and yet more Christmassy messages!

Great to get some more cards and photos in the post today. These two boys (Joshua and Silas) sent their photos as they do every year, plus an interesting parcel for their brother and sister (Bas and Barvicka) to open on Christmas day!!! Thanks boys!

More Christmassy stuff

Had this great photo today from Eden (Farlap Bargain) and her luuuurvely lurchery friend getting in the Christmas spirit! We love getting cards and photos from all of our Farlaps at Christmas and next to arrive was Bran, doing a trail in the snow in Germany, through the village. Cant wait to see him next week.

Nearly Christmas

I cant believe how this month has flown by and now its nearly Christmas I get lots of updates with the Christmas cards from the Farlap pups all over the world....I Love catching up and hearing how they have been all year. Heres Bailey (litter brother to Candle and Cinnamon) having a cuddle on moms lap! They never grow out of it do they!
Logic has made a fine recovery after her bout of peritonitis a few weeks ago, but now its Tarnishs turn to be poorly, with her tumours returning with a vengeance.

bringing home the bacon.......

..........well.....the pheasant and snipe anyhow! Today was shoot day for Tennant.....its our favourite pastime in the winter on Saturdays and certainly beats shows hands down! Our bag today was 2 woodcock, 3 snipe and a pheasant......so heres Mr T bringing home some of the spoils for his daddy.

Weve had a bit of a traumatic week this week, with Logic being taken ill very suddenly with peritonitis, as an after effect her of her torsion (we think). However shes responding well to drugs and is certainly appearing back to her normal self.

Family day out

Farlap Constant

Farlap Constant (Harry)

Farlap Benedict (Bertie)

I have had a couple of lovely days out this week, visiting Farlap hounds in their homes. Monday I went to visit Watson who lives in Brixham, hes such a sweet boy from the "C" litter. Today was a trip over to East Devon to visit Bertie (Farlap Benedict) and Harry (Farlap Constant) and I took Cinnamon and Baffle who are from the same two litters, to play with their brothers. We had two lovely walks around their fields and all went well until Cinnamon (always the trouble maker) discovered their bird table, and in her usual thuggish way, managed to knock it over and demolish it, and started eating all the bird food as fast as she could. Harry had never seen such atrocious behaviour and thought he'd investigate, but Cinnamon decided it was "her food" and bit her brother on the nose. Exit a very upset Harry. Meanwhile Baffle had managed to find a huge pile of fox poo to roll in and so the two disgraced hounds were bundled in the van and taken home. The smell on the return journey, of Cinnamon farting after her bird food, and the fox poo covering Baffle, was less than pleasant!

The weather was perfect

Sunday saw us hosting the Kelperland Trophy special stake (4 hours cold, 2 miles long) and without a doubt, the weather was perfect. Thanks must go to the line walkers Louie and Andrew, and the land owners who were The Loud family and the Moyse family. Also special thanks to Sharon Newman for taking some lovely photos of the day......this one was a favourite for me, showing Duncan taking his hound to the start of the line....just look at that concentration! Sadly the judge didnt feel either hound hunted well enough to be awarded the Kelperland, although both were given COM's. Having walked the 1st line many times myself, and being in a grandstand position to see the hound hunting it 80% of the way round, I was a little disapointed as the hound was spot on for the 80% that I watched.
It was good to meet some newer club members who are interested in getting their hound hunting, and we look forward to hosting future stakes for the bloodhound club.

A summing up and tea at the Clovelly Inn, and it was the end of a tiring day.

Photos are here!

The photos from last weekend are here, and thankyou to Rob "Bailey" Manley for taking them.

Weekend Fun!

last weekend was the Bloodhound Club Open Show, and under judge Gillian lamb, we had a great day.
Farlap Cinnamon, at her very first show was Best In Show. Farlap Baračnik  (owned by Fiona McKenzie) was best dog and res. best In Show. Farlap Baffled was best Puppy in Show. Congratualtions also to Farlap Graceful, (ably handled by Lynda Haydon,) who  won Novice bitch. What a fab day it was.
 As soon as the photos are sent to me Ill include them on the blog. I was also thrilled to find a lost treasure on the day. I was given a painting about 20 years ago, by a dear friend of her favourite hound, one of a pair of bloodhound brothers. He was a Brunwar hound, known as jason (yes that is what he was called despite what people try and tell you!!). There was a matching painting of his litter brother (Rufus) that had been lost so imagine my astoundment at discovering the missing painting for sale on the regalia stand at the show on Sunday. Needless to say I snapped it up and the two brothers are now reunited in my home!

