Dates to remember in March 2024
March 1st is St David’s Day. St David is the only patron saint to be born in Britain and he died on this day in 589 AD. Welsh people will display their national pride by wearing daffodils or leeks and dressing in national costume.
Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus!
9th to 12th March at the NEC in Birmingham will see the annual dog show, Cruft’s. It is an opportunity to see well-bred pedigree dogs trotting their stuff and also to witness the extraordinary lengths their breeders and owners go to in presenting their charges at their best.
On grooming tables, hapless pooches will be strung up tightly so that they can be ‘trimmed’. Some will have curlers in their fur, later to be brushed out and completed with a pretty bow. Others will have chalk applied to the white parts of their coats, though Kennel Club rules demand that no chalk is left in the coat when the judge ‘goes over’ the dog. Chalk is also used when people are stripping their dogs’ coats, to give a better grip.
All the exhibits are required to have short, neat claws, so there will be a great degree of nail clipping going on.
Apart from the beauty pageant, there are many other things to see. At ‘Discover Dogs’ 200 breeds of pedigree dogs can be seen and petted. Friendly and knowledgeable owners are very happy to talk about their chosen breed and advise on their suitability for specific circumstances.
The Kennel Club Dog Hero Award competition is an opportunity to honour and applaud the very special relationships that arise. Some dogs show exceptional bravery, others are support dogs, sensitive to the indications of approaching epileptic seizures, or diabetic problems among other things. Some are assistance dogs that help owners with disabilities, like deafness or autism. Then there are the Search and Rescue dogs, the police and military dogs.
Agility and flyball competitions are a great favourite with the crowds. Many of the dogs participating are small breeds, and inclined to be fairly vocal. The ones that win the hearts of the audience are the mischievous dogs that don’t quite do what they should and make everyone laugh.
‘Heelwork to Music’ is a chance to see what dogs are capable of, given the chance.
Police and Gundog displays are always impressive and ‘Scruffts’ is an arena for the beautiful, intelligent, non-pedigree dogs to shine.
The last day of the show is where every human competitor longs to be, in the finals. The dogs don’t care one way or the other. I hope the winner this year represents a healthy breed that hasn’t been adapted to man’s opinion of what is beautiful and ruined in the process.
My Velcro dog, Frodo the Faller, qualified for Crufts in 2002. You can read about him here and velcro here.
I often feel sorry for the dogs that go through this grooming treatment of curlers and bows etc. I'm sure they would prefer to strut their stuff just being themselves.
ReplyDeleteI think most of them would just like to be allowed simply to be dogs!
DeleteDaffodils and leeks! I think I prefer the way Irish celebrate St Patrick's Day.
ReplyDeleteI was going to make a comment about dog showing but I'll turn it into my own post.
Wear the daffodils and cook the leeks - perfection;-)
DeleteGail says I would truly be a crowd pleaser should I enter the Crufts agility competition....
ReplyDeleteToodle-oo!
Nobby.
You did cross my mind, Nobby;-)
Delete. . . and my brother's birthday on the 18th! Hee hee. xx
ReplyDeleteMarch is a good month for birthdays!
DeleteMy nephew was born this month. Wonder why my sister named him David? 🤔
ReplyDeleteNo Davids here but several March birthdays.
DeleteWe have an abundance of daffodils, no leeks. I do like to watch some of Crufts, I'm more interested in Spring being in the air, along with all the rain.
ReplyDeleteIt will soon be warm enough for your seeds! :-)
DeleteI've always thought dogs were God's greatest creation. I love cats too, but there is something truly special about dogs.
ReplyDeleteYou're right. Cats are beautiful and elegant and our masters, but dogs are magnificent, an absolute blessing.
DeleteHave never watched any Crufts on TV but didn't know about Scruffts - now that WOULD appeal (that and seeing Nobby do agility displays).🤔🤣
ReplyDeleteScruffts really celebrates dogs of every stripe.
DeleteNobby would win hands down in agility, just for sheer entertainment.
I enjoyed revisiting the posts about your dear Frodo. He was a special dog, wasn't he? The epilepsy episodes were sad events, I'm sure, but how reassuring that he knew he had a trusted place to shelter.
ReplyDeleteHe was very special and he taught us such a lot.
DeleteDydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus! I love Wales, so this is one I always observe! Although nobody here knows about St. David's Day, I'm always wearing a daffodil brooch to honour the day :-)
ReplyDeleteNot sure about dog shows, I always feel sorry for the participating dogs, but perhaps some of them do no mind ... xxx
It's nice to think of you sporting a daffodil. I wonder if anyone notices and wonders about it.
DeleteSome owners say their dogs enjoy dog shows - I suppose they get caught up in the atmosphere and the excitement.
I've never been to Crufts even though it is held not to far from us. I'm sure it is a pretty incredible show to witness and take part in. I hope it all goes well.
ReplyDeleteAs with any large dog show, there is an overwhelming smell of dog!
DeleteWe have quite a few family birthday dates in March to remember and celebrate!
ReplyDeleteI've never been to Crufts, they usually televise it I think?
Have a good month.
All the best Jan
Yes, Cruft's is televised. I may watch some of the agility and other displays.
DeleteWe have a number of March birthdays, too.
March is indeed a busy month. I will add that the first day of spring is on March 19!
ReplyDeleteMarch can be very contrary. So far, we've had lots of rain and it's only the second day of the month.
Delete