Welcome to The British Chihuahua Club

2021 CHIHUAHUA CHRONICLE - NOW ACCEPTING ADS!
In spite of the problems of 2020 we are intending to continue to publish our Yearbook, the 'Chihuahua Chronicle', which has been in continuous production for 31 years. Our 32nd volume is scheduled to be available from 1st March 2021 and we are now accepting adverts from exhibitors, breeders and any related commercial advertisers.

It goes without saying that this has been an unusual year, and this will be an unusual volume. There have only been four Championship and four Breed Club Open Shows in 2020, so instead of over forty pages of show results there are just a few. There are just four new Champions to report, and pedigrees to see for eleven CC winners. However, all that empty space was an opportunity to do something new. We are filling it with content from the first twenty years of the Chronicle. For each of the years from 1990 to 2009 we are listing the winners of the Top Dog awards for that year, the new champions, all the CC and RCC winners and the names of the judges for each Championship show. We hope this special compendium volume will become sought after as a souvenir for some and a reference for others.

The paid advertisements in the back of the Yearbook are very largely what makes the book possible to produce, and I hope lots of people will still want to place an ad and support the Chronicle. A full colour page this year is just £60, or £30 for black-and-white. If for whatever reason you don't wish or are unable to place an ad this year but would still like to support publication of the Yearbook then we'd appreciate you taking an entry in the Affix List for just £10 (otherwise free with an advert.)

To place an ad please contact the Editor, Bernard Coxhead. We accept anything from a fully-prepared ad as a jpg or pdf to a couple of photos and some scribbled instructions, but please get them in as early as you can - ideally by 31st December or at the latest, the end of the first week in January. Please click here to download an order form with contact details etc, or email editor@britishchihuahua.club to discuss.

COVID-19 AND OUR 2020 SHOWS
Having already been forced to cancel this year's Open Show, it is with regret that the BCC committee has reached a decision to reschedule our Championship Show which was due to take place on the 15th November 2020 at Brackley Leisure Centre.

The restrictions imposed for indoor events, including those on social distancing, greatly reduce the capacity of the hall, and this alongside the other stringent measures required to ensure the show is safely managed and COVID safe have been important considerations.  However, we have taken this decision primarily in the interest of the welfare, safety and security of our exhibitors, judges, spectators, and the officers and committee.  We know this will be extremely disappointing to you all.

We now plan to hold the rescheduled Championship show on Sunday 2nd May 2021, and have been granted permission by The Kennel Club to do so.  This will replace the Open Show we had scheduled for that date.  We still hope to arrange an Open Show sometime during 2021, as soon as we can look at which dates are available.

We very much look forward to seeing you all again in the future, and thank you all for your continued support of the Club.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS NEEDED
We are still two people short on our Committee, and especially under the restrictions that may still be in place this will make it difficult to continue to put on our shows unless we can find a couple more fit and keen people to help us out.  To be elected onto the Committee you must have been a member for at least three years but if necessary, the Committee can co-opt people who would not otherwise qualify.  If you are interested or can suggest someone who might be, please get in touch with our Secretary Mr Jim Culverhouse.

RESCUE COORDINATOR NEEDED
Mrs Margaret Foote has been doing a marvellous job of running the British Chihuahua Club Rescue Association but has now reached the point where she needs to hand over to someone else. The volunteer role of coordinator is not just a matter of many phone calls and much paperwork, but can often mean driving some distance to pick up or deliver a rescue, and perhaps having to foster them while finding a new home for them.  The coordinator also arranges for any medical treatment the rescue may need. BCCRA has helped a great many Chihuahuas in need of rescue and rehoming, and to be able to continue with this important mission we do need to find a new Coordinator very soon.  To find out more about what's involved you could chat to Margaret about it (email rescue@bccra.org.uk or call 07535 418784.)

2020 AGM
Our 2020 Annual General Meeting had been scheduled to be held during the lunch break of the Open Show, but since this was cancelled, it has not yet gone ahead.  If and when the AGM is rescheduled, members will be be given due notice of the new time and place.

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
Toy Day this year at Crufts 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 and Best Puppy to Mrs Sandra Ludmir's Indiana Malkanorah (handled by Mr Santiago Pier), while reserve bitch CC was Diane Fothergill's Diamonchi Last One Standing and Best Veteran 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 Open Show was held on 5^th May, shortly before the actual 70^th Anniversary of the founding of the club on 22^nd May 1949.  We are saving 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