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| March to April 08 |
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 March was pretty much a month of reunion! Brutus, Cayla’s litter brother, came to stay as his owners were out of town. I was eager to meet this boy. He was the pick of the litter in terms of structure. However, because he was a little shy, I decided to pet him out. And I am glad it has proven to be the right move! Not only is he getting all the love and attention, he has also come out of himself. He is now much bolder and every inch what a Jack Russell should be! But what amazes me most is how beautiful he has become… a magnificent head running back to his grandfather Aust Ch Outnabout, with just the right amount of bones, lovely angles that showed in his movement, and a great harsh coat. If only this boy is still in my backyard, I would be campaigning him heavily! But alas, that is not meant to be and I am happy that he  is in a great home!
Besides Brutus came back to visit, Iwan also came back for a short while to be groomed. Since the last time I saw him at the show, he has grown up into a fine young man! He used to be the most mischievous in the litter. He is now definitely more sensible and has taken well to his show training. I must say his owner is doing a great job with him!
April came by soon after and had there not been a serious domestic squabble among the older girls in the pack, I would have looked forward to the late April championship show.  But it happened a few days before the show itself and my mind was just not into it. Nevertheless, I must say it is still pretty good results, considering the last minute grooming done on Cayla and Iwan and the lack of show training on these 2 youngsters. Cayla once again did not disappoint. Under the Canadian judge, she was Best Puppy in Group and also 2nd Best Terrier in Group. Under the Thai judge, she was again Best Puppy in Group and 3rd Best Terrier in Group! I would like to think that this girl has just so much show genes in her that she will have a long way to go.
Iwan did not fare too badly too. His second show out and he has garnered his 1st two Challenges!
Will these 2 WindCharm dogs go further and follow the footsteps and legacy left behind by their legendary parents? I guess only time will tell. Till the next show!
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| December 07 to February 08 07 |
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 December went by like a breeze. All the festivities made the days shorter and before we knew it, the start of a new year began! While all the celebrations, merry-making, and keeping scores of past and new resolutions took up quite a fair bit of these few months, the highlight was our 1st FCI Show here in Singapore, held concurrently with our 162nd SKC Championship Show. Casey, Cayla and Iwan were entered for the show. As Cayla was still a puppy, she was not eligible for any CACIB. However, she was still eligible for Puppy In Group and Puppy In Show awards.  Having said that, this young lass did not disappoint. Not at all! She came in Puppy In Show for both shows, all in one day!
Iwan, on the other hand, was in the Baby Puppy In Show class and despite the little training that he has gotten, came in 2nd! That was another cause for celebration and it only goes to show that WindCharm puppies are gradually kicking some butts!
To see how Casey and Cayla strutted their stuff in the ring, click here or go into the individual pages of Casey and Cayla for their pictures taken at the show.
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| October to November 07 |
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 Much of October was spent preparing for the last show of the year on 4 Nov. As usual it was a back-to-back all breed championship show and for show fanatics like myself, it was a 'must' event. But just as no one would have expected it, Casey came into season and had to be withdrawn from the show. I had to replace her with Cloe. Like a veteran, Cloe did everything correctly but at 6.5 years old, I was not expecting her to win very much. Nonetheless she had once again proven herself a worthy show girl and helped her junior handler gained her top place in junior handling. Year after year, Cloe has been the little mascot for aspiring young handlers, giving them all the confidence and taste of success with her dedication in the ring. Well done Cloe!
Cayla was entered in Baby Puppy and I was very pleased with her performance and showmanship. No doubt she was still the mischievous but endearing girl on that day, she was also the most animated, confident and attention seeking little puppy that day. The judge was pleased to award her the 4th Best Baby Puppy in Show. I have no doubt that this little WindCharm girl will continue to mature beautifully and has a big shoe to fill. How she will fill this show, only time will tell and the only way to know is to stay tuned!
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| March to September 07 |
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After a long lapse, I know it is not going to be easy to pen everything in this space. While there is joyous news like a win in the show-ring or the successful whelping of a nice litter, there are also some painful ones which I would rather not mention. But I guess these are part and parcel of being a breeder and one has to do what one thinks is right for the dogs and good for the breeding programme.
