Mastiff Association

Newsletter
February 2018

Edition no. 98

MASTIFF ASSOCIATION

PRESIDENT: Hilary Sargeant

VICE PRESIDENT: Peter Sarjeant
HON LIFE MEMBERS: Dee Dee Andersson, John Bromley, Peter Sarjeant

CHAIRMAN HON.SECRETARY HON.TREASURER
Mrs Pamela Jeans-Brown Mrs Jean Pennie Mr Jeff Edwards
12 Brook Croft Hawk’s Lodge Bryn Tudor
Marston Green Betton Wood Black Brook
BIRMINGHAM Market Drayton Sychdyn, MOLD
B37 7EP Shropshire TF9 4BE Flintshire CH7 6LT
Tel: 0121 7792692 Tel: 0792 9988008 Tel: 01352 750207
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

COMMITTEE

Mark Fox Kennelling Cottage, Kennelling Road, Charing, Kent TN27 0HF
Tel: 01233 712313 [email protected]

Caroline Hesketh 39 Eastoke Avenue, Hayling Island, Hants. PO11 9QW
Tel: 02392 460559 [email protected]

Elaine Norris 4 The Ridings, Blackhurst Lane, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN2 4RU
Tel: 01892 526376 [email protected]

John Bromley Cae Ffynnon Wen, Mynydd Eilian, Llaneilian, Isle of Anglesey, LL68 9NG
Tel: 01407 831908 [email protected]

Margaret Bromley Cae Ffynnon Wen, Mynydd Eilian, Llaneilian, Isle of Anglesey, LL68 9NG
Tel: 01407 831908 [email protected]

Robert Brown 12 Brook Croft, Marston Green, Birmingham, B37 7EP
Tel: 0121 779 2692

George Zadeh Goose Cottage, Cant Drove, Murrow, Cambs. PE13 4HN
Steve Coulman-Hole Oakdene, 36 Moat Lane, Sedlescombe, E. Sussex TN33 0RZ

NEWSLETTER EDITOR: Caroline Hesketh
TROPHY STEWARD: Caroline Hesketh – details above; WEB EDITOR Caroline Hesketh
BREED HEALTH CO-ORDINATOR (*MA & OEMC) not appointed
BREED HEALTH REPRESENTATIVE (MA) Elaine Norris – details above

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CONTENTS

4 …….….. Editorial
5 ………... New Members
6 ………... New Champions
9 ………... In Loving Memory
14 ………... Open Show 2017
22 ………... First Mastiff World Cup
32 ………... Discover Dogs London 2017
35 ………... News From Abroad
40 ………... Dates for the Diary
42 ………... Breed Record Supplement
Photographic Competition
43 ...............

Data Protection Act 1984
By virtue of its constitution, the Mastiff Association is exempt from registration under the Data Protection
Act 1984, but a condition of that exemption is that members must be kept informed of any personal detail
held about them on computer file and may demand its removal if they object to the data being so stored.
Accordingly, we are pleased to inform members that the only detail held about them on computer files
consists of names and addresses as this greatly assists us in updating our alphabetical membership register,
and facilitates the efficient provision of address labels for the distribution of newsletters and other printed
matter as and when required.
RB\5.2003

The views expressed in this Newsletter are not necessarily those of the Officers and
Committee

FRONT COVER: Murphy (kindly sent in by Becky Gillham)
COVER ILLUSTRATION: Sylvia Evans
COPYRIGHT RESERVED FOR THE CONTENT OF THIS NEWSLETTER

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EDITORIAL

Firstly, let me wish you all the very best for 2018 and I hope everyone

had a good Christmas and New Year. We have a bumper Newsletter this

time with lots of news and photos from abroad which I hope you will enjoy.

It’s lovely to read about what is happening in the world with other Mastiff

clubs and it feels that, with the internet, we are all so much closer. I believe

the first Mastiff World Cup was very successful and we look forward to the

next one in two years time in Italy. Lets get ourselves sorted and arrange a

group trip – what fun ‘Carry On Camping with Mastiffs’!

We have two new committee members who have joined our team –

so thank you to George Zadeh and Steve Coulman-Hole for giving your time

and energies to helping run the club.

A warm welcome to our new members and I hope they enjoy the

Newsletter and being part of our club. We look forward to welcoming you to

the shows and fun days etc., that the club holds each year. Also, please don’t

forget that if you have any questions regarding your mastiff or the club, then

feel free to contact one of the committee who will do their best to help.

We are in the process of designing a new website to help everyone

gain better and quicker access to news, shows, results plus up to date

information on health, feeding and breeding. If there is anything that anyone

feels should be added to the website let me know and we would be happy to

consider it.

