Retiring Souls (Dogs)

Since the day Miniature Poodle Portia arrived in the Bray home, she dictated the rules and still does – not just to Alan and Jayne but all the collies as well! She doesn't do sleeping or sitting on the floors or eating with the collies or travelling in the back of the van with the collies. Riff raff, she says! Portia will never be seen without her Swarovski crystal and diamond collars and doesn't do mud or rain!

Portia has not done any agility since Crufts 2007 and will not. She is now happily retired, living life of ease on the settee in the front of the fire and sleeping on Alan's legs on the bed!

Portia was trained and mainly handled by Jayne and went from nowhere to the top of the sport in no time at all. Her achievements have been secured at the highest level against the toughest competition. Portia is famous for her ability to work on ahead at speed to directional commands in exactly the same manner as collies do. Her list of achievements demonstrates that Portia is a ‘big event' dog who has delivered results on the day under pressure!

One of Portia's speciality was being able to compete on a more than equal level with large size dogs on the same course. On many occasions, at both Crufts and in junior handler events, she won overall competitions involving all height classification dogs including the KCJO Birmingham Championship show Junior Handler of the Year award, leading to the famous saying heard around the rings at the time that ;the class is not won until the champagne poodle has run!

Portia is the most successful British agility dog of modern times despite battling through three cancer operations and taking time out to produce three litters during her agility career. Two of her sons, two of her grandsons and a granddaughter all achieved Advanced status. Daz representing Great Britain and Darcy won the first ever Medium Championship certificate and is now an Agility Champion.

Portia's Competitive Career Summary
March 1997 – March 2007

Qualified in 1997 for Advanced status at 18 months old
Won 305 classes between March 2007 - March 1997
First English Small Championship certificate winner - May 2001
First Pedigree British Agility Champion - June 2002
First British Double Agility Champion in any size - March 2003
First British Treble Agility Champion June 2005, all 9 being individual wins
9 x Individual Champ certificates and 6 x reserve plus 2 third places in five years of Championship competition - May 2001 - June 2006
Qualified the Crufts 2007 Eukanuba Singles and Mini/Mixi finals
Only dog to win the Eukanuba Crufts Championship on three separate occasions with wins in 2003, 2002 & 2000.
Eukanuba Crufts Championship Runner – up in 1999 and 2007

Eukanuba - Crufts Knock-out Champion - March 2002 and 2003

Won Eukanuba 2005 Crufts Mini – Maxi Pairs final
Finished 4^th in 2007 and 3^rd in 2006 in Eukanuba Crufts Mini-Maxi Pairs Finals
Runner up in the Crufts 2007 KC Small dog Team Relay final
Qualified the 2006 Crufts Championship final
Only dog to win the KC Olympia small dog Championship on two occasions with different handlers specifically Jayne in 2002 and Alan in December 2004. Finished 3^rd in both 2005 and 2006
Qualified 6 x KC Olympia finals between 2006 & 2000 and the Semi finals in 2003
Won the Dogs In Need Small Senior Agility Classic final - August 2005
Only dog to win the Supadogs week Small Senior Championship on two occasions - May 2002 and 2004. Qualified for the 2005 final
Runner up in the Supadog 2005 Individual final amd qualified the 2006 final
Won both the 2006 and 2005 Eukanuba Discover Dogs Small Agility final at Earls Court
Won the 2002 Agility Club Knock – Out Pairs
YKC Agility Dog of the Year Champion with Hayley, beating Large dogs to achieve this - September 2000
Agility Eye Midlands Small Senior League Champion - 2001, 2002 and 2004
Finished 3^rd in the Agility Club Small Dog of the Year League Championships - 200-, 2001, 2005 and 2005
Agility Club Premier Club League Champions 2003 and 2004. Runner-up 2005

Portia at Olympia 2002

Janspal Mister George

'But I still want to!' George complained when we explained to him that he couldn't do agility any more. 'And I'm still well up in the places...'

And yes, he is, but a recent X-ray showed that three discs in his lower spine have disintegrated, fortunately without apparent damage to his spinal cord. He is lucky to that his spine is making a good repair job, growing bone bridges across the gaps between his vertebrae (Spondylitis.) It does mean that he only has three places where his back can flex. Jumping would put tremendous pressure on these, so he has to stop.

He isn't going to find giving up easy and neither do we. He has been a dog in a million to work. Fast, determined and incredibly responsive, despite deafness and surgery on his neck a few years ago. If a mistake was made it was us not him!

Thank you George for all the fun you've given us. We will do our very best to give you a long and happy retirement.