Our friend Gail Storie and her father John breed Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers, and on Terrier Day at Crufts, Carol likes to go along to help comb their dogs ready for the ring, and to watch them compete.

      
       
On the left are John and Gail with the splendidly named Dungarvan Chisum Connery (Chisum to his friends). On the right Carol looks up from helping to prepare Chisum for his 9.00am appearance in the dog puppy class. Puppies at Crufts are aged 9-12 months, so the 10 month old Chisum is a pretty large puppy.

John put Chisum through his paces in the ring. In the right hand picture, showing the final moments of the judging, Chisum is in the centre. The dog on the left of the picture, nearest the judge, is Chisum's brother, Dungarvan Olivier, now owned by Mr. & Mrs. Owen. 'Ollie' was named the winner of the class, and Chisum came second, so John and Gail had the distinction of breeding the two top Wheaten Terrier puppies of the year.

Proud mother of Chisum and Ollie is Brogan. Their litter was her last, because at 7 years old she is now retired from the breeding programme. Although, like all John and Gail's dogs, she is a family pet, she still appears in the show ring and this year she competed in the veteran bitch class. Brogan loves to be on the grooming bench, because all the passing members of the public stop to pat her. Like all the Stories' dogs, which are bred for temperament as well as breed characteristics, she loves people. She likes everyone to make a fuss of her, and is always willing to show her best profile as soon as she spots a camera.

Gail got an ecstatic welcome when she came to take Brogan into the show ring. Brogan made it into the final group, and on the right, in the centre of the picture, they wait for the judge's verdict. Although not quite so successful as her sons, Brogan was highly commended in her class. So ended a very successful and enjoyable day.

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