RONET & CLASABRO
RON FIRTH
I have been asked to write a bit about myself, and to answer some impossible questions by way of an introduction, presumably to the exhibitors who have come into the breed during the last few years whilst I have been "resting" doing Health Physics. One has to earn a living.
How did I first become involved with Alsation? Yes, it's that long ago, in 1962 to be precise. Well, as a lad I kept mice, rats, rabbits, guinea pigs, budgies, pigeons, tortoises, tropical fish, snakes, etc. I had to put up with the family dog, a rough collie. When I had a home of my own I kept my word or maybe threat to my parents and graduated to Alsations. Having a scientific background I studied the dogs of the day found almost without exception the ones I liked came out of Vikkas av Huitsand stock, so I pestered Nem and Percy Elliot until they sold me Vikkas Bracken av Huitsand. She did her share of winning. Then I saw my first German dog, Dux von Braunschweigerland and I have been trying to breed German Shepherd Dogs ever since. It's hard to imagine the prejudice that the few oddballs breeding GSDs had to put up with in those days.
Favourite dogs? There have been many.
UK bred, Bedwins Pirol is perhaps my favourite. I always wanted to give that dog a CC but on the day something always pipped him. I will never forget the day when I asked for loose lead gaiting. The dog must have escaped from his lead to have gaited off the lead as he did, such a coincidence when the rest of the class did the same. Who knows me well enough to orchestrate that one? The greatest has to be Rosehurst Chris taking into account the beauty of the dog himself, his ring presence and his production, I doubt if we will see his like again. Bitches, it has to be Jacnel Nacale not just because her movement sent shivers down my spine, but also that she was bred by my much missed friend Nelly Wright. The greatest, well maybe Nacale is just beaten by Vornlante Catja and I have a daughter. Ha ha ha.
Foreign? I still haven't got over Jupp v d Hallerfarm, a real glamorous dog with very correct shoulder and the most fantastic front reach. Friedrich Stenner who owned his mother had too many contacts with more money than I to get a close relative into my kennel, I had even less money at the time when Gunther Kasper had Dax Wienerau and I could have got a mating to a dog of whom Gunther said "Forget the show ring, this dog does everything right, he is the easiest dog to live with I have known". Still my Atlas v Bad Boll daughter not only bites like her dad but has that front action all the way through from Jupp. First you need a good family, then you need a good representative of that family, then you need luck. Well I'm lucky in love, unlucky in lotteries and raffles well we all need a dream
Then there was Tell Grossen-Sand not one of my favourites until he cocked his leg up on every ring post on his first time round the ring at the Sieger show. Bitches? It's personal. I got old Bolkesteijn to give a little flick of the lead as I have only ever seen him do, with a 10 month old Perle v Alexyrov Hof on the end of it, she stood to perfection. This for the benefit of an over inflated ego from New Zealand. "Get him to set it up and ask him how well he thinks it will do?" was the reaction, I did not translate the former part. The answer to the latter part was "Probably VA" This produced a howl of derision. I enjoyed the Sieger shows in 1979 and 1980.
How did I come by my kennel name? Well the first one, Ronet had something to do with an all girl pop group that happened to start with my name. The new one, Clasabro is a composition of those important in my life, my kids Claire and Samantha and thier mum, Barbara, with a trace of me on the end.
SV Judge after my name? well, unlike someone who thinks it means nothing, I thought the German system might improve my judging technique. Judge for yourselves, maybe I used to be even worse than I am now!
