Page 70 - K9 News - Issue 14 - December 2020

Res C.C’s were awarded to Cutts, Galvin and Douglas, the first dog to attempt Section C was
Barratt’s Ch Wellfont Trampus of Micquelon (Int.
Dk. Eng Ch. Ursulas Admiral Ascot x Woodales
Louise of Wellfont) and Phyllis Colgan’s Ch
Karazan Jimmima Beam (Ch Samson von
Soven of Swanpool x Karazan Gold Breeze).
Best Veteran in Show was Hill’s Seawraith
Master Murphy , while Best Puppy in Show was
Maxine Munday’s Stormsail Tokachi of Kubear .
Whilst progress was made on the Show side,
the Working side was not neglected with the
Committee fully supporting this aspect with
the aim of maintaining the true spirit of the
Newfoundland and to avoid the danger of
producing a dog which would not be fit to work.
In the early days we had a lot of practical help
in the loan of a boat and other equipment from
long established Breeders like the late Mr. Frank
Cassidy of the Littlecreek Kennels.
On 9th April 1989 at a Meeting convened by Mr.
Brian Kitson the Northern Newfoundland Club
Working Group was formally established and a
standing sub-committee appointed. Hard work
resulted in rapid progress in developing first the
Water Test Regulations and then those for Draft
Work.
Part of this hardwork involved a visit to Torcy,
near Paris, France where members of the NNC
looked at the training methods of the Terre-
Neuve Sportif (TNS). That visit combined with
their own experience and permission to translate
and use the TNS training manual formed the
basis from which the tests have since grown.
This visit also led to the development of a Water
Training Manual . Today the three Breed Clubs
work closely using the same water and draught
regulations based on the original .
The first water tests under the auspices of the
NNC took place on 22nd April 1990 at Tatton
Park, near Knutsford - Sections A & B only. First
dog to enter and pass both A & B was Lisada
Midnight Blue (Bella) - Judges Ken Rhodes and
Paul Tedder.
On 8th September 1990 at Loch Ken, Castle
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K9 NEWS DIGITAL / DECEMBER 2020
Lizada Midnight Blue (Bella). Judges Gareth
Williams and Ken Rhodes. (A problem occurred
during the first exercise which affected the dog
for the remainder of the test).
The first dogs to pass Section C were Kirimour
Dusky Rose (Polly Verity) and Gentletouch A
Touch Of Class (Classy) on 20th July 1991 at
Keilder Forest. Judges Gareth Williams and
David Pound.
The first dog to pass Section D was, Gentletouch
Just In Time (Barnie) on 23rd May 1993 at
Wellington Country Park, near Reading. Judges
Gareth Williams and John Coulding. First
dog to pass Section E was Gentletouch Just In
Time (Barnie) on 14th May 1994 at Wellington
Country Park, near Reading. Judges Ken
Rhodes and Ben Mayhew.
The first Chairman of this Group was Mr. Roger
Chesher who was also able to assist with the
loan of specialist equipment. The other early
Members being Mr. Terry Dunn, Mr. Hedley
Foster, Mr. Brian Kitson, Mr. Ken Rhodes, Mr.
Paul Tedder, Mr. Gareth Williams and Mrs.
Christine Wilson. The success of the working
group was such that The Newfoundland Club
followed our lead and set up their own Working
Group.
The result of this early work by the founding
members and their successors is now a full
calendar each year which the Committee hope
will be of interest either in whole or in part to the
club membership and Newfie owners throughout
the U.K.
Apart from the Members specifically mentioned
above, the Club has received great support from
people such as, the late Mrs. Claudia Handley
(Fairwater) who was one of the last direct links
with the well known Newfoundlands and their
breeders of the 1920’s and 1930’s. It is the
aim of the club to carry forward the Breed and
our Club in the 21st. Century with the same
hard work as those Owners and Breeders did
from the Nineteenth to the Twentieth Century,