21st June 2019

 
 
I begin writing on a sad note.  We have lost two elderly gentlemen from our breed.  The first is Owen Davies of Lusaki Salukis.  He died on the 9th June in hospital after a fall ten days earlier at his home.  In his daily life he was a poultry farmer, but his love was his coursing with his hounds.  He and his late wife Joan were more then competitive with their hounds on the field and never missed a meet.  The dogs were registered in Joan’s name but that meant little as they were always a team.  They were equally successful in the show ring where both Joan and Owen were Championship Show judges.  They bred, but not necessarily owned, nine champions.  I have seen in pedigrees in Salukis in other countries that the Lusakis have contributed very successfully to their gene pool.  Unfortunately at this time the date and time for Owen’s funeral was unavailable.
 
Our second loss is Bill Ivans, after a long illness on Friday the 7th June 2019.  If you asked Bill how old he was he would say” I was born in the same year that Golden Miller won The Gold Cup at Cheltenham and the Grand National. You do the sums!.”  Bill led an exciting life, as a young man he rode race horses in Italy, actually race horses we always of great interest to him and at one stage he had two horses in training.  In his daily job he worked in Covent Garden as a commercial property consultant. 
 
Bill and his late wife, Joy did breed one litter in 1973 which produced Ch Jamjam Fancy That.  There was also an equally stunning brother, Jamjam Fancy Man who I do not believe ever became a champion.   While Bill did show his dogs his main interest lay in their competitive spirit as coursing dogs.  One of his most brilliant coursers was Jamjam Gibson (named after Bill and Joy’s favorite tipple).  I remember one event, many years ago when Bill lost his glasses in a stream on the coursing field.  He and Michael hunted for them for ages and then decided to give up.  Bill got in his big old Volvo estate and drove home, how he managed without his very thick glasses we will never know.  Later that evening Michael received a call from Bill, could there have been something radioactive in that stream because Bill said his hand were tingling something awful.  No, said Michael, it was the nettles Bill.  Rest in Peace Bill, you will be missed.  Unfortunately I do not have any funeral detail.
 
I have received the following from Pam Mottershaw: “At the recent KC Jersey CH Show , the saluki, IR CH ULMARRA NAA  was Group 4 under respected judge, Liz Cartledge and later 2nd in a large Stakes class under renowned judge, Albert Wight . SYDNEY is proudly co owned by Stuart and Pamela Mottershaw and Fiona Officer.
 
Last weekend Michael and I too a short break in Bologna, Italy where it was very dry and hot.  To be more exact around 30 Degrees C most days.  I understand that weather here was very different in that it was very cold and extremely wet.  Those were the conditions for Three Counties Championship Show where Jayne Pyatt was judging. BCC, BOB went to Liz & Tony Quick’s Noushzad Caliana At Jorjendo (IMP) with RBCC to Mary Sanders Parker’ s Ch Classicus Britannia JW Sh CM.  DCC went to Debbie Copperthwaite’s Al Caliphs Anjal Bey with RDCC to Olga Blecher’s Barleymoon Zaurak.  Best Puppy was Diane Layton–Smith’s Velourias Pris Von Schmidt.  Best Veteran with to Katherine Williams Ber/Ch Ulmarra Tropical Ice at Winton.
 
here to edit.