We have two new champions – congratulations to Birch and Aspen

and also well done Henry on achieving Bronze in the Good Citizen Award

scheme. If anyone reading this has done similar, or their mastiff has been

awarded anything, or they have just done something lovely, funny or brave,

then please send me your photo and details. I will be pleased to share this in

one of our forthcoming newsletters which appear in May and September.

With best wishes,

Caroline Hesketh

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NEW MEMBERS

A very warm welcome to our new members:

Craig Hazelwood, Barnsley
John & Rhian Nuttall, Chester
Tim & Tina Thompson, Heath Hayes
Philip & Claire Popp, Cowbridge

Vendela Wiberg, London

DISCOVER DOGS CRUFTS

If you have a mastiff that loves cuddles and having their
photo taken you may want to bring them along.

They will need to be bombproof and over 6 months old.
If you would like to discuss this further please contact
Caroline Hesketh whose details are at the front of this

Newsletter
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NEW CHAMPIONS

Fragilis Goldfrapp
“Birch”

LOVED, Bred and owned by Mr Colin Hill

1st CC & BOB Ms Jackie Lewis, Birmingham Dog Show 09-05-2015
2nd CC Mr K R Newhouse, Midland Counties Canine Society 29-10-
2016. 3rd CC & BOB & Crown Mr S Hall, South Wales Kennel
Association 07-10-2017.
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Fragilis Fausta
“Aspen”

Loved, Bred and owned
by Mr Colin Hill

1st CC Mrs Pamela Jeans-Brown SKC 27-08-17.
2nd CC Mrs Margaret Bromley Midland Counties Canine Society 28-
10-17.
3rd CC & Crown Mrs Linda Proundfoot LKA 09-12-17.
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Congratulations to Henry
aka Cyberus Apollo, on
achieving his Bronze Good
Citzen Award at LKA on
December 9th

Thank you to Philip & Claire
Popp for sending us this
photo.

RAISING DOGS IS LIKE
A WALK IN THE PARK

...........
JURASSIC PARK !

8

IN LOVING MEMORY

Ch Cwmtysswg Gallant Hero
aka Sakura 18.12.09 - 27.10.17

Many of you are familiar with
the story of how I first spotted
Sakura across the show field
at Bearley in 2010. I cannot
explain why or how he got to
me as he wasn’t my type or
preferred colour. Me, I go for
the big headed apricots and
Sakura was neither of those.
But who can explain love at
first sight? I watched him in
the show ring, always a
beautiful mover and ever the
showman with real
personality. Bred By Pauline
& Malcolm Gittins and owned
by Debbie Williams and Owen
Wilkes he came through those
early years showing real
promise despite many criticisms that, ‘he wasn’t a real mastiff’.
Despite the criticism if you compared the drawing of the breed standard
with Sakura there was an uncanny resemblance.

His show career began with Best Puppy at the MA Open Show in 2010
and carried on with:
2012
Birmingham National - Bas Bosch DCC,
Windsor - Bill Toogood DCC, BOB and Group 2
National Working & Pastoral C Thomas DCC & BOB
Darlington - Ron James DCC & BOB
Driffield - Margaret Bromley DCC & BOB
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City of Birmingham - Frank Kane BOB & Group 3
South Wales - Nick Waters DCC & BOB
LKA - Pamela Jeans-Brown DCC & BOB
2013
Birmingham National - Maraget Wildman DCC & BOB
National Working & Pastoral - Terry Munro DCC & BOB
Leeds - Sue Pollock Yule DCC & BOB
OEMC - John Rischmiller DCC, BOB and Best in Show
WKC - Zena Thorn-Andrews DCC & BOB
2014
Blackpool - Vic Salt, DCC, BOB & Group 1
WKC - John Steele DCC & BOB

We were fortunate that in 2014 Sakura came to live with Graham and I
and our puppy Nesbo. I remember when Debbie and Owen brought
him to live with us, it was a lovely sunny day and there was a large
group of us eating outside. Owen, who had trained him to perfection,
placed him at the top of the garden in a ‘down stay’. I glanced at
Sakura and watched him commando crawl across the garden towards
the lasagne. Owen looked up and Sakura froze like a statue. Owen
looked a bit puzzled. As soon as Owen looked away Sakura began to
commando crawl across the lawn again. I know it was a bit naughty
but I loved him even more for that as it showed real character.

