On their way to the Durban shows on 1 July, Christelle Streak and son, Chandon, were tragically killed in a horrific vehicle accident, and twin son, Keagan, spent some time in hospital with severe head injuries. In the accident, one dog was killed and another badly injured, while two escaped into the surrounding farmlands. Within hours, the dog community mobilised to assist in the search and rescue and, four days later, the dogs were both found and returned to Wayne. Tragedy in various forms has hit our dog community before, and it will continue to do so in the future. Other tragedies are no less painful than the one that played out in July - there were role-players and helpers in those instances that need to be remembered and acknowledged for their selflessness, too. But the message attached to this particular tragedy is clear - if we stand together, we can achieve miracles.

The Durban July weekend was a bittersweet show weekend, with exhibitors reeling from the tragic accident that took the life of Christelle and Chandon Streak.

Durban & Districts KC - 3 July:
~ Best in Show: Judge Mrs Fran Browning-Christina: DOBERMANN - CH CHALDONNE CHEKPOINTCHARLI (LUCAS / RENCKEN)
~ Best Puppy in Show: Judge Mrs Fran Browning-Christina: GREAT DANE - FAIRMOORS CALL ME FAGIN (BECKMANN)

Pietermaritzburg KC - 4 July:
~ Best in Show: Judge Mr Les Morison: DOBERMANN - CH CHALDONNE CHEKPOINTCHARLI (LUCAS / RENCKEN)
~ Best Puppy in Show: Judge Mr Les Morison: SIBERIAN HUSKY - FOXFIRE SNAP DRAGON (BATTEY)

July saw the second championship show of the newly-formed Junior KC:

Junior KC - 10 July:
~ Best in Show: Judge Mr Jack Peden: AFGHAN HOUND - KUSA NAT DOG '08 CH. AGHA DJARI'S QUESTION OF ACCOLADES (WESSELS)
~ Best Puppy in Show: Judge Mr Jack Peden: GREAT DANE - FAIRMOORS CALL ME FAGIN (BECKMANN)

The Namibian committees presented two outstanding shows with their legendary warm-hearted hospitality.

Hochland Dog Club - 24 July
~ Best in Show: Judge Mrs Pat de Coning: LHASA APSO - CH JALUS HIGH FLYER (PEDEN / AUCAMP)
~ Best Puppy in Show: Judge Mrs Pat de Coning: SHIH TZU - XERALANE'S CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE AT DUNSTARS (AUCAMP)

Windhoek Dog Club - 24 July
~ Best in Show: Judge Mr Dave Hull: LHASA APSO - CH JALUS HIGH FLYER (PEDEN / AUCAMP)
~ Best Puppy in Show: Judge Mr Dave Hull: SHIH TZU - XERALANE'S CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE AT DUNSTARS (AUCAMP)

Straddling the end of the month, Durban held another round of shows on the warmer coast.

Zululand KC - 31 July :
~ Best in Show: Judge Mr Stephen Meredith (NZ): POMERANIAN - CH XANTAH ACE THE MATCH (FOURIE)
~ Best Puppy in Show: Judge Mr Stephen Meredith (NZ): SIBERIAN HUSKY - FOXFIRE SNAP DRAGON (BATTEY)

Northern Natal KC - 1 August:
~ Best in Show: Judge Mrs Denise Edmondson: DOBERMANN - CH CHALDONNE CHEKPOINTCHARLI (LUCAS / RENCKEN)
~ Best Puppy in Show: Judge Mrs Denise Edmondson: GREAT DANE - FAIRMOORS CALL ME FAGIN (BECKMANN)

Postponed from their regular slot in June, the popular Oudtshoorn shows took place in August to avoid the Soccer World Cup rush.

George KC - 7 August :
~ Best in Show: Judge Mr Mike Landsberg: SETTER (ENGLISH) - CH REIDWOOD AFRICAN DAWN (WONFOR)
~ Best Puppy in Show: Judge Mr Mike Landsberg: BORZOI - LIRNIK STEPOWY GONIEC (FEHRSEN)

Outeniqua KC - 8 August:
~ Best in Show: Judge Mrs Doreen Powell: SETTER (ENGLISH) - CH REIDWOOD AFRICAN DAWN (WONFOR)
~ Best Puppy in Show: Judge Mrs Doreen Powell: GREAT DANE - FAIRMOORS CALL ME FAGIN (BECKMANN)

On 14 August, the Animaltalk Top 32 SA Bred event - an invitational competition for the top 32 SA Bred dogs in the Animaltalk Top 100 - took place at Goldfields Showgrounds. The three judges were Gerard Robinson, Maurice Baker and Rick Baker from Australia. The prize to Sue MacDonald's Norfolk Terrier, CH. MACSNEST ROYAL JAMES OF MOSSGIEL was a whopping R12,000 (R8,000 for  the winning dog and R4,000 to the Breeder).

