International

       2004 was the year for international accomplishments. We had planned well in advance to send dogs to Crufts in 2004 once we found out that it was possible to deal with the embargo in Great Britain. We made those arrangements due to the necessity of appropriate vaccinations, specialized titer tests and waiting periods, approximately a year in advance. Of course it is also necessary to plan well in advance because your dog must be qualified to go to Crufts, with only FCI champions, winners at certain designated qualifying shows in the U.S. and Canada, and British show champions being eligible. Ahmahr Nahr’s Basenji’s stud qualified three dogs for Cruffs and all three were entered. In the end we took only two because of freight regulations and cost. Both qualifying and earning their Crufts medals, were D.Ch Ahmahr Nahr’s Sultan Siete with Pips, SC, D.Ch Ahmahr Nahr’s African Dancer SC, and CH Ahmahr Nahr’s El Cerro Ranger, qualified but did not make the trip. With a lot of help from our local veterinarians in Canada and the United States, and extreme good will from Northwest Airlines, (which has a wonderful priority pet program), these two dogs arrived at Gatwick together with Larry Clark and I. (Larry is Siete's handler from Calgary, Alberta.) We picked up our right-hand drive car and after about fifty trips around the traffic circle, finally exited the airport and got to Birmingham. We stayed in a lovely hotel operated by Sheraton on the show campus. It was an experience that everyone should have at least once.

       Crufts is the largest canine trade show I have ever visited. It is also one of the best places to see anybody and everybody who is anybody in dogs, all gathered together in one place at one time. This is a benched show and if you haven't experienced one before, you ought to. We had a lovely experience as we joined the Patrons Club at Crufts in its first year of operation, and on the day we were benched, they served our lunch on white linen in the benching area. This is “dog showing”. The British were extremely friendly to us and our dogs. We had a lovely time, got many gifts, a championship-class placement on Siete and reserve winners bitch on Dancer. It provided a wonderful opportunity to compare dogs in all breeds and see how we measured up and how they measured up, and get ideas for the future. I will never forget the fun of sitting at Crufts in the afternoon having tea served from a teapot shaped cart and eating pistachio frozen custard. I would go again, but, to me, it is not an every-year trip because I don't think that it really provides many opportunities to improve the breeding program over those which are obtained at FCI shows. An incredible amount of time and money is required to show at Crufts compared to other dog shows, and though I hope to see my English friends at Basenji events in Europe or in the United States. I think I would need a very special reason and a very special dog to make the Crufts investment in time and money again.

       Later in the year we also journeyed to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the World Show. Siete also earned a champion-class placement there, second only to the retired American Basenji, now deceased, (who came out of retirement especially for the show), Johnny, Come Greatly. Our little girl, D.Ch Ahmahr Nahr’s African Dancer, SC, became World Winner Bitch 2004. Dancer also finished her FCI, FCM and SICALAM titles in 2004. Siete, of course, has long held these titles. Ranger also acquired these titles in 2004, as did several other dogs from Dancer's litter, who do not reside at Ahmahr Nahr’s Stud but live with their owners in other states.

       Siete of course continued to show in Canada. He spent half a year there in 2003. He spent a full year, sans time out for the World Show, Crufts, and time off for an injury which occurred when he got a little too frisky with a German Shepherd who came to Larry's for breeding. Siete won an additional Best in Show in Canada and multiple group placements, the BCOC supported entry at the Edmonton Kennel Club show this fall, and was an excellent ambassador for the breed. As the year ends and the December-January Canine Review went to press, At the end of 2004, D.Ch. Astarte Sultan Siete with Pips, SC, was the Number 1-Top Dog Basenji and the Number 6 “Top Dog” Hound in Canada. Siete also received the Canadian Kennel Club’s nomination for the EuKanuba Classic in Florida. Siete retired after he showed at the Classic. He is now working at becoming a Top Dog in competitive obedience.

        In October, my friend Michelle Smith-Barbour and I went to Asuncion, Paraguay for the SICALAM championships (Latin American FCI Section). Champion Ahmahr Nahr’s Jake Jamal and Champion Ahmahr Nahr’s Quattura to Mibre were named respective male and female, Basenji Sicalam Joeven Winners, awards given to dogs two years and under. Jake went on to earn that title in the Spitz and primitive group over all, and both earned their Paraguayan Kennel Club championship.

        Ranger showed in the champions class, and got his Paraguayan title, and completed his SICALAM championship at this show.

       During the summer, both Jake and Quattara, sometimes known as Q, won multiple puppy best in shows in Canada, and their Canadian titles. Both won best puppy in a Basenji or a hound specialty, and Quattara won the hound group puppy at the Canadian puppy championship sponsored by Eukanuba and held at Penticton in the fall. Quattara is owned by myself, Michelle Smith-Barbour, and David Davidson, of Bjoran Basenjis. She lives and shares with David in Abbotsford, BC, Canada.

       As to Madam, she looks forward to the World Show in Argentina in July, 2005 and the SICALAM championships in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in the fall of 2005.

       See other sections of this site for those trip results.

      Jake went to Canada to live with Larry Clark to begin his special career following in Siete footsteps in 2005.

       Picture Key: 1. 2004 World Winner Bitch- Dancer, 2 , BIF Dancer, 3 Siete & Spirit, 4 & 5. SICALAM Junior champ Jake