Öland national dogshow
I have registered Nola and Evi for our first show in Sweden!
Although this is our first show in Sweden, it's not the first time I've been in the show ring. In the Netherlands, I've shown my dogs twice before. I quickly realized that showing is not for Fido, it doesn't make him happy. Nola, on the other hand, really enjoys being in the ring. Despite that, it had been more than 2 years since I last stood in the show ring. That's why it felt a little like our first show, because a different country is a completely different environment, slightly different rules, different names and above all, different people.
Showtraining
While I had the luxury in the Netherlands to go to ring training 4 to 5 times a week if I wanted, that's a bit different here in Sweden. Firstly, the distances to dog schools are much greater than in the Netherlands. Now, in the Netherlands, we also had to drive 45 minutes to ring training, so I thought that was long enough too. But the closest dog school here in Sweden is the closest dog school that offers ring training, in Jönköping. This is an hour drive for us. And since it's summer, there is currently no ring training offered. If there is ring training, it's not weekly but more sporadic. Maybe once or twice a month. This is definitely something to get used to. Before we go to our show on Öland, there is no possibility to attend ring training. So, that means compulsory training at home.
"The closest ringtraining one hour away."
Outdoor show
The show on Öland is a show held on a large campsite. This means it's an outdoor show. Something I've never seen before, let alone experienced. An outdoor show requires slightly different preparations than an indoor show. For example, on a hot day you want shade and plenty of water for your dogs, and on a rainy day you want to keep yourself and your dogs dry, at least until they have to appear in the ring.
Staying on a campsite
Since it was a 4-hour drive to the dog show, we decided to head that way the day before. I had the whole week to groom the dogs nicely and on Friday I washed and dried Nola and Evi, putting the finishing touches on the grooming. When Koen was free from work, I picked him up and we drove on to Öland. There, we set up our tent on a nearby campsite at dusk. That was something I hadn't really considered, that we would arrive so late and it would be almost dark. Something to learn from for next time!
The dogshow
What immediately struck me was the pleasant atmosphere at the show! There's a special area marked off for tents, so we set up our tent and settled down near the ring. I quickly realized that I had forgotten to print out my ring numbers (a beginner's mistake 😉), but luckily the friendly lady at the secretariat was prepared for it.
Evi
Evi was one of the first cockers to compete in the puppy class, along with 3 other pups. Evi is only 6 months old, found everything exciting and still has a lot to learn. Despite that, she did really well! Ofcourse I'm very proud of Evi and we received great feedback that we can learn from.
Judge critiques:
"Female puppy of 6 months with a beautiful head and expression, sufficient muzzle, good eyes and ears. Well-formed chest for her age, acceptable angulations. Moves with good energy, a little unsteady. Beautiful, good coat."
Judge: Eva Liljekvist-Borg
Nola
Nola competed in the open class, along with 9 other cockers. Nola is in the last days of her heat cycle. She's not bleeding anymore, but hormonally I can tell she's not quite herself yet. During this period, she's always extra alert and insecure. Because of that, I felt like I had to really drag her through the ring, which meant her gait didn't show itself optimally. Despite that, the judge saw what we naturally see in her too! Nola received the assessment "Excellent" with CK (championship quality). Super! She didn't get a placement, but came 5th in her ring. What I didn't know was that Nola had to come back in the ring for the best bitch assessment. I didn't expect this, because Nola wasn't first or second out of the 10 dogs in her class. So I was completely unprepared. I hadn't pinned my number on and because of the heat, I had already taken off my belt and shoes. I appeared in the ring in slippers and with a completely incomplete outfit. Funny enough, Nola didn't get placed 😂. In hindsight, I can laugh about it and of course, I've learned from it: all dogs with CK have to come back for best bitch (or best dog).
"I didn't know we had to come back in the ring again."
Judge critiques:
"Female bitch with a beautiful head and well-filled muzzle, nice pigment, strong chest, slightly steep croup, slightly tight angulation, could have a bit more forechest, moves with sufficient stride, excellent colour and coat."
Judge: Eva Liljekvist-Borg
Fido came along too
Since we were away from home for 2 days, we naturally took Fido with us. He didn't participate in the show, but he did come to the show with us. He spent most of the time in his bench, which he considers his safe place. He did great.
Meeting new people
Because I was quite nervous, I didn't get to chat with many people at the show. Once my part of the show was over, I had time to relax and chat with a few people. We also took many pictures, which I put into an album on my Facebook. Through that, I got in touch with many other cocker owners and breeders. I like getting to know more people this way and seeing and experiencing that the atmosphere here is so welcoming. I haven't experienced that in the Netherlands at all, so that was a bit nerve-wracking, but I'm glad I didn't experience that here in Sweden (or at least at this show).
"The atmosphere among breeders and cocker owners is very pleasant and welcoming."
Exploring Öland
The show is over, the tension is gone, and the dogs can finally run around and get dirty again! Since we were done early with the show, we went back to the campsite. Because the dogs were still so nicely trimmed, we took the opportunity to take a few pictures on Öland, before going to the beach. Next to the campsite where we stayed, there was a small and quiet beach where the dogs could really let loose, swim and play. It was great to see how the dogs changed from a neatly trimmed dog to a sand monster in 5 minutes. We also went to the beach in the evening and the next day before we drove back home. What a luxury! Busy weekend, learned a lot, experienced a lot, but we have a positive feeling about it. This makes us want more! We will definitely continue showing our dogs and we'll see where it takes us.
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