in movement. It was definitely Figo’s day: he was presenting himself beautifully, as if he knew the importance of the moment, and for our great happiness he won the First in Class title in Special Junior Class. We didn’t had time to realise what just happened because we had to enter for the second round of judging, in Post Graduate Dog Class. The judge asked us to stay in a corner of the ring, and he watched only the dogs that didn’t paricipate in show before. He asked us only to make a tour of the ring and he gave Figo the second place for that judging class. We were finally able to show our joy: we din’t know what to do first: to cry or to laugh! The emotions were overwhelming!
We went outside and we were greet by spring this time: it was nice and sunny. We phoned our friends to tell them the good news and we went to celebrate the victory.
Back home we found a lot of e-mails with congratulationes from friends, acquaintances and even from people we never met before, people that were as happy for the results as we were. We thank them once again here, and we also want to thank the Romanian Kennel Club for their support and encouragements.
Crufts is for us the most important canin show we’ve ever been to, more important that the european or the world dog shows, because it was the first romanian participation and the results were remarkable.
In the end I would like to quote a lady from England, who told me near the ring: “if you won once in Crufts, you have to come in the next years also!”… So maybe we will go again next year; we already have three dogs qualified for Crufts.
