Welcome to The British Chihuahua Club

APPEAL FOR HELP!
Firstly I have to announce that our past Chairman Mr Graham Foote and his wife Margaret have now retired from the British Chihuahua Club committee.  We thank them both for an amazing contribution over many years and send them heartfelt good wishes.  However we were already one person short on the committee, and additionally our Chairman and Secretary will be retiring at the next AGM, with the Chairman also leaving the committee, and this will leave us four people short.  Two more very long-serving committee members are also thinking hard about whether to continue

It's never been easy to attract new members to the club's committee and we are very grateful for those who we have been able to recruit, but we are now approaching something of a crisis point where we will have enough committee members to hold a meeting but not enough bodies to run a show!  If you have been a member of the club for at least a year, and would be able to give up your time on two days a year to help at our shows (currently held in Brackley, Northanmptonshire), we would really, really like to hear from you. Especially if you have experience as, or would be interested in becoming, a club secretary!  You can find most of us on Facebook if you want an informal chat about the idea or you can contact the current Hon Secretary directly.

2021 CHAMPIONSHIP SHOW
A report and results of our 2021 Championship Show held last November, along with critiques from the judges, are now in the Show Results section - click here

Our next show is the 2022 Open Show to be held Sunday 15th May at Brackley Leisure Centre in Northants.  Jurate Suprinaityte will judge smoothcoats and Chloe Holmes the longcoats.  Entries will be online through Fosse Data, although a postal entry will be made available by special request if required.

2022 YEARBOOK (Chihuahua Chronicle) now in production
The 2022 yearbook goes on sale at Crufts (Saturday March 12^th) with show results and statistics from 2021, details of the year's CC winners, and the advertising section with many colour photos of breeders' and exhibitors' prizewinning dogs.  The price hasn't changed in over 30 years and is still just £8 a copy.

The previous (2021) yearbook is still available.  Because of the limited show results in 2020, there's extra material from the first twenty volumes of the Chronicle (1990-2009), making it a special 'compendium edition' and useful reference.  Why not order your copy now!

2020 & 2021 Annual General Meetings (BCC & BCCRA)
Lockdown restrictions on travel and indoor meetings prevented us holding either the 2020 or 2021 AGMs of the BCC (British Chihuahua Club) and the BCCRA (British Chihuahua Club Rescue Association) at the usual time and in the normal way.  Because of continued uncertainties, as well as health concerns for older and more vulnerable members, and to avoid further delay, the Committee decided to hold the AGMs as 'online meetings' using Zoom on Sunday 18th July.  The existing officers and committee agreed to continue and the accounts for both years were approved.

COVID AND YOUR DOG: There is no evidence your dog can catch the disease and give it to you, but of course just like human hands, pet fur could possibly pick up and pass on the virus, so you need to wash your hands after handling a dog that has been outside the home.  The virus will not live long on fur or fabrics, and will be killed by washing clothing and blankets with soap or detergent.  For more information about pets and coronavirus click here or visit www.cfsg.org.uk/coronavirus

CRUFTS 2020
Thankfully Crufts 2020 was able to go ahead, just before shows began to be cancelled due to coronavirus restrictions.  Toy Day was on Thursday 5th March, and as usual some of the best Chihuahuas in the world were there, being judged by David Reece (smoothcoats) and Tony Timberlake (longs).

On the left are photos of the longcoat dog CC and Best of Breed winner, Hayley Murphy's Aphienna A Million Dreams, and of Lindsey Anderson's Ch Lumanatii Rolling Thunder, the smoothcoat Best of Breed.  We were all thrilled to see Hayley take her dog to 3rd place in the Toy Group under Mrs Carolyn Roe. This is only the second time an Irish exhibitor has taken Best of Breed at Crufts, and the first time for a Toy Group placing.

Reserve Longcoat Dog CC went to Mr & Mrs Hill's Ch Lynpix The Mexican with Becanna, while the bitch CC and reserve were awarded to Christine Kadowaki's Bramver's First Priority and Mrs Hunter's Jotolemar Best Of Time respectively. Best longcoat puppy was Geoff Curr's Natimuk Beaumont and veteran was the Sangsters' Tidos Christmas Gift.

