Page 139 - K9 News - Issue 15 - March2021

When Ben was about 7 months old (he was
rather a delinquent and very spoiled) we
contacted Stephen and Patsy Hollings again,
they invited us to visit them with Ben, when
they saw him they thought he was very nice
and suggested to us to have a go at showing
him. We had not got a clue about what to do, so
Patsy took hold of Ben and tried to stand him,
poor Ben did not know what had hit him and
he went and hid behind the curtains. Stephen
told us about a local open show and gave us a
schedule and said to enter him, he helped us
fill it in, and away we went, we had 5 weeks to
practice! Well it was not that easy believe me we
were such novices and Ben was a very strong
stubborn young dog with very much a mind of
his own.

The first show did not go very well and neither
did many other shows, my husband Michael
showed Ben, as I mentioned earlier he was a
very strong willed dog, Ben hated every minute
of it, he would roach his back or sit down
when the judge was going over him, but we Sh Ch Mianja Mercedes for Pipwell
persevered and we were very popular with other
exhibitors because we never won. When Ben field and often we would get invited on different
was just over 2 years old we went to Driffield shoots, one day my ex-husband was on one of
Championship show and Ben won a Post the shoots, it was very satisfying to display to
Graduate class, well everybody cheered and him how a (not a proper gundog) could actually
congratulated us, stroking and patting Ben and work! Hot Brandy also won BOB at Crufts.
suddenly he became a changed dog and started Another bitch we bred Sh Ch Mianja Mercedes
to enjoy the shows. for Pipwell who belonged to our friends Jo
Hesford and Liz Emmerton also won the CC at
Ben went on to become Sh Ch Kentoo Crufts.
Benjamin and also to win 26 CC’s. In 1985
Ben won Best of Breed at Crufts, this was when Our dogs have been used in advertising, TV
Crufts was held at Earls Court in London, he and film commercials. One dog Sh Ch Gunalt
was shortlisted to the last 4 (this was before Pyjama Party (Norman) was used for the
there were 4 group placings) who would have Crufts TV Advert where the Best in Show Cup
thought it, our pet dog, reprobate and now was super imposed onto his eye. That was an
showcasing in the big ring at Crufts! We were absolutely fantastic experience Patsy and I were
now well and truly hooked. put up in the Park Lane Hilton Hotel, a chauffeur
driven car was sent every day to the Hotel to
Over the years we have owned a further 12 pick up Norman for his day filming and he was
Show Champions, we have also worked them, an absolute star.
one dog in particular Sh Ch Hot Brandy (who
we bred ourselves, won his stud book number One memory that particularly sticks out in my
when he was very young and before we could mind was the time a few years back when
put our affix on his name) was very good in the Stephen and Patsy were asked to film a TV

139
K9 NEWS DIGITAL / MARCH 2021