22nd March

Yesterday I headed off to the South Western ESS Open show with just Isla as Eula is in season. Not such a good day today, with Isla in 3rd place in Open Bitch. My friend Dave however, had a much better day with Kye, Peasblossom Chance, as he was awarded Best in Show - well done to him. Our judge was Ernie Locket.

8th March

Happy first birthday to the Woodland litter - where has that year gone??
Eula, Willow, Izzie, Sunday, Lola, Tess, Ash, Harvey and Toby.

What a lovely birthday present we got yesterday at the show.

7th March

Every now and then you have a fantastic day in this hobby of dog showing, and today was ours. We went to the Midland ESS Society Open show today, with Isla, Eula, and our friend Jane, with Harvey and Eula's brother Ash. What a day we had, Ash winning Puppy dog and ending up Best Puppy in Show, Havey winning Open Dog and Best in Show, Eula won Puppy bitch and was second in a very strong Junior class, and our star of the day, Isla winning Open Bitch and then going on to reserve Best in Show - phew!!! The judge was Alan Curry (Ladore)

Eula's Critique

Litter sister to my puppy dog winner, with all the same attributes, who I am sure will have a bright future.

Isla's Critique

Lovely bitch, balanced shape, nicely proportioned head, dark eye, good bite, well bodied, shown in first class condition, moved out with drive RBIS and the mother to the two wining puppies, well done.

1st March

An exhausting weekend has just passed. Saturday was the Southern English Springer Championship show. What a long day, as a committee member of this society, and this year was in charge of catering, it all started on Friday. Preparation of food, and baking a cake - which, those that know me will know, this does not come easy!! Up and out really early on Saturday morning as we had to be at the venue to set up by 7.30, I had decided to leave Eula at home, as it was going to be such a long day and she would just be getting bored, I am so glad that I did, as we didn't get home until 8.45!!! However, it was an enjoyable day for us and a good day for our small kennel. Eula's litter mates, Woodspa Ash, and Woodspa Willow were both entered in the Puppy classes, and to our delight, both were placed 2nd, and so are Crufts qualifed for 2011. This was Willow's first ever Championship show and as Sylvia was not too condifent I took Willow in the ring, and I am so pleased with her result. Well done to both the Woodspa babes, hopefully at some point this year, Eula will join them amoungs the ranks of the qualifieds - how lovely that would be to have 3 from my first litter at Crufts next year.....only time will tell. Sylvia took some photo's, so hopefully we may have some of Willow comming soon..in the meantime, here is Ash pictured at the show.

13th February

We went off to Slough today for the Thames Valley Canine Society Show taking both Isla and Eula. Not a huge entry, but we are pleased to say that Isla was Best of Breed and Eula Best Puppy, then to our delight, Isla went Group two and Eula Puppy Group three. What a lovely day, mum and daughter doing the double! Today's judge was Amanda Ellis (Eastonite) and she did the breed and the group judging – she also did Best in Show, but we didn't get that far..! However, like most of my show days it wasn't without incident. You may recall, if you read these news pages regularly, that I started a diet at the beginning of the year, well I am pleased to say that I am doing quite well, with nearly a stone off. That's good you may think, and yes it is, but not when your trousers start to fall down when you are moving your dog – could have been embarrassing, had to keep hitching them up!!!! The next problem I had was when swapping the girls over between groups, trying to put Isla back into the soft cage and get Eula out – in the resulting fiasco I managed to catch my finger in the zip and entered the puppy group with my finger pouring with blood. Not good as Eula was only interested in liking my finger and not paying attention. Fortunately the steward found me a plaster, so it all ended well.

Eula's Critique: L/W of 11 months good head proportions, sloping shoulder, deep chest, well sprung ribs, good topline, easy free movement.

Isla's Critique: L/W, good skull proportions, flat cheets & open nostrils, strong neck into good sloping shoulders, straight front, well boned but in no way course, deep chest, good spring of rib, moved well with driving hocks.

4th February

We have just heard from Terrylle that Toby passed is Good Citizen Obedience Test last night - really well done from us. xx

3rd February

Sorry for the lack on news, but there has not been much going on latley. We are pleased to say that Ash, won puppy group 3 at City of Cambridge show at the weekend. Isla was 3rd in open. Our daughter Stacie showed her Beagle puppy Lexie for the first time and managed a 2nd in puppy and Best AV Hound puppy. See photo opposite.

13th January

We have no show news as the show we were supposed to go to on Sunday 10th Jan was postponed due to the weather conditions here. We've had a little thaw, but it's snowing again at the moment - hope it doesn't come to much. The weather conditions make life so difficult because our country park is closed in icy conditions so we have to go to what I call the small park, not ideal, but better than nothing. The dogs, however love this weather, Eula in particular will play in it for ages, on her own, just running around in the garden.

My New Years resoultion was to lose some weight in preparation for our little holiday in Ireland in August, so I have duly joined the ranks of Weight Watchers - again, and hopefully I will manage to get some weight off. One week into my new diet and things are still on track - so fingers crossed!

6th January

More snow greeted us this morning, thankfully though, not as much as we had before, and not as much as some other areas that are really suffering from the weather today.

On Sunday 3rd Jan, we went to Maidstone for Ashford and Faversham Open Show, where Eula was BP, but today she didn't feature in the group awards, still you can't win them all, but it was a good weekend for us.

I have found a collage facility on my photo editing software, so I have been having a play with that, the result of my first attempt is on the front page of the website.

2nd January

Well, what a start to the New Year. We went to South West Essex Canine Society Open show today, and Tezz and Toby came with me. It was their first 'real' show. Also at the show was Jane Eyeington with Ash and the puppy’s father Harvey, Trinitas Newky Brown of Meadowdale. But we were delighted to also see at the show Willow, this is the first time we have seen her since she left us at 9 week old, and we are delighted to say she is lovely! So, we had a class of 4 Woodspa puppies, which Eula won, Harvey won the Open class and then was declared Best of Breed, Eula was Best Puppy and Res. Best of Breed. Harvey then went on to win the Gundog Group, and Eula was 2nd in the Gundog Puppy Group, Harvey then did us all proud by winning Best in Show.

As it was quite a momentous occasion, we took lots of photos, one of the whole family, that is on the front page of the site, we have not quite got the hang of these breeder type photo's, but it's better than nothing and a lovely record of the day. Other photos have been posted to the gallery.

Eula's Critique for the Yearling class: Beautiful head and expression, super angulations front and rear, good depth of flews, well balanced girl, moved out with drive PG2

and for the puppy group: PG2 Just loved this puppy, all the attributes of first place applies ( just demanded to be looked at Confidence was in abundance, super angulations, nicely boned beautifully balanced on the move)