Old Friends

Oscar - Golden Royal Charmer

February 1989 - January 2004

Breed - Official Scruffy Mongrel

Oscar arrived in 1989, much to my parents disgust, after a friends dog had unexpectedly given birth to a litter of puppies on the sofa! It wasn't until 1992 that his agility career started at Scunthorpe, when I became fed up of the weekly obedience classes. Oscar took to agility like a duck to water, and soon was clocking up clear rounds and winning me prizes in Starter and Novice Classes. My first ever rosette was a 9th place in Starters Agility at Lincoln in 1992. However, Oscar never won me out of starters in his own right - he left that to Sasha.

The week after Sasha won me out of starters, Oscar won a heat of the then "Spillers Prime Starters Dog of the Year" competition, our first final beckoned. This was to be the first of many.

Oscar can look back over his career with pride, he gained Advanced status, and qualified for most finals - Spillers Prime, Beta, Pedigree Semi's, Pedigree Novice Grand National, Barbour pairs twice (on the 2nd occasion he and Sasha came 2nd overall) - but I have no doubt that the peak of his agility career was winning the Pedigree ABC agility final at Tatton Park in 1997, and going on to compete at Olympia in the same year in the Pedigree All Stars Competition.

Oscar also competed in the ABC invitation event at Crufts. A show-off at heart, he loved every minute, and although his age was starting to catch up with him, he managed clear rounds each time. His hindrance on that occasion was probably me - trailing behind him at 8 months pregnant!

Although he was Advanced, we never had the chance to compete for Championship status - Oscar was getting too old and I had to withdraw him from competition. I'm sure he would have given them a run for their money in his younger days though! His running contacts had to be seen to be believed!

Sadly now, Oscar is no longer with us . At almost 15 years he was PTS to preserve his dignity. But I know, he's looking down on us, racing me over that dog walk.

Sasha - Ebony Royal Charmer

February 1992 - 6th July 2007

Breed - Doberman x Labrador

Sasha came from a rescue centre need Castleford in the spring of 1992. She was 11 weeks old when we got her. I had been looking for a companion for Oscar, and her Doberman mother had been brought into the centre earlier that week with Sasha and her brother.

From the very beginning Sasha was a pleasure to own -she picked everything up so easily, obedience and agility came naturally with her quick brain and longer than average legs.

She won a prize at her first show - a 6th in Elementary Jumping - and 3 shows later she won her first class, a Novice Agility, taking me out of starters for good.

She soon followed this up with another Novice Agility win and an Open Agility win, and then not long after, 2 senior wins. Unfortunately she never got that final win to take her to Advanced.

She competed at the finals for Pedigree Markies Grand National, Techni-cal, Beta Petfoods, Pedigree Semi's, Pedigree Trek Pairs on 2 occasions and Barbour Pairs on 2 occasions, in 1997 coming 2nd with partner Oscar. In 2001 she was the reserve for the Scunthorpe Agility Team competing at Crufts, handled by her surrogate handler Amy, who steered her to many rosettes in junior classes.

Sasha's real glimpse of fame came in 1998 when she took 2nd place in the Pedigree ABC finals at Tatton Park, and was invited to compete at Olympia and Discover Dogs at Earls Court. As she is a real lady she had her toenails painted red especially for the occasion!

She was diagnosed with Cholangiohepatitis - a degenerative liver condition - but she lived as a lady of leisure for many subsequent years, giving in only to the path of time in 2007.

Hugo - Boujan The Royal Charmer

October 1993 - ?

Breed - Giant Schnauzer

Hugo was our beloved Giant Schnauzer, whom we got as a puppy in 1993. He was such a character, cuddly yet so powerful - we adored him. All went well until 1999 when our son was born. At first we had no problems, but within a couple of years, Hugo's attitude to him was starting to get worrying, guarding and displaying possessive behaviour. He started to attack and fight with our other dog, Oscar. So with great sadness, to avoid any accidents, Hugo went to live with a family in Derbyshire in 2001, with older children and no other dogs.

He left a bit hairy Schnauzer shaped hole in our hearts!