Going With The Flo…

©Lisa Croft-Elliott

To read the complete article click here – October, 2012

by Lisa Croft-Elliot and Carrie Russell-Smith

During the last few years we have heard more and more about the Summer night shows in Split, Croatia. All those who have been before seem to have had a great time so we decided to enter as it only meant missing one of the series of UK Summer Championship Shows. As the time drew near, the organizers asked Lisa to be their official photographer and as we have Marta working with us, we agreed it would be possible to do the job and still take the dogs we had entered plus Flo (who does not get to show often but likes to keep us all in line).

The persistent rain at home had really begun to drive us mad and we couldn’t wait to be somewhere hot. A quick trip into the city was called for in order to buy beachwear and we got soaked in the process. It was to be a journey of 3400 miles (about the same distance as Vancouver to Miami), driving across nine countries – England, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, and Croatia. At some points we would be only 7 miles from Italy, 10 miles from Switzerland and 15 miles from Lichtenstein – the temptation to just drive into these countries for a look around is always with us.

We invariably take canine hitchhikers on these continental jaunts as favors to friends, providing they are small dogs. This is not born of prejudice but of practicality. On the outward journey, we had the pleasure of the company of an adult male Lhasa Apso and a Border Collie puppy. We had only been driving for ten minutes after picking up the puppy before he “exploded” in his crate. Flo pulled her ‘disgusted’ face, a mirror image of ours. Apart from that little oops, the puppy and the Lhasa were super to travel with and we became very fond of them both.

We caught a late evening ferry, arriving in France too late to go to the usual bakery and supermarket. The upside of making regular trips abroad is our local knowledge, so we headed for an overnight stay in Bruges. We awoke to a pleasant and dry day. By now, Carrie was suffering a horrible cold so she tried to sleep it off while Lisa took Marta, our visiting Polish assistant, for an introduction to the delightful medieval center of Bruges.

In the late afternoon, we headed for Antwerp, Belgium to see a litter sired by our Cardi male, Jethro and on to Maastricht in the Netherlands to spend the night at a woodland “wild camping” spot we had not previously used. On arrival, a barrier thwarted us with a sign informing it was closed for a private function. The iPad came to the rescue and found us another quiet location complete with electric hook up and water supply; with Lisa’s research skills we always seem to fall on our feet. The following day we had two new tires fitted to Bertha as the tread was looking rather worn – we were not sure what the road surfaces would be like in Croatia and she had many mountains to climb between our location and our ultimate destination. Several hundred Euros later we attended a show in Liege. We wanted to try to get the last awards needed to gain Belgian Champion titles on Holly the Cardigan and Simon the Powder-puff. On arrival, we were told that fourteen vehicles had been broken into, with contents stripped, in the area by the river opposite the show halls where we had planned to park. The organizers immediately invited us to park right behind the halls in the small but secure safe area – bless them. Rachel, our Cardigan friend, arrived and we spent a super evening catching up. At the show, we achieved our mission: Holly and Simon each added another title to their collections.

Our next destination was Bad Reichenhall, on the German/Austrian border. This is the spa we had visited after the World Show earlier in the year and we were very excited about returning for a complete chill-out. We stayed a day-and-a-half, luxuriating in the warm salt pools, sunbathing in the strong Alpine sun, wandering around in swimsuits and giggling about the vile weather reports from the UK. Carrie made good use of the salt grotto steam room to try to clear her chest as by now she felt really ill. Deciding a sauna would be good too; she headed in that direction only to be stopped just inside the entrance by a large German lady barring her way. “This is NAKED sauna for both men and women,” she yelled at Carrie, indicating that she had to remove the swimsuit before entering. Carrie fled – too many personal inhibitions and way too much ample German flesh! Eventually, we dragged ourselves away from the spa, planning to stop on the return journey.

We proceeded through Austria into Slovenia, marveling at changing landscapes, shouting to Marta to wake up and “look at this” as we passed mountains, castles, and special grassy bridges over the road, labeled ‘Wild Animals Crossing’. We hoped to see the odd bear shuffling across but, of course, did not though we were charmed by the notion that a country cares enough about wildlife to build a special bridge.

