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Delsharla Stories NEWSFLASH!! See Joanie's blurb below - owned, loved & shown by Michelle &
I have decided to add this page to the website in a hope that it will add even more information about the Basset Hound as a Breed and the personalities attached to each of the dogs that we have living with us here at Delsharla now and some of the Bassets I have had in my life from the past. Some of these stories may not be for the faint of heart or weak stomached, so be prepared as you launch yourself into some of the funniest, saddest and most outrageous adventures that we have experienced with the addition of Bassets in our lives! If you have read my "History" page, you will know how I came about introducing a Basset into my life and that Darby was my first Hound. Right from the beginning, when I picked him up from Bruce and Bob at Ralarm Bassets, there was a bonding of souls between my precious Darby and me. I used to say that to see my soul, all you had to do was to look into the eyes of my Basset. He was my shadow and most loyal friend and companion - where I went, Darby was close behind. Even his name was special to me and it now forms part of my own prefix today (DELSHARLA = D for Darby, EL for Ella (my 4yo daughter) SH for Sharna (my 2nd Basset) and also SH for (Shelby my 14yo daughter), AR for the AR in Darby and finally LA which forms the last part of Ella's name.)
If you have never had a Basset, you must be made aware of their fantastic sense of humour! This was obviously apparent in my Darby too. During the time that Darby was with me, I was involved heavily in the Horse industry and therefore was surrounded by Equines as well as Canines. Darby soon learnt to be an excellent companion around the horses as well - I was very lucky with him as some Bassets are not as easily trained and things can soon become dangerous for them around larger animals like horses if you aren't careful. He was actually a very obedient Hound! If he happened to have gotten himself in the firing line of a horse (which wasn't often by the way) all I had to say was "LOOK OUT" and without looking for what to look out for, he would be off for the cover of the nearest fence line to get out of the paddock he was in! He was probably one of THE most intelligent dogs that I have ever known. If I picked up my car keys and rattled them, saying "Do you want to go for a ride in the car" - he would be off and sitting, waiting by the car door, ready to jump in. I could even tell him to go and have a drink and off he would go to the water bowl (sometimes he would go to the bowl and look at me as if to say, "I'm not that thirsty mum" but if I repeated the command, he would have a lap at it anyway!). I once went away for a holiday to Perth and Darby was left to be dog sat at my mother's farm and when I phoned to say "hi" and to check on my Darby, my brother Rhett answered the phone and called for mum saying that "Sue's on the phone" - with that Darby went into a whirl, trying to find me! Just at the mention of my name!
I often used to play "hide and seek" with Darby on the farm.... this was hilarious to watch! I would have my younger brother hold Darby back inside the house whilst I went off running all over the farm, over post and rail fences, around trees, in and out of sheds etc. Rhett would let him out of the house and I would call him once and once only and then sit back and watch this amazing Hound doing what he was bred to do - track. They rely so heavily on their sense of smell that I could be watching him track me from my position behind a tree, easily visible to him if he had lifted his head and relied upon his eyes, but he never faulted from tracking my scent. Even over the post and rail fence I could watch him as he "caste" for my scent over it and found it again on the other side...... tracking foot step by foot step til he found me and then he would go mad with happiness. Being involved in the horse industry for many years included assisting my mother Jan on her School Holiday Riding Camps. This meant that our home was inundated with school kids of all different age groups for the duration of almost all school holidays. These dogs had to be nearly bomb proof! Sharna absolutely loved children and particularly took up a liking and bond with my younger brother Rhett (who is 8 years younger than I - Rhett is pictured on my Photo Album page with Sharna). Darby on the other hand could take kids or leave 'em! Not that he ever, ever had a go at any of them but he would manipulate them to his best advantage! One of the funniest incidences that I can remember was one evening during the Riding Camp, with all the kids sitting around watching the tele, (sometimes we would have anything up to 20+ kids at any one camp) - with the Bassets strategically positioned in the best spots on the lounge (of course!), one young lass had taken up the posi next to Darby. She was about 14yo and her name was Jenny. Darby was happily snoozing with his head on her lap but it was getting late and Jenny wanted to go off to bed so she went to move.... Darby had other ideas - he was extremely comfortable in that position and it certainly wasn't his intention to let Jenny disturb his comfort.... As she went to move, he opened one eye - yes, one eye - looked up at her and just made the faintest of growls.... as if to say "Don't you move girl!" The look on Jenny's face was just priceless - she tried again and the same thing happened! By this stage everyone was in stitches and of course Jenny had a much later night going to bed than she was anticipating! Jenny is pictured on my Home page with Darby and Sharna on the steps of Camelot.
