by Costanza Ferraris The Nationale d’Elevage in France is something more then a show. There you have the possibility to win one of the four CACs (two per sex) that allows your dog to become a French Champion. The second chance is to go the Championnat de France. These CAC have the same importance but normally (according to the breed) the competition is higher in the Nationale d’Elevage that took place as the French Championship once a year and the number of entries is also more important. The club invited specific judges. This encourages foreigner exhibitors to travel to France just to show their dog to this show. The visitors are not numerous because it is not an all breed show, but people who wish to know more about a breed usually go to see this specialty. There he can see the main French bloodlines but also European ones.
The Nationale d’Elevage in France is something more then a show. There you have the possibility to win one of the four CACs (two per sex) that allows your dog to become a French Champion. The second chance is to go the Championnat de France. These CAC have the same importance but normally (according to the breed) the competition is higher in the Nationale d’Elevage that took place as the French Championship once a year and the number of entries is also more important. The club invited specific judges. This encourages foreigner exhibitors to travel to France just to show their dog to this show. The visitors are not numerous because it is not an all breed show, but people who wish to know more about a breed usually go to see this specialty. There he can see the main French bloodlines but also European ones.
The Barbet, Lagotto and other Water dogs club (American Water Spaniel, Cao de Augua, Perro de Agua, Wetterhoun) is not a very big club but its task is very important because it has to take care to a group breeds that are not very popular. This year they organised their specialty in Saint-Gervais d’Auvergne in the centre of France. Little by little the results of their work are coming. For the first time of the Barbet history there were 54 entries. The work of the club is appreciated not only in France but also abroad where this breed is not so popular. To have the possibility to meet other breeders they were exhibitors from Belgium, Italy, Nederland, Poland, Spain, Switzerland but also Canada and Finland. What a feast!
The Barbet is a French breed. It is a water dog and is well known as the “father” of the Poodle. It was once very popular as a hunting water dog. We can find it painted by different artists who worked for the nobles during the 18th and 19th centuries. Its popularity decreased in the last century and between the two World Wars this breed almost disappeared. Mr. Vincenti was the last breeder. The work was not easy as it happens with all the breeds in danger. In 1980 the association for this breed was created. To be saved they had to bring new bloodlines coming from Poodles and Portuguese Water dogs. The last standard written around 1930 was too old. A new one was written in 1986 and then a more updated one in 1999. The main work has been done but the danger to disappeared is always present because the number of puppies is always very law. In 1996 there were 18 puppies, in 1999 17 puppies and in 2004 about 35. In Italy there were 10 registrations two years ago. In Canada Mrs Denise Rousseau did all her best to let recognise this breed in her country and it seems that they will recognised the Barbet also in the other side of the Ocean. In the other FCI countries the number of births is also very low. That is the reason why there were so many nations present at this Nationale d’Elevage. More then a show it was an appointment to check the level of the breeds and for the judges a possibility to give instructions to breeds to improve their way to select.
This year the club invited Mrs Renée Rault (F), Mrs Rosemarie Wild (CH) and Mr Maurice Hermel (F). They all were very happy to see so many Barbets all together but they also underlined that the level is good but it still needs a good selection to arrive to a homogeneity. Close to excellent subjects they were “good”. We have to remember that the breed is very old but the selection started twenty years ago. The bitch level was higher then that one of the males. The judges assigned the CAC to the Canadian Barbet, Bleuzorange Naiblan dit “Zigzag” the Reserve was Poppenspäler’s Valencay. Among the females the CAC was Ducasse Opus un En O Majeur (NL) and the Reserve, Unique Elle de la Perte aux Loups. During the show they presented the bitch, Rebecca de Winter (Zagone). She won a few months before in Montluçon the challenge Mr Jacques Pelletier. He was once the president of the Bourbonnais Kennel Club. To remind him they created in 1999 this challenge that awards each year the best subject between the group 7 and 8. For the first time in the history of this breed this challenge has been won by a Barbet.
After the Barbet the judges continued their work with the Portuguese Water Dog and the Spanish Water Dog. They were not many. Both breeds are not very popular in France. The BOB of the Portuguese breed was assigned to Mountainhead’s Dockside Wizkid that also won the DCAC. The BCAC was assigned to Truta de Alpha Lade (NL). The Spanish Water Dogs were only 4. CAC was Don Del Pipa Castia (NL) and the BOB was the champion, Bandolero del Pipa Casita (NL). There were no bitches.
At the end of the judgements these three breeds had the possibility to pass the TAN (Natural Aptitude Test). There were a few Portuguese Water Dogs and a bit more numerous were the Barbets. It is not a competition. The subjects must be three years old. The test begins with a socialisation test. Five dogs of the same sex sit all together. Two meters separate each subject from its neighbour. These animals must not show aggressiveness towards the other dogs. An aggressive animal is eliminated. Because they are hunting breeds they must be not afraid by a shot (blank). A frightened dog is eliminated. The last test is the water exam. The owner must through something in the water not very far from the river and the dog must recover the object. The Portuguese Water Dog show to the public how the work should be done. In the average the barbets were more afraid by the water. It was their first experience for many of them and the contact with the liquid was not so spontaneous as it had to be. But at the end with the exception of two or three the other discovered that the water was not so bad and that it was also possible to play in it.
The last breed arrived in this club is the Lagotto Romagnolo, an Italian breed. Among the exhibitors present to the show there was a small feast because this breed was officially recognised by FCI on the 6th July 2005 in Buenos Aires. This breed is not a water dog but it had been selected to find the truffle. So after the judgements that assigned the CAC to the male, Chips du Riondaz (CH) and the Reserve to Dacapo del Pipa Casita (B) but no CAC to the bitches, the club organised a “truffle test”. The first part is a socialisation test. In the second part fives truffles must be found. These “nuggets” are hidden in four square meters not too deeply. The dog must show the position of the truffle with its paw. It must find at least one truffle. This test was followed with a great interest because as well as Italy, also France produces truffles. Each year in France there is a National championship for all breeds. Until now Lagotto had its competition but this year for an unknown reason this appointment has been cancelled.
At the end of the day when the rain started to sprinkle dogs, exhibitors and visitors the judges assigned the BIS the Portuguese Water Dog, Mountainhead’s Dockside Wizkid.
