Ireland
Mr Mark Plunkett (IRE)
I was surrounded by German Shepherd Dogs from childhood with many fond memories. This introduction to GSD’s was thanks to my late father Matthew who had developed his love for the breed in the very early 70’s. Our breeding kennel was established and registered with the IKC as “Pinebrook” back in 1975. In the years that followed and with the introduction of German Imported males into the UK myself and my father undertook a breeding programme of our own with some of our females who fortunately also carried German bloodline relevant to the time. This gave rise to a very successful period for our Kennel in the show ring with numerous highly rated animals produced in the years that followed from these carefully thought-through breeding selections. Litters from dogs at the time such as Cito vom Konigsbruch, Alf vom Quengelbach, Groll vom Restrauch, Zirko von Arminius, Cello von Aschera , Mutz von der Mainbene produced excellent results and provided us with specimens which were true to the breed standard and generally a much higher standard of quality of animal than we had started off with which lead to many years of success and enjoyment for us and an appreciation from other enthusiasts for the efforts and results we were achieving. Dogs from our kennel have proven to be highly influential over the years in Ireland with many modern-day champions originating from dogs bred by either my father or myself. Growing up in the 1980’s I like most enthusiasts at the time was heavily influenced by those within the breed who are now considered legends of the GSD. In some cases I was very fortunate to have developed a close relationship with some, having these people surrounding you at shows and interacting with you was such an inspirational experience and of course educational. One such experience occurred in the 1980’s and after a successful day showing under Herr Walter Martin followed by a social get together that evening ended with him inviting me to seek him out at that years German Sieger show where he would arrange for me to handle a dog in the youth class. True to his word at the 1989 German Sieger Show he arranged for me to handle Lux von der Kahler Heide to SG62, a son from his own Udette von der Wienerau. It is true to say that from that moment on GSDs were in my DNA. Since that first visit in 1989 to the German Sieger Show I have become a regular visitor ever since. From being a regular visitor to now participating regularly in Germany with my dogs and at the German Sieger Show we have recently enjoyed some really great results.
• 2010 German Sieger Show SG40 & VA 1 - USA Sieger Show 2010 Paola vom Gottwollshauser Tal
• 2014 German (LG)) Youth Sieger SG1 Highlander von der Liebeswarte SchH1.
• 2015 Germany (LG) SG9 Engel vom Rauschenbergblick
• SG121 2016 BSZS Xania von Pallas Athene IGP1(Sister to VA3 Xolly), 2019 BSZS.
• In 2019 our male Larus vom Fichtenschlag IGP2 enjoyed a super show season in Germany with 9 appearances in the Working Class and 9 times V
• V2 2023 LGZS Gaga von Arlett IGP2,
• V1 Grimm von Arlett IGP1
• Julia von Arlett IGP1 - SG42 AT 2022 German Sieger Show in Nurnberg.
• Poker von Arlett - SG29 at 2023 German Sieger Show in Nurnberg.
For several years now I have worked closely with recently retired SV Judge Frau Margit van Dorssen of the legendary “Von Arlett” kennels and together with another colleague of ours Jimmy Smith we co-own several top dogs from “Kennel Arlett” that have enjoyed many successes both at Landesgruppen level and at the German Sieger Show. We currently have several dogs in training for the 2024 show season ahead, Julia, Gaga, Poker and now the latest addition and one of the youngest is Drama von Arlett who is a daughter from our own Gaga and Bazooka de Casa Celta.
I currently hold the office of being an Approved (SV) Character Assessor and a Breed Specialist Judge Licenced also with the FCI since 1996. I also hold the post of Club President of my country’s oldest “WUSV” member club, the GSDCI which was established in 1925.
I campaigned vigorously to the SV head Office in 2019 for the introduction of the highly successful SV health testing scheme for my Club which currently serves all GSD enthusiasts North and South in Ireland. I represent my Club and Country at the Annual General Assembly meeting with the WUSV and SV each year and have been a proud full member of the association for 39 years.
I am looking forward very much to meeting you all and I am grateful for the invitation to visit beautiful Pakistan and of course privileged to have been asked to judge your Sieger Show 2024. I will do my very best to ensure that we will collectively enjoy this tremendous spectacle and with some luck there will be some learnings that can be taken away from the weekend’s events that I hope will help further the development of the breed and dog sport hobby throughout Pakistan.