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.