I am pleased to respond to the request of the organisation to introduce myself as a speaker at the Euro OES in Blankenberge. Together with Roosmarie, I look forward to a festive weekend – for us a real *walk down memory lane* – but also an opportunity to look ahead to an inspiring weekend dedicated to the Old English Sheepdog. Although, for health reasons, there is (as yet) no Bobtail in our household, the breed remains inseparably connected to us. Our great shared wish is to once again have a Bobtail in our midst. We truly miss the character and the very special sense of humour of the breed in our daily lives.

For me, it all began more than 25 years ago, when Roosmarie and I met and started sharing our lives together. Roosmarie brought her Bobtails with her, and it was double love at first sight. The combination of Bobtails with my Whippets also worked out wonderfully; two such different breeds which, in their own ways, are surprisingly complementary.

Since 2007, I have been a judge for the OES. At present, I am a Group Judge for Groups 1 and 10, and additionally approved for several breeds in Groups 2, 3, 5 and 9 and Best in Show. 

I have had the honour of judging Old English Sheepdogs at Specialty Shows on three continents, as well as at major Winner shows in several countries. I cherish special memories of the beautiful Specialty in Melbourne, the impressive specialties in Moscow and in Siberia (before the war began), and of course the Championship Show of the OES Club of Scotland, where I had the honour of awarding my very first set of CCs in the United Kingdom.

My lecture this weekend will focus on the Breed Standard – the blueprint of the breed – which is the sole guideline for breeders and judges in safeguarding our unique breed. In my view, we breeders and breed specialist judges carry an ever-growing joint responsibility for the preservation of the unique breed characteristics of the Old English Sheepdog. Indeed, the number of OES bred, the entries at shows, and even the number of breed specialists, are steadily declining. Together we must ensure that the authentic OES, with its distinctive qualities, is preserved and does not deteriorate into just another generic long-coated dog.

The lecture will deal with the meaning of what is written in the standard concerning anatomy and breed points, and how these features are interconnected. Often it is not only important what is explicitly described in the standard, but also what can be read between the lines. In short, in an interactive lecture we will focus particularly on breed type and the distinctive features that make the Old English Sheepdog such a unique breed.