I love dogs. Even though I also find cats cute, I am definitively a dog-person. My parents got Anka, a gorgeous German shepherd, years before me and my brother were born. We grew up around her, she was part of our family... and our games too. We used to pull her ears and ride her when we were very little. She was so calm and patient that she wouldn't complain.
Although being a gorgeous German shepherd, we have never really considered taking part in a dog show. I am sure there are dog contest back home, it just simply never crossed our mind. Yesterday, I saw a poster announcing there would be a Dog Show in St Agnes Park this weekend and I decided to go check what it was all about.
St Agnes Park is a popular community park located in Montpelier (BS2 9QJ). When Bristol was the third most unhealthy city in England back in the 1850s, St Agnes Park was one of the plans to improve the lives of the area. The headmaster of Clifton College in 1882 organised a petition to try to convince the council to buy an old orchard to convert it into a park. The council agreed to buy the orchard some years later although among all the facilities mentioned in the original plan, initially the council just agreed to fund one of the drinking fountains. The rest (a lodge, a refreshment room, an ornamental pond, a bandstand, a greenhouse, a summerhouse, a fountain, storage sheds and shelters) was funded by public donation. Sadly by 2000, the park was mainly frequented by drug dealers. Since then, several improvement work have transformed the abandoned park into a welcoming community green space. It is open all times and the entrace is free.
When I arrived to the park at around 1pm, it was pretty quiet. There were a few children playing at the playground, but I could barely see any dog. There was a volunteer welcoming at every entrance and explaining what kind of activities were going on.
There was face and henna paining next to the circus skill's area, information stands of Bristol Zoo, who brought a couple of massive snails and crickets; Holly Edge Animal Sanctuary ready to explain what the animal adoption process is; and Bristol Police with some leaflets about neighbour watch. They were also selling refreshments and food and you could also get your dog microchipped for free in another stand.
Little by little, dogs (and their owners) started to arrive. There were all sorts of dogs, all of them looking and smelling great after a probable revitalising shower. Big or small, it does not matter. Every single dog there was participating in the Dog Show at 2pm.
First, the 'Fantastic Fella' awards: males taking part were asked to walk in circles while the judges were deciding which 3 would get the prize. Then, the 'Loveliest Lady' award: this time, females taking part were asked to do the same. There was a third type of award, 'Best in Show', which was given at the end.
Right after the show, we had the chance to meet Troy, who is apparently a very famous police dog in the area. He even has a Twitter account! :) He is a 6-years old German shephard, which reminded me of my beautiful Anka. Troy's owner (also policeman) gave us very detailed explanation of how it is to work with your dog at the same time you live with him, and how accurate Troy is when searching for somebody.
The weather also helped. We have been "suffering" from sunny and hot days for weeks. Today, however, not sure if it's because it is the weekend, temperatures were more bearable than in previous days. But it might be just me that I am getting used to the 28-30º we are having.
Anyway, it was a very nice afternoon, surrounded by nice and beautiful dogs. A funny event that must be repeated sometime soon and even though the attendance was lower than what everybody was expected, I would classify the event as successful.
Nonetheless, some extra advertisement would help for next time to attract more participants and get the event known by a bigger amount of people.
St Agnes Park is a popular community park located in Montpelier (BS2 9QJ). When Bristol was the third most unhealthy city in England back in the 1850s, St Agnes Park was one of the plans to improve the lives of the area. The headmaster of Clifton College in 1882 organised a petition to try to convince the council to buy an old orchard to convert it into a park. The council agreed to buy the orchard some years later although among all the facilities mentioned in the original plan, initially the council just agreed to fund one of the drinking fountains. The rest (a lodge, a refreshment room, an ornamental pond, a bandstand, a greenhouse, a summerhouse, a fountain, storage sheds and shelters) was funded by public donation. Sadly by 2000, the park was mainly frequented by drug dealers. Since then, several improvement work have transformed the abandoned park into a welcoming community green space. It is open all times and the entrace is free.
When I arrived to the park at around 1pm, it was pretty quiet. There were a few children playing at the playground, but I could barely see any dog. There was a volunteer welcoming at every entrance and explaining what kind of activities were going on. There was face and henna paining next to the circus skill's area, information stands of Bristol Zoo, who brought a couple of massive snails and crickets; Holly Edge Animal Sanctuary ready to explain what the animal adoption process is; and Bristol Police with some leaflets about neighbour watch. They were also selling refreshments and food and you could also get your dog microchipped for free in another stand.
Little by little, dogs (and their owners) started to arrive. There were all sorts of dogs, all of them looking and smelling great after a probable revitalising shower. Big or small, it does not matter. Every single dog there was participating in the Dog Show at 2pm.
First, the 'Fantastic Fella' awards: males taking part were asked to walk in circles while the judges were deciding which 3 would get the prize. Then, the 'Loveliest Lady' award: this time, females taking part were asked to do the same. There was a third type of award, 'Best in Show', which was given at the end.Right after the show, we had the chance to meet Troy, who is apparently a very famous police dog in the area. He even has a Twitter account! :) He is a 6-years old German shephard, which reminded me of my beautiful Anka. Troy's owner (also policeman) gave us very detailed explanation of how it is to work with your dog at the same time you live with him, and how accurate Troy is when searching for somebody.The weather also helped. We have been "suffering" from sunny and hot days for weeks. Today, however, not sure if it's because it is the weekend, temperatures were more bearable than in previous days. But it might be just me that I am getting used to the 28-30º we are having.
Anyway, it was a very nice afternoon, surrounded by nice and beautiful dogs. A funny event that must be repeated sometime soon and even though the attendance was lower than what everybody was expected, I would classify the event as successful.
Nonetheless, some extra advertisement would help for next time to attract more participants and get the event known by a bigger amount of people.
INTERESTING LINKS
History of St Agnes (Complete):
http://www.bristol.gov.uk/sites/default/files/documents/leisure_and_culture/parks_and_open_spaces/History%20of%20St%20Agnes%20Park_0.pdf
Dog Show:
http://www.hollyhedge.org.uk/get-involved/events-calendar/st-pauls-dog-show/default.aspx
Troy's Twitter: https://twitter.com/PDTroy
Bristol Zoo: http://www.bristolzoo.org.uk/
Holly Edge Animal Sanctuary: http://www.hollyhedge.org.uk/default.aspx
History of St Agnes (Complete):
http://www.bristol.gov.uk/sites/default/files/documents/leisure_and_culture/parks_and_open_spaces/History%20of%20St%20Agnes%20Park_0.pdf
Dog Show:
http://www.hollyhedge.org.uk/get-involved/events-calendar/st-pauls-dog-show/default.aspx
Troy's Twitter: https://twitter.com/PDTroy
Bristol Zoo: http://www.bristolzoo.org.uk/
Holly Edge Animal Sanctuary: http://www.hollyhedge.org.uk/default.aspx
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