Stormzy was born on 9th December 2019 – he was bred by Julie Bibby & Stacey Hirst – affix Taraiel. His sire is Ch Elitebulls Challenger – Elaine gave this dog the CC the last & final time she judged (2019), as did Tec more recently in 2022.
In February Stormzy joined the Tikkurilan household.
“Little fella” – pictured right on his arrival at 8 weeks was easily integrated into the group, except with Fizz who eventually took to him as well.
Even at this stage he looks very promising, well we thought so.
Some more photos taken of him round about the same time as above.
2020 was the year of the Corona virus pandemic so we were confined to the house although we were able to walk the dogs locally. Later that year and into early 2021 Stormzy enjoyed a couple of unofficial training classes – one at Liz & Paul Stanway’s stables and the other at the Ball Grove park at Colne with Bev Harrison, Jane Roper and Dawn Holmes. These sessions came in handy as the practice and socialisation gained prepared him for what was a hectic show career in the following two years.
By the time he was ready for showing – he was entered at the SCCA show at 6 months – all the shows in 2020 were cancelled and shows resumed in mid 2021, the first Ch show was the SCCA!! By this time Stormzy was 18 months old and ready for action.
His first show – only the second show to be held after the resumption of shows during the second year of the Corona virus pandemic – was an Open show at the NESBTC – entered in Yearling he won the class.
This was quickly followed by the SCCA show (the first Champ show for over a year) again in Yearling and another first place
2021 was a roller coaster of a showing season as societies crammed as many shows in as possible with some breed clubs holding two shows and although many of the Generals cancelled altogether, the rest were squeezed in to a compressed season (for instance all five Scottish shows were held over one weekend – Friday to Tuesday). Stormzy was entered at virtually all the shows, the caravan coming very useful, we were away for getting on to three months out of the remaining six.
After SCCA the circus moved on to East Anglia with East of England followed by the Club holding two shows on consecutive days. Stormzy won his class for a third time at the former show, but moving on to the first Club show Stormzy took the CC, from Yearling, under Jack Coats and BOB.
After all the hula baloo of the show we got together with the BCC winner for a photo call – Arthur and Gina Duncan with Jackabyte Wonderlust at Rhebelstaff.
TEC WITH THE DAY’S SPOILS; JULIE IN THE BACKGROUND
The ring side at these early (resumed) out door shows was occupied by rows of gazebo’s, tents, umbrella’s etc which served to keep people to themselves but provide cover in the case of rain or excessive sun. Stormzy’s breeders Julie & Stacey welcomed us into the Taraiel Club – Julie especially welcoming, nothing was too much for Julie (and still isn’t). Here we all are at the East Anglian show
Back home and the North West held two shows (one Champ & one Open - so we had three rings going at once) held in the carriage field at the equestrian centre at Standish. Covid restrictions still applied but as things progressed people largely tended to forget about catching the virus and a degree of normality descended. We took the caravan to this show, not wanting to leave all the dogs at home, so we witnessed a sunrise over the West Pennine moors, below.
Stormzy was entered but this time he was down the line – even worse was to follow – at Leeds he was chucked out. By this time he was being entered (largely) in the Limit class and things went a bit pear shaped at first with only minor placings.
August saw the Fleetwood weekend moving to the Blackpool venue in conjunction with Blackpool Champ show. At the latter Stormzy took the DCC under Lee Rhodes.
The Northern Triple was the next event where Stormzy featured in winning positions – at Darlington and in the same ring the next day at the Northern Counties he took first place in Limit at both shows.
Up to Scotland for 5 shows in one extended weekend at the beginning of October 2021. First day at the SKC were two shows on the same day , one after the other – then up to Stonehaven for the North of Scotland Club show, back to the Royal Highland showground for the Scottish club show then down to Kelso for the Border Union.
Stormzy enjoyed mixed fortunes over the period, starting with nothing at the first, followed by a first place, these at the two SKC shows; then a CC the next day – this was his third CC, under Karon Jackson.
