2018 UPDATE!! Here is what has transpired with the imports! During 2017 three of our members imported dogs. Two more imports are scheduled in 2018. This is always exciting news for us in South Africa, where our gene pools are relatively small. Good luck to the members who have taken the big leap.....!
YORK UPDATE: Jork has had a very successful hunting season in 2018 and has sired a few litters. He also passed the SAVHDA Novice Hunting Test in April, 2018!
Matthew Berry imported a male Deutsch Drahthaar - Jork di Costa Rubea, known as "JORK". Jork comes from Italy from strong Drahthaar lines, and only came out when he was about 10 months of age. Since then, he has been growing up and entered the SAVHDA Junior Versatile Hunting Test, earning a Prize 1 and a 5 for nose!
Matthew is very excited about this young dog, and the early indications are that he has reason to be!
HEIKO UPDATE: Heiko suffered a severe trauma when he was knocked over by a car earlier this year. Fortunately, he made a full recovery, which took quite a lot of time out of his training progress. However, he did pass the SAVHDA Junior Versatile Hunting Test in May and he and Petro are making steady progress in more advanced training.
Petro Byleveld and Karolien Euvard have imported a male German Shorthaired Pointer from Catrinel Pauna of Romania. Heiko von den Donau-Wirbeln arrived just a couple of month ago! Heiko is a full blood German dog from Hege-Haus and Pottmes bloodlines. Heiko's sire, Paris von den Donau-Wirbeln, is a breeding approved Kurzhaar with Prize 1s in all his tests up to VGP. The dam, Tina von den Donau-Wirbeln, has a great pedigree. We look forward to seeing more from this young dog in 2018!
LUCIA UPDATE: Annemari and Herman are thoroughly enjoying this young dog and are also enjoying working a dog in the field! They are newcomers to field work, but have jumped in and are very keen. The first step was the SAVHDA Junior Versatile Hunting Test, which Lucia passed, becoming the first dog of her breed in SA to earn a SAVHDA title! They will be working towards the Novice Hunting Test for next year
Members Annemari and Herman Groenewald have imported a Spinone puppy from the Netherlands. Annemari tells me that she comes from a kennel that also works their dogs. How wonderful to see some working blood coming into a breed with a small gene pool here!
Lucia, welcome to South Africa!
ECHO UPDATE: Echo arrived with Mariann and Dale in May, and has fitted into their household beautifully. Mariann is training him for the Junior and Novice Tests next year in March, with the aim to do the Advanced Versatile Hunting Test in the later part of 2019! This dog can do it, and should be able to meet the test requirements (as in Germany) of passing the Advanced test and proving himself before the age of 2!
Mariann Wilson is very excited to be waiting for a male puppy from Slovenia! She has a puppy booked from Adin Dom Kennels, out of their mating with Reena vom Adin Dom and Lenny vom Massenbach. Reena has passed all her initial tests with Prize 1s and also has a prize I in the prestigious IKP. Lenny is a young male with a promising future - he also passed the Derby and Solms with Prize 1s and the VGP with Prize 1. Both Reena and Lenny are rated V in conformation.
UPDATE: Sadly, Brian was unable to import the Swedish dog. However, the good news is that Brian has decided to rather import semen from an exceptional dog in the USA - DC VC Friedelsheim's Freight Train Mason MH. Mason is an extraordinary GSP that has achieved everything - really! Mason earned a NAVHDA Utility Prize 1 with full points at 14 months of age! He then went on to earn his Versatile Champion title and Master Hunter title before the age of 2! If that wasn't enough, he went on to become a Field Champion and Dual Champion...recently placing 2nd in the National Amatuer Gundog Walking trial! Very exciting......
Brian Allan-Hansen, not to be outdone by his training partner Mariann, has also booked a puppy from an upcoming litter in Sweden! Many of you will be familiar with Christo Mostert and his bitch, Flake, from Facebook. Brian has managed to talk Christo into sending a puppy to SA from her upcoming litter with Joppe, a top Finnish field trial male.
Last but not least, and not a direct import, George Moustakis has just had a litter with one of his bitches and a male import of Matthys Streicher's. Matthys imported Obobo vom Hege-Haus many years back, in the late 90's. Frozen semen is a wonderful tool! Now, nearly 20 years later, George has managed to get a litter with this dog.
Unfortunately, as I understand it there was only 1 pup resulting from the litter. Nonetheless, we wish George all the best with this singleton!
