In 1952 the first Cardigan was registered in Holland by Mrs S. de Meester. It was the
light-red Bruceman Bonzo, born in 1949.
2
years later Mrs De Meester imported the bitch Kentwood Brenhines (red/white by Kentwood
Dewin). Mrs Van Kasteel imported the sable/white bitch Whitybrook Gwynneth (Withybrook
Clipper x Withybrook Shemins Isobel) and the dog Kentwood Cedric (Kentwood Dewin x
Kentwood Curigwen).
Under
the prefix Fox-Brush Mrs Van Kasteel bred the
first litter in Holland: 2 dogs and 3 bitches were born on July 5th, 1955 out
of Kentwood Cedric and Whitybrook Gwynneth, who in the mean time both had gained their
Dutch Champion title.
Kentwood Cedric
Mrs
De Meester bred the second litter in March 1956 by the imported Ch. Hannaford Budge (Ch.
Withybrook Brock x Mary Lwyd Lawen) and Kentwood Brenhines under the prefix Cleverbrook.
left: Mrs. De Meester with Kentwood Brenhines on her
lap
Also
in March 1956 Withybrook Gwynneth had her second litter and produced Fox-Brush Bruno, the
first Dutch champion bred in Holland.
Mr
Tj. Tielrooy (Cymro’s) imported the brindle
dog Hildenmanor Glenmist (Hildenmanor Pedro x Hildenmanor Dubonnet), the first Dutch and
International Champion.
The 2 dogs in the middle are (left) Hildenmanor
Glenmist and (right) Hauglands Hazeltop
Other
imports followed: in 1961 the red/white bitch Snowshoes from Shiel (Kenroe Silverheels x
Berice of Alexdale) who became the foundation bitch of Mr Oeben (v.d. Besthemer Molen).
Snowshoes from Shiel
In
1962 Mrs. Nancy van Gelderen-Parker, who was already a successful breeder of Pembrokes,
imported the tricolour bitch Fordwell Amanda (Ch. Kentwood Cymro x Parmel
Aureola). She
became the foundation bitch of Mrs v. Gelderen's kennel Green Beret and
produced a long line of successful Cardigans.
Green Beret's Anwen
Mrs
J. Brooymans-Schallenberg imported in 1963 the first blue merles to the Continent: the
bitch So Silver from Shiel (So White from Shiel x Kentwood Clogwyn) and the dog Silver
Frodo from Shiel (Ch. Kentwood Brenin x Rozavel Blue Petal) who produced quality offspring
especially with Mrs Van Gelderen’s Fordwell Amanda.
Silver Frodo from Shiel - old age
Fordwell Amanda
In
1965 4 litters were registered all out of imported dogs.
The
same year Mr Oeben imported the red dog Critum Kontra (Langland Kontra of Bablake x Bloom
of Bablake).
From
1970 the registration of litters has been steadily rising.
Critum
Kontra sired 4 litters. With Maica v.d. Besthemer Molen he produced Dutch/Int.Ch. Happy
Freja and Int.Ch. Happy Kristy v.d. Besthemer Molen.
Silver
Frodo from Shiel and Llachar Happy of the Green Beret produced Dutch/Int.Ch. Tragywydd
Mandy of the Green Beret.
In
1971 85 pups were registered out of 17 litters.
In
1972 two tricolour puppies were imported: the litter brother and sister Lees Black Berry
and Lees Black Opal (Rozavel Merioneth x Ch. Lees Rhiwelli Blue Ray) bred by Miss P.L.
Curties. They were owned and shown by Mrs Engel-van Riel. Especially the dog NL/Int. Ch. Lees Black Berry had a great influence
on the breed and sired many litters.
Lees Black Berry
|
|
Mrs
H. Dijk-van Aalderen took over Mr Oeben’s kennel v.d. Besthemer Molen and started to
breed with the kennel affix v.d. Besthmerberg. Important imports by this kennel were: Jezalin
Spic’n Span, Jezalin Saucyspark (1973), Jezalin Pirate Gold (1974), Sirax Gregory and
Joseter Pharoah Son (1976). Mrs Dijk became a very successful breeder with many “v.d.
Besthmerberg” champions of the colour red/white and brindle. It came therefore as a
terrible shock to all Corgi people in Holland and abroad when Mrs. Dijk on her way to a
dog show was killed in a car accident in 1982.
In
1974 registrations topped: 128 puppies out of 25 litters, of which 8 were sired by Lees
Black Berry.
In
1974 Mr and Mrs Van Raak (v.’t Ravenest)
imported the bitch Robgwen Christmas Greetings (Ch. Winsdown Blue Disk of Robgwen x
Robgwen Pride of Place), followed by the dog Robgwen Something Special (Ch. Robgwen
Gregson x Robgwen Black Bess) in 1977 and the blue merle bitch Robgwen Blue Tinsel (Ch.
Winsdown Blue Disk of Robgwen x Robgwen Welsh Lullaby) in1979.
