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From an entry of over 1,300 dogs from all over Ireland and Great Britain it was an eighteen month old Leonberger, Ch Sulandi Electric Storm, who won the coveted Best in Show crown at the Irish Kennel Club’s Celtic Winners International Ch Show, yesterday, March 16th, which was held at their own National Show Centre at Cloghran, just beside Dublin International airport. ‘Storm’, bred and owned by Lauren Whan and her mum, Diane, was handled to his success by Lauren, who has also handled him to both his Junior Ch title and his Junior International crown; he was Best Puppy in Show at the Agria International in Denmark, an award he also won at home at the Fermoy International, so he will be competing on Easter Monday at the CCC Pup of the Year finals. Not content with all that but on a trip across the Irish sea, he also collected a Reserve CC…He was sent in from a strong group 2 by respected judge, Hans Van Den Berg, from The Netherlands who also judged the breed.
Photos: Visions
Report: Joyce Crawford-Manton
The last four or five years have been a bit of a mixture for the Irish Kennel Club but everyone was delighted to be back home for St Patrick’s weekend.  Today’s BIS judge, Colette Muldoon, had judged this show back in 2019, giving top honours to a Pekingese, and after a two year break for Covid, 2022 saw Angela Handcock judging BIS, her winner being the Irish Setter, the venue, Navan Racecourse as Cloghran was still occupied by the HSE, and they were still there in June 2023 when our postponed St Patrick’s March weekend was held in outdoors in our NSC grounds, with Lynda Cuthbert Matthews giving her BIS rosette to the English Setter. Today, at just 16.58.p.m. Colette Muldoon handed the rosette to the Leonberger, Storm, to a loud and appreciative cheer from the ringside; coincidentally there was an even bigger roar just across the city when Ireland, at 16.58.p.m., thirteen minutes into their final Six Nations rugby match, scored their first try at the Aviva Stadium in their Championship match, not quite storming to success against Scotland, but they got there.
Mary O’Donoghue, Vice President of the Irish Kennel Club together with Jim Tracey and Bryan O’Flynn, representing IKC Sponsors GAIN Pet Nutrition, are also featured in the photographs.
For her second spot Colette called in the Miniature Long Haired Dachshund, Martin McDonnell’s Ch & GB Zarcrest See In Red, Annual Ch in ’22, bred by Zara Boyle and originally handled in Ireland for her by Mark, who, with many runner-up group placings, finally took the group with her at Cloghran last November, and now belongs to Mark. Breed and Group judge here was Kalvo Kriisk, from Estonia.
Third Best in Show went to Rebecca Ellrich’s English based Irish Setter, Gwendariff Absolutely Marwe’llus, handled by breeder, Diane Stewart Ritchie, and send in by Group 7 judge, Tony Moran. This was a nice follow on from his three group wins last year on his trips to Ireland where he topped Group 7 at Kilkenny, Newtownards and Cloghran.
It was Per Kristian Andersen from Norway who chose for his Group 9 winner the eventual BIS 4th placed French Bulldog, Josh Henderson and Olivia Timms’ Ch Chelmbull Stary Seas for Olijah, bred by Abbie and Dean Cund and Alex and Linda Harrop, (who bred Ch Chelmbull Rocketman, Crufts Utility Group winner); Josh and Olivia have had good success with their Olijah Frenchies in Ireland, but this was a first group spot for ‘Flika’ although other Olijahs have featured in groups over the last few years.
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