Rapido Show Dogs

It all started with my dads dog's.We had G.S.Ds. and Afghan hounds.

All through my childhood I was fascinated by dog's. As my interest in them increased so did my thirst for knowledge, so my head was always in some breed book or other.

At nineteen I attended my first dog show as a spectator. Then in 1980 I showed my first dog, my dads Afghan (Cleo), she was never placed, but I caught the show bug. I liked the look of the Rough Collie and when I started working I bought myself a puppy to show. From then till now Jeff and I have won and lost with our dogs at many open and championship shows up and down the country.

 In 1986 I was elected onto the Scottish Collie Club committee. This gave me an enormous amount of pleasure and a wide range of experiences.  I learned the basic's of show management and stewarding. I was lucky enough to be part of a sub committee of three who organized one of their breed seminars in 1987.

I had been showing the dogs for eight years or so when jeff decided that we should apply for our affix to the Kennel Club. We were granted our second choice, Rapido, on the 1st of May 1988.

When Jeff and I moved to England. We still continued to show the dogs, but not just as much, as my daughter Danielle was born soon after our move.    

It was about this time that we bought our first cavalier from Hazel Gleaves (Sheerjoy Rough Collies), but did not show them for a number of years, until 1994. We have had a lot of fun with these sporting little dogs who are a joy to live with and they get in to just about everything.            My first judging appointment was in 1991, since then I have judged most breeds within the Pastoral, Toy, Hound and Utillity Groups.              

 In the years that followed I joined my first general canine societies namely Maghull & Merseyside C.S. and Bootle, Crosby & South Liverpool C.S.   I had a lot of fun serving on these two committees. It was an excellent learning curve for me, as breed club and general c.s. run quite differently.

But  now sadly we only have one Rough Collie left and she is now a veteran so we only spectate at the Rough Collie ringside. However we do still show our Cavaliers and for the last eighteen month or so I have been helping my daughter Danielle and her husband Jimmie with their German Wirehaired Pointers. They have just been granted their affix by the kennel club(Gyldearn).

I find showing a Gundog very different from the free standing Rough Collie and Cavalier that I am used to, but I love these dogs to bits, they have a wonderful temperament and are full of personality.  Danielle and Jimmie are doing really well at all the shows that they attend with them and I look forward to seeing how they develop in 2008.

Jeff and I have decided to retire as Secretary and Treasurer of our local canine society, Dumfries &Galloway.C.S., where we have been running ringcraft classes, seminars and shows ect. for almost six years now. We decided that we needed some time out to be able to train and show our own dogs and relax with old and new friends at the ringside.

We hope you enjoyed our website and will come back again soon to see if it has grown.

                                 Thank you for visiting our site. 

                                Edwina & Jeff Saunders ( Rapido)