Breed Notes for September 2004

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A rather windy and at times chilly day at Darlington. Dog CC and BOB went to Jenny Scovell's Caswell Classic Tri and being his third CC gives him his title subject to KC confirmation. He is by Caswell Copper Charmer out of Ch Caswell Coppatina. Bitch CC went to Jo Davidson-Poston's Ch Spinillons A Touch Of Hope, by Ibstock Bright Spark for Spinillons ShCm out of Anncolm Love In A  Mist With Spinillons. Reserves went to  Liz and Alan Bartram's Burghbridge UR Classic Gold in dogs, by Burghbridge Fly For Gold out of Ch Daneview Dainty Bella Bella and in bitches to Joan Savage's  Abbeyton Beautiful Dreamer, by Northlyte Silver Dream out of Abbeyton Spring Blossom. Best Puppy was Elizabeth Cochrane's Tutyak Teddyboy, by Tutyak Midnight Magic out of Tutyak Pandora.  

Quite a bit of success for papillons at Darlington. Irene and Glenn Robb's Gleniren Scarlet Signature continued her run of success by winning a super Puppy Stakes bitch class in some notable company. In the Pedigree Post Graduate Stakes Helen Verity's Macstrak Minuet JW ShCm was placed second and Jo Davidson-Poston's Ir Ch Ibstock Bright Spark for Spinillons won the AVD/B Pro Dogs Open Stakes.

 I was sorry to hear from Jo Davidson Poston that Kay Mense had passed away, she had been in a residential home since suffering a stroke in March. Kay had spent her life looking after her parents both of whom sadly passed away just two years ago and it is sad to think that she only had two short years after that.  With her sister, Francis Daly, Kay owned and showed several Springers and more recently had enjoyed showing her papillons. The funeral will take place at Hither Green Lane Crematorium, Lewisham at noon on Tuesday the 28th September, flowers through the undertakers Francis Chappel , 4 Lee Road, Lewisham, SE13. Our condolences go to her sister.

 At the Carlow & DCC Championship Show in Ireland GSD & BOB went to Marion Sloan's Austrene I'm Electric, this win gives him his Irish Title subject to confirmation, GSB went to Mrs Kilpatrick's Sonsirae Polgara The Sorceress, RGSD to Killeen-King/Greiffe/Switzer's Pilipalas Greig and RGSB to Diane Mooney's Conysluck Sun Shadow.

 Helen Verity writes about a scare they had recently with Sunshoo Jeremy Fisher. Whilst out on a walk with Helen's mother his collar broke right in the middle of crossing a busy street. fortunately he stayed still and was picked up and carried to safety. On investigating the collar, which were of the type made of material with black plastic 'clunk click' fasteners, the thin arms on the plastic clips had worn away (although they had only been bought about 12 months before). Checking a similar lead everything looked fine only to find that one too broke on the next walk. Needless to say Helen won't be using these again but thought it worth mentioning so that anyone who uses these types of leads check them very carefully. Having had a number of things with such sort of fasteners (never dog leads I am pleased to say)  I know how easily these do break and not I would think the best type of fastener for a dog collar.

 Mark and I were delighted to receive a telephone call from Queenie Bruce who is currently enjoying a break in Cyprus. She had been to a Toydog Championship Show there(although Queenie says some of the breeds in the Group would surprise us) and that our Nouveau Island Icon had taken the CC and BOB and was in the final selection for BIS. Island Icon is now owned by Anthos of the King Pygmalion papillons, who many will recall attended our Club Championship Show earlier this year. and in fact had only been with Anthos for just three weeks. It was his first show as he had not been shown over here only attending a couple of Ringcraft classes. Ant, as Island Icon strangely was called, was due to go out to Anthos earlier in the year but a problem with the micro chipping delayed this, he had to have three attempts at being micro chipped, the first two disappearing somewhere, and as a result of this also had to have two rabies injections. Needless to say Anthos was delighted even though Ant took the breed over Anthos' own champion who at the previous show had taken BIS.

Beryl Lambert is currently in Leicester General Hospital having had major surgery. Ken tells me that she is recuperating well and it is hoped she will be home within about 10 days or so. The hospital have requested that anyone wishing to send flowers wait until Beryl is back home rather than send them to the hospital so anyone wishing to do so might care to check with Ken as to whether Beryl is home. We all hope she will soon be back on her feet and I know she is hoping to be able to attend the Northern and Eastern Counties Championship Show in November.

