Darwyn Welsh Terrier Website

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Introducing DORA! Am Ch. Darwyn's Dora the Explorer - my 23rd Champion!

NEW Am Ch Darwyn's Dora the Explorer!
Bred/Owned:  Larisa Hotchin
Handled by:  Wood & Jenny Wornall & Andrew Peel (CA, USA)
Montgomery County (WTCA) 2011 - Winners Bitch (5 pts)
Hatboro 2011 - Winners Bitch (5 pts)
California & Arizona (Oct/Nov 2011) - WB x 4 to finish her Am. Ch.!
Dora is Darwyn's 23 champion - of which 16 are also American Champions (remember, I live and primarily show in Canada) AND she is my 12th Welsh Terrier to win Winners or higher at a Welsh Terrier Club of America Specialty! 

For a relatively small kennel, I am shocked at these numbers, given that I got my first bitch in 1999 - a very nice bitch from Saredon Kennels in England.

I haven't written much about Dora, and realistically haven't written much this year on this blog at all (and even less on my main website!  Yikes!).  Bad... 2012 resolution coming up! 
I have written a couple of posts about Dora's beautiful litter whelped in Mar/11 (puppies & lead training).

A couple of mths after the puppies were born, I was playing with her and thought that she would be one that I would really like to see in competition at Montgomery ... so, I stripped off her jacket (and most of her furnishings, which were really beaten up by puppies) and off Michael and I go to the local parking lot, video camera in hand.  I sent the video to my handlers in California (Wood & Jenny Wornall) and ask if they would be interested in showing her this year at Montgomery?
Fast forward to October 2011, the next time I see Dora is when she is in the open bitch, then the Winners Bitch line-up at Hatboro I with Andrew Peel, under Terrier breeder expert judge, Mrs. Connie Clark .... I know I am biased, but Dora looked amazing!  Correct size for the breed and was one of the welshiest looking bitches in the ring (well her and her 1/2 sister who was the #1 Welsh Terrier in the US - Ch Bruhil's First Lady), and another darwyn bred bitch (Ch Darwyn Esmeralda in Sanperpinc) who was WB, to finish, at Devon. 

Then Dora was pointed to!  Her first time shown in breed competition and her first points -- at a WTCA specialty!  WOW!

On Montgomery County day (the WTCA National Specialty), first off her 6 month old daughter, Jessie, wins her puppy class (!!!!wow!!!!) with her co-owner Jane Erdman handling (and doing a lovely job!) and then Dora wins the Open Class, then Winners Bitch!  In the end of the day, Monty (Am/Can Ch. Darwyn Bruhil's Flying Circus) was also pointed to for the Grand Championship Select Dog Points 3 out of the 4 days (including Montgomery day) and an Award of Merit the other day, Dora was Winners Bitch 2 out of the 4 days, and Monty's sister (Emme) was Winners Bitch one of the days!  WOW!

The Montgomery Day wins (Jessie, Dora, Monty) were very special to me.  The judge, Mrs. Carole Beattie from Florida, is a well-respected judged, long-time Welsh Terrier breeder (owned and bred some of the best!).  This day Wood Wornall was able to make the welsh ring and show her.  Mrs. Beattie's nod in the direction for my breeding program (Monty and Dora both bred and raised and trained here and Jessie - their daughter), at an extremely well-attended and competitive show, made me want to cry. 

2011 will be a year at Montgomery that I will never ever forget - and Dora, whom just had puppies recently, wasn't even on the schedule to attend but a few months earlier.
Trophies & Ribbons received from WTCA on Montgomery County Show Day (National Specialty)
Monty (Am/Can Ch Darwyn Bruhil's Flying Circus) = Grand Ch. Select Dog Award!
Dora (New Am Ch Darwyn's Dora the Explorer) = Winners Bitch AND Award of Merit!
Jessie (Darwyn Jesterr's Holding Court) = 1st place in 6-9 puppy class!

I am so happy that I did that parking lot video tape, that Woody & Jenny wanted to show her, that they were able to get her into such awesome condition, and that the judges (and my peers, other exhibitors and friends from all over the world that were there watching!) were so positive towards her, and saw the quality in her that I saw when she was just a baby puppy. 
Dora being handled on Montogmery Weekend by Wood Wornall
New Am Ch Darwyn's Dora the Explorer

Thank you.

We are thrilled with her successful (but very short) US career...
... looking forward to showing her in Canada (even if it is just to finish her CH) ...

... we are happy she is home now. 

This picture, taken an hour after she got home tonight shows how quickly she settled back into home routine.  :-)