I’ll Never Forget a Dog Named Beau

 He never came to me when I would call
Unless I had a tennis ball,
Or he felt like it,
But mostly he didn’t come at all.

When he was young
He never learned to heel
Or sit or stay,
He did things his way.

Discipline was not his bag
But when you were with him things sure didn’t drag.
He’d dig up a rosebush just to spite me,
And when I’d grab him, he’d turn and bite me.

He bit lots of folks from day to day,
The delivery boy was his favorite prey.
The gas man wouldn’t read our meter,
He said we owned a real man-eater.

He set the house on fire
But the story’s long to tell.
Suffice it to say that he survived
And the house survived as well.

On the evening walks, and Gloria took him,
He was always first out the door.
The Old One and I brought up the rear
Because our bones were sore.

He would charge up the street with Mom hanging on,
What a beautiful pair they were!
And if it was still light and the tourists were out,
They created a bit of a stir.

But every once in a while, he would stop in his tracks
And with a frown on his face look around.
It was just to make sure that the Old One was there
And would follow him where he was bound.

We are early-to-bedders at our house-
I guess I’m the first to retire.
And as I’d leave the room he’d look at me
And get up from his place by the fire.

He knew where the tennis balls were upstairs,
And I’d give him one for a while.
He would push it under the bed with his nose
And I’d fish it out with a smile.

And before very long
He’d tire of the ball
And be asleep in his corner
In no time at all.

And there were nights when I’d feel him
Climb upon our bed
And lie between us,
And I’d pat his head.

And there were nights when I’d feel this stare
And I’d wake up and he’d be sitting there
And I reach out my hand and stroke his hair.
And sometimes I’d feel him sigh
and I think I know the reason why.

He would wake up at night
And he would have this fear
Of the dark, of life, of lots of things,
And he’d be glad to have me near.

And now he’s dead.
And there are nights when I think I feel him
Climb upon our bed and lie between us,
And I pat his head.

And there are nights when I think
I feel that stare
And I reach out my hand to stroke his hair,
But he’s not there.

Oh, how I wish that wasn’t so,
I’ll always love a dog named Beau.

(Jimmy Stewart)

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THE HAND OF A BREEDER 

The hand of a breeder is the hand that calms the dog during childbirth.
It is the hand that caresses her belly to calm her during contractions.

A breeder’s hand is the hand that makes the path free to let the pups be born easier.
It is the hand that does not tremble and is under the blood to help a puppy in trouble.

A breeder’s hand is the hand that breaks the puppies’ bag if it is not broken after birth.
It is the hand that helps rub and clean the puppies and help their breathing.

A breeder’s hand is the one that tries to revive a puppy, but sometimes he has to give up when there is no heartbeat.
The hand of a breeder is the hand that cut the umbilical cord when the mother does not.

In addition, the hand of the breeder is the one that weighs the puppy every day to see if everything goes well.
A breeder’s hand is the hand that puts a puppy away closer to the mother while the mother looks at you full of confidence.

The hand that rubs the chest, so that breast milk is activated.
A breeder’s hand is the one that rubs on his eyes and fights fatigue and sleeps after days without falling asleep.

It is the hand that gives milk bottles day and night when there is very little yield.
A breeder’s hand is the one that brings the lost puppy back to the mother, the one who plays with the puppy to socialize, the one who teaches the puppy to switch to solid nutrition.

The hand of a breeder is the hand that takes care of the little ones when it does not go well with them.
The hand of a breeder is the hand you have entrusted to your future puppy in the hope that it will go well.

The hand of a breeder is the hand that is ready day and night to answer all your questions if you have any questions about anything.
For all these and many other things, the next time you shake a breeder’s hand, think of everything that hand has done with love.

1966 IRISH SETTER CLUB OF VICTORIA 5th CHAMPIONSHIP SHOW

BEST EXHIBIT IN SHOW

AUST CH GOODWIN GAIETY

BEST OPPOSITE SEX IN SHOW

AUST CH DUNLAOGHAIRE WODAN

💚💚💚💚💚

LOVE this description of the Irish Setter…

… the Irish setter, that wild, lovely, racing and chasing rapscallion, whose sins of far-ranging we always forgive for the sake of his beauty of action and speed of movement. The poise and suggestion of instant, controlled movement …

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YOU BE THE JUDGE … 

HOW WOULD YOU PLACE THE DOGS, AND WHY?

Open Dog Class :

• (a)   Dog of very good type, sound balanced and full of quality but with a very light eye
• (b)   Dog has exceptionally beautiful head, but upright shoulders, a dip in back & straight stifles, and moves as you would expect a dog built like this to move. He is the only champion in the class and has won 14 CCs
• (c)   beautiful type, well made and sound but very nervous and will not be handled
• (d)   moderate specimen all round but is put down in perfect condition and beautifully handled (by a member of the Kennel Club Committee)
• (e)   Very good specimen with no outstanding faults but shown far too fate and his novice handler cannot get him to show or move properly
• (f)    A very good looking famous old stud dog, sire of many winners, now well past his best and has lost most of his front teeth

FIRST TIME AT A DOG SHOW

First time at a dog show, I’ll tell you quite plain
I’ll never, no never, go near one again.
The breeder said “Show him” when I bought my dog
I showed him alright, the whole place was agog.

2020 Royal Melbourne Show CANCELLED due to COVID-19

Due to the continuing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, in particular, the social distancing measures and mass gathering restrictions in place, The Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria (RASV) has made the decision to cancel the 2020 Royal Melbourne Show in the best interests of public health.

The RASV has proudly presented the Royal Melbourne Show since 1855. The Royal Melbourne Show has only been called off on two occasions in its 165-year history. First, when Melbourne Showgrounds was requisitioned for the war effort in 1915 and again in WWII between 1940-1945.

The COVID-19 health crisis is unprecedented and the ongoing social distancing measures and mass gathering restrictions mean that we are unable to plan and deliver the 2020 Royal Melbourne Show.

The RASV recognises the importance to decide on the 2020 Royal Melbourne Show now, as many sponsors, exhibitors, and competitors spend months preparing for the Show.

The RASV relies on hundreds of volunteers including committees, judges, stewards and more, who give so generously of their time each year for the Royal Melbourne Show, many of whom take annual leave or time away from their farm. We are fortunate to have an incredibly passionate and supportive community involved each year and during these uncertain times we wanted to give everyone as much notice as possible.

The announcement follows the cancellation of the Adelaide Royal, Brisbane Ekka and Sydney Royal Easter Show earlier this year, all in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Royal Melbourne Show is Victoria’s largest and most iconic annual community event, attracting around 450,000 visitors over 11 days each year and contributes more than $244 million in value to the State of Victoria’s economy annually.

The Royal Melbourne Show provides a unique and valuable platform to promote and celebrate excellence in agriculture with thousands of agricultural exhibitors from rural and regional Victoria coming together at Melbourne Showgrounds.

While the gates will not open this September, the RASV will continue to promote and celebrate food and agriculture, cultivate events and strengthen communities.

The RASV is exploring alternative opportunities to present some of the traditional and much-loved elements of the Royal Melbourne Show online in an all-new virtual experience, along with creating new events and celebrations to support food and agricultural producers.

The RASV thanks the Victorian community for their support and looks forward to bringing everyone together to celebrate the Royal Melbourne Show when it returns bigger and better in 2021 from Thursday 23 September to Sunday 3 October at Melbourne Showgrounds.

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