Kennel club reflects on 50 fur-filled years
The club has plenty to offer, catering not only for competition but to everyone who wants to socialise their dog and just have some fun.
Hibiscus Kennel Club recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, with retired traffic officer and founder member Larry Larraman the guest of honour. Chairman Elsie Pretorius said it was great to see the legends of HKC.
Larry was the member who designed the logo all those years ago that is still used to this day. Along with first chairman Peter Mortinson, Larry envisaged the dream and made it a reality that still lives on. The first meeting was held at what was then the Royal Hotel in Aiken Street.
Gaby Frey, who remains an honorary member, also shared some of her experiences.
Her involvement with the club was from 1973 to 2015, a total of 42 years, mostly as chairman.
She recalled how in 1973, Peter, who was involved with a pool company was chatting to her father Walter while fixing the family swimming pool.
“His beautiful German shepherd Amber was going to have puppies and our German shepherd was already eight years old and my dad decided it was time for another puppy,” she said.
Senta, a very pretty German shepherd puppy, joined the family and her father decided she should train her.
Peter was offering classes for all the puppies.
It was more a case of Senta training Gaby and she dragged her all over the show. “I had blisters on my hands. My dad took pity on me and suggested he would train her and I would train our eight year-old German shepherd.”
She remembers that Peter started HKC, together with the first committee, which was made up of Peter as chairman and his daughter Ruth as secretary and her father, together with all the other owners of Amber’s puppies, plus of course Larry Larraman and his ‘amazing’ Dobermann, which used to jump through fire hoops.
Some past members who attended included Joy Botha, Lorraine Airth, Liz Fourie and Karen Salhus.
Others who played major roles over the years were Bill and Sharon Derman, Bruce Eland, Corné Sao Jao, Jenny Robertson and Nadine Kriek van Niekerk, among others.
Gaby, Joy, Loraine, and Sue McCay all achieved championship, grand championship and KZN colours in agility and carting.
Ninette Smith and Swish also achieved grand championship and KwaZulu-Natal colours, and also competed on the world stage.
Numerous breed champions were also made from these grounds.
Special mention must be made of Gaby and Scooby. Gaby’s little dog survived a terrible dog attack, made a miraculous recovery, and went on to become a triple world champion.
Gaby travelled to the world champs, representing South Africa, a number of times.
“It is an amazing achievement to be celebrating the 50th anniversary,” she said. I wish current chairman Elsie and her committee all the best and really hope people would step forward and help for the benefit of everyone,” she said.
“May this club continue to be a place where people and their dogs have fun. May this club go from strength to strength and achieve the dream of the original founders.”
The club has plenty to offer, catering not only for competition but to everyone who wants to socialise their dog and just have some fun.
Training takes place at the Port Shepstone borough ground on Saturday afternoons at 14:00.
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