This
kennel produced many champions: Bacchus, Bona Dea, Ixion, Iole, Hercules v.’t
Ravenest, just to name a few. It is a pity that after the death of Mr Van Raak in 1990
this line based on Robgwen breeding was lost.
Bacchus v. 'T.Ravenest
In
the seventies also Mr G.J. Lankamp (v.h. Dassenkamp)
started breeding. The best known dog from this kennel’s early years is Buck v.h.
Dassenkamp sired by Lees Black Berry. Mr Lankamp imported from Canada the brindle dog
Am/Can.Ch. Finnshavn the Exciseman (Can.Ch. Finnshavn Whiskey Tax x Can.Ch. Medwyn la
Belle Canadienne) bred by C.D. MacInnes. This dog sired many litters.
In
the seventies breeding was very stable with about 20 litters a year.
In
1982 Mrs Van Gelderen imported the blue merle dog Beckrow Blue Vision (Joseter JP x
Verwood Silver Jubilee of Beckrow) to give the blue merle breeding a new impulse.
Mrs
Ph. Bitter imported the brindle ptd tri dog Bymil Black Treacle (Kerridas Ianto x Ch. Lees
Blue Rose of Bymil). Mrs Bitter started her breeding under the name v. Boncilla and from 1990 it became Floatin’.
In
1987 Mrs D. Griffijn-Boeters (v.d. Griffelhof)
bred her first litter by Robgwen Something Special out of Cymro’s Magic Lady,
producing Ch. Abcar Prins v.d. Griffelhof and
Ch. Ayla Prinses v.d. Griffelhof. Other well
known dogs from this kennel are Ch. Branie Prins v.d. Griffelhof and his litter sister Ch.
Brendy Prinses v.d. Griffelhof; Ch. Indiana Jones Earl v.d. Griffelhof and his litter
sister Isabella.
Robgwen Something Special
In
1991 Ch. Artemis (Willowglen Dark Secret x Isis v.’t Ravenest) owned by Mrs Van Raak
was the first Cardigan in history to win a group at an International Dog Show.
In
the early nineties Mrs. Bitter (Floatin’)
imported Joseter Quay (Ch. Joseter Joson x Gwenlais Ffreda Ffraeth) and from the Gwenlais
kennel: Ffreda Ffraeth (Salvenik Sea Urchin of Gwenlais x Gwenlais Briallen), Liw Liwpin
(Baileswood Nefydd Hardd x Gwenlais Fflosi Fflusteris), and the litter brother and sister
Idwin and Idweno (Rhiwelli Tango x Gwenlais Asoka Heilyn). They were the start of a
successful breeding which so far has resulted in
14 home-bred champions. The latest addition of this kennel in 2000 was NZCh. Copperleaf
Burnt Spice (Ch. Memini Hot Doggy Dino x Copperleaf Peach Bonnet) bred by Joy Devery in
New Zealand.
New
breeders that joined the club in the nineties were:
Mrs
Y. Aben-Colin (v.d. Bockmühle), who started
with the dog Ch. Indiana Jones Earl v.d. Griffelhof and Ch. Floatin’ Pollyanna. This
kennel has already produced 4 champions out
of 4 litters.
Mrs
M. Feenstra-Minet and Mrs M.Minet-de Raaf (Welshclan’s).
In 1993 they imported the blue merle bitch Pibior Llwyd (Ch. Gwenlais Caleb at Salroyd x
Ceredigion Conik Wave) bred by D. Burrows, followed by litter brother and sister:
Grangefield Special Story and Grangefield Midnight Charm (Ch. Garett’s Special Legend
of Grangefield x Clywedog Naturally Special of Grangefield) in 1994. In 1997 the brindle
bitch Gucci’s Ciao Mackinlay (Ch. Geestland’s Arrant Ace x Mackinlay’s Lady
in Fashion) from Finland joined the Welshclan’s kennel. So far (2003) this kennel has
produced 3 champions.
Mrs
A. Dekker-Pilon (Courtly) bred one champion:
Courtly Red Lady Penelope. Mrs Dekker is the owner of Dutch/Int.Ch. Elmo the Dog’s
Cabaret (Ch. Corgi’s Ecco x Daisy the Dog’s Cabaret), a red/white dog that sired
many litters in Holland and Germany.
The
Netherlands are a member of the FCI.
The
Dutch Welsh Corgi Club has been founded in 1950 and caters for both the Cardigan and
Pembroke.
The
Club has about 700 members.
There
are several breeding rules in Holland, but the most important are that breedingstock has
to be hipscored and examined as Excellent, Good, Fair or Borderline (OFA) or A, B or C (FCI).
When
a breeder wants to breed from a C /Mild HD the partner has to have a better hipscore.
It
is only allowed to breed from Cardis that have been DNA tested for PRA or are genetically
clear. if a breeder
wants to breed from a PRA carrier (which is still allowed), the partner has to be PRA
clear and the breeder has the obligation to DNA test all the puppies in the litter at the
age of 7 weeks, that is as soon as they have an identification number (chip).
Phil
Bitter, January 2004
Based
on facts made available by Mrs. Elly Nijhuis.
|