Koorawatha residents Graham Cruse and Neil Curwen have returned home with a variety of accolades after showcasing their exceptional Schipperke dogs at the Sydney Royal Easter Show.
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The partners, seasoned handlers with approximately 40 years of experience each, expressed their delight at the remarkable success of their dogs.
Graham Cruse reflected on the unpredictable nature of competitions, stating, "it's a competition so you can never really expect what the results are going to be, you just sort of take things as they come".
He added, "after seeing the results, it was absolutely amazing, it was great".
"We're very proud of the dogs."
Mr Cruse continued "there's approximately 40 years of experience between both Neil and I".
"We've been doing this for a long time."
He shared insights into their journey, telling the Cowra Guardian, "for me, I started doing these competitions when I was a child, when I was 14".
Mr Cruse further elaborated on their background, saying, "we moved here [Koorawatha] about four years ago".
"Becoming a breeder was a bit of a progression really, you start showing and then eventually work your way into breeding your own," he said.
The triumphant dogs, including Patsy, who was named the Best of Breed, Winston, Dennis, Franny, and Flasha, garnered top honors in their respective categories, showcasing their breeding excellence and impeccable training.
Winston, bred by Graham Cruse and co-owned by Neil Curwen, has already secured notable achievements at just one year old, including winning his first All Breeds Best In Show.
The Schipperke is a curious, lively, and intense but mischievous, little black dog described as a robust, long-lived companion for whom there is never a dull moment.