... from early morning the weather was clear n' sunny as  Frank's team arranged the four rings .. and the lure-racing area was being set up, whilst the entries and crowds of people kept rolling in, setting up their cages n' things .. full of anticipation of what's to follow ..

With a wide variety of Staffords and Amstaffs being the main players, a range of Bull-bred types were seen also, along with smaller sorts of dogs joining into the 'fun-atmosphere' of it all.

Noreen judged several classes of different varieties, as yours truly did the working types; it must be said that, with few exceptions, the owners handled their dogs with great care and concern overall, setting them down as valued items .. no ordinary Mutts, these, added greatly to our judging enjoyment, with no 'bad losers' to be found.   ..

As conformation classes ended, the lure-racing began to pick up, with the pace getting better and faster  as the dogs got the flavour - altho' it was something new to many local dog owners - they clearly liked what they saw, and went for more of the same ! 

Lee Drury and Neil Sherlock joined us on the scene, sampling the way things are being done elsewhere, as well as here in the U.K.; thereby widening the  field .. and sharing it with our  Sporting Dog associates in general. Between us, Lee, Neil, Noreen and myself, we recall it all as one truly unique learning experience, thanks to our host; Frank Van Elden,  his charming wife Aliza and their  two lovely children.

IT MUST BE SAID, that Staffords we saw on the day were very much like our 'Classical Type' we have here - in style and content, with high degrees of DRIVE - when needed, with the outstanding 'Babs' owned by Frank Van Elden being a virtual 'live-wire' overall - at Frank's home we saw 'Babs' demonstrating her abilities - world-class, indeed, has to be seen to be believed !
                                                                                                                  see various photos displayed in our Picture Gallery;  filmed at the recent show in Holland ...
 

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                                                                    OBSERVING THE ENERGY, ENTHUSIASM, & HARD-DRIVING ATTITUDES displayed at the S.A.C.S. meeting on Sat., June 14th, at Margate, was an eye-opening experience !

A DYNAMIC DUO; powerhouse 'Jay' and his superb young Stafford 'Demon', made their presence felt in the long-jump and lure-racing events, in other endeavours as well, competing against numerous super-fit Staffords  and other beautifully conditioned dogs.

A cracking little Patterdale Terrier gained much attention amidst the smaller dogs, with my two Border Terriers also showing good form in same category, while impressive  bull-bred types proved fit and agile amongst the larger dogs, along with several well-put-together running dogs sprinting lightening-fast ... altogether adding to the fun and games on offer.
 

The a-frame trials drew superb displays of agility, with growing interest in this fast-lane activity - some of the young entries may well be seen pushing their peers off their perches - serious new owners are becoming more adept towards preparation and correct training; being clear for all to see ..  

Seeing our host, Lee Drury, constantly on the move  keeping things going from one event to another, with assistance from Lee's wife Jo and helpers Mark & Kirsty Dickson, made it an altogether pleasant days outing for all concerned. It must be said what a pleasure it was seeing so many obviously well-cared for dogs thoroughly enjoying themselves as well, personified by their eagerness and boundless energy in their endeavours.

................................................................................................  A BEAUTIFUL BLUE STAFFORD PUPPY,  female, 9 weeks old,  is now available for it's new home; for full details please phone 07949 7743 79
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                                                                                                     ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 5TH, an Ed Reid's SPORTING DOG 'SPECTACULAR' is being arranged at Margate; to feature Classical Conformation classes .. and fast-lane A-frame contests combined; bringing together grace & beauty along with agility, as rarely displayed before - 'open' to all breeds and varieties with true 'Sporting' potential - an Intercontinental K.C. promotion, offering Championship points to I.K.C. reg'd dogs.

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THE $64.00 QUESTION; do tell us, Ed., after following your shows for some years now, having observed the generally large entries of dogs and crowds of supporters, what is it that draws such large numbers overall, from your point of view ?   Ainsley K.

... a good question, Ainsley, one that I've often wondered about myself. To start with, I believe that Lady Luck has played a large part of it, followed by some understanding of what might be of interest in our circles at a given time; the same thing all the time can be boring .. so, elements of surprise have been introduced, thereby creating an atmosphere of 'Serendipity'; pleasant and unexpected events .. 'happenings' .. call it what you like, but being different from the norm, helps to explain it.

Also, having had a few of my publications, videos/dvd's, and such, widely circulated has helped build up a following in the longer term, adding to our common interest in the dogs .. 'our sorts of dogs, that is' .. which are growing in numbers every day, I'm pleased to say. 'Our sorts of dogs' become a fast-growing 'addiction'; the more we see of them, the more of them we want to see !

... let's hope it stays that way, so as we'll be looking forward to lot's more shows, big or small, where there's excitement and competition for all !