After about 18 months with Darby in my life, I made the decision to purchase another Hound to accompany us and so I contacted Bruce and Bob again and I was lucky enough to be introduced to Sharna. What a beautiful lady she was. She had the most unbelievable temperament and I would have to say if there was ever a dog that could be completely trusted around children, she was it. There was not a single mean bone in that girl's body. I used to think that perhaps she wasn't as intelligent as Darby - but don't ever be fooled by a Basset taking on that role! She was very easy to train and I believe that this was partly due to the fact that her role model was Darby. The three of us were near inseparable. She was an absolute angel and I really was so very blessed to have either of them in my life. I can't thank Bruce and Bob enough and I am still in contact with them after 25 years.
Tragically, Darby's life was cut considerably short whilst I was working at Camelot. In part, this story will perhaps explain why I am so adamant when discussing the purchasing of any of my babies that you ensure me that you have a securely fenced area for your Basset to reside in and in fact, this issue forms part of my Contract of Purchase that you must agree to if you purchase a Basset from me. He was about 7 or 8 years old - probably quite a decent age for a Basset but he was still extremely fit and healthy and would have had plenty more years to go. I had visitors over one particular night and Sharna and Darby were milling around at the time of the visitors' arrival. However, during their stay, I happened to hear the two Bassets off down the paddock - not too far away - probably chasing after a fox. You can tell when they are chasing something exciting because their bark changes. The house I was living in was about 1 km off of the road and the road we were on was not a busy one. Of course, it was dark - night time - and I should have gone out and called them back in but I remember having the thought that they'd be right, just having a bit of fun, and they'll be back when they've chased that damned fox away! You must know that even now, after so many years, I still get so upset reliving this so with tears in my eyes, I will continue. I woke the next morning to find Sharna alone, down stairs in her bed but with no Darby by her side. The look on her face was enough and I knew instantly that this outcome was not going to be a good one. I was frantic, searching all over the farm for him, calling him, but to no avail. I went to all the nearest neighbours to see if they had seen him - no good. Finally, and with reservation, I got in the car to look down the road for him. Leah was with me - she and her husband were the owners of Camelot.... down the drive way (about 1km), turning onto Kirkham Lane and a further kilometre down - I was scanning the paddocks and Leah was in the passenger seat.... she saw him first and grabbed my arm and there he was. He had been hit by a car and would have died instantly by the look of his injuries. I was completely devastated - distraught. We took him back home and I buried him outside my cottage at Camelot where he remains to this day.
Sharna was also completely grief stricken as was I - her whole life had been our trio together - it was as if Darby was the reason she ate, drank and slept. That beautiful lady sat by Darby's grave for over two weeks - she barely ate, barely drank and I was starting to think that I would lose her too. Finally, she started to pick up and I was so very lucky as she lived to the ripe old age of 15 when I had to make the decision to have her put down. She lived her years with me as my loyal companion, keeping me company as she and Darby did when they were together, whilst I cleaned out stables and worked horses. I always promised her that she would be with me until the day that life became too hard to conquer another day and I kept my word to her. She was healthy right up until the last day when she became ill very quickly so I called the vet to come over straight away as I didn't want her to be stressed with going to a surgery - and had her put down. She died in my arms. If there is a God, may they both be together again, in their heyday, bouncing around and looking down on me.