Now a date for the diary: Sunday November 20th is the Kelperland Trophy, an invitational stake organised by the Bloodhound Club. We are pleased to be hosting this stake, and if anyone would like to come along and see the hounds hunting 2 mile lines, 4 hours cold, then we would be pleased to see you. The meet is 10.am at Axworthy farm buildings, please email me for sat nav or directions. There will be a presentation and light tea afterwards at the Clovelly Inn.
If anyone would like accomodation then theres a holiday cottage literally 20 yards from the meet. Its 3 bedrooms and available for a short let. Please call Mrs Loud on 01566 783516 for more details.

Life of brian part 3

Farlap Bran, who we always knew as "Brian" is just progressing in leaps and bounds, and we are immensley proud of him. His search work training is now taking part in urban/town settings and this week he had a day tracking a "new" person on  6 different trails (but just one scent article) along A roads, through  a railway station, over pedestrian crossings, 3 foot bridges, a car park........ and all with the hustle and bustle of the town going on around him. I love receiving photos of him at work and relaxing in the home, but these are my favourites from his owners Robert and Christine, this week.

Worrying week

Its been a really worrying week here, with Logic becoming ill on Monday, and having a full blown torsion and twist, resulting in emergency , life saving surgery. thankfully she survived the surgery and now we have the slow and delicate recovery, involving 24 hour round the clock care for the next few days. Ultimately this has meant having to let down those people kind enough to enter their hounds under me on monday at the Bloodhound Club working trials, for which I apologise profusely, and no one is more disapointed than me, as I love judging working trials. However im sure that all those who have known the heart break that our hounds can bring us, will FULLY understand why I feel unable to leave Logic for the next few critical days, and I hope my replacement judge enjoys their day.
On a much brighter note, we heard from george (Russian Ch. Farlap Guesswork) who had been to the "Russia 11 Speciality" 
George won Best male and Club Winner and specialty and CAC, CACIB, BOB  ThenhHe won his group as well! Well done George.  Not just a pretty face either as he went to his Russian Hunting Fieldtrials the week before and won a Diploma I and Diploma II. Great news to brighten our week. Here he is posing on the winners rostrom! Then we heard from germany, from Robert, Christina and "Bran", that he had succseesfully completed a two and a half hour cold line, through a village and built up residential areas. brilliant news, and only 8 months old......Im so proud of all my "Farlap pups", no matter what their achievements (although maybe not Bliss eating her mums new iphone!!!) and love to hear what they have been up to.
I was saddend to hear about the passing of Michael Clarke. Its sad that there are so many people in the breed these days who have probably never met or even heard of Mick and Christine, but they have been in the breed for over 40 years, and have had dozens of hounds, and a number of champions amongst them over the years. Mick had the most amazing life working all over the globe, but his heart was always back at Elsenham with his animals, his beloved bloodhounds, his racehorses and his amazing game birds. He put a lot into the breed just by being "there" although never a breeder or seen in the ring, we all knew him as a calm kind gentle character, and I can only hope that the two farlap boys that shared his life until the very end, are now bringing some comfort to Christine at this hard time.

Bloodhound trials........just too hot to handle!

Gerty and I tootled off to the trials on Sunday ( i cant understand why they want to break from tradition and do Sunday trials....bad form.) but the weather was just so hot, that by 3.30 when our turn came, the ground was like parched cinders, and poor Gerty found little scent. She did manage the 1st hundred yards and I was quietly optimisitc but as we got to the middle of the field, it was just  like the sahara, and although she bravely tried her best, I decided she'd had enough and asked the judge to guide us to the end for her to find her runner before she became to disheartened on her 1st ever attempt at trials. Never mind, she has all winter to practise for the spring trials! Thankyou to Sharon newman for this photo of gerty in action.

Cinnamons turn

Well last week it was Tennants turn to be the cover star, and this week Cinnamon gets a chance to shine as she is the "new face" of  the "Devon Microchipping" business, and looking every inch the diva! More details here www.devonmicrochipping.co.uk if anyone would like their litters or adult dogs microchipped.

its all about Tennant!

Like buses......you wait for ages and then they all come along at once.....this time its not just Tennant on the cover of a magazine, but its Buck and me too! Here we are after a lovely morning hunting rabbits on the farm, what fun times the three of us had together then. Meanwhile the rain has temporarily left Devon, the sun is shining, and Basnicky has taken up residence in a sunny beer barrel plant pot!

Tennant and Chips

Thought it was time that Tennant had some airtime on the blog, so here he is after winning reserve BOB at Cornwall Gundog Club show......posing by the pond and looking all gorgeous and handsome.
An interesting conversation at the show with a woman about microchipping, and she just couldnt accept that her "trained gundog" should be chipped as she said it was so well trained it would never leave her side.

"Well thats just fine, but what about if you have a car accident and the dog runs off in a panic from the scene" I said.......her answer? "Oh hes too well trained for that"!!!!!! Sometimes I despair about people and their stupidity!!!!!...so while we are on the subject, just a quick note to remind anyone interested, that I am a qualified microchipper, so if you would like your dog or your litter microchipped please dont hesitate to get in touch.

