Foxbarton Taittinger JW ShCM ~ IRCC (Blaze)

Sh. Ch. Caristan Moet Chandon JW x Foxbarton Lady In Waiting JW CDex
D.O.B. 31.8.2007 ~ KC Stud Book Number 0946CT
Genetically Normal for CEA/CH and CL ~ Glaucoma: Graded 0

Blaze at 23 months

BEST IN SHOW - WESSEX BC CLUB SHOW 2009
BORDER COLLIE CLUB of GREAT BRITAIN TOP PUPPY 2008
Top Show Dog 2008 - Wessex BC Club
Top Puppy 2008 - West of England BC Club
Reserve Challenge Certificate - City of Birmingham Championship Show 2008
JUNIOR WARRANT AT 8 MONTHS OF AGE
Qualified for Crufts for life
Qualified for Puppy of The Year 2008 & Border Collie of The Year 2008
Holder of the Kennel Club Gold Good Citizens Award
Crufts 2009 - VHC under Stella Clark

Blaze is my Fizz's baby brother, born after a repeat mating of Moet with my Bliss. The Hawker family fell in love with him before he opened his eyes and he lives with Paul and Val and their two daughters and is the light of their life.

The Hawkers live quite nearby Foxbarton, so I often met Blaze at training classes and as he grew on, I soon offered to show him, just hoping to get him qualified for Crufts for them, for a bit of fun. Blaze did them proud, winning the first Championship Class he went in, at just 6 months old, under judge Eric Broadhurst, and he hasn't looked back:

1st Minor Puppy Dog & Res Best Puppy Dog In Show - Border Collie Club of Great Britain Ch Show 2008
1st Puppy Dog & Res Best Puppy Dog In Show - Southern Border Collie Club Ch Show 2008
1st Minor Puppy Dog & 1st Puppy Dog - WELKS Ch Show 2008
1st Minor Puppy Dog, 1st Puppy Dog and
BEST PUPPY IN SHOW ~ East Anglian Border Collie Club Ch Show 2008
1st Puppy Dog - National Dog Show 2008
1st Maiden Dog - Southern Counties Ch Show 2008
1st Puppy Dog & BEST PUPPY DOG - Three Counties Ch Show 2008
1st Puppy Dog - Windsor Ch Show 2008
1st Graduate Dog - South Wales Ch Show 2008
1st Puppy Dog & 1st Junior Dog - Bournemouth Ch Show 2008
1st Puppy Dog & 1st Graduate Dog - City of Birmingham Ch Show 2008
1st Graduate Dog - Ladies Kennel Association Ch Show 2008
1st Graduate Dog - Southern BC Club Ch Show 2009
1st Yearling Dog - East Anglian BC Club Ch Show 2009
1st Yearling Dog - Southern Counties Ch Show 2009

BEST PUPPY IN SHOW - Kensington Canine Society 2008
BEST PUPPY IN SHOW - Sussex Pet Rescue CD Show

I'm very grateful to Paul and Val for letting me handle their gorgeous boy in the ring - I think Val's got hooked on dog shows! She takes Blaze to Companion Obedience classes at Cobham Dog Training Club, where all my girls went and he's following in the Foxbarton tradition, getting Grade A in the Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced end of term tests, and also taking the red rosette for 1st place for top marks every time.

At 9 months of age, Blaze sailed through his Silver KC Good Citizen's Test. Also at 9 months, Blaze went Best Of Breed at Thames Valley Show. Nina Rowlands judged and wrote him a glowing critique in the dog press: "One of the most fabulous Border Collies I have ever had the pleasure of judging, every inch a male. The most keen, alert expression, skull fairly broad and equal in length to foreface, ample stop, beautiful dark eye, correct earset with ears carried semi-erect. Strong muzzle and correct scissor bite, muscular neck, very well laid shoulders. Ideal size for a male, with good substance, deep ribcage, in excellent hard condition, so well muscled, so soundly constructed, movement was an absolute pleasure to watch. Very "fit for function". Best of Breed, Best Puppy."

Blaze won his second Best of Breed, although still a puppy, at Kensington Canine Society, at 11 months. He went on to win the Pastoral Puppy Group and the Adult Group and finally, under the Best In Show judge, Patricia Clayton, took Best Puppy In Show.

On 30th August 2008, Blaze entered his last show as a puppy and had a great day - he won not only the Puppy Dog Class and the Graduate Dog Class, but took the Reserve Challenge Certificate (96 dogs entered) at the City of Birmingham Championship Show, under judge Robin Newhouse. The RCC made him automatically Best Puppy Dog, and after the bitches were judged, he challenged the Best Puppy Bitch and was duly declared Best Puppy In Breed. Blaze qualified for Crufts on no less than 30 occasions during 2008, quite some achievement. He qualified for Puppy of The Year and his RCC qualifies him also for Border Collie of The Year. The points he accrued through his Championship class wins made him the BORDER COLLIE CLUB of GREAT BRITAIN TOP PUPPY for 2008, the icing on the cake!

After Val practised handling both Fizz and Bliss at Ringcraft classes for a while, she felt confident to take Blaze's lead in the ring, after Crufts 09. She was thrilled to handle him at Border Collie of The Year, especially as he was the youngest dog to have qualified. Then shortly after winning the Pastoral Group at Horsham & District, Val took Blaze to Wessex BC Club's November Show, where he went Best In Show under judge Richard Lucas (Aculsia). Sadly I was busy judging elsewhere and missed watching them, but we certainly celebrated, later in the day. Well done Val and Blaze!

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Pedigree of Foxbarton Taittinger JW ShCM