We decided to take Nesbo to the Blackpool Championship Show to see
if he could qualify for Crufts. We didn’t want to leave Sakura at home
so we entered him even although he had, technically, retired from the
show ring the year before. We were in the ring very early and as
Blackpool was our most local show we didn’t even take a picnic or
flask of coffee, as we were certain to be home for lunch. Vic Salt gave
Sakura a class win then the DCC and the BOB. He sailed through his
vet check and then we had a very long wait for the Group judging. Sue
Pollock-Yule was the Group Judge and when Graham handled Sakura
in the group ring they flew round. I had never seen a mastiff move so
fast. Sue awarded Sakura the Group 1. It was the first time in UK
history that a mastiff had taken a Group 1. It was a proud day when I
watched a mastiff, my mastiff, in the Best in Show ring. We have

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Owen Wilkes to thank for training Sakura to perfection (although he
was a terrible food thief) and Debbie Williams for developing his ring
craft. Some 10 months after his relocation he met up with Owen and
Debbie again at the MA Champ Show. He ran to Owen and put his
paws on Owens shoulders and kissed and kissed him. Owen had tears
running down his face. Debbie had a similar experience. So nice to
know that he still loved them as much as they still loved him.
Eventually we ran out of judges and Sakura retired again from the show
ring.

Sakura loved his food. He was the smartest of dogs and would watch
me carefully outside in the garden. Earlier this year he watched as I
reached into a courgette bush growing in a raised bed as I twisted and
pulled out a courgette. As soon as my back was turned his head was in
the bush and he too came out with a courgette. He pulled down the
runner bean wigwams and many of the beans had been chomped off an
inch from the end. I have a video of him climbing a plum tree to pull
branches down and he stole raspberries and strawberries too and was
never, ever remotely sorry. And his antics with Nesbo to get his own
way were legendary. He knew exactly what to do to get the bed or toy
that he wanted and he continually outwitted Nesbo who never did
manage to win. He had successfully come through a gastric torsion
operation in May and was back to his old self, hurtling around the
garden at great speed. We had talked about entering him in the Veteran
Class at the MA Champ Show and Crufts as he was looking and
moving so well.

It seems though that something sinister was afoot and Sakura had a
benign tumour in his aorta which had been there for some time as it had
partially calcified. Suddenly it began to grow and caused a blockage in
his aorta whenever he exerted himself. He would fall to the ground for a
few minutes, fully conscious with limbs relaxed, then get up with his
tail wagging. Blood tests revealed an issue and we took him to see Jane
Marshall, Director of Cardiology, Woodcroft Vets in Cheadle, who is
an old friend. She sent blood tests off and did scans which revealed the
tumour.

11

From initial concern to the end took only 3 weeks and he didn’t seem to
be in any pain. On the day he died I leapt out of bed just before 4am
for no reason and found him in the kitchen with, for the first time, no
tail wagging. We both stayed with him and he went outside a few times
but couldn't settle. His breathing was very rapid and we made a phone
call to the vet requesting the ultimate home visit but before we could
give her directions he died in my arms.
I will miss him by my side when I was cooking or prepping food, he
seemed to know when I was about to start and would creep into the
kitchen to be alongside me. He leaves a legacy for mastiffs to be proud
of and I hope it isn’t too long before we see another mastiff in the Best
in Show ring

12

13

MASTIFF ASSOCIATION

Breed Open Show
Sunday 17th September 2017

Judge: Ms Emma Frew

RESULTS

Best In Show – Fragilis Fausta
Reserve Best In Show – Cyberus Babayaga

Best Dog – Cyberus Babayaga
Best Bitch – Fragilis Fausta

Res. Dog – Swainsi Danny Boy
Res. Bitch – Hestia Spod Holi at Cyberus

Best Puppy – Cwmtysswg Sabine
Best Veteran – no entries

Thank you to the Mastiff Association for inviting me to Judge. Overall the
quality of the exhibits was good, with excellent quality in the bitches in
particular. The teeth of all exhibits was correct with no dental issues so I have
not commented on this in individual critiques. Some exhibits had cow hocks
which is unacceptable in mature adults. Temperaments were good with no
nervous or timidity being displayed.

Class 1: VETERAN DOG OR BITCH Entries 0

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Class 2: MINOR PUPPY DOG Entries 2

1st Mr M & Mrs P Gittins CWMTYSSWG SULTAN

Brindle of 7

months. Ears of

correct

proportion and

thickness, well

set on head.

Dark eye

matching

pigmentation.

Well

proportioned

reach of neck

leading into

correctly

angulated

shoulder, would

have preferred a little more length in body and a little more angulation still

needs time to develop. Promising.
2nd Mrs V Miller QUATERMAIN OF CHEESE HILL (Imp)

Another 7 month old brindle, already of some size but with a long way to go
to mature as still narrow in front and behind, preferred the movement of 1st.

Class 3: MINOR PUPPY BITCH Entries 2 Absentees 1

1st Mr M & Mrs P Gittins’ CWMTYSSWG SABINE BEST PUPPY

BITCH, BEST PUPPY IN SHOW

Litter sister of MPD lovely well marked brindle with feminine head showing

all of the correct

proportions, dark

eyes, well set

ears, good length

of body, well

balanced for a

youngster, strong

upright pasterns

and well

angulated behind.

Moved well,

promising.

