General – Page 2

Minutes of the KC Obedience Liaison Council meeting on 20th July 2023

Attached are the minutes of the meeting.

ACCREDITED TRAINERS FOR OBEDIENCE NEEDED FOR JUDGES’ TRAINING PROGRAMME

The Kennel Club is calling for anyone interested in becoming an Obedience Accredited Trainer for the judges’ training programme to get in touch.

This judges’ training programme has been developed over a period of time and follows the requirements already in place for those involved in judging other canine activities. It underlines The Kennel Club’s commitment to maintaining and improving the standard of judges and judging at official Kennel Club licensed events and, in so doing, ensures the quality of dogs and the value of awards they receive at these events.

‘CRUEL’ ELECTRIC SHOCK COLLARS BANNED IN ENGLAND

In a ‘historic moment for animal welfare’ The Kennel Club has welcomed news that the Government has laid legislation which will completely ban the use of remote controlled electric shock collars in England, as of 1 February 2024, following a ten year campaign to #BanShockCollars.

FIND A CLUB SERVICE RETURNS TO THE KENNEL CLUB WEBSITE

The new and improved Find a Club service has now been launched on The Kennel Club website and is online at thekennelclub.org.uk/FAC.

The new Find a Club service now includes listings for: agility, dog showing (ringcraft training), breed clubs, field trials, gundog working tests, heelwork to music, obedience, rally, working trials and The Kennel Club Good Citizen Dog Training scheme under one area. It also clearly displays where a Kennel Club Accredited Instructor is training at a club.

THE KENNEL CLUB RECEIVES ROYAL PREFIX ON ITS 150TH ANNIVERSARY

The Kennel Club is delighted to announce that it has been granted a Royal Prefix to mark the 150^th anniversary of its existence. Henceforth, the organisation is named The Royal Kennel Club.

Chairman of The Kennel Club, Tony Allcock OBE, said: “We are honoured that as of the 4April 2023, the date the club celebrates its 150^th anniversary, The Kennel Club will be known as The Royal Kennel Club.

THE FUTURE OF DISCOVER DOGS

The Kennel Club has announced that the London Discover Dogs event will not be taking place in 2023. It will take a break for a year, with the aim of bringing it back with a refreshed and reinvigorated new look in 2024.

Discover Dogs has been a feature at Crufts since 1991 and will continue to be so. In 1996 it was brought to London as an additional event in its own right. The event grew in numbers and popularity over the years and moved location from Earls Court to London ExCel in 2015. In more recent times however, numbers attending the London event have declined and regrettably it sustained a significant financial shortfall in 2022.

BORDER COLLIE FROM WIRRAL CROWNED CRUFTS OBEDIENCE CHAMPION

Kervi, a six-year-old Border Collie, and her owner, Kathy Russell from Bromborough, Wirral, took home one of the top obedience prizes at Crufts on Saturday 11 March after winning the Obedience Championship (Bitches) final. The judge was Lou Jackson.

Kervi (Ob Ch Ruskath Klassified Image) came first in the final held at the world’s greatest dog show, Crufts, after competing against some of Britain’s best dogs for the coveted title. Kathy also secured second place with her ten-year-old Border Collie, Kafna (Ob Ch Sarkam Explicit Image for Ruskath), who is the mother of Kervi.

BORDER COLLIE FROM DERBYSHIRE CROWNED GOOD CITIZEN PRE-BEGINNER OBEDIENCE STAKES WINNER AT CRUFTS 2023

Pepper, a three-year-old Border Collie from Derbyshire, and her owner Paige Jepson, has triumphed at Crufts by winning the Good Citizen Pre-Beginner Obedience Stakes Competition on Sunday 12 March.

Pepper (Jeplong Fire Cracker) beat 30 other talented dogs to be crowned the winner of the 2023 Good Citizen Pre-Beginner Stakes competition at the world’s greatest dog show, with the final overseen by highly experienced judge, Mr Steve Frazer.

WIRRAL DOG AND OWNER BECOME CRUFTS OBEDIENCE CHAMPIONS

Yoshi, a seven-year-old Border Collie, and his owner Julie Rowlands from Moreton, Wirral, took home one of the top obedience prizes at Crufts on Sunday 12 March after winning the Obedience Championship (dog) final. The judge was Lou Jackson.

Yoshi (Ob Ch Sarkam Douthinkhe Saurus), came first in the final held at the world’s greatest dog show, Crufts, after competing against some of Britain’s best dogs for the coveted title.

THE KC WELCOMES REMOVAL OF PET TRAVEL BARRIERS BETWEEN GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND

The UK’s largest organisation dedicated to dog health and welfare, The Kennel Club, has today (27 February 2023) welcomed the announcement of the Windsor Framework, which formally removes the pet travel border between Great Britain and Northern Ireland that was erected upon the implementation of the Northern Ireland Protocol.