Days like these......

Days like these dont come along too often.......spending every moment doing something that the hounds and dogs love, good company,scrummy cakes & sunshine!! it started off well when the post arrived and in it was the certificate from the KC confirming Candle was a "Champion". Then Sharon and Bill (Newman) arrived with some lovely cookies and cakes, and walked a line for Gerty, which she flew round!  Its a real shame I havent had a chance to get her to her sheep test before the trials as she really doesnt enjoy being hunted leashed, and once the lead is dropped she flies ahead with great style; I think Im going to struggle to hunt her on a leash next month :(
After lunch we all went out to the fields and did some dummy training with Skarlat and Tennant. They are half brother/sister, and watching them work was really interesting, and Skarlats drive and tenacity rather impressive.
After dinner in the evening we took Flint out with the lamp to catch some bunnies for the ferrets breakfast, but sadly there were few about last night and he didnt get a run atall. Big disapointment for Flint.

Thankyou to Sharon for these two lovely photos of Gerty coming in at the end of her line, plus Skarlat & Tennant relaxing after their training.

Miss Dis-Graceful

"Farlap Graceful" is Gertys sister and we are lucky in that we get to see her quite often. It doesnt matter how cute and irresistable she was as a baby, she is certainly living up to the breeds reputation for being naughty in her adulthood and her owner has just given me an uptodate list of what shes managed to destroy/consume so far. No wonder shes been renamed "Dis" Graceful!!! It should be added that this is a hound thats never left alone, so shes not bored and alone, shes just a normal if slightly naughty bloodhound, so well worth thinking about before new owners take on this breed!!
Heres the list:

Large stones

Carrier bags 

Several dinners out of the cooking pot 

Sun glasses and Reading glasses 

Socks,Pants,Tea towels/clothes 

3 children's gates fixed to the wall

Laptop charger and Mobile phone 

Granite table 

The corners of the work top

 Rearranged the entire garden 

Several dogs beds 

Garden furniture the garden table was completely destroyed

Pulled the entire working of my rear lights from the inside of my golf 

Several boots wellies & shoes 

Oh and pulled down the lounge curtains

Not bad work in 16 months........and here she is with her partner in crime, a short legged one!

Constant & Benedict

It was lovely to receive some new photos of Constant and Benedict (aka Harry and Berty!) today. Im so lucky that these two boys live nearby and I get to see them regularly.

Miss Eden is a star

Farlap Bargain (aka Miss Eden) went off for a quiet day in the cotswolds at the weekend, and came away with a working trials permit!!! Well done to Peter and Jo and Eden too of course, I know how much training they have done and Im one very proud granny! Here she is on the day at the start of her permit line. Cant wait for her to start trialling next season.

The Richmond Dilema!

We had a great day at Richmond Championship Show, which was only deflated by the number of absentees, that made the entry so poor. What a shame. Never the less we were thrilled that under Zena Thorn Andrews, Ch. Farlap Candle won her 4th CC and BOB, Farlap gertrude won res CC, and Farlap Baffled won Best Puppy. As Baffle hasnt had his mugshot on the blog for a while I decided to get some up todate photos taken of him, so here he is at 8 months old.

Going BOB also put us in rather a dilema about going into the group under a judge who has had a considerable influence over the potential future of our breed, and not in a way that I personally approve of...... My final decision was not to go under this judge, and fortunately every other bloodhound exhibitor I discussed it with, was in full agreement with my decision.

Mr T has it covered!

Tennant is a cover boy today, starring on the front cover of Countrymans Weekly magazine. What a star!

Wet wet and wetter!

We have now had 48 hours solid rain and the hounds are officially fed up. After the 5th walk of the day, and my third change of clothes after yet another soaking, I decided enough was enough and Id spend an hour or two in my office instead. The hounds had all gone to bed in disgust at the weather, and Gyp, who appears to have some horrendous medical and life threatening allergy to rain, came into the office with Baffle and me. Typically Baffle settled down in his spot and was snoring as per usual, and I popped back into the house to get a coffee.......when I came back, this is what I found!!! Gyp is now going t be my PA, but his telephone manner needs a bit of work!

More tales from the Life of Brian!

Bran and his humans went to the St Hubert show in Belgium this weekend, it was the 1st time in the ring for both owner and hound, so quite a big moment. Their 3rd place, amongst 6 puppy dogs, was a brilliant achievement. Then as if that wasnt enough excitement in one day, they did a "search" through the town, and bearing in mind all the hounds and people there, its quite incredible that Bran succeeded and found Christine with all those distractions. Here they are on the line through the town, and then relaxing afterwards...well done to Bran, Robert and Christine, from a very proud granny!

