Clumber also fails vet check

The Danish-born Clumber Chervood's Snowsun (above) has just failed her vet-check at Crufts on Day 2 of the 2012 competition.

The five-year-old bitch - which has great health test results (A/A hips, 0/0 elbows, no patella problems, a Clear eye certificate and DNA tested clear of PDP1) is one of the most decorated Clumbers of all time (in fact taking the Bitch CC at Crufts 2010).  She also has some hunting qualificiations. Now she's not much like the working-bred Clumbers that can still be found working on some shoots in the UK - but at least her owners have made some effort and she's not the heffalump that some of the Clumbers are.

Above, Chervood Snowsun and, below, a working Clumber

I am guessing that ectropion is the reason for the disqualification. It is endemic in the show version of the breed (and in truth the workers are not immune either, although on the whole are better).  Here's a pic of the dog that won Best of Breed at Richmond Champ Show last summer. I hate to see dogs with eyes like this - especially on a gundog - and there are way too many of them, in too many breeds, in the show-ring.  One less of them today, I guess (assuming the DQ was for ectropion).

Chervood's Snowsun was being shown today by the Big Booms Kennel from Croatia, who I suspect may soon be changing the first page of their website.

"Crufts", it says, "the show where dreams come true."