This year, the continental pointers elite had their annual appointment in Zadar,
a former Venetian port in the beautiful Dalmatian Coast of Croatia and today a touristic
paradise. There were the most important trials of the year for these breeds, because
after the FCI European Cup, the Spring World Championship for German Shorthaired
Pointers and the World Championship of the Amicale de l’Epagneul Breton used the
same fields.
The organisation, under the expert orientation of Dr Velimir Sruk, was at the expense
of the Croatian Kennel Club, with the local help of Zadar's Kennel Club. The president
of the Croatian Kennel Club, Dr Damir Skok, headed the events and the secretary,
Dr Bojan Matakovich, gave his invaluable support. The local infrastructure was planned
by Mr Branco Sare with much success, and the accommodation, in a privileged area
next to Zadar's port, was excellent.
© Marijan Cizmesija
Barrage of the Continental Pointing Dogs European Cup: Cyclone, left, and Diam's, right. Behind, Bahlke and the judges Fernández, Rooijakkers and Vlahos.
The entries totalised 58 dogs from 15 countries, of them 52 team holders and 6 stand
by dogs. The final dog’s field presence by country was: Belgium (4), Cyprus (1),
Croatia (4), Czech Republic (4), France (4), Greece (3), Holland (4), Italy (4),
Serbia (4), Slovakia (3), Spain (4), Sweden (4), Switzerland (1), Poland (4) and
Ukraine (4).
In the afternoon of Sunday the 26th the national teams and judges presentation took
place in the gardens of the hotel complex. At the end of the parade, words of welcome
were addressed to the participants by the president Dr Skok, and at his invitation,
by Mr A. Fernández, the mayor of Zadar and a representative of the Ministry of Agriculture.
The dogs were distributed in 4 series under the care of the following juries:
- P. Rooijakkers (Holland) assisted by A. Collantes (Spain) and G. Fragidis (Greece);
- P. Bahlke (Holland) assisted by A. Fernández (Spain) and V. Vlasak (Czech Rep.);
- G. J. Scheffer (Holland) assisted by A. Rodríguez (Spain) and V. Novotny (Czech
R.);
- F. Textor (Holland) assisted by A. Irastorza (Spain) and K. Vlahos (Greece).
The jury of the Barrage: A. Fernández assisted by P. Rooijakkers and K. Vlahos.
Next morning, Monday the 27th, was nicely sunny though cooled by the Bora, a wind
from the Balkans that blows towards the Adriatic Sea, sometimes with extraordinary
force. Being this time moderate enough, it was still a little uncomfortable. The
four batteries where divided into the nearby localities of Nin, Dunji Zemonik and
Prkos. Their fields, abundant in partridges and with a vegetation and structure
very well adapted to these breeds trial’s, are kept in excellent condition by the
local hunter’s associations, whose principal members contribute to the success of
the trials guiding the judges on their respective fields.
Because the cold weather, the partridges, still not completely paired, were ready
to fly at the slightest provocation, eliminating this way the least prudent. Only
two dogs reached the CACT, and went to the barrage for the CACIT, a German Shorthaired
Pointer bitch: Europa Diam's du Pied du Mont, from the French team, led by her owner
Ms Christelle Bataille and a male Epagneul Breton: Cyclone de l'Ardour, from the
Spanish team, led by Luis Fuentes. The CACIT was awarded to the latter and to Europe
the R-CACIT, therefore, the individual classification was as follows:
1st and Champion of Europe: Cyclone de l'Ardour (Spain);
2nd and Vice-champion of Europe: Europa Diam's du Pied du Mont (France).
Inversely, the team of the French Kennel Club was Champion of Europe and that of
the Spanish Kennel Club Vice-champion.
© Marijan Cizmesija
Antonio M. Fernández handing over the Championship trophy to the French team.
Congratulations to the winners and to the Croatian Kennel Club because in everybody’s
words the whole event was a great success.
Antonio M. Fernández