The Netherlands - The early years

Abowe: Mr. Wim Clay. He was a judge for 50 years. He has known Samoyeds from the age that he was a young man and after the second World War he helped to rebuilt the breed in the Netherlands. He also had contact with Ivy Kilburn Scott. Thanks to him we have still photos and articles from the first years.

De Hond 1935 Winnerverslag 

Translated by: Haninie Wink.

New Foundlanders, Pyreneen Mountaindogs, Bobtails and Samoyeds : joy, disappointment. A successful breeding op polar coats.

……..[part about other breeds]

Though The Samoyeds where at the end, I would like to discuss them, because with this race particularly it seems how persistent, like the good breeders of New Foundlanders, the breeders of this race are focused on the preservation of the correct polar coat. A Newfoundlander and a Samoyed depend on their coat that once it is lost by acclimatization, no breeder ever born will breed against nature something out of nothing. What is shown with the black ones has been shown by the white ones.

There appeared in my ring 16 of the 17 registered dogs. It was a wonderful group, a group of champions together. Firmly is the type of Ikon, but also from Mooswa and Ural fixed and I wonder, why still trying to import inferior dogs from England, which can not compete against the Dutch ones, which by acclimatization lost their coat and which to my opinion are worthless for breeding. [Ikon, Mooswa and Ural where one of the first imports.] [The writer thinks that the English dogs has lost their coat by acclimatization.]

Let me discuss the dogs in sequence, which gained an excellent. Best of all, also best of the race, was Jetske's Captain J. Neef, The Hague. Since The Hague he has become more sturdy, his coat is unique, his type magnificent, it's a dog that shows streamline, that is created for pulling the sled in the North. This is, like Cyrus Roy, a dog, which you have to value, although you can find in every dog something what could be somehow different, but type, hair, character and construction are precious good and again I must say that the owner, J. Neef, The Hague, has a good hand to choose [a puppy]. He was best, the Winner 1935.

He was followed by a known beauty, Champion Farningham Ikon of Samoya, owner Ms. N. Dickhoff, Hilversum. It is the first time that he, when I judged, found his superior, but because it was his grandson, who is totally bred according the same type, it is an honor that no other took that place and the reserve championship was awarded to him and also the second best of the breed. Yet, how much I appreciate that Ikon again appeared, I would recommend, because he dislikes it, to keep this beautiful dog away from exhibitions. Getting older is not an art, I once said, just keep living, but aging comes with defects. Why showing the dog when aging issues are getting visible? If they want it, I'm prepared to, but I think, that every sincere fancier of Samoyeds acclaims, to keep our big forefather in honour.

Here I want to insert, that they might publish again the pictures of Ikon as a youngster, because I think that they are too much looking for the type of the completed, adult dog. The Sammies need time to finish. We have to consider again, that type, but above all the hair is the integral part of the Sam and that this together with the construction finally are the essentials. If the outer coat is getting too long, it's going hand in hand by loss of undercoat, loss of head type is most serious in this race, nature causes acclimatization, but we actually want to stop this. If we don't want that the Sam is becoming like in England, a large white dog with long hair and erect ears, with a spitz type, we have to pay attention to the coat especially if we are choosing sires. For God's sake and that of the breed, stop importing dogs from England. Which potential fancier is bringing us a dog from Siberia?

Then followed Champion Jetske's Beer of Mrs. Ogten, which is well enough known and only due to the one moment that he was carrying his ears sideward, he wasn't placed one place forward. Why isn't he carrying his ears in the ring, the way he does on the moorland and at the pictures?

The youth winner was following, Ural of Mrs. B. Veilbrief van Zwieten, Voorburg. For 17 months a good strong dog, magnificent type, pure coat. He can be satisfied to be placed behind these predecessors at this age. I think it is a dog with a future.

Fridthjof van Brauneck of Ms. B. Kuypers, Baarn, followed, a well-known male of beautiful type, but a little too light in construction, which is known. Fridthjof was a little out of coat, which of course was directly a handicap.