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Class 4: PUPPY DOG Entries 7 Absentees 3

1st Mr I White’s SWAINSI DANNY BOY BEST PUPPY DOG;

RESERVE BEST DOG

Very mature for 11

months, tall brindle

boy. Would have

preferred darker

pigmentation

particularly ears,

but overall head

shape correct on

neck with excellent

reach. Correct

slope of shoulder,

long body in good

condition, Straight

strong pasterns,

strong hocks, moved with drive

2nd Mr S Saward & Ms C Andrews’ MAHOOSTIFF GOD OF THUNDER

Another really tall and well matured boy for 11 months, good pigment with

pleasing expression without being overdone, a little loose in the eye for my

liking, needs to mature but shows promise, moved well.
3rd Mr C Hazelwood’s CRAIGLESTONE LORD THUDFOOT
Res Mrs D Chapman’s KARYSMHOR COOPER’S COMET

Class 5: PUPPY BITCH Entries 5 Absentees 1

1st Mr D McCulloch & Ms J Gillett NOBLEHEART LADY LOVE BUG

FOR DAMACO

9 month old fawn

bitch, correct mask

with deep

pigmentation, tight

dark eyes, correctly

set. Well defined stop

with pleasing feminine

expression, would

have preferred lightly

longer in the body,

excellent angulation,

moved with drive well

once she got going

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2nd Mr S & Mrs T Coulman-Hole’s SUNCAMO REDBOO TABITHA

FOR WOMLU

10 month old fawn, lovely clean fawn with dark pigmentation, feminine head

with defined stop and well-set ears, eyes of correct shape, tightness and

colour, excellent slope of shoulder would like a little more length in body and

more angulation behind, but moved well driven from developed quarters. A

strong class of promising young ladies.
3rd Mr G Zadeh’s SUNCAMO REDBOO RUBY
Res Mr R Beaumont & Mrs C Hesketh’s KARYSMHOR GWYNETH’S

GALAXY

Class 6: JUNIOR DOG Entries 1 Absentees 0

1st Mr M Murray & Mrs S Saukas’ MAYFAIR’S MAXIMUS DE LA

VILLA BEL AIR

10 month old fawn boy clean head with defined stop, prefer a tighter eye,
good reach of neck, needs to mature as still narrow in front, good angulation
behind. Moved okay but needs more practice to settle on the move.

Class 7: YEARLING DOG Entries 0
Class 8: POST GRADUATE DOG Entries 0

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Class 9: LIMIT DOG Entries 4 Absentees 0

1st Mrs T Andrews’ CYBERUS BABAYAGA BEST DOG

20 month old fawn boy, would like a slightly cleaner head but underneath his

proportions are

sound, showing a

little too much

eye. Excellent

body, well

matured for age,

good bone, deep

chest with good

spring of rib,

tight feet on

strong pasterns

and hocks

enabling him to

move with power

and grace.

2nd Mrs V S Miller’s MULLAK HANDSOME HERO OF BRINDAREE

Large 5 year old mature brindle. Prefer a stronger and more well defined stop,

lacking length in neck and shoulder that made him look a little stuffy but over

all his length of body is good which allowed him to move surprisingly well for

such a large dog.

3rd Mr S & Mrs T Coulman-Hole’s FAYNAD HUMPTY DUMPTY

FOR WOMLU
4th Mr S & Mrs T Coulman-Hole’s FAYNAD FIFTY SHADES

Class 10: OPEN DOG Entries 0

Class 11: JUNIOR BITCH Entries 1 Absentees 0

1st Mr C Hills’ FRAGILIS FAUSTA BEST BITCH, BEST IN SHOW

14 month old fawn

bitch stood alone in

this class but of superb

quality. Correct in all

proportions in the

head, including a

strong stop, ear

placement and

proportions, would

prefer a slightly tighter

eye but this should

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come with time. Mature in the body with excellent slope in shoulder, length of

body, well developed and in good condition. Strong pasterns and hocks with

enough bone without being over done. Balanced on the move, moved with

ease. One to watch.

Class 12: YEARLING BITCH Entries 1 Absentees 0

1st Ms J Bowdery’s MORGANLEFAY ALL HALLOWS EVE

22 months fawn bitch,

a small bitch but

absolutely true to type,

would prefer a

stronger stop but ear

and eye settings all

correct, exuberant and

happy on the move,

tight feet, good muscle

definition in

hindquarters. Would

have like to have seen

her more settled on the

move as she was hard

to assess as she was enjoying herself so much but one of the best movements

in exhibits on the day.

