Ch Deep River Walk of Downstream 19 April 1998 - 6th July 2009

On 6th July 2009 we said goodbye to our beloved Chloe. Ch Deep River Walk of Downstream. Winner of 9 CCs, 5 RCCs, 3 x BOB, 2 x Group 2, 1 x Group 3, Top Flatcoat 2003 and Dam of Top Flatcoat 2005. A bitch who in life made her presence felt and who left us a wonderful legacy in her children and grandchildren. Her story is below

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My mother (Shirley) has a friend called Sally Jones who lives locally and owned a Flatcoat bitch (by Downstream Zephyr) whom she wanted to have a litter of puppies from. The dog she used was Enchanters Black Bryony (Ch Tom Thumb x Riversflight Haven). The litter was born on 19 April 1998 - and Mum as litter Secretary assisted Sally in finding homes for them. By 5 weeks old they were all spoken for.

At the same time we lost Shamrock of Downstream (closely related to Chloe) at the age of 11. She was one of my father's best working bitches. Just after this Mum met up with Sally at the hairdressers and seeing that Mum was upset took her back to her house for a cup of coffee. Whilst Mum was there admiring the puppies Sally had a phone call from a lady who had booked a bitch saying that her husband's job was going to take them to Australia for 6 months and would it be OK if her sister had the puppy until she got back. Sally was not happy and Mum said to tell her that she would find her another puppy when she got back to the UK. Sally did this and Mum said that it would be very easy to place the puppy with someone else.

They continued playing with the puppies and Sally said out of the blue "Shirley I would like you to have the bitch puppy as a present for all the help and support you have given us with the litter". She would not take no for an answer and at the end of June 1998 Chloe came to Downstream.

She was a very gangly puppy whose chief aim was eating and gardening. She was not very trainable and I don't think Peter really relished her as his next picking up dog. However the bond between her and my mother was evident for all to see.

I didn't show her much as a youngster but she qualified for Crufts as a puppy and again the following year. At Crufts in 2000 she won a strong Graduate bitch class under Joan Mason and at that point Mum decided that there might be some mileage in campaigning her some more. She finished the year by attaining her stud book number.

In 2001 she had her only litter by Ch Pajanbeck Prince of Thieves. This produced CH D Revival and CH D Revisited to Tachumshin.

In 2003 she was top Flatcoat winning 6 CCs and 2 group placings. At this point I hit a small problem. I had not really considered that she might get her title so I had not done her Show Gundog Working Certificate. I tentatively suggested to my father that he might like to qualify her. His lack of response told me that I was going to have to do it myself. She was not his ideal as a picking up dog. He likes his dogs to come on the whistle and preferably work in the same wood (or at least the same parish) as he does. I took her out picking up and thought she was great - she never missed a runner, faced any sort of cover, swam for England and was great in Sugar Beat. I didnt worry about the whistle thing because I rarely took one with me. Chloe did her qualifier at the Flatcoat Open Field Trial at Ampton in October 2003 and thus held a full title.

  Left: Chloe winning BOB and Group 3 National Gundog 2003
 
  She went on to win another 3 CCs and 5 RCCs, after which I pretty well retired her from the breed
  ring and started showing her in Veteran Stakes instead. She loved going in the big ring as it gave
  her the opportunity to show off her wonderful movement. In 2007 she became the first Flatcoat
  Bitch to Qualify for the Pedigree Veteran Stakes Grand Final.

  In April 2006 her movement got her into great trouble. Galloping through the forest one afternoon she
  came round a corner too quickly and cannoned in to poor Mum - breaking her leg and shattering her
  kneecap (Mum's not Chloe's). She was thereafter known as "Bone Crusher".

  At home she was such fun - out walking she would always find a rabbit to give chase to, or a pheasant to
  put up. If she was really lucky a cat would cross her path and she could "tree it" and West Highland White
  Terriers were fair game to her.
She came out picking up with me throughout the shooting season and even last season at the age of 10 was still doing a full day.

Three weeks ago she had to have her spleen removed and the spleen was sent away for examination. It showed NOT cancer but thrombosis. Our Vet warned us that they could be in other parts of her body which proved to be the case. On Saturday she was not very well but rallied on Sunday. Yesterday evening she collapsed and was finding it diffcult to breath. It was time to say goodbye.

Our wonderful vet - Josh Lida came out to her and she was put peacefully to sleep whilst I held her in my arms.

Her legacy lives on through her children and grandchildren and she will never be forgotten - not for what she did but for the lovely girl that she was. She was my mother's best friend and favourite ever dog. She lived life to the full and expected others to "enjoy the ride with her". A bitch in a million who we were privileged to own and special thanks to her kind breeder - Sally Jones - for her very generous gift.

Sleep well Chloe