Up north, it was time for the Goldfields festival, with both Best in Show and Dog of the Year going to Mackie for the second consecutive year

Goldfields KC - 21 August:
~ Best in Show: Judge Ms Jacki Jackson: POMERANIAN - CH XANTAH ACE THE MATCH (FOURIE)
~ Best Puppy in Show: Judge Ms Jacki Jackson:POODLE (TOY) - STORM IN AFRICA OF ZEPPO'S WEIM AT NYANJA (ALBERTS)

Goldfields KC hosts the annual Dog of the Year Competition for dogs and bitches with the most number of Best of Breed awards gained during the previous year. A duo of judges selected the following winners:

The following week saw the start of the Bloemfontein Cluster Show.

Northern Free State KC - 27 August:
~ Best in Show: Judge Mrs Liz Megginson: DACHSHUND (STANDARD SMOOTH HAIR) - WAYDACK WHOLE TEN YARDS (JENKINS)
~ Best Puppy in Show:Judge Mrs Liz Megginson: POMERANIAN - XANTAH SUPER TROUPE (FOURIE)

Bloemfontein KC - 28 August:
~ Best in Show: Judge Dr Heidi Rolfes: DACHSHUND (STANDARD SMOOTH HAIR) - WAYDACK WHOLE TEN YARDS (JENKINS)
~ Best Puppy in Show: Judge Dr Heidi Rolfes: RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK - DYKUMOS DEIVES EDITON TO AFRIKA OF GONDWANA (JACOBS)

Kimberley KC - 29 August:
~ Best in Show: Judge Mr Frank van der Spuy: POODLE (STANDARD) - CH LAUVANDER LAS VEGAS OF LEBECKS (BEKKER)
~ Best Puppy in Show: Judge Mr Frank van der Spuy: BULLDOG - MERVANDER I'M THE DUKE (VAN DER MERWE)

Following hard on the heels of the Bloemfontein Cluster, the Grahamstown and Queenstown KCs presented a fine weekend's shows.

Queenstown & Dist KC - 4 September:
~ Best in Show - Judge Jackie Browning: ITALIAN GREYHOUND - CANTE LIBRE BLACK ADDER OF RAVILAIS (ALLISON)
~ Best Puppy in Show - Judge Mervyn Heroldt: SIBERIAN HUSKY - DENALIBELAY BUTTONS 'N BOWS (MELLVILL)

Grahamstown & Dist KC - 5 September:
~ Best in Show - Judge Gerald Bidder: ITALIAN GREYHOUND - CANTE LIBRE BLACK ADDER OF RAVILAIS (ALLISON)
~ Best Puppy in Show - Judge Jackie Browning: SHIH TZU - XERALANE'S CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE AT DUNSTARS (AUCAMP)

Back on the eastern shores, the Port Shepstone shows got under way:

Hibiscus KC- 25 September:
~ Best in Show: Judge Mrs J Wang: AFGHAN HOUND - KUSA NAT DOG '08 CH AGHA DJARI'S QUESTION OF HONOUR OF ACCOLADES (WESSELS)
~ Best Puppy in Show: Judge Mrs J Wang: SIBERIAN HUSKY - WOLVEREEN LUNAR ECLIPSE (KERN)

Margate KC - 26 September:
~ Best in Show: Judge Mr G. Thompson: LHASA APSO - CH JALUS HIGH FLYER (PEDEN / AUCAMP)
~ Best Puppy in Show: Judge Mr G. Thompson: BULL TERRIER - ANIRO AND RIONS SIGMA (VAN DER LINDE)

Traditionally-busy October began with the Sasolburg shows:

Sasolburg KC- 2 October :
~ Best in Show: Judge Mr P Green: LHASA APSO - CH JALUS HIGH FLYER (PEDEN / AUCAMP)
~ Best Puppy in Show: Judge Mr M Baker: GREAT DANE - FAIRMOOR CALL ME FAGIN (BECKMANN)

For many looking forward to a Cape holiday, almost the rest of the month was spent at the Cape shows:

Breede Rivier Vallei KC - 16 October:
~ Best in Show - Judge Ronnie Tolson (Ire): LHASA APSO - CH JALUS HIGH FLYER (PEDEN / AUCAMP)
~ Best Puppy in Show - Judge Beth Warman (NZ): RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK - DYKUMOS DEIVES EDITON TO AFRIKA OF GONDWANA (JACOBS)