 At the recent Hands On Assessment held in Bury St Edmunds which was organised by Doug Colyer, there was a good turn out for the Assessor, Steven Bardwell. One young lady who did outstandingly well was Vicki Loader who gained a pass mark of 100%. At just 15 years old Vicki must be one of the youngest to take the course and perhaps even the youngest to ever achieve such an outstanding result.. Vicki has been handling papillons for only a couple of years already with some success. Many congratulations to her

Anne Summerfield judged at Darlington Ch Show and she gave DCC & BOB to Jenny Scovell's Caswell Classic Tri which, being his third CC now adds his name to the list of Caswell Champions Congratulations Jenny!   RDCC went to the Bartram's Burghbridge UR Classic Gold .  BCC was Jo Davidson-Poston's Ch Spinillons A Touch of Hope and RBCC went to Joan Savage's Abbeyton Beautiful Dreamer.  Best Puppy was Elizabeth Cochrane's Tutyak Teddyboy. and Best Veteran went to Wilson's Invergarick Conquistador 

Papillons also did well in the Stakes where Irene and Glenn Robb won the Purina Pro Plan /Dog World Puppy Stakes of the day with Gleniren Scarlet Signature,  AVDB Pro Dogs Stakes was won by Jo Davidson-Poston's Ir Ch Ibstock Bright Spark for Spinillons Sh CM and 2nd in the Pedigree PG Stakes was the Verity's Macstrak Minuet JW ShCM.  Well Done all round!!

From Eilish come the results of Carlow &DCC where Marian Sloan made up Maxine Moth's grandson her Austrene I'm Electric to his Irish title by winning BOB& GSD at only 25months old.  RGSD was Killeen-King/Grieffe/Switzer's Pilipalas Grieg  GSB was Kilpatrick's Sonsira Polgara The Sorceress and RGSB Mooney's Conysluck Sun Shadow.

Jo Davidson-Poston has let me know that Kay Mense who had been in a a residential home since having strokes in March has died She had been showing two Papillons bred by her sister Frances Daly.and had been looking forward to attending Crufts with them . Sadly it was not to be

Carolyne Allward-Chebsey asks that if anyone has had to pay the Post Office for The postage and Collection of their copy of the Newsletter to contact her and also to keep the card which came through your letter box as proof,  It was the responsibility of the Post Office to frank the envelopes and they obviously did not do the job for which the Club pays a healthy surcharge and Carolyne wants to get repayment for those who suffered.  She is at a loss how to help Overseas Members who may have suffered the same fate and hopes they will contact her so if you know of anyone get them to get in touch with her and at least she will send another copy.  Needless to say she will not use this service again and is back to licking hundreds of stamps!!

All of us will have been saddened to have heard of the passing of Norma Staff. Although Norma had been unwell for some time we had all had hopes that she would recover, somehow it did not seem possible that the time would come when the world of papillons would not have Norma along with it. For the vast majority of us in the breed Norma had simply been there all the time. 

Norma's contribution to the breed, indeed to the world of dogs, will be recorded elsewhere far more eruditely than I can put it. All I can say is that wherever there are papillons throughout the world the name of Ringlands will be known, such was the influence and reputation of her dogs. Some 108 champion papillons throughout the world, including 13 International Champions carry the Ringlands name.  Norma also had considerable success in Pomeranians with 17 champions carrying the Ringlands name, of which four were UK Champions including Ann Winters well known Ch Ringlands Gaiety Girl at Rosskear who won 21 CC's. 

It is however Norma the person we will miss, we are at least comforted by the thought that the name of Ringlands will continue to flourish under the capable guidance of Pat, as it has done over the last few years. It may be a cliché but it is nonetheless true to say we will not see Norma's like again. Over the years we have lost many of our characters and perhaps Norma was the last and maybe the biggest of them all. Her knowledge and experience in the breed goes without saying, and it is a tribute to her that she was so willing to share that knowledge and experience whether you were a newcomer or an old timer. Norma was, as we all know, great company, a wonderful sense of humour, totally approachable whether exhibiting or judging, you could always rely on a frank and honest answer to your questions, you may not have liked the answer but you knew it was an honest one. 

Mark and I, like so many, will remember her with great fondness. Our first show dog was bought from Norma back in the early 1970's, a black and white dog called Ringlands Oridan. With Oridan we learnt much about showing and achieved the dizzy heights of winning our first Reserve CC with him at Paignton under the late all rounder Mrs Hermione Warner Hill. The first Club Championship Show we attended we saw Norma take BIS with the exquisite black and white bitch Ch Ringlands Fairy Doll. So many breeders, so many kennels have cause to be grateful to Norma, many here and overseas based their success upon her breeding and have continued to do up until the present day. Indicative of the great respect, admiration and indeed love with which she was held throughout the world of papillons is the numerous messages of sympathy from throughout the world which have been posted on the Internet. 

A great supporter of the Papillon (Butterfly Dog) Club, Norma served terms as Secretary and as Show Manager and was made a Vice President in 1968. In 2002 she was elected President of the Club and I know she was greatly pleased by this honour, as were the Club when she accepted. Although very poorly Norma attended the Club's 80th Anniversary Show in 2003 and despite it being a long day for her I know how delighted she was to see so many of her friends there and simply just to be at a Club Show again. 