Right after him, came the champion bitch Tornea of J. Wichers, Rotterdam, a sturdy, very typical bitch with beautiful hair. Who's laughing now, because Vagebond is the father and I never have admired that dog, don't laugh too soon. A mother does in my view very much and the combination of a descendant of the full sister of Champion Ikon with a Ikon-Ural daughter gave the best chances, not because of that famous fresh blood, but because of the family ties. With the New Foundlanders I also witnessed, that a bitch suddenly can give a male a champion daughter. Keep the bitches alive. Tornea has also a good back, a point which I want to point out, because you have to have place to put a harness on. The hindquarters of Tornea are an heritage from her father, she better couldn't have accepted. But it's a bitch, of a beautiful type.

Then followed again a male, Jetske 's Cherubijn of Mrs. E. van der Linde, The Hague, a beautiful dog with a slightly (and I mean a little) long hair, well built, sturdy and firm, but which could be together with this robustness somewhat bigger (higher).

The reserve champion of bitches followed, champion Farningham Ural of Samoya from Jan Spaapen, is kept extremely well, it is a well-preserved bitch and her teeth are still perfect at the age of almost 11 years. Age, isn't it, Mrs. Ural, is playing tricks on you and I'll let you furthermore unchanged, one of the founding mothers, which they should have been more built on.

Karin von Brauneck, from Kennel Samoya, Baarn, has still to become two years, is of good type, somewhat light in construction, due to her age, the coat could be a little more standing off. Oh yeah, this is nice, some people outside the race still have some nice ideas about an open coat. They certainly will think about the coat of a polar bear and that of a silver fox as being open, but ladies watch your fur, look between the hair, you can't see, and that is the point, to the skin. Fanciers of Sams, don't let you disturb by these argumentations of an open coat, but look to the undercoat and watch, that the upper-coat is just standing off, thus providing a large space for the poor heat conductor: air.

Wladimir von Brauneck of H.Th. Mijnhardt, Utrecht, represents pure type, but could have slightly more rounded ribs, the coat is beautiful.

Olga of J.A. Jacobsen, Alphen aan de Rijn, is known, a beautiful type, somewhat out of coat and therefore looking a little narrow.

The last of the E-dogs was Keino Tawau, which in type and coat is entirely satisfying, could be what firmer, rounder in ribs, and could have behind a little more skis.

At the end of the judging of the breed, I placed these dogs in this order, to let the fanciers and bystanders see what a beautiful collection was brought to me. Of course the good dogs will come to the Winner and there they don't have to be punished by looking differently to them than otherwise. If I would have given the previous dogs the qualification very well, I would have given them at the following a different qualification and even then they would have showed me angry faces, because I noticed that the owners of the E-dogs could unite with my placement but that especially the G-group doesn't always agree with me.

Very Good acquired Iwan of J. de Bruyne, Leiden, which has not enough undercoat, in type goes to the Chow, a sturdy dog, who in this wonderful group is obviously very back. Same failings, except the Chow idea stick to Oda Zuidwijk, owner A. Kater, Boskoop. Yet doesn't this one have the right type either.

The G-dogs are closing the row. Rabotschik van Rehoboth is too long, has a round eye and that already at eleven months, an unattractive dog that lacks nobility. Soveig van het Witte Huis gives a thought of a Shepherd and a wolf with short hair. I certainly want to believe, that this dog at other times has more hair, but then I would say to the owner, come back later, but never come to an exhibition with a bitch, so completely out of coat. Although the owner was also somewhat disgruntled, because I wanted to see it in the ring and not have to believe it from what is said. I'll leave it there, because I do want to suspend my judgment until she is in the best possible condition for her. Inga of Brauneck was absent, which I am sorry, because the Brauneck Kennel has bred excellent.

A word of thanks to all the contributors of the beautiful Sammies, it was a "rich" propaganda for the breed, our friend George would say.

…..

JOH. PIETERSE