Cape Town KC - 17 October:
~ Best in Show - Judge Mrs Marion Watson (Aus): RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK - CH. USAKOSE AIR OF SUCCESS AT GONDWANA (JACOBS)
~ Best Puppy in Show - Judge Dr Agus Wardhana (Indonesia): BORZOI - LIRNIK STEPOWY GONIEC (FEHRSEN)

The second weekend in the Cape closed the championship show season for 2010:

Western Province KC - 23 October:
~ Best in Show - Judge Mrs M Dekaristou (Greece): WHIPPET - CH VON NIKCLI SUMMER LOVIN - (FEHRSEN)
~ Best Puppy in Show - Judge Mrs M Watson (Aus): GREAT DANE - FAIRMOOR CALL ME FAGIN (BECKMANN)

Hottentots Holland KC - 24 October:
~ Best in Show - Judge Mr R Fehler (Can): RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK - CH. USAKOSE AIR OF SUCCESS AT GONDWANA (JACOBS)
~ Best Puppy in Show - Judge Mrs Maria Dekaristou (Greece): GREAT DANE - FAIRMOOR CALL ME FAGIN (BECKMANN)

During November, the SHOWDOGS Team, Joy & Elrena, spent an exhausting, but exciting month in Australia, sightseeing and judging in Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra and Melbourne. We had the honour of going over some magnificent dogs in the Gundog, Herding, Hound, Toy, and Utility goups, but a highlight was certainly the Afghan Hound Specialty of ACT. As can be expected, we found excellent depth of quality in some breeds, while in others, South Africa can hold its own with pride. We were green with envy at the magnificent showgrounds and facilities in Australia, and most impressed with the practice of showing under floodlights at night to avoid the summer heat.

The American Kennel Club (AKC), the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) and Eukanuba teamed together to stage the 4th Eukanuba World Challenge in Long Beach California, USA. The dog selected by KUSA for this event was the KUSA National Dog, KUSA NAT DOG '10 CH. JESRAE TAKE A CHANCE (Mia), a Whippet owned by Di Hansen and handled by Mandy Mitchell. Prior to the competition, Mia had the opportunity to compete in a few local shows in the US, where she won Winners Bitch and an Award of Merit. Hearty congratulations to Di, Mandy and Mia!

Winner at the Eukanuba / FCI World Challenge 2010 was Argentina's Dobermann, CH ALEX DE AKIDA SAN (Dinardo / Laruccia)

OBITUARIES

~ The dog fraternity reeled with the news of a tragic head-on car accident just outside Harrismith during the morning of 1 July. Christelle Streak and one of her sons, Chandon, were fatally wounded. The twin brother, Keagan, spent time in hospital recovering from serious head injuries.

~ Shane de Beer, family of Jenni, Alan, and Lols Gray, lost his wife, Monica, and two children, Rogan and Milla in a devastating house fire, apparently caused by an exploding gas bottle.

~ Darren Stanley, son of Anne and Eric, and brother of Heidi, was brutally murdered in their business premises in Port Elizabeth on Saturday night, 17 July. Eric and Anne were also attacked during the assault, but made a full recovery.

~ Mike Jennings passed away on Wednesday 1 September following a heart attack on 23 August.

~ Dr. John Drennan (husband of Liz) passed away on 4 October at Westville Hospital after a long battle with cancer.

~ Helen Stead, a long-standing member of the Belgian Shepherd community, passed away on 2 October. She was only 61.

~ Barbara Oswin passed away on 4 December. She was well known in Rough Collie circles and served for many years on the TKC KC committee.

~ Gwenyth Hughes (Sascot Bulldogs, New Zealand) who was well known to many doggy personalities in South Africa, passed away peacefully on 6 September at the age of 85.

~ Kitty Pieterse (Suca French Bulldogs, Chairman of the Klun French Bulldog Club, and Judge) lost a long and bravely-fought battle with cancer on 28 December.

~ Graham Roper - a hard-working Life member of Durban & Dist KC, passed away on 28 December after a long and hard battle with cancer.

The dog community lost way too many well-loved people again this year. They were all important in their particular ways and they all played a vital role in the nurturing of our sport and interest. Their passion for dogs made them special people and their expertise will be missed by many. SHOWDOGS expresses warmest condolences to the friends and family of all these wonderful people with the wish that the good memories will soon replace the pain of losing a loved one. We shall remember them.....

IMPORTS / EXPORTS