Down the line up at the Scottish Club show held at the SKC, then another CC at the Border Union, under Jim Devine.
So the long trail back home was a pleasurable drive with smiles on our faces and Ch Taraiel Stormzy at Tikkurilan safely tucked up in his box.
And that was it for 2021.
We continued showing Stormzy going into 2022 but not quite the same intensity although we did repeat the summer trekking around the shows in the summer months, much as in 2021 and another three months spent away from home.
We drew a blank at Crufts 2022 and third places in Open at both the East Mids/SBTC shows held on the same weekend as Crufts and a similar result at the National Terrier.
Moving on to Welks and a fifth CC under John Farley – his critique read as follows :- “Very good ring presence. You cannot fail to spot his real Stafford expression, strong good shaped head, plenty of foreface, eyes that burn into you, neat ears fantastic muscular shoulders without being overdone, rear end to die for with really strong muscular thighs, neat feet and moved like we all know a Stafford can. I am pleased to award this superstar dog the CC & Best of Breed”. And so say all of us!
Some respectable places at the two Fleetwood shows and ditto at Birmingham National and the two Scottish shows. This pattern of results continued, being placed at most shows with the odd first in Open and nothing. At this point Elaine wondered if we would ever win anything else – as she said at the time “we’ve not even won a RCC”.
That was soon put to the sword at the Border Union show under Margaret Cairns – Stormzy’s first RCC.
This was followed on with another at the East Anglian Ch show, the scene of his first CC, twelve months later, this time under Tony Moore.
Potteries held two shows on the same day, requiring four judges – and another RCC for Stormzy winning the Open class at the second show under Penny Funnell.
On to the Notts & Derby double header a couple of weeks later and a fourth RCC, this time off Karen Waltham.
Crufts 2023 was a non event, again – and we move on to Welks, which was a total disaster, not as far as Stormzy was concerned though. Stormzy was picked out in second place in the Open class (under Veronica Brown) and as the judge was recording the results, Elaine bent down to correct Stormzy and in so doing her artificial hip joint dislocated causing a minor pandemonium leading to being carted off in an ambulance and a week’s stay in the Worcester Royal.
That signalled the end of Stormzy’s show career, at least for the time being.
And of course that was it for top honours with Stormzy.
At the final whistle he was awarded 5 CC’s and 4 RCC’s – not a bad haul.
Stormzy’s stud career
If you blink you might miss the above, one or two interests though, in particular Charlene Andrevon. Charlene lives in the south of France and she travelled from there to Lancashire with her bitch Dimantstaff Only One Love Chicholina. Her intention was to use two stud dogs, the second one being Ch Kalhols Dark Maruda (or at least sperm from this dog).
In the event Stormzy was the sire of the entire litter – seven puppies, identified by DNA testing.
One of these – a dog – went to the United States – Dimantstaffs Unstoppable at Dynastaffs
And another to Finland, also a dog – Dimantstaff Unlike Any Other.
Nigel Hunt used Stormzy on his bitch Rascalstaff Carnig’s Billywigg, producing three puppies, all dogs. One of these went to Brian Owen’s grandson and here he is – the spitting image of Stormzy only detected by the absence of white markings on his toes.
Going back a couple of years at Blackpool Ch show in 2021 we were approached by Robbie Smith who expressed some serious interest in Stormzy. At the time we didn’t think much about this as people gets lots of stud enquiries but on this occasion Robbie was true to his word and later on he brought over a bitch and she was duly mated. Unfortunately she missed so a second mating was arranged and more disaster – this time the puppies were found without the sacs and all were dead.
Robbie wasn’t to be put off, he came back in 2024 with a different bitch altogether – Scratchline Jessicas Pet – and after two successful matings with ties, three puppies were born, one dead but two alive, a dog and a bitch.
Robbie kept the dog and at 12 weeks old he and Jay (Robbie’s son) brought the dog over to the NW training class. The pet name is Turbo and here he is.
Tikkurilan Staffords 