Smallholder and Garden Festival
Top dogs at festival show - More than 1,000 dogs expected to compete in 228 classes at two-day event
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| Good dog. The judge assesses a canine candidate for a prize |
MORE than 1,000 dogs will be participating in the open dog show at this year's Royal Welsh Smallholder and Garden Festival at Llanelwedd, Builth Wells, in May.
The two-day event, with 228 classes, attracts exhibitors from across Wales, the border counties and West Country, and by next year it is expected to achieve premier show status thus qualifying to send its top winners on to compete at Crufts, Britain's leading show for dogs.
To reach premier show status the show must attract at least five entries in each class and the event at the Smallholder and Garden Festival has already succeeded in that endeavour, said Denys Simpson, chairman of the Welsh Kennel Club and secretary of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society's canine section.
The classes are split into seven sections and on the first day of the show on May 17, sporting dogs will be judged with breeds from the gundog, terrier and hound groups exhibited. On the following day, non-sporting dogs will be judged with breeds from the toy, working, pastoral and utility groups coming into the ring.
As is the case with many other interests fashions change in the dog world too. The most popular show dogs at present are toys, in particular Cavalier King Charles spaniels, and these are expected to be much in evidence at the festival show. In the hound section, whippets are the current favourites while Stafford and Border terriers are also very popular.
"Breeds go through phases as fashions change," said Mr Simpson, who himself bred Afghan hounds before changing to Saluki, a breed of hunting dog and, interestingly, only one of two dog breeds with webbed feet. The other is the Otter hound but the Saluki, an Arabian dog, has webbed feet not to help it to hunt in water but to cross sandy deserts.
Entries for the open dog show at the festival close on April 14.
All dogs exhibited must be registered with the Kennel Club and no dogs under six months old on the first day of the show can be exhibited.
The canine section's main judge this year is Mrs Christina Chapman and judging will start at 10am on both days.01982 554409.
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