Now - if that doesn't bring a tear to your eyes, then you are just not human! It is because of the loyalty and love from these two individuals that I continue to have this wonderful breed in my life and probably will have forever. It is also because of Darby and Sharna that I have devoted a good deal of my life ensuring that every Basset I hear of that needs to be re-homed gets the right chance in life and also why I spend so much time "vetting" new purchasers of puppies. Hopefully their stories will also give you some more insight into the Basset Hound too.
Once again, if you have read my "History" page, you will already know of the story of how "Tara" came to join my family. After the loss of Sharna and Darby, Tara had some very big paws to fill - and fill them she did! She was 2 years old when she came to live with me and my major concern with her was the fact that she had never been around horses and I was still in that industry. However, following in Darby's footsteps, she soon learnt about the "LOOK OUT" phrase and she never looked back! She is currently 9yo and going strong - and has earned the title of "Great Grand Aunty" to all and sundry here at Delsharla - especially any new puppies. Tara certainly does not show any signs of her age when there are puppies around! Her years just melt away when in the company of young Bassets and she is just such a joy to watch when she is with them. Gentle enough to be oh, so loving, firm enough to say "that's enough now" and fun loving enough to play the most wonderful games with them!
Another extremely intelligent Hound, Tara has also been put to the test with tracking me whilst playing the "hide and seek" game! She also sleeps inside with us and is particularly keen on any heating appliances during the cold winters we can experience here. And, at bed time, you can actually tell her to go to a particular person's bed and she will comply by going to THAT person's bed! Tara tends to be a bit vocal at times, especially at meal time and being that she is always on a diet, I can understand why! She is also a wonderful watch dog and lets you know when someone new is around. Never would she be aggressive towards a person, but she will let you know when a new visitor has called. To Tara, there is nothing quite like a ride in the car or a walk in the park! If she even gets a hint that the lead is coming out, everyone hears about it! And as for this showing business, she really can't quite understand why SHE is left at home on show days! AND just how special can one Basset feel to be allowed to join in the fun when they all go out together in the dog trailer! To Tara, this means an outing to a friend's farm or a trip to the beach for a picnic - doesn't get much better than that! Of course, she is not adverse to travelling inside the car either. Tara, I would say, is living proof that fat bottomed girls really do make the world go round! A beautiful old girl whom I hope will be with us for several more years to come.
Now I come to Chloe (aka "Kinkiwi Roma Rumble" - bred by Robin and Kyle Thomas of Kinkiwi Bassets). Ah, yes, Chloe! She would have to be the epitome of Basset temperament - a lot like my old Sharna but a bit more of a hippy! Peace, love Harri Chrishna is how I would explain Chloe! As an adolescent (about 18months of age) I vividly remember watching her in my back yard.... she was trotting along and got about half way down the yard when a butterfly caught her eye. There was no malice in her study of it (ie she had no intentions of catching it or harming it) - she simply found the most fabulous joy out of just watching it flutter by - rising and falling with breathes of air. It was the most beautiful thing to watch but I still couldn't help but laugh. Just like Sharna, Chloe is a saint around children. I certainly congratulate Robin and Kyle from Kinkiwi on producing such a wonderful temperament in her.
