THE SOUTH WEST DOBERMANN CLUB WAS FORMED IN THE SPRING OF 1986. INITIALLY MYSELF, VIV SAUNDERS AND BRENDA  FORDHAM, ALL FROM BRISTOL THOUGHT THE WEST OF ENGLAND WOULD BENEFIT FROM HAVING A DOBERMANN CLUB SPECIFIC TO OUR AREA.

MOST OTHER PARTS OF THE U.K HAD THEIR OWN REGIONAL CLUBS, AND WITH MANY KEEN EXHIBITORS IN OUR AREA , THE TIME SEEMED RIGHT FOR US TO GAUGE  IF THERE WAS ENOUGH INTEREST TO GET THINGS OFF THE  GROUND AND FORM OUR VERY OWN CLUB.

ADVERTS WERE PLACED IN REGIONAL PAPERS AND THE CANINE PRESS, AND AN OPEN MEETING WAS ADVERTISED TO TAKE PLACE AT THORNBURY LEISURE CENTRE, A FEW MILES NORTH OF BRISTOL. IT WAS VERY WELL ATTENDED WITH SOME VERY WELL KNOWN DOBERMANN FIGURES, SUCH AS, REX HODGE, ALAN BARNARD, JIMMY BURRELL, ROGER JAMES, AUDREY AND PETER KELLY. THESE WERE JUST A FEW.

THE RECORDS OF THIS MEETING ARE A LITTLE BIT HAZY, BUT I BELIEVE SOME FORTY OR FIFTY PEOPLE ATTENDED, AND THE FOUNDATIONS OF OUR CLUB WERE FORMED.

A COMMITTEE WAS THEN ELECTED WHICH CONSISTED OF THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS. REX HODGE - PRESIDENT , DAVID CRICK - CHAIRMAN, BRENDA FORDHAM - SECRETARY, MRS B NORTH - TREASURER, ELECTED AS COMMITTEE MEMBERS WERE :- ROGER JAMES, DAVE WOODS, PETER MITCHELL, GEOFF PEARCE, ROSE STRETTON, AND GLORIA PASCOE.

THERE WAS A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE. A SET OF RULES HAD TO BE DEVISED AND PREPARATION MADE TO ORGANISE AND HOLD OUR VERY FIRST SHOW.

WE HELD A COMPETITION TO CHOOSE A CLUB EMBLEM AND BADGE. THERE WAS A HIGH CALIBRE ENTRY OF A DOZEN OR SO, AND THE WINNER, WHO SUBMITTED THE TWO DOBES STANDING BENEATH A RAINBOW, WAS KIRSTY SAUNDERS ( I THINK SHE WAS MAYBE 14 YEARS OLD THEN ).

LATER IN 1986 WE HELD OUR FIRST OPEN SHOW AT CLARENCE HOUSE, HIGH STREET, PORTISHEAD. BY THIS TIME GLORIA PASCOE HAD TAKEN OVER AS SECRETARY, ALTHOUGH BRENDA FORDHAM STILL REMAINED ON THE COMMITTEE. IT IS INTERESTING AND INDICATIVE OF GREAT ENTHUSIASM FOR OUR BREED, THAT THE MAJORITY OF THOSE FIRST COMMITTEE MEMBERS ARE STILL INVOLVED WITH OUR CLUB TODAY. A SPECIAL MENTION SHOULD BE MADE TO OUR EX-PRESIDENT REX HODGE HE HAD BEEN A GOOD FRIEND AND AMBASSADOR FOR OUR CLUB OVER MANY YEARS, AND WHO SADLY PASSED AWAY IN 2002, ALSO HOW ABOUT ROSE STRETTON ?? COMMITTEE MEMBER AND CUP STEWARD SINCE DAY ONE. WELL DONE ROSE !

TO OUR FIRST OPEN SHOW AT PORTISHEAD, THE JUDGE WAS TREVOR AGER- NEAVE OF THE CHEVINGTON PREFIX.THERE WERE 238 ENTRIES, VERY HIGH BY TODAYS STANDARDS. BEST IN SHOW WAS MR MRS STEWARTS CH CROSSRIDGE THE JAZZMAN , BEST OPPOSITE SEX WAS MR MRS BRAVERS TWINGLO LE JUICE OF BLEDIG, AND BEST PUPPY IN SHOW WAS DEBBIE STANSBUYS TWINGLO ORIGINAL SYN AT WOODBRIAR. THIS WAS GENERALLY CONCEDED TO BE ONE OF THOSE EXTRAORDINARY SHOWS THAT WILL BE REMEMBERED WITH AFFECTION BY ALL THOSE WHO ATTENDED.

IT WAS NOT UNTIL 1991 THAT THE K.C ACCORDED OUR CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP STATUS. I WELL REMEMBER ALL THE EXCITEMENT AS THE COMMITTEE ORGANISED THIS FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP SHOW. AT THE TIME OUR CLUB WAS NOT FINANCIALLY RICH, AND THE COST OF RENTING A SUITABLE VENUE WAS CAUSING RATHER A LARGE HEADACHE. BUT ALL WENT ALONG SMOOTHLY.

OUR SHOW WAS HELD AT THE SEVERN HALL, THREE COUNTIES SHOWGROUND, MALVERN ON THE 16TH NOVEMBER 1991. THERE WERE 233 ENTRIES. JUDGES WERE MRS WENDY BURGH - JUDGING DOGS, AND MRS WENDY CRICK - JUDGING BITCHES.

THE DOG C.C. AND B.I.S. WENT TO CH. HOLTZBURG MAYHEM, OWNED BY FIONA HOLT. THE BITCH C.C. WAS WON BY REMESCA FIRELIGHT, OWNED BY CAROL SMITH. THIS BTICH WENT ON TO BECOME A CHAMPION. B.P.I.S. WAS THE BITCH ALBADOBE SHALIMAR OWNED BY MRS SHARON BARDSLY-HODGKISS WHO ALSO WENT ON TO BECOME A CHAMPION.

THIS IS THE BRIEF INTRODUCTION OF THE BIRTH AND HISTORY OF THE SOUTH WEST DOBERMANN - DAVID CRICK - PAST  PRESIDENT/CHAIRMAN.