Class 13: POST GRADUATE BITCH Entries 0

Class 14: LIMIT BITCH Entries 6 Absentees 1

1st Mrs T Andrews’ HESTIA SPOD HOLI AT CYBERUS RES BEST

BITCH

19 month old Apricot

Bitch of lovely

quality, strong stop,

correct square

proportions in head

without losing any

femininity, dark eye

of the correct shape

and setting, correct in

the shoulder and

length of body with

ample bone to carry

her. Moved well, very

well put together, she

19

is the full package
2nd Mr G Zadeh’s FAYNAD STORM IN A TEA CUP

20 month old fawn bitch, super quality, excellent pigmentation, good reach of

neck and length of body. Pushed hard for first place but was a little bit shy on

the move. This was a hard class to judge with all bitches being of excellent

quality!
3rd Mr A & Mrs T Facey HEXNORDEN EVERLONG FOR NORDICFACE
4th Mr G & Mrs D Harding’s MULALOO MIDNIGHT MOONBEAM
VHC Mr J A & Mrs M R Bromley’s HARTING COOMBE HILL AT

SPIRITHILL

Class 15: OPEN BITCH Entries 2 Absentees 0

1st Mr G Zadeh’s FAYNAD DON’T CHA ANNIE
20 month old fawn bitch, beautiful on the eye when stacked up, clear dark
eyes, would prefer slightly more neck but true slope of shoulder, correct
length in body with good spring of rib. Well defined, strong back end, strong
hocks that moved her with drive, would like to see her more settled on the
move, super quality.
2nd Mr C Hill’s FRAGILIS GOLDFRAPP
4 year old fawn bitch, again of super quality, head correct in all proportions,
mature and sound in body with good bone and strong hindquarters that
enabled her to move with drive, I’d prefer tighter feet in front but overall a
beautifully balanced bitch. It was hard to choose between these 2 lovely girls.

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Class 16: SPECIAL OPEN FAWN (inc APRICOT) DOG OR BITCH

Entries 5 Absentees 4

1st Ms J Bowdery’s MORGANLEFAY ALL HALLOWS EVE

Class 17: SPECIAL OPEN BRINDLE DOG OR BITCH Entries 3

Absentees 0
1st Ms J Bowdery’s SHERWOOD’S ASPEN FOR ADVENTURE AT

MORGANLEFAY
2nd Mrs V S Miller’s MULLAK HANDSOME HERO OF BRINDAREE
3rd Mrs V Miller QUATERMAIN OF CHEESE HILL (Imp)

Class 18: BRACE Entries 1

Mrs V S Miller

Emma Frew

(Molossemma)

BEST IN SHOW and BEST OPPOSITE SEX IN SHOW
with Judge EmmaFrew

Fragilis Fausta Cyberus Babayaga
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The First
Mastiff
World
Cup

Someone had the brilliant idea of calling together Mastiffs from around
the world to meet in the month of September in a corner of France
renowned for its wine and its sunshine. The Mastiffs turned up, the
wine flowed, it was only the sun which failed to put in an appearance
but the welcome was so warm that hardly anyone noticed its absence.

Mastiff enthusiasts came from far and wide, from as far afield as
Australia as well as from Europe and the USA, to celebrate this
wonderful breed and people were able to meet in person individuals
with whom they had communicated for years via social media.

The World Cup Show itself was impressive because it is rare to see
Open Classes of 27 or 28 except in the US. One has to admit that
quantity does not always bring quality but on the whole there were
enough reasonable dogs there to keep judges and spectators happy.
John Bromley, Debbie Harding and George Zadeh were among the
successful exhibitors so the British contingent had reason to cheer. The
Saturday Show was a special moment in the history of our breed and
everyone appreciated the opportunity to see so many Mastiffs at the
same time and in the same place.

Of course I was not an exhibitor and so the show results were less
pertinent for me than for owners. For me the most important part of the
whole weekend was what happened on the Friday and carried on
throughout the weekend. The CFBM organised a conference which was
attended by delegates from many countries. Christofer Habig spoke of
the work which awaits us if we wish to protect and save our breed in its
purest form, a warning which we should ignore at our peril.

22

Then came perhaps the most important part of the day. Each delegate
spoke about the current state of the breed in their country and the
problems which beset them. Although worrying it was also reassuring
to know that one was not alone in experiencing difficulties. The
worldwide gene pool for this breed is diminishing rapidly and people
must work together to improve the situation. I feel much more positive
having listened to the exchange of ideas and thoughts and realising that
committed individuals have offered the hand of friendship and
cooperation now that they have met in the real world.

We owe a great debt of gratitude to the French Bullmastiff and Mastiff
Club and especially to Anne-Marie Class because they have given us
the possibility of taking the first steps towards securing a world-wide
future for our Mastiffs. The next Mastiff World Cup will happen in
2019 in Italy and I hope to see more of you there!