Chloe did attend a very limited amount of shows early on in her life and did extremely well - however, I was pregnant with my second child when I embarked upon that exercise with her, so showing all round for me ended up being put on hold until more recently. This has meant that she hasn't been shown as extensively as I first planned but she has produced two litters for me so far and from her first litter she gave me the wonderful Delsharla Trinity (now Australian Champion) and her litter brother Delsharla Statesman who now resides with my mother. (Plus eight other bouncing, baby Bassets - now living in beautiful homes all around Australia). Chloe has proven to be a vital asset in my breeding programme and proof of her quality is displayed in her offspring and her Grand Children. She also forms an important piece of the jigsaw puzzle that makes my family what it is - both four legged and two legged. She is a lovely lady who, just like Tara, enjoys the comforts of heaters during the winter days along with the rest of us! I can't wait to see what else she can produce for me here to take into the show ring. Even further proof of Chloe's remarkable temperament is that she has even raised puppies that are not biologically hers. In March 2009, she managed to produce a litter of 2 puppies for me but 9 days prior to this, I had another litter of 10 puppies born which was proving to be a bit much for the mother. So I put 4 of the babies out of the litter of 10 onto Chloe and she accepted them immediately and raised them like they were her own. Unfortunately, during her pregnancy that produced only the two babies, Chloe was subjected to a poisoning attempt by a malice individual who had taken a huge disliking to my dogs - the poisoning is what I attributed to explaining her small litter size. She came through this attempt. However, another poisoning attempt during 2009 was made on my dogs that left her paralysed from the waist down. I was gutted. The Vets recommended that I have her put down but I was determined to give her a chance due to her attitude on life - that is to say, she never lost the joy of living even with being paralysed..... so, with wallet in hand and plenty of patience and time to spend rehabilitating her, I devoted my time, night and day, to getting her better. I made regular visits to begin with to a fabulous Naturaphathic Specialist miles away from home and as time progressed, she improved. Finally, after about 6 months, I had her walking again - albeit, wobbly but she began to be able to hold her weight on her own, unassisted. During the following 6 months, Chloe was up and walking nearly completely normally. I thanked God that she was recouperating due to the strain lifting her was taking on my own back - equipped with towels to hold up her back end during her time of paralysis, I managed to get her around. I spent the first weeks of her paralysis sleeping on the floor with her so that I could assist her at toilet break times and it was worth every bit of time I applied to the task - she was my angel. Sadly, on the 26th July 2010 we lost our beloved Chloe and we have been devastated by her death. She formed such an important part of our family with her fabulous temperament and character and we miss her terribly. I am just so grateful to have been able to give her another 12 months of her life to her, but so saddened by loosing her. May you rest in peace my love, I wish I could bring you back. ************** VALE: KINKIWI ROMA RUMBLE (AKA CHLOE) - MAY YOU ************** Now this brings me to Trinity - Chloe's daughter from her first litter. Trinity is the Career girl in the family - she just loves to be shown! At about her 3rd show as a baby, she just clicked with it and hasn't looked back since - head up, tail up and away we go! If you have ever shown a Basset, you will have come to understand just how hard it is to get their jolly heads up off the ground and away from the wonderful scents to be found there! However, having said that, I started her off in the show ring and then handed her over to my now 14yo daughter, Shelby. Being a Basset means that you have the God given right to do just about whatever YOU want at any stage - so at one point during Shelby's experience with her, she decided to see if could get away with a few things! Shelby would "stack" her for the judge and Trinity would move a back leg at a vital moment - just to see how far she could go! A few classes being handled by me again and we sorted that one out pretty quickly.
Trinity has now produced the most fabulous litter of babies for me - although she really wasn't all that keen on the motherhood aspect of life - much preferring to follow her career in the show ring than to be attending to babies at home! Unfortunately, I was unable to keep any of her babies due to problems with a new neighbour where I was currently living - which was an absolutely heartbreaking decision for me to make as this litter is what I had been breeding towards producing. The only consolation is that one of her babies has gone to live with Michelle and Paul Simmons to be shown which will keep her legacy going in that respect until I can breed with her again and keep something for myself.
Bassets seem to have the most amazing aptitude to pick up on things that you wouldn't believe possible for them to understand or comprehend and Trinity is no exception. Even though she wasn't as committed as her mother was in the parenthood role, she really did love her babies - she just preferred to have me as the Nanny doing all the stuff she wasn't keen on doing! When it came time for one of her babies to go to his new home, she knew what was happening. It was quite amazing to watch - I mean, how on earth would she know that someone visiting was going to be taking one of her babies - someone that she knew too. And, we have a lot of visitors here, so how would she know that this visitor was leaving with one of her puppies? It was incredible - as they were leaving, she was milling around their feet, getting between the door and them - she really did know. Even before there was any sign of them leaving with him, she was milling around, not wanting to leave their sides when normally she couldn't have cared less! The same thing happened with the rest of the litter even though the same routine was followed every other day before they were being taken.
