All Dogs Are Winners At Chiswick House Dog Show |
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Hundreds turned out to enjoy the bumper 15th anniversary of the show Best In Show was spaniel Angus If anyone ever wondered what makes Chiswick such a wonderful part of the world to live, they only had to be in one place on Sunday, at the Chiswick House Dog Show . All kinds of people, from all walks of life , with a sprinkling of celebrity stardust thrown in for good measure. And then of course, the real stars of the day, the dogs! Big ones, little ones, black, brown, brindle and white, mingled and wagged and sniffed their way around the cricket pitch in Chiswick House’s famous grounds for the 2019 Dog Show, themed to mark the 50th anniversary of the moon landings. Angus with his owner And some came dressed to impress. Others just came for the fun and the licks, and probably way too many treats, but this wasn’t a day to worry about such things. It truly was a celebration of all things canine. I haven’t met a dog owner yet who doesn’t like to show off their best pal, or talk about their little quirks and weird ways, and on Sunday like-minded doggy fans mingled and chatted and basked in the best of what dogs give us all.
Add to that a healthy bit of competitive spirit and you have a real recipe for a fabulous day out. Even a couple of sudden and heavy downpours didn’t stop the fun, although i’m sure the collies and the labs enjoyed that bit more than the chihuahuas. Six hundred dogs strutted their stuff around three show rings for a total of 17 events. Hundreds more watched from the sidelines to bark them on to victory. But this is not Cruft’s. At the Chiswick Dog show every breed and crossbreed and mutt competes on an even paw. This is a true celebration of dogginess and not bloodlines. Some of the best pedigrees were held by the celebrity judges. This year’s line-up included Mel Giedroyc, Kevin McNally, Richard Lintern, David Caves, Callum Woodhouse, Harriet Thorpe, Maria Kesselman, Sara Stewart, and Neil Dudgeon. Dog crazy like the rest of the crowd, they chatted, stroked, oohed and aahed their way around the four rings as if born to do it.
An army of 165 volunteers, including a contingent from Chiswick School and several scouts from the 20th Chiswick showed what a great community event this has become. Local businesses provided some financial support too in order to keep this now much anticipated date firmly in the Chiswick calendar for a 15th year. Every penny goes back into the community by helping pay for the upkeep of the Chiswick House Grounds, a spot enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of dog walkers, historical garden fans and picnickers each year. A far faster pace was set by the Womballs Flyball Club. There was no mistaking when they were in full flow. The excited barking as they revved themselves up could be heard for miles. Great to see a local club showing how it’s done to such a great standard. Each and every dog was having a whale of a time. If the ring events alone weren’t enough to excite, the amazing smell from the food stalls surely was. I swear I spotted people as well as dogs drooling with anticipation. And for those with a pampered pooch who just might’ve needed just a little more spoiling, virtually every dog “must have” was available to buy.# Of course, the pinnacle of every dog show has to be the Best in Show. The 2019 Chiswick House Dog Show was no exception. A large crowd stayed to see the adorable Spaniel Angus take the top dog spot. Well done Angus! But it’s not the competition that keeps this successful event going year after year. It’s about a community working together to stage an amazing day which can be enjoyed by young and old, furry and well, not so furry and it looks like it’s here to stay . The Dog Show is run by a group of local volunteers for the community – and the aim is to raise money for the maintenance and improvement of Chiswick House grounds.
September 27, 2019 |