Page 55 - K9 News - Issue 14 - December 2020
P. 55
T AKING
TAKING
THE LEAD
THE LEAD
Photo: Samantha Webster By Andrea Keepence-Keyte
Due to the lack of news, and not wanting to rake And so, the search began for an alternative
over topics which are being discussed to death venue and platform for the finals. For at least
elsewhere. I thought it was high time to look two events (and I am happy to be corrected
back over the years of the adult handling finals. on this as my memory fails me) the finals were
Coventry Ladies Kennel Society (CLKS) has held at the Sports Connexion (knows as the
long championed handling but in particular adult sky-blue training ground for those of us old
classes. Recognising that there was no “premier enough to remember!) and one final in particular
event” for the adults, so was born the Coventry was poignant. In 2014 CLKS was struck by
Ladies Adult Handling Finals. The finals event tragedy when Keith MacGregor sadly passed
itself had pretty humble beginnings, originally away. Keith was a massive supporter of both
being held at Bagington village hall, a tiny village adult handling and CLKS and I know he would
just outside of Coventry. In its early days the have been enormously proud of how far adult
competition itself was small, adult handling handling has come through the hard work of
took a while to grow into the competitive arena CLKS. Keith became a member of the CLKS
it is today. Adult handling has become fiercely committee in 2002 and took up the role of
competitive, giving adults who joined our chairman the following year. He was immensely
fancy too late to have a go at junior handling proud of holding this office and could be seen on
something to try for but also a platform for our show day as both chairman and show manager.
juniors to continue on to. He will be remembered by the adult handling
crew as the tea man on finals day working
The adult handling finals required handlers to tirelessly in the kitchen providing bacon rolls and
qualify at open shows (mainly) by being placed tea. It was in this role that I first encountered
1st – 3rd in classes where the society scheduled Keith when I attended the first ever handling
them. This was relatively easy in the early days finals held at Bagington near Coventry, I am very
where there might only be one or two handlers lucky to have been able to call him my friend
present in the adult classes. However, the and work with him on the CLKS committee. So
popularity of adult handling started to grow in in 2014 the finals were held as a memorial to
popularity, and is now hotly contended. Keith before it was due to be moved on and
held in conjunction with City of Birmingham
I am always really pleased to see the standard Championship show, the following year in 2015,
of handling across the board when I have where it has been held ever since.
judged in recent years. It is really tough, the
quality of handling is so good now that it is In the run up to the finals Anne Defaye
very difficult to place handlers, you are truly announces the judge by releasing clues on the
splitting hairs as a judge. Over the years, the Adult handling page on Facebook for a bit of fun
attendance to the finals grew and grew, and and giving people a chance to guess who it will
sadly (for sentimental reasons) it was obviously be.
out growing the picturesque little village hall in
Bagington. The format changed slightly to previous years
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K9 NEWS DIGITAL / DECEMBER 2020
