You have to Czech it out
The 24th OES Euro Show was held this year in Plzen, Czech Rep. home of the famous brewery that produces most of the world’s pils brands of beer. This geographic stroke of genius ensured a turnout of well over 250 people from 24 countries to attend what has become the world’s biggest and best OES event. The dog entry was down, following the global trend, to 150 but there was enough quality to test the Crufts judge, Angie Allan (Allmark) and her support judge from South Africa, Barbara Ager Gillat (Babiton). The host hotel was the Park, south of Plzen, a huge congress that could easily hold the exhibitors, spectators and those that travel the world in Winnebago’s, motor homes and caravans. They were housed in the car park in front of the hotel and enjoyed the use of the complexes facilities, especially the swimming pool. The weather for the Friday was very hot and sunny and the golfers enjoyed a tournament on a course 35 kms from the hotel towards the German border. John Bilsheim took the honours with a fine round. Ray Owen was runner up and Regina 3rd with Jo Pils 4th.
Saturday was registration day, then off to the Pizonsky Prazdroj Brewery, famous for its Urquell Pils. The tour of the automated modern factory was rewarded with a glass of excellent ale after 2 hours of walking and climbing stairs. Lunch was in the tasty Na Splice restaurant, and some walked into the Old Town for a taste of the mediaeval culture on offer in the town square. The coach party returned in time for the yearly seminar, presented by Mark Wibier with support from Maureen Robinson, Australia, and hosted by Ray Owen. The theme was the recent changes to the FCI standard and a PowerPoint presentation provoked discussion and views regarding the 5 standards that currently exist around the world, and the need for 1 type. Sadly the 1½ hours is never long enough to reach a meaningful outcome, or to achieve a conclusion that can be taken to a higher level, but the 55 people that attended were lively in their debate.
The informal dinner was to be held around the pool, but somehow we ended up in the large Congress Hall. The food was very good with background music from the Club DJ. Conversation was the order of the day, and a chance to chat to old friends over a beer or wine. The buffet was wide and varied with many meats, not too good for vegetarians, but salads were there and some tasty cakes for dessert.
Sunday started on a wet note. Heavy rain through the night soaked the tennis courts and the early morning exercisers were followed by bedraggled bobtails. The view from our bedroom window was very wet and grey. The mood at breakfast was gloomy but at 10 o’ clock as the judges arrived complete with shower caps, the rain slowed to a trickle. The welcome speeches were made in Czech and English, the accepted international language for the Euro Show, and we were off in both rings, Barbara starting with the Baby Males, and Angie with the Middle Males. A full list of results is attached below. The covered area was too small for the Open Class so the bench seats were moved back to make the ring twice as large, and spectators took their seats as the grey skies gave way to brilliant sunshine. The all weather tennis court soon dried out and was a superb surface for the dogs to stride out. The handlers had an added obstacle as the tent supports had large water butts strapped to them for ballast in case of high winds, and dogs and handlers were on their guard as they moved from the darkness of the tent into the bright sunshine. Oh! The vagaries of weather in Europe.
Lunch was taken for an hour at 1 o clock and stalls did a good trade, especially the Brits from the Midlands with their Bobtail bits, featuring a Sylvia Smith brooch of an OES riding in a Skoda car. The main Skoda assembly plant was a mile up the road in Plzen. I wandered around the tented village on the grass next to the tennis courts where the exhibitors were grooming and enjoying a picnic lunch. The atmosphere was terrific now that the sun was shining and dogs were drying out. Judging resumed in both rings and eventually at 6.15 the classes were finished and unbeaten dogs were paraded to pick out Best of Sex and then, with a packed ringside the Dog and Bitch competed for Best in Show. The applause for both dogs was echoing round the tennis court and memories of Wimbledon were brought to mind as Bottom Shaker My Secret was awarded Best in Show with the very popular Argovian Hugs and Kisses, reserve.
Eventually the crowds dispersed to their rooms and mobile homes to get ready for the Gala Dinner. By now it was 7 o clock and an hour to wash and brush up was testing any top groomer, but when the doors opened at the Congress Hall, all the diners were resplendent in their best clothes, looking suntanned and eager. The food was as good as the night before but the long queues at the buffet gave us a chance to speak to our neighbours. I prefer a gala dinner to be served at a table with place settings; it adds a certain quality to the event. The disco was provided by Yaroslav Zelinger the ex-president of the Club, assisted by his friend from the Czech pop world, and radio celebrity. There was no organised entertainment except for the wonderful Danes who did a trip back to the 70’s and 80’s with Elvis, the Bee Gees and Michael Jackson. This excellent interlude ensured the crowd were on their feet and dancing as the winning owner was presented with ‘Fly Baby Fly’ and the long established honour of being serenaded by Birgitte and the Great Danes, and then carried off into the crowd to enjoy a night of dancing and drinking. What a party – always a great time is had, the crowd make sure of it. A shame we did not sing the Euro Bobtail song, so loved by Eef ter Mors, or had the auction that raises cash for the host club and provides some fun and interaction. It is important that the special formula that makes this Show so unique is not lost. It is because we stick to a formula, tried tested and loved, that this Show is so special. Next year the show is in Germany for the 25th anniversary and the year after the announcement was made with great pride by Eef to the tune of “Tulips from Amsterdam” that it will be Holland. A very popular choice after years of hiding their talents away. Roosmarie Wibier will be the organiser of the event in 2013 with a team of splendid Dutch bobtailers, so start making your clogs now. Presentations were made by Joachim and Eef to the hard-working committee of Petra, Klara, Renata,and the wonderful Karolina who speaks such good English and helps us foreigners with our problems, of taxis, travel arrangements, money transfers and lots more. A shame that Brian, her husband was not there to join in the fun, and we also missed Barbara Mueller and Claude Ritter from the organising committee. I missed Barbara’s golfing companionship. We had 20 Russians attending and some of them had driven from Siberia! Almost 5,000 kms to be with us. No wonder they were dancing away till the early hours, how great to see them and the newlyweds from Estonia, a wonderful couple, also Maureen and Lorraine from Australia, the Bandas from Canada, so many others from miles away – the European Bobtail family is very welcoming and a forum that is good for the breed.
I would urge the four people on the organising committee to draw up a “standard” for the Show, a working manual, a specification, call it what you will, that can be handed to all European Clubs so they can organise their bids within known criteria, to contain elements that must be present, so that the Euro Show gets stronger and can reach out to an ever-widening circle. We need to keep this celebration going long into the future, the foundations are solid, let’s build on it. We didn’t sing Eef’s song this year, so let me remind you, the message is true – we must “continue this Show”.
The Dutch OES Club under the chairmanship of Mrs. Lizie van Heel will be organising the 2013 show in Holland, that will be some show and I do not want to miss it. Details will follow on this event from the Dutch, but the invites are going out for the German show now so you can all start planning your show diaries for 2012. The photos and videos, clips, etc. are flying around the internet and are so entertaining, well done Johnny, Inge, Isabel, Angela and others too many to mention for your efforts. Now I have a show to run on Sunday in Cambridge and you are all welcome to attend but it is a Club Show and feeds the roots of our great breed, we even have 3 young handlers entered which is a hope for the future. Regards Ray
Czech Mate