Pamela Jeans-Brown

Here is an extract from an article in the New Zealand Club Newsletter which
was written by Hilary Stace on her trip to France for the first Mastiff World Cup

The French Club had arranged accommodation for us and other visitors at
the local camping ground. We had a ‘chalet’ to stay in, which was a small,
self contained motel. We arrived before most people, on the Thursday,
which gave us time to get to know our surroundings. There was a
restaurant on site with a bar, so we were able to meet and eat there, and
have 30 minutes free wifi every 6 hours. I went there once we’d settled in
and the first person I met was Gabrielle Simmonds (Marstenmoor) from
Victoria. We had a wine together and shared our travel experiences. We
were joined by the Bromleys (Spirithill) from Anglesey, UK, with Amber
their Mastiff. It turned out that all those who were staying at the
campground were eating there, so later, around 8.00 pm, we all met to
dine together. 8.00 pm is the norm for dining in France, if not later, and
as we found out, there is no rush to eat and leave.
So that evening, we joined Anne-Marie Class, the Club President who
had organized the show, along with the vivacious Francoise Vittori, who
lives in Dompierre and is a Club Committee member, along with quite a
few others from other countries. That included Pamela Jeans-Brown, a
judge and Chairman of the Mastiff Association in England, and Jean

23

Pennie, Secretary of the same club, Christopher Habig of Germany, who
was to be one of the judges at the weekend, and Bernard Le Courtois
(Brullemail) of France, who was a judge as well. I recognized them from
photos I had seen and was in awe of being in the presence of people
whose names I had read about over many years of Mastiffs, but as I
found out, they were not to be placed on a pedestal but happy to talk
to everyone.
There was plenty of loud talk and laughter and we soon got to know
about each other and our dogs. By the time we’d eaten and drunk our
drinks it was about 10.30 pm and time for bed. It was a great start to
the weekend.
The next day, we were invited by Anne-Marie and Francoise to a seminar
on the Mastiff to be held in a nearby village. I wasn’t sure about
attending as I’m not a breeder but we decided to go along for a while and
listen to what was being discussed. As it turned out, we ended up staying
all day, and both Ian and I were able to contribute a little to the
discussions. In addition to the people we’d met the day before, we were
joined by a few extra people such as Karen Park (USA) who was
representing the MCOA, and from Scandinavia, Tina Borneklint and
Marzenna Liszewska. There were representatives from Belgium and Italy
as well but I didn’t catch their names.
Different people led discussions on various topics with contributions
from the rest of us; such things as numbers of litters being produced and
concerns relating to showing, health issues and breeding. Christopher
Habig who has been involved in our breed for years presented a great
item on the state of the breed, Gabrielle Simmonds talked about
artificial insemination – the problems, costs and limitations, Karen Park
talked about health problems and testing. Apart from the usual points,
she raised a huge concern about a new and potentially deadly brucellosis
– swine brucellosis. It breaks down the spine to mush and the lungs to
jelly. There is no known vaccine. It currently affects dogs in contact with
pigs in the Southern States, by licking and sharing water etc. This could
be contracted here via artificial insemination. It can be transferred to
humans, too, so is very worrying. Pamela Jeans-Brown as a judge and
member of The Kennel Club (UK) talked about the Mastiff as one of the
breeds that is under watch by the Kennel Club, with particular aspects
being checked at every show. A dog who wins Best of Breed isn’t
awarded until checked by a vet. If they pass the vet check, they can then

24

be awarded and go into the Group judging. Pam said it had helped the
situation where in the past dogs could look the part and get Best of
Breed but in fact they weren’t able to move well. Soundness has
improved but some vets are not well informed about what to look for in
the Mastiff breed.
From our discussions, it was clear that conditions for the breed vary
from country to country. In Norway, they no longer have a breed
specific club which has led to some indiscriminate breeding. In Germany,
their Kennel Club limits who can breed and which dogs can be used. In
most countries, Kennel Clubs and Mastiff Clubs encourage certain
conditions around breeding such as testing for health and temperament
but it isn’t enforced as yet. The group felt that too many rules could ruin
a breed as easily as having no rules.
We broke for lunch and what a lunch! Cheese pastries, salad and meat
loaf, chicken and vegetables, bread and cheeses, desserts, and wine – of
course! That took a couple of hours, followed by a group photo then a
decision as a group to set up a worldwide Mastiff Fellowship, with
members from as many countries as possible. The aim will be to work
together to protect and improve our breed understanding. We look
forward to further discussions and ways of protecting our breed.
After a dinner meal later in the day, also taking some time to eat and
enjoy, we eventually drove back to our little cabin in the dark around
11.00 pm, a bit tricky on narrow, unlit and unfamiliar roads.
The next morning it was the day we had been waiting for, the Mastiff
World Cup. The weather didn’t play the game, being grey and cold with
occasional showers. However, the Mastiff lovers from around Europe
were there, along with around 148 Mastiffs.
Some were staying in our camping ground and we’d already seen them.
Others were staying elsewhere. The show was held next to our camp
ground, with two rings set up and a gazebo in between for officials and
guests, such as us. We were glad of the shelter when the rain came
down. Around this time, we met up with Paul Renall and Kathleen
Reynolds who, like us, had come all the way from New Zealand for this
show and to join their friends Gabrielle Simmonds, and Wilhelm Graf and
Corinna Reich (Von Der Villa Graf Mastiffs). We compared notes on
driving in France – not easy!
The judges were Christopher Habig (Germany), judging dogs and John
Walsh Jr (Ireland) judging bitches. This was reversed the following day. It