We stopped in Ljubljana, the capital city of Slovenia, to meet with the new Border Collie owners who had driven from Italy to meet us. They were so excited and we said goodbye to the little man who had stolen our hearts in such a short time. Flo was pleased – she does not really like interlopers – it is her camper, her domain.

We kept driving on the rather bumpy road until it got really dark and we found a motorway service station that promised ‘Wi-Fi’. The next 15 minutes was a bit surreal as we drove round and round the car park trying to pick up a signal in a spot that could accommodate the camper. Marta, with iPhone in hand, shouting “yes” or “no”, Lisa maneuvering Bertha the camper forwards, backwards, sideways and Carrie still snuffling into tissues, just wanting to stop and sleep. Eventually we stopped. Truck drivers ceased staring and we settled down for the last on-the-road night before reaching our destination.

We got up early and drove through Croatia. Since the war in the nineties, the financial investment in the road systems is evident and superb. The smooth drive southward toward the Adriatic coast was visually fascinating; huge barren mountains, glimpses of blue lakes and miles of peaceful, uninhabited countryside.

As we neared Split (the second largest city in Croatia, after Zagreb in the north) we were glad we had brought dozens of ice beds and two industrial-sized electric fans for the dogs – it was hot!

Lisa kept saying, “Smart car – think Smart car,” as we squeezed down the narrow streets looking for the show venue. The city is old, very old – for example, it’s most famous historical building, the Palace of the Emperor Diocletian dates back to 295 AD. The streets are charming but not when negotiating a thirty-foot camper amongst cars parked on both sides and gigantic trees growing outwards.

The show venue was a walled sports field right in the city center; a great location for the many chic little shops, bars and restaurants set among palm trees and bougainvillea in full bloom, leading to and lining the seafront. Many tourists holiday there, so it was fairly crowded, particularly at the far end of the seafront where huge ferries come and go.

Ante Lucin, President of the Show Organizing Committee, along with Javier Gonzalez Mendikote came to welcome us with the news that we could not set up until later in the evening as a baseball game was due to take place. We followed them back through the maze of streets to the Sporting Dogs Office where we could park in the shade and hang out until later. A concrete slope down to the allotted parking place was worrying as Bertha has a very low undercarriage but we got there okay. Once the dogs were settled for a siesta, we walked for five minutes to the nearest beach. Thanks to the good weather at the spa, we no longer possessed blue/white skin tones and were respectably tanned enough to be seen in swimsuits. We swam in the clear, clean sea and sunbathed. It was sheer bliss.

Our happiness was rather short-lived – when it was time to return to the sports field, the dreaded concrete slope ripped poor Bertha’s wiring out from under her. Ivan Kovacic, one of the brilliant team of organizers fed us with chocolate cake and diet coke while we gathered our wits and Lisa’s wire ties did a temporary job on Bertha. Carrie, still with symptoms of bronchitis, had a “why did we come here anyway” moment but the cake soon worked its magic and we slowly drove to the corner of the green sports field that was to be home for the next five days.

Watching the show being set up under the moon and nightlights was fascinating – the empty field was soon a showground. Yellow picket fenced rings, lights, podium, tents, stands, chairs, and ring boards all popped into place with minimum fuss and maximum efficiency.

Early the next morning we couldn’t get over how hot it was and with reports of more rain at home and unusually high temperatures in some U.S. states, we were determined to enjoy it. The dogs were happy in fan cooled ex-pens, happy in their crates on ice beds, and happy to play in hose pipe jets of water. They liked the extra attention paid to their comfort and the fact that it was not raining so they could run on grass instead of mud. It was hard work for us, but well worth paying attention to, particularly after the horrific reports that dogs had died on the Black Sea show circuit the week before.

The joy of the shows being held at night, with judging starting at 7 p.m. meant that we had the daytime to work, explore and relax a little. We walked into the town center to browse in the shops all along the seafront and found the busy town beach bedecked with yellow umbrellas and many prone bodies soaking up the sun. Just walking required effort and stamina as the daytime temperature averaged 39 degrees centigrade (102.2 Fahrenheit); a bottle of water or iced tea in hand became a permanent accessory.

