Please scroll down to read Chairman- Robert Downie & Secretary- Tracy Feeney: Report 2009

 

 

Chairman & Secretary Report 2009

It’s hard to believe that another year is nearly over and what a year it has been for our breed!
2009 has seen a new Dobermann Bitch Challenge Certificate Record Holder in Ch/Ir Ch Aritaur Hipnotique, Zena is co-owned by two of our members Billy & Josh Henderson, and was bred by Jay & Marten Horgan also Club members. She won her 28th ticket at The Birmingham and District Dobermann Club Championship Show taking the record, well done to all concerned!

During the year we also had our first undocked male Champion, this was a bit bittersweet as I’m sure most Dobermann enthusiasts would have preferred to keep our breed as Louis Doberman had originally created it!
The honour went to Ch Chancepixie’s Nimrod, a brown and rust male bred by the very successful Anderson and Frost partnership and expertly handled by Barbara Harvey, again well done to all concerned.

On a very sad note our breed lost a great ambassador when Margaret Woodward Sheridan lost her long battle with illness, Margaret had a wealth of knowledge of our breed and was always willing to share it with anyone who was prepared to listen.
As a Club we were very lucky to have Margaret attend many of our Seminars as a lecturer, we are sure she passed on a great deal of that knowledge to people who were lucky enough to attend them. She will be sorely missed.

On a lighter note Tali Crème has produced the first Naked Dobermann Exhibitor (Male) Calendar to raise funds for the more unfortunate Dobermanns out there, I believe it will be available at LKA, so make sure you support this great cause and buy a calendar!!

The Committee ran the usual three shows, after the AGM we were without a Show Secretary and it was decided by Committee that Tracy should take up that mantle as well.
So she was in charge of the August Championship Show and the December Open Show, and will run the upcoming March Show.

Entries seem to be holding their own and both shows where a great success. Tracy suggested at the Championship Show the Limit and Open classes should be staggered with the bitches following the dogs, this was very well received with other Clubs now following our lead.

The December show was extremely busy with a fantastic raffle, the star prize being a beautiful Marks & Spencer Hamper, this was supplied at a discount by Anne McDerment, and the committee would like to thank Anne for collecting and delivering the hamper to the show.

One of our junior members Louise Stracey had a table at the show to sell home made dog bedding to raise funds for a charity event she hopes to take part in (please see the article by Louise for more details) I’m please to say Louise’s bedding was a great success and I think she will be back selling more in March!

We are pleased to report that memberships are up slightly on last year, and have finished at 158.
This is thanks yet again thanks to our very diligent Membership Secretary Denise Morton, who continually chases up unpaid memberships and keeps our records up to date, thanks again Denise for a job very well done.

Denise Taylor and Jacquie Goldie organised another sponsored walk in aid of Dobermann Welfare unfortunately this was not as well attended as the previous one. The committee were very disappointed with the Club member’s response as we feel it was for a very well deserved cause but despite the poor turnout £400 was raised for Welfare.
All who did take part had a very good time and hopefully any Charity events organised in 2010 will be better supported.
Thanks Denise and Jacquie for all your efforts.

The Dobermann Breed Council meetings were very informative with DCM being one of the most important topics discussed; there are various trials ongoing with free screening for Dobermanns aged between five and nine.
As a Club we are hoping to hold one of the mobile screening sessions in conjunction with one of our shows next year.
We will endeavour to keep members informed of any breakthroughs as and when they happen.

Next year will be our Golden Anniversary Year and the current Committee have some great ideas to make it a very special year, so we hope you will all join in and support our efforts!!
We would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support throughout 2009 and hope you all have a lovely Christmas and a prosperous New Year.