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was a bit hard to watch both rings and see who was being chosen. I had a
catalogue which helped but had to follow what was going on, without
any announcements to clarify who won what. I guess if you won a class,
you were doing very well, but especially so in the Open classes, which
had 28 entries for dogs and 27 for bitches. What a thrill to win over that
many! The classes were similar to ours although I think they have slightly
different age cut offs for them.
All the champions are in a separate class as well, and there are Seniors
who seemed to be under 8 years and then the Veterans over 8 years. The
overwhelmingly largest group of Mastiffs came from France – no
surprises there - with 95 entries, followed by Italy, Serbia, Belgium,
Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK.
I have to say I was a little disappointed that there were very few dogs
from the UK – just 5 entries.
Anyway, on to the dogs themselves. On the whole, they were relaxed
and well trained and presented. They were mainly fawns although there
were some brindles and a few apricots. I guess the variety of type was
the same as everywhere, some outstanding ones, a lot of good ones
and a very small number that shouldn’t have been there, with some
faults or lacking training. I am no judge but I did like some of the dogs a
lot and they were generally ones the judges chose for their top 4 or 5.
The owners or handlers obviously loved their dogs too, which is always
good to see. I took lots of photos so I will share some with you. It was
interesting that both judges picked the same two dogs as Best In Show
and Best Opposite Sex each day, so they were obviously the stand outs
for them. Best In Show was a glorious apricot bitch from Norway, Ch
Devine Cornelia From Big Boys Club. She was 5 years old, well muscled
and quite tall for a bitch, but simply loved showing, stood without being
stacked and moved with power. She is owned and bred by Marzenna
Liszewska, who was so proud and delighted by her wins. I later heard
that she had won group awards with this girl, too.
Best Opposite Sex went to Jorgen Made Of Steel Du Ranc Des Bannes
who stood out for his wonderful movement and kind temperament. He
was a fawn from the Open Class. He was bred by Delphine Laubriat and
owned by Charlotte Radondy, both of France.

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The First Mastiff World Cup
Dompierre les Ormes, France
Saturday 9th September 2017

149 entries
Judges:
Mr Christopher Habig (Germany) – Males
Mr John Walsh (Jr) (Ireland) – Females
BEST OF BREED (Female)

MULTI CH DEVINE CORNELIA FROM BIG BOYS CLUB
(Norway)
Owner/Breeder: M Liszewska
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BEST OPPOPSITE SEX (Male)

JORGEN MADE OF STEEL DU RANC DE BANNES (France)
Owner: C Radondy; Breeder: D Laubriat

BEST PUPPY (Bitch)

NIKITA
HDR DES
GUELES
D’AMOUR
Breeder M.
Bizot ;
owner
Stephane
Perloff.
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BEST MINOR PUPPY (MALE)

NELSON
Breeder

Wilhelm
Graf’

Owned by:
Katia Goetz

A truly international affair which epitimised the Mastiff World Cup. Photo left to right
handlers: Muriel from France; Gaby Heimann from Argentina; Willi Graf from Germany
/ France; Sarah from America / England; Gabrielle Simmonds from Australia; Judge
John J Walsh from Ireland; Judge Christopher Habig from Germany; Corinna
Reich Contesse Du Hohwald from Germany / France. (Photo courtesy Helen Stace)

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George
Zadeh
and
Frank

John Bromley and Amber
winning their class
and below Debbie Harding with
Ava

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31

DISCOVER DOGS
LONDON EXCEL CENTRE

21st – 22nd October 2017

Discover Dogs was held at Excel
in London in October. This is a
great opportunity for us to
showcase our wonderful breed
and for the public to meet them
face to face.

The show is run by the Kennel
Club to give us an opportunity to
promote pedigree dogs, to help
people choose the right breed of
dog for their family and then to
give their dog the happiest and
most fulfilled life as possible.

Discover Dogs has changed so much in the 15 years that I have been

involved in the event, it is not just about meeting the breeds but is

now a full

weekend of

demonstrations all

sorts of

competitions and

of course lots of

doggy shopping!

The Kennel Club

have reported
that the gate was

up on last year’s

numbers to

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33,640 attending
over the 2 days.

