Y Ddraig Goch Walk the dunes of Brabant

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The time has come, today, on the first day of Pentecost 2019 we will honor the fact that it is 10 years ago that kennel Y Ddraig Goch bred her first two litters in a forest and dune walk in and through the world famous sand dunes of the National nature park " the Loonse and Drunense dunes ".

We wanted to organize something but did not organize too much, so did not organize a labor-intensive, time-consuming and nerve-racking day, but in a simple way, without hassle.

What do you do ... you "organize" a walk.

Because that is very easy to do, you set a date that you think most will have time and that the weather is usually favorable.

We chose the first day of Pentecost because then most are still free and the weather is usually reasonable.

So the date was set, then a lot of emails with one push of a button go out at once with the message that we are going to take a walk and that everyone is invited to that.

DONE.

But then, towards the date, I decided to keep track of the weather forecasts and they look pretty good, at least two weeks before the walk, but as we get closer to the first day of Pentecost, the predictions look grim. and code "yellow" and even code "orange" is issued, the day before our walk the insurance companies are still busy processing the damage throughout the Netherlands because it was a few days with wind blisters and heavy rain. So much so that I warn the participants on the Facebook page (if there is anyway yet to come with such bad weather) and ask them to prepare themselves in particular.

But then the day of the walk starts, this starts with a watery sun and some veil clouds, perfect walking weather, the weather gods are once very favorable to us.

It is 11:45 am and we arrive at the parking lot at the inn De 3 Linden in Giersbergen / Drunen.

We park the car that contains Tilleke, Oukje, and Fientje. Abby is at home with a belly full of puppies, Tuur also stayed because he soon thinks that all the bitches are for him (typical stud-dog behavior) and Emilka also because she is no longer able to handle such a walk considering her age.

We are not the first, people are already waving at us, I decide to stand on an open field so that everyone can see us being there and so we will gather there, the participants with their Y Ddraig Goch Welsh Corgi Pembroke's trickle in and we get a very nice number of which I am a bit impressed because I could not have dreamed of this turnout.

More and more familiar faces and well-known Pembroke's, some we have not seen for years and it is a heartfelt shaking, embracing and kissing .... but especially Pembroke's hug.

At 12:05 we start with the walk where everyone knows in which direction and what the end goal is because Peter had sent them all by email, especially because if people arrive late they know where to go to meet us.

Our Belgian friends Wannes (Matilda) and David (Django) take the lead and lead the entire group, sniffing and pooping to the sand drifts for which the national nature park is internationally famous for.

All de dogs can go off the leash there.

The first to let go are owners who are already familiar with it and almost always keep their dog away from the lead band if this is allowed, but some see which way the wind blows and do not trust their dog completely but after some insistence, that there really is nothing that can happen and that children sometimes argue and then become friends again, these owners also let go of their dog and the "corgi game" can begin.

What is always noticed is that the Pembroke's immediately recognize each other as peers, sometimes they scan each other out, but usually start romping immediately, and when a strange duck comes into their bite, a passing Labrador, for example, then they give them the feeling that they are really not among them, and better leave the group immediately.

There is a "watch out here and there because I think I am dominant" growl but that's it, no more.

A few more people are added later, one of which is very special to us.

Peter is talking and photographing at the back of the group when his eye is suddenly pulled down because a dog is following his foot from scratch, he looks and sees at a glance which Pembroke this is (Peter still knows them all by name and recognizes them all).

He recognizes Grace, our first Pembroke with whom we have bred a litter (the A and D litters), he turns around, looking for confirmation to the present owners Niek and Christien, and indeed, they are walking right behind him, Peter spontaneously hugs “ his ”Grace, who also seems to recognize Peter and receives the hugs with equal enthusiasm, then it is the turn for the family, because we have not seen them for a long time, so they get an equally sincere hug from Peter.

Always nice that you can experience such a surprise that you really do not expect.

But not only Grace, who is now 12 years old and still very fit and cheerful as an oldie, there were several "elderly" Y Ddraig Goch's  present, Puk of Rebecca who had come with her father Theo and mother Marianne and they had their Pedro with them, Iris from Hans and Josca from Krimpen a / d Lek and our first fluffy, Rose from Dick and Irene were also there (all almost 10 years old).

And there was another fluffy, a much younger named Luna, the sister of Fientje, Luna came with the owner Suzan.

But also our "blue-eye" Jackson from the litter of Doula and Kyno was there, one of the two bob-tailed present today, the other is Harley from Frank and Kelly who had also brought their daughter and Frank therefore, as an almost commando with a child-buggy without terrain-tires had to struggle through the loose sand.

Eddy Stofmeel (she has her own FB page) was there too, and everyone thinks it's a male-dog ... no, Eddy is a very sweet and very beautiful bitch.

But also Whopper from Inoni and Niels, and Whopper's brother Semya were there, Semya had to make fun together with Monique and the other Pembroke's because owner Arnold was busy hiding behind a very large photo lens, the results of which will soon be on the photo page to be admired.

There were even people without a dog, who had to hand in their Pembroke, Bas, a few months ago but still wanted to walk with us, so we split Tilleke in the stomach, I think they liked that and Tilleke also, yet Tilleke is going home with us again and we hope that Günter and Bianca can go hiking this year with their own Pembroke.

We have been walking through the shifting sand for over an hour and a half when we decide to go back to the parking lot. There we say goodbye, some go home immediately and others take a snack on the cozy terrace of the De 3 Linden inn.

On the terrace, we still chat a while, enjoying the wonderful sun and a beverage. The dogs are completely "out" and lie under the tables. I am given flowers and Peter a few very special beers from Belgium as a gift, for which many thanks.

We are slowly heading home, we were told by everyone that this is certainly worth repeating,  but we say that the next meeting will not be a walk but again a kennel day as we organized in 2015.

We get in the car and drive in our wake with our special friends from Belgium, Chantal,and Dries, owners of Doris and Jules (yes, that is Jules who is the Belgian Champion), back to Tilburg because we still have a few things to do discuss for our upcoming trip to the Euro-Corgi 2019 show that will be held in Austria next weekend and where Chantal and I will participate with Oukje and Fientje.

Peter and I thank you all very much for participating in this walk and would like to apologize immediately for not mentioning all the dogs and persons who took part in the walk, we thank you all very much for taking part and once again welcome you glady to our

KENNEL DAY 2020.

Click on the photo camera for a photo report, you will be redirected to the Y Ddraig Goch Network Attached Storage, Photo Station 6.