Page 114 - K9 News - Issue 15 - March2021

There was no chance of Blue being sold on now
as we attended our first companion dog show.
From that moment on we would be showing
every weekend. It wasn’t too long before I
qualified for YKC handling at Crufts 2006 and at
the time this was such a huge achievement for
me. From here we were hooked.

In the early days I loved watching the breed
judging at championship shows where there
would be 20+ dogs in every class. Deciding
the types I liked, the kennels I admired and the
ones I wished I owned. We travelled the length
and breadth of the country so I could compete
in Junior handling. There were very few juniors
in Weimaraners at the time and I always felt so
supported by fellow exhibitors in the breed.

We bred a second litter where we kept ‘Pink’
Plymleigh Lady Clementine. My dream show
girl, who loved it and did everything I’d ask of
her. Unfortunately puppies were never to be as
she had an emergency spay after mating. We
used Sh Ch Sharnphilly Awesome, another I could be picked up in the early hours on the
super boy who could power round a ring. way to shows. If I wasn’t at a show I’d pop home
Although we didn’t get the puppies I so wished to spend my weekend with the dogs. Rafa was
for, I gained best friends for life in his owners. only lightly shown but often placed in good,
quality classes and did well under all rounders in
Whilst the dogs I had at the time were stakes classes.
consistently placed in their breed classes it was
really junior handling where I had success with Macey came a couple of years later when my
the Weimaraners. Together we had many wins mum and I couldn’t live in a house without a
at championship show level. I won YKC handling Weimaraner. She was a successful puppy but
classes at Crufts for 3 years running. ‘Blue’ won I took a welcome break from showing to travel
the Gundog YKC stakes in 2007 which took us after I graduated with a degree in Fashion
to the Crufts main arena just before BIS was design. I hopped from a ski season in Japan
judged. I was National Show handler of the to work in Zurich as a ‘dog nanny’ for a trio
Year 2008 and following this I was invited to of Chow Chows. During the two years I lived
represent Great Britain at the World dog show there I’d spend almost every spare moment I
in Sweden. At the same show I handled some had sketching and painting by the lake. I did
Weimaraners from a Swedish Kennel in the an artwork of a family dog which led to people
breed classes judged by Frank Kane. asking for commissions of theirs. It’s now my full
time job from my home studio in Somerset.
At 18 years old, my life literally revolved around
dogs and dog shows. My grandparents bought I am predominantly self taught when it comes
in Rivertone Grandmaster of Plymleigh ‘Rafa’. to painting. I was keen on art at school but it
He was by Sh Ch Ansona Gamemaster, so was at university where I learnt a distinct mark
another descendent of the Mouse line. I chose making style and design skills. I still use a
my university by location, just off the M5 where similar colour palette to this day - muted with

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K9 NEWS DIGITAL / MARCH 2021