Looking a little bit sheepish

Gerty has been doing some more sheep training today so that when we get a chance to take her for her stock test, she will be thoroughly used to them. Shes so used to seeing sheep on the farm that she doesnt take much notice, but of course once shes hunting and her adrenalins flowing it could be a different story.......hence the training regime! Todays damp weather has also been ideal for lines, and hopefully we will do some more hunting with her tomorrow, which will be much more enjoyable than trapesing all the way to Nottingham for the bloodhound show. We are sorry to be missing showing under a judge we respect so highly, but its just too far to drive there and back in a day, and I really am feeling a little tired of shows right now, with their pitifully low entries it hardly seems worth going.

"B" team get tracking

We are getting some great reports from the "B" litter, on their tracking/hunting progress.
Farlap Bran who lives in Germany is doing tracks through town centres, and doing some serious scent discrimination work with his handler Robert, and Roberts wife Christine. I was hoping to see them next weekend but plans have had to change a little here, and sadly we wont make it now.
Farlap bargain (AKA Eden) is also making great progress with her hunting as can be seen here in the photos of her tracking on an old Cumbrian airfield. Her handler Pete, another professional "search dog" handler, is having a lot of fun with her and I bet they cant wait for her to turn 12 months and start trialling.

Go Gerty, Go!

Well......... thanks to Kitty who has been walking lines nearly every day for 2 weeks, we have got Gerty really going well , and yesterday we took her to Buckinghamshire for her working permit, which she passed in quite arduous dry conditions, so I was very proud of her. Also thanks to Kitty for this lovely photo of Gerty coming into her runner (Peter Brown) and a cheery looking handler! For those interested in her tracking lead, you can read a bit more about it here http://www.farlapbloodhounds.com/section533515.html

Gerty does good!

At last Gerty has done something right!!! After despairing of her in the show ring (shes not keen!) we decided to give her a go at hunting. WOW........finally something she enjoys!!! She did her very 1st line of 300 metres, and today had her 2nd line, about 400 metres, with a gate way and a sharp turn. Well done Gerty! Here she is posing in her harness! (photo copyright Kitty kilian)

This n that

Yesterday we had a great trip to the beach with Baffle, Tennant, the lurcher team and "Princess Drizzle" (who is anything but!). It was Kitty;s first real trip to the "Ocean" so great fun for everyone.
We have received some lovely photos today from talented portrait artist Ev Burnside, and the one she has taken of Baffle in the show ring is great, thanks Ev! Her website is here

www.evelynburnsidepetportraits.co.uk

Finally we had photos today from "Little Brian".....who is now BIG BRAN!!! (see sofa photo!!) His tracking is amazing, and hes doing 1km lines through towns, with skateboarders and dog walkers as planned distractions......His owner traoner Robert is doing a fantastic job!

Farewell

What a sad day for the breed, with the loss of Jean. I well remember her arrivingat a trials in Dorset, to watch her 1st trials, with Flora a mere 5 month old baby, and from that one day, she achieved so much with her hounds. All our thoughts are with Duncan.

Another fun weekend

Another fun weekend with the hounds..........saturday was up to the hound show where some of the judging was interesting. It was Farlap Blissfuls first show with Lynda, who, despite having been to several shows herself when she was the "Brighton Bloodhounds" kennelmaid, this was her first excursion with her very own bloodhound. She handled Bliss really well, and Bliss was calm and collected all the way. Their 2nd in puppy bitch has qualified them for Crufts 2012. Well done girls!!
Baffle was also a good boy in the ring andI couldnt have asked any more of him. Gerty was her usual awkward stubborn self! Sunday saw us at the SW Lurcher championships, but as we were the only "bull bred" there, Im guessing everyone else knew that this wasnt her type of hound LOL. Nevermind it was a fun day out, and we took Gyp on his first official "day out" as well.


Shame to see people using their (perceived) positions of authority to their own ends and to air their personnal grieviences instead of to the benefit of the breeds we love. Looks like more pills needed!!!!
Thanks to KITTY once again for some great photos xxx

Thanks Kitty!

.......for taking this photo of Baffle, its his first "show photo". I hope he can remember how to stand at Hound Association, as he seems to have forgotten hes a bloodhound this week, and is acting more like a pirhana!
Discovered today that the most unlikely of people read my blog!!!!

Our Quarter Century

Leeds Championship Show 2011 saw Candle winning her 3rd CC, making it the 25th CC for Farlap (excluding all the overseas ones). It was also Baffles first show, and he was 3rd in his class which I was also very pleased with, as it was a very noisy and scary show for a 1st time baby. Despite 13 hours of driving and an unpleasant verbal attack in the ring from another (presumably jealous?) competetor,.......I should add that they were NOT even in the same class as me....... we had a fantastic day in Leeds!