|
Enydelet Steppin Out in Style for
Alchera "Style"
Having seen the harli's at my first show, I
realised just how much I adored them and wanted to have
another one in my life.
I had been told that Jean and
Jack Taylor had recently had a litter out of their Champion
bitch and Import from America, I went to see the pups and
Style chose me, I couldn't wait for the time to pass before
she would be at home with us.
Style has all the conformation of a Great Dane
and is pure white with black torn patches on her, Breed
Standard does not state 5 or 50 patches, but she has very few
on her head which has been a disadvantage in the showring,
however, she has no mottling, flecking or spotting and carries
a pure white chest and front. She was taken into the
showring at an early age and was a natural, good in the stance
and for the judge and moves like a dream.
|
|
|
Style has
never been any trouble at shows, she is more than happy to
strut her stuff then return to her blanket and go to sleep.
She has won BEST HARLEQUIN BITCH in Show on 2 occasions, 1st
in Puppy and BE.P.I.B, Post Graduate and Open classes.
Style was also exhibited as part of a Brace with JeJak,
handled by my youngest son, Keeley - for which he had an
uncanny knack of being able to control the pair.
Most of her showing was in 1999 and 2000, I have only
shown her twice in 2001 and once in 2003,
don't ask me what happened in 2002 was probably campaigning
the others. That's the trouble when you have so many,
there is only so much room in the van.
Style is very much a harli, a typical
adolescent!! We have nicknamed her "Houdini"
as she is a real escape artist. The paddock fencing is
now raised to 6 feet, the back garden fence has been
trellised to increase its height and no first floor windows
are open when she is indoors. She has left my
garden to free run in the fields on numerous
occasions, looks at the fence and from a stand, just clears
it, leaving the others stretching their necks to see where she
has gone.
If she wants company she will pull the
fence panelling apart making a gap for the others to
follow through behind her. Her last bid for freedom was early
this March, she encouraged JeJak to accompany her and within
minutes they had disappeared out of sight. Despite being
on their case immediately, we could not find them anywhere and
to cut a long story short, despite notifying the dog
wardens and ringing into the police station every hour, we
were not notified about their capture until two days later and
only then because of Radio Essex.
Style had led the way from my village to Tollesbury, several
miles away and I would think, across the fields, there, they
were eventually captured by a farmer and were kennelled
by the Chelmsford Dog Warden.
I was so relieved to get them back safe and sound I
couldn't begin to tell you, though I must admit that I was
more concerned about JeJak than I was Style as I thought
that she had the greater survivor instincts and I really do
not know how he would have survived had they been separated.
But all's well that ends well and boy oh boy were they pleased
to be put back into my van, though JeJak made me laugh as he
made sure that he turned his back completely on Style.
That's another fine mess she got me in!
Style can still be destructive at the tender age of 4, she
destroys all her blankets and the bed given the opportunity,
she is very much a home re-arranger and will move her bed into
the position she wants it no matter how many times you put it
back.
She is a sun worshipper and will seek it out and
just flop down and go to sleep.
Whilst she has always been a bit on the naughty side, she has
been gifted with the most loving of natures and
gentle of temperaments, her agility is a marvel to watch -
when Aunty Style was playing with the blue puppies she
could run in and out and over the top and never once did she
accidentally touch anyone of them, she is also able to stretch
out fully with her back legs behind her.
Last October she produced a litter of seven harlequin puppies,
a more loving, protective and independent mother would be hard
to find, Style was still going in to feed her babies
at 10 weeks. Having the litter has matured Style, her
build has increased immensely and she is now far more
substantial. We will probably have another litter
from Style in 2004.
 |
