Our Foundation

In 2001 we purchased our now Grand Champion Orazz Bitter Sweet, with the intention to give the showring a go and to enjoy our new found love for this wonderful breed.  Gemma did not enter the showring until she was 5 months of age and was then only shown a couple of times for the next couple of months.  By the time Gemma had turned 14 mths of age, she had gained her Australian Championship Title with absolute ease.  Considering I was still trying to get a grip on showing her and learning the ropes, this was a huge achievement for both of us in itself.  Attending shows became my new found hobby and I was bitten by the bug. 

 We continued to campaign Gemma up until we mated her to Australian Champion Orazz Dalesman in 2004.  In October, Gemma whelped four healthy babies, three boys and one girl.  Two of those babies still remain with us, Australian Champion Castlebar Audacious and Castlebar Auspicious.  Gemma returned to the showring shortly after giving birth to her babies as if she had never left, taking a handful of challenges in succession. 

Gemma loves the showring, so we continued to campaign her along with our now growing show team.  Her most successful year in the showring was 2005 leading into 2006 where she seemed almost unstoppable, racking up challenge points with Best of Breeds, Best In Groups, Runner-Up Best In Groups and countless Class In Show Awards along with a Runner Up To Best In Show!!!!!!  All these were awarded under Local WA Judges, Interstate Judges and International Judges.  Come October 2006 Gemma had gained enough points to claim her Grand Championship Title, making her the very first Stafford bitch to do so in Western Australia and only the fourth Stafford to of gained this prestigious title.  She did this by taking back to back Best In Group awards in the one weekend.

Gemma has been the top challenge winning stafford bitch in WA for four years running now with numerous Invitations to the Top Terrier of The Year Competition and even an Invitation to the Prestigious Contest Of Winners for 2006.  She was the Pointscore Winner for the SBTCWA in 2005 and finished in the top 3 for four years running also with only points between the final count.

July 2007 saw Gemma Retire from the Showring earning her right to become a real couch buddy.

Gemma will now only be occassionally seen in the Neuter Class as she still loves to come to shows with me.

Gemma has had an extremely successful show career and even without her awards we would not swap her for the world.  She is the perfect companion and a huge part of our family.  We will be forever greatful for being given the opportunity to share our lives with this wonderful girl who is the very foundation for Castlebar Staffordshire Bull Terriers.