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 Ch.
Norrevang Bacchus of Belamba was imported from Denmark as
a puppy, along with his sister, Banja. I imported them as they were sired
by the great Fr. Ch. Sam de la Douce Plaine
ex Jerome Nille, who was a daughter
of Donquiote Of The Two, the brother
of Dundee. Somehow Bacchus’ leg got broken in quarantine,
but he recovered and went on to become Britain's first ‘grey' Tervueren
champion. His CCs came from Bobby James, Glenys Gibbs and Brenda Banbury.
At the SKC (August) show I was so proud – Mr Bobby James spent all day
bringing different judges over to the Tervueren ring to show them Bacchus,
and told them he was ‘the finest Tervueren he’d ever seen’! He was in the
last four in the group that day.
In fact, barring one grey, Ch Heretiere, all other grey champions here are either kids, grandkids or great-grandkids of Bacchus. He was sire of the British breed record holder, Ch. Vallivue Bon Chance, Eire’s breed record holder, Ir. Ch. Belamba Harvey Wallbanger, and South Africa's breed record holder SA. Ch. Vallivue Appolyian. He has champion offspring in Europe, South Africa, North America and in Australia by AI. He is actually still siring pups out there – ironic when we have his sperm stored over here and can’t use it! He was also the sire of Ch. Bergerac Love Kills who in turn sired seven champions in this country (and several overseas), and the grey, Ch./Ir. Ch. Alcyon Reully Rose. In total, Bacchus appears in the pedigrees of thirty-seven British champions, and countless more overseas. At the age of eight he had a severe prostate problem and had to be neutered, just a week before my imported bitch, Ch. France de la Douce Plaine of Belamba, was on her second season and old enough to be bred from. (I'd imported her to breed to him, and therefore do a half-brother/half-sister mating on Fr. Ch. Sam). Bacchus actually ‘helped himself’ to her on her first season – but it was on day 22 and luckily (or, looking back, unluckily) she wasn't pregnant. He was pretty ill and after extensive treatment that didn't work it was decided that castration was the only option. I was a bit taken aback when someone suggested I delayed the treatment to get him bred to France – his health definitely came first. He had a temperament second to none, never a growl in his whole life, which, with few exceptions, he passed on to his children. He was fifteen when he died, and he had a long and happy life. He was my ‘once in a lifetime dog’, a dog in a zillion! There is a great big hole in my heart that can never be filled. I thank everyone for their flowers, tributes (over 50 worldwide by e-mail), cards, presents etc. It is comforting to know that little bits of him live on in others’ dogs – and if they derive just a tiny bit of the pleasure that that boy gave me – they will be richer for it. On the next page you can read what others had to say. |
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