Even after a week of them being gone, she has continually gone out to their yard and searched every nook and cranny to see if we might have left one behind for her and for the pursuing week after that, she was quite depressed. This has made the whole ordeal of not keeping one for myself all the more difficult. Luckily, we will have the opportunity to see the boy that Michelle purchased on a regular basis! Trinity is a very independant, confident individual but still the most loving and loyal young lady - she sleeps with either myself or Shelby and is never very far from my side. She loves her pats and has a few special places that she particularly likes to be petted - especially under the jowl and when you hit the right spots, the look on her face tells the story! She really does think she is a Princess and is usually treated like one. She is probably the only Basset here not to get into trouble for naughty things on a regular basis - a very well behaved miss!
Now I come to Merlin.... What a clown! He is mummy's boy (meaning, I am mummy!). He also thinks that he rules the house and all the women in it - both the long eared ones and short! And that assumption is probably not that far from the truth although I will not admit that to him! He is very close to me and his bond with me is quite similar to the one that Darby and I had. He has achieved his Australian Championship status in the show ring but only does the "show thing" because I try to convince him it is a good thing to do! I know his little idiosyncracies and looks and the looks that he gives me in the ring can only be interpretted as "I am only doing this because you are here"!! Don't get me wrong, he quite enjoys the travel and is more than happy about the whole social aspect of the show scene, it's just that as far as he is concerned, it would be a far greater idea to be back at home, up on the lounge, watching tele like all the other normal Bassets in the world!
If there is one dog we have here that cracks me up on a regular basis, it would be Merlin. I don't know if you know anyone that can raise one eyebrow at you and give you "that" look..... well Merlin can do this with his ears! If you can imagine a scenario where you may have asked a silly question to someone and up goes that eyebrow - he does this with one ear! It is the funniest thing I have ever seen - I will actually endeavour to get a photo of him doing it to prove it! He also has a knack of being considerably bored when asked to do something he really can't see the point in doing - whereby he yawns at you! That's right, yawns at you - right in your face if need be just to let you know exactly HOW boring you really are! He is obviously a legend in his own mind as he often sleeps, dreaming of himself and just how tough he is - little growls here and there and at times he gets into a full blown howl whilst sleeping only to obviously wake himself up, look around with the expression of "What? what?... I knew what I was howling at - I wasn't asleep"! Raise that one ear whilst looking around to see who had heard him (just in case he had just cause to be embarrassed) then nod back off to sleep again to chase more of those rascally rabbits!
So our Magic Man Merlin is really just a big clown! Last but by no means least, we come to our Lily (Delsharla Tia Dalma). She is a dippy one that one! We have Chloe the hippy child and Lily the dippy child!..... Where there is trouble, you will find Lily. She often watches out for the others, encouraging them to get into mischief whilst she is left on the lookout, so they don't get busted! She has a toilet roll fetish - no roll is safe in this household in Lily's presence... If I had taken out shares in the manufacturers of this product I would have been rich by now! To make matters worse, if Lily is in the house at the same time as Merlin, she somehow manages to convince HIM that the toilet rolls are a fabulous thing to distroy - the only time HE does it is when SHE is with him! She has been known to single handedly relandscape my garden on more than one occassion whilst encouraging the others to follow suit.... Luckily for me, the others know better as I have watched them in the throws of their devious crimes and whilst the others are looking over their shoulders and backing away from the crime scene, she is in the realms of delight going "Come on, come on! This is GREAT fun - you just gotta try it!!"