To daughter Pat and her husband Sandy and to son Richard goes our deepest condolences and we hope it gives them a little comfort to know we too share their loss. To Pat in particular because over the last year or so during Norma's illness Pat has worked many many hours to ensure that the dogs were campaigned as Norma would have wished despite the many other calls upon her time. Despite this very heavy workload Pat's one concern has been to ensure that the Ringlands tradition has been carried on and I think everyone will agree that Norma would have been, and I am sure was, extremely proud of all Pat achieved during this time. We will all miss you Norma but I am sure wherever there is a show with Papillons being shown you will be there looking down and smiling. 

The Funeral will take place on Monday 11 October at 12.15 pm at All Saints Church, Upper Clatford, Nr Andover, Hants. and will be followed by a Private Cremation at Salisbury Crematorium.  Those wishing to send flowers should send these to the Funeral Directors Dunning Funeral Service at 4 Church Close, Andover, Hants SP10 2DP Tel 01264 334436. Alternatively Donations can be sent to the same address made payable to Naomi House, which is a local Children's Hospice.  

I am pleased to report that Beryl Lambert is now back home after major surgery, in fact Beryl was able to return home on her birthday something she had hoped to do. I am sure her many friends would like to drop ehr card and am equally sure it will give her a great boost to hear from themm. Her address is 23 Hathersage Avenue, North Hykehaqm, Nr Lincoln LN6 8LJ. After such major surgery Berly will need to recuperate for quite a while but I know she is hoping to be well enough to attend the Northern and Eastern Papillon Club Championship Show in November and we all hope to see her there. 

Dominating this weeks notes is the sad news that Norma Staff passed away last Thursday after about two years of ill health during which she has been cared for by her devoted daughter Pat.  It will take years to fully evaluate the contribution that Norma and her Ringlands Kennel has made to the Papillon both in this country and many overseas ones.  That contribution has not just been in the many many champions both here and abroad bearing the Ringlands Affix but in the generous help and advice given by Norma to so many people  which has resulted in better Papillons being produced.  So many Kennels are founded on Ringlands Stock that it is hard to find a Pedigree that does not contain at least one. 

Her lovely Champions are too many to name but I must mention my own particular favourites Ch R Red Ribbons and Ch R Haute Ecole, the epitome of R/Ws.  To talk to Norma was always rewarding and she had a wonderful sense of humour apart from an encyclopaedic knowledge of the breed.  She had also made up many Pomeranian Chs and bred one of Jo Braddon's Ch Cocker Spaniels. The tributes flooding into the Internet say it all.  She is impossible to replace and will be greatly missed all over the World.  To Pat , Sandy and Alex we send all our condolences 

Her Funeral will take place on Monday 11th October at 12.15 pm at All Saints Church, Upper Clatford, Nr Andover Hants and will be followed by a private Cremation at Salisbury Crematorium.  Those wishing to send flowersshould send these to the Funeral directors Dunning Funeral Service at 4 Church Close Andover Hants SP10 2DP tel: 01264 334436 Alternatively donations can be sent to the same address made payable to Naomi House which is a local Children's Hospice.  I cannot leave the subject of Norma without paying tribute to the ammount of good she did by helping her local Hospital and various other Charities Yet another field in which she will be missed.   

Mrs Vam Brempt who I think was from Belgium judged at Belfast Ch Show and made her BOB and BCC Mrs Mac Gregor's Pyatshaw Silver Tassie with RBCC the Skelton's Adnamashan As Cute As A  DCC went Jeanette Mackay's Jaylanjay Amastunner and RDCC was MacGregor's Pyarshaw White Heat Best Puppy was Dreamer's Begaville New Edition At Bankshill. 

I cannot give you all thre resuls of the Scottish Papillon Club Ch Show bu I think I am right in saying that Jeanette's Amastunner won BIS and DCC his second in the weekend and that Jo Davidson-Poston's Spinnillons A Touch Of Heather took the BCC and is now a champion.  I hope to have a fuller report next week 

Mrs Lynne Connell of Larvik Papillons in Australia is very ill and I am sure would welcome a card to cheer her up Lynne kindly donated the sashes for the CC winners at the 8oth Anniversary Ch Show The address is: Mrs Lynne Connell. 34 Nelson Terrace, Alice Springs, NT 0870 Australia 

The N&E Cos Papillon Club are running two 'Hands On' Assessments on the following dates : Saturday 23rd October at Finningley Village Hall and Sunday 7th November at Barlby Nr Selby while their Ch Show is taking place at the same venue  Christine Chapman will be the Trainer.  Bookings in advance to Secy John Edson please and costs are Members of the Club £10 Non Members £12. 

I end on another sad note I understand that the sweet little R/W Ch Anncolm Valentino has died at the early age of 9.  He is sadly missed by Anne and Malcolm