In smoothcoats the Reserve Dog CC went to Mrs Ward's Red Hot Chilli Pepper by Milendo, Bitch CC to Mrs Sandra Ludmir's Indiana Malkanorah (handled by Mr Santiago Pier) and Reserve Bitch CC and Best Puppy in Breed to Diane Fothergill's Diamonchi Last One Standing, while Best Veteran was Ms Lind-Rasmussen's Multi Ch Chiboels Hollywood Look Out Elvis.

There was a somewhat lower attendance at Crufts this year (you could actually move around normally instead of fighting your way through the crowds!) but few absentees from the ring, and we welcomed many members and friends at the British Chihuahua Club stand and sold a good number of copies of the brand new 2020 yearbook (the Chihuahua Chronicle) and some very attractive brooches and ring clips made for us by Shi-Chi Chen.

If you were unable to be there, the 2020 Chihuahua Chronicle is now on sale by mail order, along with some back numbers and a few other club branded items.  Click here to go to our shop page.

2019 Championship Show
We celebrated the club's 70^th Anniversary at our Championship Show held on Sunday 17th November 2019 at Brackley Leisure Centre.  A magnificent cake (pictured) was donated by Amy Wilcox and enjoyed by the exhibitors, along with (non-alcoholic) sparkling wine, and there were some fabulous prizes for winners.

In longcoats, judged by Vera Gillott (dogs) and Janet Fraser (bitches), the CCs went to Lee Humphreys' Amarantos Tobin and Debbie Bird's Bramerita Dream Bigger with Parisland. Smoothcoats were judged by Francis Yeoh (dogs) and David Milton (bitches), and the CCs went to Beverley Sutton's Ch Now Or Never De L'isle Au Vert Coteau and Borjomi Fortune, owned by Tony Allcock and Jurate Suprinaityte.

Best in Show was judged by our Vice-Chairman Mr Graham Foote, and top honours went to Beverley Sutton's smoothcoat Ch Now Or Never De L'isle Au Vert Coteau Nikitos JW. Reserve was Debbie Bird's longcoat Bramerita Dream Bigger with Parisland. Best Puppy in Show was the longcoat import Royal William Bikin Dvor, owned by Pauline Lodwick and Teresa Barker, with Reserve going to Heap & Palmer's Alltoyways Fantasy Minx, and Best Veteran in Show was another Beverley Sutton smoothcoat, Ch Lozek Rhapsody In Blue Nikitos.  In the first picture below are (left to right) s/c judge Francis Yeoh, BIS winner Beverley Sutton, BIS judge Graham Foote and RBIS winner Debbie Bird.  The other picture shows (left to right) BPIS winner Pauline Lodwick, Graham Foote and RBPIS winner Will Heap.

(Photographs courtesy of 'Our Dogs' and T Morgan Animal Photography)

2019 Open Show
Our most recent Open Show was held on 5^th May 2019, shortly before the actual 70^th Anniversary of the founding of the club on 22^nd May 1949.  We saved the big celebrations for our Championship Show in November, but we had a very successful and enjoyable show at the Brackley Leisure Centre in Northamptonshire.  Lynn Hill judged Smoothcoats for us and Emma Huntley the Longcoats, while our BIS judge was Mrs Edith Lynch.

Best in Show was Mrs Beverley Sutton's smoothcoat Now Or Never De L'isle Au Vert Coteau Nikitos, while Reserve went to another smooth and winner of Best Veteran in Show, Jacks' Ch Amarose Tink Attitude.  Sue Lee's longcoat puppy Barwater Agatha Christie of Ridgehawk was Best Puppy in Show.

Having moved the date of our club's financial year-end, we were also able to hold our Annual General Meeting at the show, allowing many additional members to attend.  There were no nominations for office.  Ms Hazel Senior and Mr James Farrugia have stepped down but the rest of the committee, and the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Hon Secretary and Hon Treasurer all agreed to continue.  The committee is now considering candidates to be co-opted to fill the remaining vacancies.

Don't be tricked out of your money
With the continuing popularity of Chihuahuas, people desperate to obtain a puppy are sending off large amounts of money to people they've never met for dogs they've never seen.  Sadly many of them never receive the puppy they were promised, or ever see their money again.  Read our page Buying A Chihuahua to see how the Club can put you in touch with Club members who may have puppies for sale.  Our members are obliged to abide by our code of ethics