She has been known to reach objects that I have had difficulty in getting to - all through her ability to never let anything beat her! Where there is a will there is a way for Lily. She delights in going into the show ring and shows her pants off whilst there - a real show pony! She just LOVES the attention so even though she can be naughty, she is absolutely adorable. Lily produced two exceptional litters for me including in those litters, puppies in the calibre of Delsharla Calypso (Caly), Delsharla Black Pearl (Pearl), Delsharla In Vogue (Molly), Delsharla Strike A Pose (Dolly), Delsharla Fancy That (Crystal) and Delsharla Main Event (Monty) who have remained with us. The quality of her puppies reflects her - "quality begets quality" I was once told by an English judge at Sydney Royal with the horses. I endeavour to be sensible and above all, fare on the dogs themselves and although you can get trapped into thinking 'no one else will provide as good home as I do for them', common sense prevails. That combined with the time that I invest into ensuring that any potential purchasers will provide only the best of homes for any of my Bassets, I re-homed Lily (now called Lulu) with a fantastic family based in Coffs Harbour where she accompanies her new mum to work (at a Nursing Home). Here, Lily enjoys lots of interaction with the residence there and even goes on 'road trips' with them. Once again, the temperament of the Basset Hound shines through and she is excelling at her new job and in her new home. I sincerely thank her new owners Melynda and her family, for keeping in touch - the film you made of her made me cry when I watched it as we do miss her but I take credence in the fact that the home you have provided her with is without doubt, a loving one. I acknowledge that to be sensible within the breeding programme that I have implemented here, I know that where my Bassets go, they are loved and cared for, usually on a one to one basis, where I know that the individual attention is more than I could have given to them if I were to collect and keep all of them. We love each and every one of them that come into our lives and it is a very emotional decision to re-home any of them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Two new additions that have come into our lives are 'Benny' (Solana My Mr Beginagin) and 'Raz' (Solana Miss Razzamataz) - Miniature Smooth haired Dachshunds - with so much thanks and love to Mrs. Kathy Anderson of "Solana Dachshunds" Bargo NSW. Kathy is a wealth of knowledge and has many years experience within the dog industry. She is also one of the most wonderful ladies you could want to meet and produces some of the best Dachshunds I have ever seen, both in type and temperament.
PHOTO TO COME. 'Benny' is everyone's boyfriend! He just LOVES women - anyone who visits here! He is very outgoing and terrific with kids, a real little character. He has taken on the responsibility here, amongst the 'big guns', to be the protector of everything, so he spends his time 'guarding' the property'. This entails a lot of work for those little legs! Our property is on a two road frontage, so any car that dares to travel on either of those roads is in for it! Having said that, this keeps him very trim - especially for a Dachie! We also sometimes have sheep running on the larger paddock here and sometimes they venture quite close to the house,,,, but let me tell you, they had better watch out cos if Benny ever gets close enough to one, they are in for it! At under four inches high, he is ten foot tall and bullet proof - just ask him! PHOTO TO COME.
'Raz' on the other hand is a right royal little miss! Don't get me wrong, she has a fabulous temperament, but she has even taken over from Trinity the Basset as the new "princess" of Delsharla! Her Highness expects only the very best in life and tends to get it! She spends her days practically attached to my hip, so needless to say where I go, she goes. She is beautifully put together conformation wise and has a wonderful outgoing temperament - this girl just oozes quality. All of "Solana" Dachies have fabulous front assemblies and Benny and Raz are no exception. What a wonderful job you are doing Kathy! PHOTO TO COME.
Kathy Anderson has set us up so well with these two individuals and Ella are particularly looking forward to more shows with the smaller dogs to handle. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Keep an eye on this page as I will update it as regularly as possible and will be adding more photos in the near future. I hope that you have enjoyed reading about some of the antics of our Bassets and come back to see what else they get up to! Also, I would just like to take this opportunity in thanking all the people who have taken the time to sign my "Guest book" with all your wonderful comments about my site and Bassets! It is fabulous to be getting such a great response and I do really appreciate your efforts. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please read on for an insight into DELSHARLA CINDERS N ASH'S ongoing success in the show ring, with thanks to Michelle and Paul Simmons:-
JANUARY 2012....... NEWSFLASH!!! CAMPAIGNED TO PERFECTION by Michelle Simmons, "Joanie" is the first Delsharla bred Basset Hound to achieve GRAND CHAMPION STATUS in the show ring. This is a HUGE credit for new time breeders and new time show competitors. Michelle and Paul have only been showing for a very limited period of time on the scale of things and have earned their points for "Joanie" amidst tough competition. This combined with the time and money that it takes to "do it right" on all levels, including the care and presentation of her Bassets, I just cannot express how proud I am of you all.
