Crufts 2000
When anyone is asked how they feel after winning Best In Show at the biggest dog show in the world, all the old cliche's come out!
"it's a dream come true... we're over the moon!"
It's hard to come up with anything more original than a mixture of delight and disbelief!
It was no different for us, the Ramsay family...when our Kerry Blue Terrier Champion Torum's Scarf Michael took centre stage at the Cruft's 2000 Millennium Show.
Scarf Michael, known to his friends as Mick, had an incredible run of success prior to this.
Handled by Geoff Corish, Ron and Michael Coad, Mick had taken BIS at the last 3 All Breed Championship Shows of 1999.He had also taken yet another BIS at the first major show of the year at Manchester Championship Show. In January 2000, Mick became the Pedigree Chum Champions Final Winner.This competition which is sponsored by Pedigree Masterfoods, brings together some of the country's top dogs who have qualified for the competition throughout the year.
At Cruft's,the Kerry judge was the highly respected 'Terrier Man', Mr Harry O'Donohue, who we learned afterwards had no hesitation in awarding Mick 'Best Of Breed' .
Thanks to Terrier Group Judge - Ferelith Somerfield - we were through to the final 7!
It seemed like a very long time until Best in Show and that moment when Judge - Ellis Hulme strode forward with his hand outstretched to congratulate Michael & Mick!
It was a huge pleasure for us to see our favourite breed win BIS and even better...that was our dog!
Since childhood we had watched Cruft's on TV and cheered on our particular favourite. As a youngster I was a fan of Dodie Smith's 101 Dalmatians and always wanted the spotty dog to win!
For Ron, in those days it was the German Shepherd!
My earliest recollection of Cruft's BIS on Blue Peter would have been the St Bernard - Burtonwood Bossy Boots owned by Miss Hindes.
As a young man, Michael Coad, who handled Mick to the top spot, had written to Miss Hindes to congratulate her on her win and was touched that one of the first people to phone him after his success was Miss Hindes!
Little did we imagine that our sons, Alex 11 and Chris 9, would be appearing on the show with our own dog!
We had so many lovely cards and letters from all over the world including one which was addressed simply 'To Ch.Torum's Scarf Michael - Birkenhead' and it got here!
Ron knew that Mick was a special dog from a very young age. He was a natural showman, was a Pup of the Year Finalist, and took Reserve Best Puppy in Show at the St Patrick's Day Show in Dublin... It's a great thrill to win in Ireland with an Irish breed!
But the story begins a lot earlier than that.
In 1978, Ron was managing a Casino & Nightclub in Liverpool and one night whilst he was at work, his home was burgled.
He decided it was time to get a dog that would guard the house.
A girl who worked for him at that time was showing Afghans and suggested Ron visit a local dog show for ideas on breeds , and it was there he fell in love with the Kerry Blue Terrier!
His first Kerry and the foundation bitch of the Torum kerry blues was from the famous Granemore kennels of the now late Malachy McGeown.
Then, in 1979 Champion Callaghan of Leander became the first Kerry Blue to win BIS at Cruft's and Ron used Cal. for stud on his Granemore bitch.
He kept 2 bitches from his first litter and showed Torum's Rosa Mundi at a local show. He came home with several first prizes, best puppy in show, reserve best in show and best stakes class... he was hooked!
Rosa became Ron's first Champion and so the Torum line began...
In 1981 Ron's wife died suddenly of a Brain Haemorrhage and in the months following, the dogs became his life, his reason for getting up in the morning and he put everything into showing and producing kerry blues.
Ron produced some outstanding males that were to become significant in the breed. Ch/Ir.Ch Torum's Mr Dooley who became an influential sire in UK and American Ch Torums Corky Capers who is the number 2 top producing sire in USA.
The top producing sire in America is a dog from the 60s called Ch Melbees Chances Are and Mick is descended from that dog.
Chances Are was Ron's 'blueprint' for the ultimate kerry blue and one of the highlights of this year was when the handler of Chances Are - Ric Cashoudian wrote that he thought God had broken the mould after Chances until he saw Mick.
International Ch Torum's Jo El Rey became Top Dog all breeds in Italy in 1991 and Ron has bred or owned 4 Group winning kerries in this country, with other Torum Champions all over the world.
Mick's mother and father were Top Kerry and Top Kerry bitch in 1995.
I met Ron in 1988 whilst showing GSDs but quickly fell in love with the kerries.
We had similar backgrounds, both grew up in Liverpool and from totally 'non doggy' families!
The success of the Torum kennels has been as a result of Ron's dedication and belief in his breed and the hours of hard but enjoyable work in preparing and conditioning the dogs.
Mick's daily workout inlcuded a 6.30am walk across the sandhills and a run on the beach with our GSD.
Following Mick's success at Cruft's, his TV appearances, Charity work (and Tea with the Mayor of Wirral!). He is now residing at the California home of Professional Handler Bill McFadden (who takes care of him for his new owner Marilu Hansen).
Mick has taken many BIS awards in USA including the prestigious Montgomery County Kennel Club Terrier Show.
He has made himself at home with Bill & his wife Taffe and their 3 sons Keegan, Taylor & Connor and he may have many more wins to come...
Nothing can describe the emotion of winning Best In Show at Cruft's... if only we could bottle that feeling, just so we could take the top off and taste it again....
Ch Torum's Tunde Bayou - twice Terrier group Winner at Crufts and Reserve Best in Show.