In conclusion, what has become another popular feature of our shows is the socialising aspects; they're like family reunions, seeing friends and acquaintances of long-standing in our circles, and their currently-kept dogs; which adds even more interest - as those people know how to produce 'good  stuff' !  All of which adds some 'serendipity' for me too -  a never ending experience, for all concerned -
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CONFORMATION;  I.K.C. STYLE ...  along with other innovations, we're introducing conformation events as important features on the agenda - having observed a growing number of  finely sculptured specimens in our midst, it's considered fit and proper to make a place for such superb examples along with those of athletic exellence, to encourage all aspects of fit,  healthy, and 'temperamentally sound' dogs in our circles.  

With growing interest in 'performance' activities such as a-frame, pulling, lure-racing and such, in which the dogs are generally handled by their owners only, the I.K.C. takes the view that conformation can be an important feature concerning 'temperamental aspects'; with experienced dog-people judging/handling the dogs, going over them from tip to toe, a dog's general attitude is being assessed on-the-spot, with the adjudicator observing signs of nervousness, treachery, or any other indications of an unsteady animal which could be a danger to people or other dogs in public places. 

With just that in mind, particularly in this day and age, it's not a question of simply being assessed on ' fancy' points, whilst that is certainly important, combining temperament with grace and beauty produces a more complete picture, overall, of any/all dogs taking part in such events - we feel that this justifies the means -
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TO REGISTER YOUR DOG/S WITH THE INTERCONTINENTAL Kennel Club,  send to edreid@btinternet.com; ask for an I.K.C. reg, basic form ... or, if a litter of pups from I.K.C. reg'd parents, ask for a Litter Reg Form .. it can be sent online,  initially. If interested in one of our 4-generation pedigrees, being very smartly presented, just ask for details.  ALSO, dual-registrations are on the rise; a growing number of K.C. reg'd Staffs have been reg'd with the Intercontinental K.C. ALSO .. their owners seem to like our 'Fit For Purpose' attitude ..
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... 'A BLAST FROM THE PAST:' is a revived issue of video clips about Pit Bulls 'AS I KNEW THEM' now on DVD, by Ed Reid, for £12.00 a copy, includes P&P inland.

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DYNAMIC DOGS 'NEWS no 2',    AVAILABLE NOW;  AN ACTION-PACKED DVD IN FULL COLOUR about our sorts of dogs ...
   .. see noteworthy Staffords displaying exceptional feats of strength, stamina, speed and determination at weight pulling .. a-frame .. swimming .. protection; working to sleeve .. and racing, at a greyhound track .. about 32 minutes duration .. only £10.00 a copy includes P&P, from Ed Reid, direct.

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THE REASON WHY THE INTERCONTINENTAL K.C. DOES NOT REFER TO STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIERS AS 'IRISH' STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIERS; is, it has become a common expression via several establishment sources, including DEFRA, to refer to 'Irish' Staffordshire Bull Terriers as a front name for 'Pit Bull Terrier type' .. we feel that such a term is unjustified in the circumstances, and maintain the Staffordshire Bull Terrier name for our purposes on historical levels; in accordance with our breed standard concerning general features of size, shape and character.

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A link to BULL TERRIER TIMES BOOKLETS;
http://freelancepublisher.co.uk for interested breed students, it's worth a look.
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AWARDS UPDATE; I.K.C. championship points can be gained by  I.K.C. reg'd dogs in specified events .. members, otherwise, will  have the option to register with the I.K.C. should their dog/s become highly rated at our various events  ..- 'handsome is what handsome does'  is the basis of our criteria ... appearances, alone, won't cut the mustard in these circles. Even so, it must be said that with so many stunning specimens creating highly attractive figures, as such - being 'fit for purpose' beyond question - special awards for recognition of excellence are considered.  Rosettes & medallions are on offer, for many activities.
                                                                                                                 In all  respects, management reserves all rights of admissions and entries, not to knowingly allow a presence of suspect illegal varieties, and to alter the program should causes arise.  ... also, all children attending IKC events are the full responsibility of their parents, or the people who bring  them in; reasonable control is expected in the circumstances.

It's worth mentioning that our  approach to handling the dogs individually at the various activities proves most successful,  with full attention given in all procedures allowing each dog's 'transformation' to be seen, from  a raw recruit into potential 'Championship' material.
 -  now set to go  ... being  'members only' events, to  join into the fun with whatever variety of dog you have, to apply for membership make direct contact with Ed Reid; mo; 0790 8330 387   or home; 0208 679 6287

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ABOUT THE INTERCONTINENTAL KENNEL CLUB: on  how we're different; being comfortably out-side of the Establishment's 'fashionista' fraternity  .. for detailed info, please refer to  'About Us' ;  on our opening index page .. see some eye-opening disclosures !

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 To whom it may concern; in all our I.K.C. endeavours, we allow the use of  'non de plumes' in the place of  real names - due to all-too-frequent media-meddling and consequent adverse publicity one can attract in the process; in such cases the persons in question will be known to yours truly personally, being a pre-condition, and not  by purely anonymous scammers. It must  be said, also, that further elements of artistic licence and content are  considered as the norm; adding further interest for all concerned.