The four separate and consecutive shows were great fun. Exhibitors came from many countries brought some really good dogs. A team of well-known and highly respected All-Rounder judges judged breeds, groups, handling classes and BIS. In turn, a breed judge from one show was very likely your group judge the next day. We cannot praise this organizing team enough – every aspect was smooth-running and impressive. For example, when collecting ring numbers on the first night, exhibitors were issued with the numbers for each of the four nights to save going through the process again. The atmosphere was akin to the balmy, warm evenings: people smiled and cheered each other’s dogs on, and there was a party atmosphere along with the serious judging of some world-class dogs.

Our fridge-freezer decided to stop working effectively so the kind man who ran the catering stand kept us supplied with bags of ice to keep the dogs cooling beds cold. Another kindness was offered by an exhibitor who phoned to arrange for a vehicle mechanic who understood electrics to come and fix Bertha’s broken and dragging wires on Sunday. Croatia is predominantly a Catholic country so this was no mean feat, although it was another financial drain.

We took four adult dogs and two baby puppies with us to show; under FCI rules a puppy can be shown in Baby Puppy classes from 3 to 6 months old so we took our two US-bred Poricias Manchester Terrier puppies, Griffin and Keeper, who ultimately earned a BIS Baby 2 and BIS Baby 3 between them. We were so proud! The Cardigans prevailed, winning the breed each evening, gaining a Group 2 and a Group 3; the Powderpuff won a Group 2 and a Group 3. All four adults are now Croatian Champions because they won every day and our camper was decorated with huge rosettes and red ribbon-trimmed, gold- color metal trophies.

There are ten groups under FCI rules, plus Best Baby, Best Puppy and Best Junior so juggling the cameras and our own Group dogs was hilarious with Lisa running from the podium to the pre-judging ring to grab various dogs from Marta and throwing the camera at Carrie to go to shoot the next Group winners while she showed the dog. It moves at a fast pace – while a Group is in the main ring, the next is ready in the collecting ring, having been pre-judged in another ring.

It’s always fun to see breeds we can barely identify, let alone pronounce, such as the Hrvatski Ovc’ar, Istarski Gonic Kratkodlaki and Hollandse Herdershond Kortharige!

Handlers’ fashion styles were diverse. Many donned little strappy dresses, suited to the hot evenings, some looking about to melt in shiny suits, some very casual in baggy shirts and jeans, and some in the traditional dress of their country. It was an interesting mix of professional handlers, exhibitors from 35 different countries, and a few shepherds and farmers who proudly showed real working dogs. We both fell in love with a Berger Blanc Suisse – the Swiss Shepherd dog. He was awesome; so well-constructed he free-stacked perfectly and moved like a dream.

The shows ended at about 2 a.m., helped along on the last night with a choice of cocktails for the workers and VIPs provided by the hosts. There was a bright yellow concoction called “4 Summer Nights” and a blue version called “Best in Show”. Carrie enjoyed one of these while Lisa stayed on the iced tea. We wonder just how many gallons of the stuff we drank whilst there (the tea, not the alcohol).

After the fourth night show, the main winners from all four nights competed for “Supreme Best” titles: Supreme Junior Handler was Mirta Moslavac from Croatia handling a Miniature Schnauzer, the judge was Andrew Brace from the UK.

Luis Pinto Teixeira judged the Supreme Baby and Puppy (3–12 months), awarding what is apparently the first-ever Swedish Vallhund in the Baltic States – Vastgotaspets Tappitaivalen Astrid for Valhalla, owned and handled by Kristina Kazlauskaite from Lithuania.

The Supreme of the Croatian breeds, judged by Boris Špoljaric was a Posavski Gonic called Laki od Jovana Pavlovica, owned by Suzana Lujanac from Croatia.

Ron Menaker awarded Supreme Junior BIS to a young white Standard Poodle, RT Connexion Max Mara owned by Alice Gasparoni from Italy, handled by Richard Hellman.