Shortly after my 3 Australian imports came in, the workload at the office soon became overwhelming. There was very little time I could spend with all the Jacks.  Travel was also required in the course of my work and it just was not fair that quality time with the Jacks had to be compromised. After some grave consideration, the painful decision to move some of them on was made. It was only fair that the newer members of the pack, being less attached to me, would go. My first choice would be to place them all in local homes where I could see them and keep myself posted of their developments. I did not want them to go to just any home where their quality was not appreciated. However after a few futile attempts, it was obvious that an overseas show/breeding home would be the next best option. With the help of Yvonne of Achanthus Kennel in Finland, who is already having a few of my past Jacks, new homes were found for Tooheys, Cosmo and Lily. Tooheys is now happily being the only man of the house in Yvonne’s residence enjoying all the female attention. Letting Tooheys go was probably one of the last correct thing to do. He is such a beautiful boy, the type of Jack that I have always wanted to have. I am very unlikely to find another dog like him but to keep him here and not doing much with him would be a total waste to his bloodline and quality. I have known Yvonne for years and knowing that she will do her best to campaign him, it seemed only right that Yvonne should have him.
Tooheys was bred to Casey and Cloe before he left for Finland. They both whelped a litter of 3 puppies respectively in May and July. Casey had 2 girls and 1 boy and Cloe had 2 boys and 1 girl. I am keeping a girl from Casey’s litter. You can imagine how precious this little girl is to me, being a girl out of Tooheys. She has Toohey’s strong head and straight front and Casey’s structure and eager-to- please temperament. Read more about this little girl in Cayla’s own page!
3 months after Casey’s litter was the 14th Asian Kennel Union Championship Show. In Singapore context, it is a major show with judges from the Asian region. I was not too sure if I wanted to enter any of the Jacks in this show or if they were even ready. Cloe was nursing her litter at 6 years old and putting her in the ring was definitely out. Casey wasn’t exactly back in shape after her litter and neither was her coat in. It would be silly to put her into the ring. Nonetheless for the sake of good fun, she was entered and boy, I could never be more pleased with what she had done!!! Almost 6 months out of the ring (she missed a show before this due to her pregnancy), she did not seem any less unfamiliar with what she has to do. She strode into the ring like a pro and came out with her head held high and a Best In Group award!!! What more can I ask of this girl? Not only is she worthy of the ring, she is also a wonderful producer, having given me her beautiful daughter Cayla! I am indeed very blessed that This is The Girl, the girl I have always looked out for to take over Cloe and keep the breeding programme going!
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| February 07 |
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 February has been a most exciting month! Just barely a week since his arrival, Tooheys was wheeled to his first championship show here. It must have been a totally different experience for him. Unlike where he came from, the shows here are not held outdoors but in large convention halls with frightening sound systems, Tooheys took it all in his stride. He was calm throughout. I have never seen a dog this calm and totally unaffected by all the noise and fuss. And he was such a breeze to handle. He was used in Junior Handling that day and made a perfect team with his little charge, helping her to win the Best Junior Handling competition. He stacked himself beautifully and was everyone's favourite that day.
At the 156th and 157th SKC Championship Show, Casey was Best of Breed in both shows and under judge Bob Dawson, went on to win Reserve Best In Group. Oh boy, you should see how this young lady moves! Her personality is a plus and she never stopped wagging her tail. Catch this bitch in action here!
Right after the championship show was the Lunar New Year. There were a few days of holiday in between and you have guessed it right... it was definitely a long overdue much needed break for me... Till we meet again in March!
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| January 07 |
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At the beginning of this year, just as how it was every year, I told myself I am having too many dogs and I will not and should not be getting anymore 4-legged companions. Not long after I had made this resolution, I have and am getting not just 1, but 3 more Jack Russell Terriers! Don't ask me how or why... All that I can say is that the power and appeal of this breed is so great and addictive that I simply cannot say no...
In this month of January, we saw the arrival of Tooheys (Iona Outofthblue). He was bred by Mrs Florence Ferguson of Iona Kennels. Tooheys was Puppy of Breed in the 2005 Sydney Royal and has an impeccable pedigree to boast. He is the style of Jack that I like and I cannot wait to see how he will make heads turn at his first show here. Tooheys will also be put to the girls so watch out for some WindCharm puppies on the ground soon!
Next to arrive will be Cosmo and Lily. These two are littermates and most breeders would not have chosen to acquire two siblings of the same genetic make-up to run on. I guess despite having bred a few litters and been showing for a while, I am still very much a pet person at heart, unable to resist cute puppies and wanting to own them all. And so after seeing the pictures of Cosmo and Lily, I bit the bullet, as they say, and went ahead to tell Sandra I want them. That was a few weeks ago and before long they will be here with the current gang. Do check back here for more news about their arrival!
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