It is always a pleasure for me to visit a dog exhibition. And anticipation of this pleasure helps to pass away a long way from Moscow to Kolomna quite imperceptibly. The same exhilaration "drives away" from the very beginning and up to the end of the exhibition - I only have time to take pictures of the winners; amusing “stages from life” in the ring and behind rings; old and new acquaintances... On that day it seems that everyone around who arrived with dogs or only to look at dogs, - all these people have become a little “thrown off balance”: kinder, quieter, and more silent. And they get pleasure from it.

Here nobody bustles, hurries up, judicial boards work attentively, professionally, and precisely; nobody abuses one another for some reason, even dogs seem to be barking less comparing with other exhibitions.

Just imagine, no matter how dull the weather in Moscow is, the cool sun always shines over the stadium in Kolomna where this exhibition takes place, and the weather is mild, with a light breeze blowing. Only once in a 5-year period there was a never-ending rain but that seemed to have been prayed for - in Moscow and the Moscow region there was an unbearable heat since August, and sisters of the convent prayed for the rain heartily, thus, it was long-awaited.

Now each time we are going to visit a regular exhibition, we certainly recollect that downpour and wonder again and again why nobody of us soaked to the skin caught a cold then. And, surely, that rain after heat was a real pleasure for dogs.

I think, our constant readers have already understood that “Autumn legend” - a traditional exhibition of dogs, organized by of Animals’ amateurs Club “Blago-Convent” of the Holy Trinity New Golutvin convent is considered here. Last year it took place on September 7 in the rank of regional. Experts were Tatyana Ivanova (Saint Petersburg), Stanislav Smelov (Dmitrov, the Moscow region) and Lyudmila Sudarikova (Tver). Within the framework of the exhibition there were three breeds - Central Asian sheep-dog (CASD), Caucasian sheep-dog (CSD) and khottosho (Buryat - Mongolian wolfdog, or just BMW for shortness, as they are used to call it now). By the way, a skilled expert and explorer N.Batov (Ulan-Ude) came to estimate khottosho from Buryatiya.

In the exhibition there were more than 200 dogs. As a great building site is now on its former place, beneath gray walls of the Kremlin (there will be a large stadium there), this time participants of the exhibition “Autumn legend” amicably gathered at stadium "Trud", thank for its director Nikolay Denisov.

As usual, a big sponsor's support in carrying out of the exhibition rendered Joint-Stock Company "OST ALKO" (commercial director Tatyana Pekareva), sponsors also were trade delegates in Russia of firms “Eagle Pack” and “Royal Canin”, as well as advertising firm "Boris". The traditional information sponsor were newspaper and magazine “Cat and Dog”.

A special editorship prize “The Hope of the XXI^th century” was handed over by editor-in-chief Natalia Dmitrieva to a very young handler Dasha Smirnova and her pair CASD YAROSLAVL SENATE GUVANCH and BAKHAYAT GUZEL (owner N.A.Smirnova).

In this issue of the magazine we had to place only a photo story about monobreed exhibition of CASD – however, we failed to show all those we wanted first: other photos turned out to be unsuccessful, and there was no place for the others as preference was given to the winners.

The club of animals’ amateurs "BLAGO - CONVENT" is already preparing a new exhibition. In comparison with the latest, an anniversary – the 5^th one!  - it is expected to be even more interesting. In fact in 2004 it received a rank of ALL-RUSSIAN and waits ALL BREEDS to take part in!

And looking at the photos of that September day, I am still recollecting one solid owner of mighty "Asian" telling me about it:

-        It is really kind, not like a dog but sooner like “a steam train from Romashkovo”...

Also this "steam train" is quietly standing at the owner, listening and understanding everything and looks its “Asian sight” as though arguing: isn't still clear which of us is “from Romashkovo”...

Only one day of the exhibition in Kolomna, and it still attracts a lot of dogbreeders from near and far places of Europe and Asia: Finland, the Ukraine, Georgia, Central Russia, Ural, Siberia, even from Iskitim. And people are likely to go here not only for titles. There is something much more important and necessary in this exhibition. Thank its organizers for diligence, patience, indulgence and sincere, kind attitude to all of us.

Natalia Dmitrieva

Photos made by the author

Photos

1. Vice-President of International club CASD Seppo Ranta (Finland) gives a prize of his Asian sheep-dogs kennels to the oldest participant of exhibitions- GEKTCHA, aged 9 years 10 months (owner Ermishin, kennels "Convent").
2. ORTHODOX CONVENT ERKHAN (owners Byrykins), the winner of Champion class
3. ERLEN (the Ukraine), CW CC in Free class
4. TURKMEN KALA ASHGABAT (owner L.Roginskaya, Moscow)
5. CH-YULDUZ iz ALEXANDROVOI SLOBODY and CH-YUZBASH iz ALEXANDROVOI SLOBODY (producer V.Markov, owner A.Abashidze, Georgia)
6. ORTHODOX CONVENT VARZOB (owner kennels “Convent”, CW, CC in Working class
7. From left to right: Hegumene Xenia; expert T.Ivanova (St.-Petersburg); the Best Male dog, ROTTIS ALLIANCE BABAY (owner Malkin); expert S.Smirnov (Dmitrov); expert L.Sudarikova (Tver); Vice-president of International club CASD Ranta Seppo (Finland); Best Breed Representative ZHAKLIN-COBRA from “Russian Legend” (producer Sukhachev, owner kennels “Convent”)
8. GELIN TUNAJ BEJ (owner kennels “Mikoyan’s meat-packing plant”), CW, CC in Intermediate class (producer Zoya Tchokova, Slovakia)
9. INDZHI BAY-OTTSO (owner I.Ranta, Finland), 3 exc., Champion class
10. ORTHODOX CONVENT ORLAN (owner kennels “Convent”), CW in Junior class
11. ALTYN KUMLY KARAGASH (owner L.Okorotchkova, Lipetsk), 1 exc., CC, CW in Winner class
12. Guests from Iskitim, the Novosibirsk region
13. AK NUKER GUN AKGUSH (St.-Petersburg)
14. ORTHODOX CONVENT OVADAN (owner kennels “Convent”), the Best junior of the exhibition
15. Ruslan and Olga Golovanovs with their nurslings, Malakhovka, the Moscow region
16. AISHA (owner Osipov, Kolomna)
17. ORTHODOX CONVENT BAYBURI (owner Danilitcheva), the winner in Working class
18. AK-ULA BERK (owner kennels “Dzhenar Ak-Ula”), 3 exc. – Working class
19. TCH-YULDUZ iz ALEKSANDROVOI SLOBODY (lying). Owner V.Markov

“Are you good, dog?”