 “AUST. Ch. DELSHARLA CINDERS N ASH”
Pictured above with owner Michelle Simmons 24.01.09 Sire: “Delsharla Statesman” Dam: “Safehaven Pride and Joy”
WINS THE DOGZONLINE POINTSCORE COMPETITION
NATIONAL RISING STAR IN BREED FOR
2008 SHOW SEASON.
Owned, Handled and Exhibited by Michelle Simmons,
Proudly Bred by DELSHARLA BASSET HOUNDS.
 'Joanie' being examined by the Judge. Michelle Simmons and “Joanie” were brought together by Susie Muhleisen (new time breeder and competitor) of DELSHARLA BASSET HOUNDS, in early 2008 and the partnership between Hound and owner has blossomed into a team to be reckoned with. Early on in this partnership, it was obvious that success was in the air. Upon attending her first show at four months of age, “DELSHARLA CINDERS N ASH” (aka “Joanie”), handled by Michelle, was awarded a Special Mention by Hound Specialist, International Judge Mrs. Linda Skerrit (UK) against a strong field of youngsters, and from then on, the couple have certainly proven their worth in the show ring. Having only been involved in the dog show scene for the past 18 months, Michelle has come out in style, showing such enthusiasm that it is hard not to get excited about her Bassets!
 'Joanie' ready to be stacked by Michelle. To date, after less than one year on the scene, and at only twelve and a half months of age “DELSHARLA CINDERS N ASH” attained her Australian Championship title with over 200 points and has also been awarded no less than SEVENTEEN Best In Group/Best In Show AWARDS. This is an outstanding achievement for new comers and it is hard to see that Michelle has only been doing this for such a short period of time. Her Bassets are always professionally turned out and shown to perfection by herself and husband Paul Simmons who is even newer to the scene!
Further testimony to Michelle and “Joanie’s” success was seen at the 2008 Inaugural Spring Fair Show held at Erskine Park whilst under the watchful eye of International Judge Mr. J. Hyman (USA) “AUST. CH. DELSHARLA CINDERS N ASH” was awarded the CHALLENGE BITCH Certificate against a very strong field of competitors. Only to follow up on the proceeding day by being CC again and then BEST OF BREED by International Judge (Hound Specialist), Mr. E. Blake (USA) against an even stronger contingency of multi winning Bassets collectively from all over the country.
Just to top off these achievements, “AUST. CH. DELSHARLA CINDERS N ASH” has also won the Dogzonline Pointscore Competition for the National Rising Star in Breed for the 2008 Show Season. Congratulations is extended to this amazing duo – well done!
Michelle’s other Bassets now include the newly acquired “DELSHARLA PREACHER MAN”, (born 14th November 2008) and the lovely “AUST. CH. SAFEHAVEN RUBY GLOOM” – purchased through Susie Muhleisen from Mrs. Robin Martin of SAFEHAVEN Basset Hounds located in Mackay Qld.
 'Lily' (Delsharla Tia Dalma) with her litter sister 'Joanie' (Aust Ch. Delsharla Cinders N Ash) at 'Joanie's' home with Michelle and Paul Simmons - 2008.  "Joanie" on the move 24.01.09 Further news on the show front for "Joanie" and Michelle -
On 24th January, Michelle and "Joanie" attended the NSW Dogs Puppy of the Year Competition where entries are by invitation (relating to wins throughout the 2008 show season) and made it through to the quarter finals!
On 7th February, 2009 Michelle and "Joanie" competed at the TNG All Breeds Dog Club show and under Judge Mr. D.J. Sidebutton of NSW were awarded Challenge Bitch, Best Junior of Breed, Best of Breed, AND Best Junior in Group.
On 8th February, 2009 Michelle and "Joanie" competed at the Sydney Kennel Club Show and under Judge Mr. T. Valli (NSW) were awarded Challenge Bitch, Best Junior of Breed, Best of Breed, Best Junior in Group AND Best In Group against a strong field of entries (over 100) in the Hound Group.
Susie Muhleisen Goulburn, NSW, Australia Phone : 02.48 220 654 Email : delsharlakennels@bigpond.com |