We are very
fortunate to have
owners and mastiffs
that are willing to
give their time to
man our breed
booth and chat
mastiffs while the
dogs are cuddled
and photographed.

So huge thanks must go to
Caroline Hesketh with her dogs
Gwyneth and Autumn, Jim
Chapman with Blaze, Helen
Masters and her family with
Mavis and Neville and a new
addition to our team Scott
Saward and his boy Thor.

Discover Dogs is held twice a

year and we are always
looking for owners with
bomb proof dogs that would
be willing to give up a
morning or afternoon to talk
mastiffs. You don’t need to
be an expert on the breed

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and your dog doesn’t need to be a top winning mastiff in the show
ring, people just want to hear about your experience with the breed.
So if you would like to help out at Discover Dogs or discuss it any
further please do get in touch with me, Elaine Norris, my details are in

the front of this newsletter.

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NEWS FROM ABROAD

THE NEW ZEALAND SHOW SCENE
2017

THE MASTIFF CLUB CHAMP SHOW 2017

Best In Show 2017
Ch Lindenvale Zelandia
(Andi) with proud owner
Jane Lee-Cooper
and judge Alison Raftis

Runner Up Best of
Breed and Best Dog
Shantileigh Plonky
Bear (Roche) with his
owner/breeder Leigh
Kennedy and the judge

Reserve Dog and Best
Junior in Show
Brehan Jedadiah Line
Walker (Jed) with his
owner/breeder
Lloyd Woodroofe

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Best Puppy In Show
Zeland’sWreaking Ball
(Miley) with owner/breeder
Jane Lee-Cooper

Best Veteran
Ch Brehan Bridget (Lace)

Best Brindle – Toadhall Teddy Best Fawn – Brehan Admiral Narla
Bears Picnic (Zulu) (Narla) with Bryony Henricksen

Best Puppy Dog

Shantileigh He’s Got
Rhythm (Mojo) with
Shania Kennedy

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Mastiff Club of Victoria, Australia

The winners of their Champ Show

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38

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DATES FOR THE DIARY

Crufts: 8th March. Judge: Dr R W James
Working & Pastoral Breeds Association of Wales: April 21st. Judge:
Tan Nagrecha
Old English Mastiff Club Open Show: April 22nd. Judge: Lyn
McKevitt
Birmingham Dog Show: May 13th. Judge Hilary Sargeant.
Scottish Kennel Club: 18th May. Judge: Sue Garner
Bath Canine Society: 27th May. Judge: Tracy Atkinson
Blackpool : 24th June. Judge: John Bromley
Windsor: 30th June.
East of England: 8th July.
National Working & Pastoral: 14th July. Judge: Dr D Collinson
Leeds: 29th July. Judge: Elaine Knight

For more details of the above shows plus entry closing dates and easy access
to schedules, please go to our website www.mastiffassociation.com

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Overseas dog shows 2018

From 9-12 August
2018 there are three
shows in which you
can enter your dog
or dogs. These are
the World Dog
Show, the Benelux
Winner and one of
the Group shows.

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BREED RECORD SUPPLEMENT
SUMMARY

(Taken from July to September 2017)

During this period we had 8 litters in total producing 50 puppies with 2
imports and 1 export. The last quarter figures have now been included in the
table below.

Hip Scores

Morganlefay All Hallows Eve R6 / L5 Total 11

Sherwood’s Aspen For Adventure At Morganlefay R7 / L8 Total 15

Elbow Scores

Morganlefay All Hallows Eve 0

Sherwood’s Aspen For Adventure At Morganlefay 0

Mardigras Du Domaine De Straz at Cwmtysswg 0

Mastiff registrations for the last 10 years

Year 1st qtr 2nd qtr 3rd qtr 4th qtr Total
2017 52 38 50
2016 47 19 12 24 102
2015 46 28 31 54 159
2014 41 15 58 10 124
2013 17 56 20 46 139
2012 22 51 31 36 140
2011 54 2 69 48 173
2010 41 25 54 37 157
2009 37 78 82 55 252
2008 91 104 48 56 299

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PHOTOGRAPHIC
COMPETITION

To be judged by : JEAN PENNIE

THIS COMPETITION IS OPEN TO ALL MEMBERS AND THE
PRIZE IS A YEAR’S FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO THE MA

We are inviting you to either email your pictures to:
[email protected]
or to send hard copies to:

Caroline Hesketh
39 Eastoke Avenue
Hayling Island
Hampshire
PO11 9QW

along with your name, address and telephone number

The closing date is 31st March 2018

The winning photograph and runner up will appear in the May issue of the
Newsletter

All photographs will appear on the website and the best ones used for the
2019 calendar (these need to be landscape size to fit)

N.B. Photographs submitted must NOT have been taken by a professional

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Who me? ......

............... never !!!

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