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Photo © Lasting Image Photography |
SHOWDOGS: Congratulations, JC winning back-to-back Best in Show at Eastern Districts and Roodepoort Shows with Ch. Trustdore Oliver. Can you describe the experience of winning the double Best in Show and how long it took afterwards for you to come back to earth?
JC: Saturday's BIS was totally unexpected, but wonderful, especially since both judges (in the Breed as well as BIS) were overseas judges which always adds to the value of such an achievement. Sunday's BIS was the cherry on the cake and I was ecstatic - I still haven't come back to earth. Oliver is the 3rd generation multiple BIS winner, but the first to win a double BIS. This achievement brought back a lot of old memories from the 1st BIS I won with Stalin, my first Dobermann, in 1991 at Pietermaritzburg KC. Every Breeder strives for excellence, but a double BIS far exceeds any goals or breeding programmes and I only expected Oliver to look his best from the age of 3 onwards.
SHOWDOGS: Please tell the readers the call name and age of your dog.
JC: His call name is Oliver and he's 2½ years old.
SHOWDOGS: What are the names of his sire and dam?
JC: Sire: Sudroyal Fifo, HD0.0
Dam: Ch. & Multiple BIS winner Trustdore I'll de Neeve, HD0.0
SHOWDOGS: Were you able to pick him as a puppy? What made you choose him from his littermates?
JC: Oliver was one of 14 black & tan puppies and he was one of the last 4 remaining males to find a home. Melanie talked me into keeping him and today I am very happy I did. I never believed in keeping a puppy from a bitch's first litter as I always wanted to see what she produced before picking a puppy for myself, but he has obviously proven me wrong.
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SHOWDOGS: For those who haven't been able to keep up, what are your major achievements?
JC: In my opinion, the following would represent major achievements for any breeder as well as to the Dobermann Breed specifically:
· Winning my 1st BIS
· Winning BIS with a dog that you have bred, owned and handled yourself.
· Achieving a position in the Animal Talk Top 100's top 10, which I did with Oliver's mother in 2001, reaching 8th position with just under 2500 points.
· Owning a working breed, nurturing the temperament and working ability of the dogs I breed is very important and this is represented by the 16 ZTPs (Dobermann specific Breed Suitability Test - basically a temperament assessment) passed, a number of Aptitude Tests passed as well as an IPO.
· Winning the 'Ideal Dobermann Trophy' - this is a Breed specific achievement, awarded to a dog who has achieved the most show points from our 4 specialist shows annually as well as passed a ZTP, hence the name 'Ideal'.
SHOWDOGS: Amongst these wonderful achievements, is there one that stands out as most significant?
JC: There is not one achievement that stands out specifically but rather a combination of achievements with one particular dog, Ch. Trustdore Cazar, who achieved BIS both at Specialist as well as All Breeds Championship Shows as well as passing both temperament tests available in this country, namely the ZTP and Aptitude Test. This represents a dog who conforms excellently to the Breed Standard with regard to conformation as well as in temperament which is the ideal.
SHOWDOGS: · How long have you been showing dogs? Please tell us about the first time you entered a show ring. How has the showing experience been for you so far?
JC: Since 1989 at Championship Show level. The first show ring I walked into with Stalin was at Working & Herding Breeds Open Show where Dr. van der Westhuisen was the judge. I was very nervous and made an absolute mess of it and eventually the judge asked me to rather let him stand freely as the dog looked better than with me trying to stack him. Stalin won his class and went on to stand second in the puppy group and the bug had bitten. I have been hooked ever since.
SHOWDOGS: To what would you attribute your success over the years?
JC: Dedication to the breed and an understanding of all the complexities of the breed such as conformation, temperament and health. Careful selection of breeding stock and forward planning is vitally important. When breeding dogs, as with any other animal, you have to form a picture in your mind, according to the Breed Standard, of what you want the final outcome to look like. It becomes a long-term plan, taking many factors into consideration, and the focus needs to be on what you are going to be able to produce in 5 or 10 years time, not necessarily litter by litter. Yes it also has to do with a little bit of luck, but generally one needs to know what all the dogs in a pedigree represent, their good and bad points.
SHOWDOGS: As is the nature of competitive sport, I'm sure you've had a taste of unkind comments aired in public. How do you tend to respond to these statements?
JC: Dog showing is a hobby, not my whole life. But these statements motivate me to carry on with my breeding programme and to show my dogs to the best of my ability, to show everybody that through the points mentioned in the previous question, you can succeed. I have always maintained that people only have unkind things to say about a good dog which they feel threatened by. Nobody gossips about a dog which doesn't threaten them and of course, 'jealousy makes you nasty'.
SHOWDOGS: What made you decide to be owned by a Dobermann?
JC: I've always had a great love for Arabian horses and the Dobermann breed comes the closest, out of all the dog breeds, to the elegance, nobility, intelligence and courageousness displayed by these gracious animals.
SHOWDOGS: Which club do you think offers the best-organised show and which was your all-time favourite show?
JC: The Dobermann Club of Northern Transvaal show held in March annually.
SHOWDOGS: Your kennel name "Trustdore" is interesting. How did you happen upon this name?
JC: 'Trustdore', arriving from: 'Trust' - a companion for life (friend); 'Dore' (door) - I will only let in whom I want (guard).
SHOWDOGS: Thank you for your participation, JC. SHOWDOGS wishes you continued success in 2005 and beyond. |
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