Journal Donau 2018
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SIGHTHOUND FESTIVAL DONAUESCHINGEN 2017<br />
Text: Anna Szabo | Fotos: Anna Szabo + Monika Konopová<br />
I dare say no Sighthound event is<br />
more eagerly awaited in Europe<br />
than the great <strong>Donau</strong>eschingen<br />
Sighthound Festival at present,<br />
hosted by the German Sighthound<br />
Club (DWZRV) on the<br />
beautiful equestrian grounds of<br />
<strong>Donau</strong>eschingen, a charming<br />
little town in the South of Germany.<br />
The show always offers much<br />
quality and quantity in entries,<br />
much drama, excitement and<br />
fun... but this year, the enormous<br />
undertaking by the Olaf Knauber<br />
- Angelika Heydrich twosome<br />
and their handful, but ever dedicated<br />
team, yielded an event<br />
that, even if not flawless, was just<br />
sheer magic. This year, I have also<br />
decided to join the team and<br />
taste the <strong>Donau</strong>eschingen experience<br />
to the fullest. And what a<br />
rewarding decision that was…<br />
I’m not sure my skills as a chronicler<br />
are adequate enough to<br />
put such a deeply impassioned<br />
and immense affair into words<br />
properly, but I shall try my best<br />
to do so.<br />
Despite ever decreasing entries<br />
at dog shows, they continue to<br />
flourish at <strong>Donau</strong>eschingen, and<br />
the 2017 edition of the show<br />
once again set a new record<br />
entry for itself with close to 1500<br />
combined entries (822 on Saturday!).<br />
No doubt the excellent<br />
composition of the show’s judging<br />
panel contributed greatly<br />
to this. International attendance<br />
was just as abundant as ever. It<br />
is quite flattering to the show<br />
that quite a few of the international<br />
dog fancy are sufficiently<br />
impressed with the quality of<br />
competition to want to compete<br />
here in the first place. And, they<br />
realise, that in order to win, they<br />
have to show the very best they<br />
have.<br />
The opening ceremony with<br />
horses and the vendors were as<br />
impressive as ever. Much to my<br />
pleasure, the organizing team<br />
were aided by two golf cars as<br />
well this year.<br />
Direction Reedly Road<br />
Not many breeders in Russia<br />
have been able to distinguish<br />
themselves by their talent and<br />
contribution to the sport in such<br />
a short time as Maria Evteeva,<br />
and her right hand Olga Popova.<br />
Their devotion and passion to<br />
Pharaoh Hounds go way beyond<br />
just collecting fancy wins in the<br />
ring. A true connoisseur of the<br />
breed, Maria is a most generous<br />
mentor to newcomers and enjoys<br />
dog journalism as well.<br />
It was her SBIS WW’16 Int.Nord.<br />
Multi.Ch. Reedly Road Lynway,<br />
handled by Olga, who won Supreme<br />
Best in Show, having won<br />
Best in Show under Stephen J.<br />
Wheeler of Jacosta from Australia<br />
on Saturday, under Molly<br />
Rule-Steele of Taejeen, also from<br />
Australia. There was a great deal<br />
of pressure put on ‘Mario’s’ shoulders<br />
when he was to take over<br />
the reins from his hugely successful<br />
half sister, SBIS BIS Int.Multi.<br />
Ch. Reedly Road Illuminated, but<br />
the young lad has so far lived up<br />
beautifully to the expectations. A<br />
Group Winner at the FCI World<br />
Dog Show in 2016, he is now a<br />
three time Best of Breed winner<br />
at <strong>Donau</strong>eschingen, having won<br />
the Eukanuba Supreme BIS here<br />
as well as a Reserve Best in Show<br />
last year. He is also a three time<br />
Best in Show winner at the Finnish<br />
Pharaoh Hound Club National<br />
Specialty, the largest of its<br />
kind in Europe.<br />
‘Mario’s’ Swedish-bred daughter,<br />
owned by Maria, won Best of the<br />
Breed under Pamela Marston-<br />
Pollock of Falconcrag from the<br />
UK on Sunday, and home bred<br />
Reedly Road Qosmos Quest,<br />
owned by Alexander Foresti in<br />
Russia won Best Baby in Show<br />
on Saturday.<br />
The Xenos Afghans return<br />
On Sunday, Best in Show, under<br />
Annette Bystrup from Denmark,<br />
was the very selectively shown<br />
SBIS Xenos Dralion, bred and<br />
handled by Roberto Bongiovanni<br />
and owned by Marika Bramini<br />
in Italy and handled by Roberto.<br />
This was Xenos’ 5th overall<br />
triumph in <strong>Donau</strong>eschingen,<br />
which is the record number of<br />
Best in Show wins any kennel,<br />
or individual, have won at this<br />
show.<br />
Three of them were claimed<br />
by Roberto’s iconic ‘JJ’, SBIS BIS<br />
WW’03 Int.Am.Aus.Multi.Ch.<br />
Xenos Joselito, who was a BIS/<br />
SBIS winner on three different<br />
continents, World Winner and<br />
Italy’s Top Dog All Breeds in 2003<br />
and Best of Winners at the Afghan<br />
Hound Club of American<br />
National Specialty the previous<br />
year. Before him, the first of his<br />
kennel to win Best in Show at<br />
<strong>Donau</strong>eschingen was SBIS BIS<br />
Int.It.Swiss.Ch. Xenos Marnero,<br />
Italy’s Nr Afghan Hound in 2001<br />
and a Multiple Best in Show winner<br />
all-breed and specialty level.<br />
Both him and ‘JJ’ can be found in<br />
‘Dralion’s’ pedigree.<br />
Greyhound extravaganza<br />
Greyhounds truly are a spectacle<br />
to watch at <strong>Donau</strong>eschingen.<br />
The depth of quality that pervades<br />
the numerically also high<br />
entry is just exceptional . Anyone<br />
wanting to learn about the breed<br />
are strongly advised to attend<br />
the show - and especially on the<br />
side of a long-time expert who<br />
can provide mentorship ringside.<br />
Hence, it perhaps doesn’t come<br />
as a surprise that the Greyhound<br />
Best of Breed winners won Reserve<br />
Best in Show both days this<br />
year.<br />
Saturday’s victor (breed and<br />
BIS were both judged by Stephen<br />
Wheeler) was SBIS Ch.<br />
Fortheringhay’s Awakening of<br />
Love, bred and owned by a novice<br />
in the breed, Cristina Wüger<br />
in Germany. ‘Astrid’ is a Junior<br />
Champion in several countries,<br />
Group winner at International<br />
All-Breed show level, and what<br />
I know her breeder owner takes<br />
most pride in is that she is a<br />
proven Hound on the coursing<br />
field as well, having championed<br />
International and National coursings<br />
and placed third at the European<br />
Coursing Championships<br />
this year.<br />
Sunday’s winner, sent through<br />
to the finals by Maggie Holder of<br />
Mascott’s from the UK, was Ch.<br />
Sobers Xtravaganza, bred and<br />
owned by Bitte Ahrens and Pierluigi<br />
Primavera in Italy. The main<br />
ring is no unknown territory to<br />
‘Ginger’, having won numerous<br />
Group firsts and placements in<br />
Best in Show at International All-<br />
Breed show level. She is now a<br />
three time Best of Breed winner<br />
at <strong>Donau</strong>eschingen, and this<br />
year, won Best of Breed at Italy’s<br />
largest Sighthound Specialty as<br />
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