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The
Wonder of the White Nights
I'd
like to dedicate this article to all those beautiful people that opened
their heart and made one of the best moments of my life with
Airedales possible, specialty to little person, of only three years,
who knew how to retain my love forever. I mean Natasha Gurko. But I
send them all my most sincere thanks.
LIBERTY !
A magic word, so beautiful, so easy to pronounce, so desired to
maintain and so important for the everyday life of us all. Russia,
that country envolved by a halo of mistery, can enjoy it only since four
year. Breathing it, forcing their willpower to win and obtaining
its noble aims, they got over obstacles and were able to integrate
that wonderfull feeling to their existence. We wrote September 1993.
To my total surprise, I recieved a letter from Saint Petersburg,
Russia, signed by a Mr.Andrew Gurko. My surprise became
astonishment as I read: I was beeing invited to judge the annual show of
the "Russian National Airedale Terrier Association” in May, 1994. I
decided myself at that very moment, I looked upon this trip as a new
experience. As I had to take four puppies with me, I had to plan it
carefully. I traveled with Aeroflot, and they had special
atentions with me and the puppies: I could visit them, play, feed and
water them every time I wanted to during the flight, a certainly long
one, it lasted 22 hours. Well, at last it came, after known
preparatives and never ending questions, the day of taking the
flight, May 16th. Off we went, my cousin Carmen, the four puppies
Cecil,
Patagonia, Pampa, Malvina
and
me. It was a terrific flight, the russian airplane behaved like a
Jumbo, with the advantage that I could be with my puppies. After 22
hours of traveling, seventeen of them flying, stopping in Brasil, in
the beautifull city called "San Salvador de Bahia", the lonely
island of "Cabo Verde" and in Argelia, we arrived in Moscow in the first
hours of Wednesday. There, all the directives of the club were awaiting
us. After a short rest, we took the train to Saint Petersburg. We
arrived there after crossing amazing landscapes during nine hours. The
chairman of the club, Andrew Gurko, installed us in his fathers
house, where we lived until we had to go back. On Thursday and Friday we
visited the beautifull city. At last it was Saturday, a day I
waited so long for and which had created great expextation in the
airedalers. The day of the show had arrived! The show was held in
a big sports center, a two day event full of intense work. I dictated
all critics in spanish to my secretary, my cousin Carmen, after
each judging. She in turn dictated them to Miss Tania, our
sapanish-russian translator. Tania gave the critics to another
person, who tiped them, so they could be given to the exhibitors
on the same day. On Saturday I judged males (35 dogs). In the
Junior class, Strate Fare Non Stop[1]was first. Torvald Velstau, whose
father would become later Best Male and Best in Show, won the
Junior class. In Open class, Shelfrefe Style was first and Jokyl Against
All Odds was his runner up. This two could compete in any country of
the world. Going on with the judging, the 4rth. class, Winners, was won
by Strongford Podarock, a superb Airedale, with excellent front and
hind movement. He became, at the end of the day, the Best Male of the
Show, and in Sunday Best in Show. On Sunday I had the pleasure to judge
all bitches (42 females). On Junior class, I want to name Solf
Air Vekey, her mother is a Beacytan, she is a beautifull bitch, very
femenine with an excellent head, she was first. Second in that
class was Nakles Tale and It's Eze Cornels third. All three are lovely
bitches. In Young bitches, I put Nikolette g.v.Rottumer Hot up,a
daughter of Ballintoberm Gold of Saredon, a superb bitch who could
succeed under the most critical judges, very femenine, she showed
herself all the time. In Open class Chiflow Kanige Obertaich was
first, a very sound one, she and Nikolette could compete in any
country. The winner of the Open class was Best Bitch of the show,
although in some moment I doubted between her and the winner of the
Young class. In the Winners class, the decision between the first and
the second was very hard, both are really very nice, strong and of
good size. Since I had to choose won, Rotby Malosante was first and
Rotby Darflay Bright second. After, the judging, I recieved the
most emotive demonstrations of friendship. On Tuesday we got together at
the Club, where I had the satisfaction to talk with exhibitiors
and lovers of the breed. Answering questions, changing ideas and
exposing concepts, a very cordial afternoon went by. On wednesday
we met again, this time to have something like a trimming
practice between friends. Our kind nosts took us around on the following
days, showing us more details of that great city, Saint
Petersburg, with its wonderfull cites, the magnificient trees, its
museums, its palaces and its peoples.
Then,
we went to Moscou, following a kind invitation from our friends,
where we visited the Red-Square, the Kremlin and the Metro. To resume
all this comments, remembering the long days that made the nights
became " Beautifull White Nights "and the pleasants moments we lived,
the reflexion that comes to my mind is that this people have
achieved in four years of freedom a real miracle, not only a
reality, with strenght, sacrifice and courage. About their animals, it
is enough to see their parks, the Metro, the shops to realize how
much they love them, in my specific case I noticed it with the
Airedales. Seeing Natasha of only three years handling, playing
and fondling her puppies is enough to relize positively that the
future full of promises and accomplished dreams belongs to them. I
could never forget such a wonderfull experience, I could never stop
remembering my russian friends with all the love they roused in me. May God bless them.
Copyright (c) 1997-2014 FAIRYLAND - All rights reserved.
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