The four BIS winners were the Chow Chow, Ch. Warrior Legend De La Yakka from Spain, the BIS judge was Hans V D Berg from the Netherlands; the Deerhound Baylind Kielland from Norway with BIS judge Kari Jarvinen from Finland; an English Springer Spaniel, Sieger’s Pure Gold owned by Kaj Madsen and Brigit Brasch, from Denmark, BIS judge Sean Delmar from Ireland; the BIS judge on the last night was Ole Staunskjaer from Sweden who chose the Maltese, also from Sweden, Richelieu’s Richie Rich owned by O. Fernandes, Pat Keen and Anna Friberg.

The four competed for the ultimate accolade of Supreme Best in Show, judged by Mr Hiroshi Kamisato from Japan who pointed at the English Springer, handled by Vibe Borregaard Madsen. This was a very popular choice judging by the cheers.

It was almost sad to pack everything up the next day as Ante and his team had arranged an after-show boat trip out to one of the many islands. We left Marta with the camper and dogs near the harbor at another pretty resort about 12 miles from Split and boarded a very overcrowded boat full of familiar faces from the last few days. It was fun and the island was very beautiful, but we were tired and spent the time lazing over several coffees with Jadranka and Denis, photographers from Zagreb. Carrie took a final dip before we returned to the boat for a delicious supper of fresh mussels, squid salad, freshly-caught fried fish served with delicious bread and potatoes, and washed down with any beverage of our choice as the boat also carried copious quantities of soft drinks and alcohol.

Arriving back at the harbor in the moonlight, we watched fishermen getting their nets ready before setting out to sea. The boat trip was a lovely end to a great week, another thoughtful event arranged by Ante and his amazing team.

We slept for awhile and set off early to drive the length of the coast road, working our way back towards Zagreb where we were to pick up a UK-bound hitchhiker – a Dalmatian puppy. We had been led to believe he was the size of an American Cocker but he was way bigger than we expected. A reshuffle of which dog went where to accommodate the newcomer was necessary. We made a vow to restrict the giving of rides to dogs less than 14 inches tall in future. The pup was a sweetie and aptly named Charm. It will be interesting to follow his career – a Dalmatian from the country of breed origin being campaigned in the UK.

Next stop was Ljubljana where the second hitchhiker, a Toy Poodle male at the end of his show career, was handed over to be ferried home to his breeder/owner. Harvey was also very sweet and settled in immediately. By now, Flo thought these usurpers had gone beyond a joke and took up residence in her bed with her toys under her table in her camper – and sighed a lot.

To make the most of sightseeing, we drove through the Tyrol region of Austria. Breathtaking and stunning scenery met us at every turn where the Tyrol-style wooden chalets with flower boxes on balconies nestled in the Alps are exactly as picture books depict. The only mistake we made was stopping for a very good brunch that was hideously expensive.

Lisa is technically-minded and can fix most things but the fridge issue was beyond her, so we headed through Germany overnight towards the Dethleff factory, where our camper was actually built. They were good enough to attend to this during a very busy time and fixed the problem by replacing two leisure batteries which left us another 700 Euros poorer.

We returned to Bruges and slept late. Hanno arrived to collect Keeper and we all went for a meal of mussels and frites while our copious laundry was occupying nearly every machine in the nearby launderette.

Our last day on the continent was spent on the beach of the Belgian coast. We arrived early in the morning before the holiday makers came out in force, which allowed the dogs to run and run. Some of our dogs like going in the sea, some hate it – they all had fun and deserved the freedom of getting wet, sandy and playing riotous games with one another. It was a sunny day, not quite up to Croatian standards but warm enough for us to laze in the sand dunes and eat ice cream. We just knew it would be raining in England when we got back across the Channel…and it was.

We went straight to a four-day Championship Show in Paignton, Devon, onto another in Bournemouth and then to Wales. Gory details will have to wait for the next episode of our adventures. At the time of writing this, it will be over five weeks since we left home. We know there has been a lot more rain along with some sun in our area and are a bit afraid to return as our lawns are probably a jungle and plants may have completely covered the house.

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