Influential Dams in English Cardigans by Sandra Tonkyn How to start an article like this. Well, my first idea was
to get out all the old C.W.C.A. Handbooks and go through them to see which bitches
produced the most CC or Champion stock. Having
started to look at these lists, I started to think about the bitches who have influenced
the breed since I started showing an interest in the breed. After that it was a case of
mind wandering over the great dogs and bitches we have seen in the breed. You can see the
way my mind will wander from the job in hand! Back to the original question - an article on influential
dams. How does one judge this? One can look at statistics. Which dam produced more
Champions or CC Winners than anyone else. That accolade goes to Mari Lwyd Lawen. She
produced seven dogs and bitches who won Challenges, all but two were Champions and most
had a profound influence on the future of the breed. She was the dam of Ch. Hannaford
Budge, who sired 4 Champions, Ch. Hannaford Cora who produced 2 champions, and Ch.
Hannaford Roy who sired 2 champions and 2 others who won Challenges. Budge and Cora were
sired by Ch. Withybrook Brock, who sired some 9 champions himself. Kentwood Red Petal and Bussleton Cora produced 6 top
winning offspring between them. Cora had 4 champion children and they in turn continued to
produce top winners. Red Petal produced 5 champion children and these included:
Ch. Kentwood Curigwen, who in turn produced 3 champions; Ch. Kentwood Dewin, who
sired some 10 champion children and is the top producing sire of all time in the U.K. Red
Petal was also dam of Ch. Kentwood Myfanwy, who produced 3 champions and a further CC
winner. Two more sons, Ch. Kentwood Marc and Ch. Kentwood Adwyth also sired many top
winners between them. One could say that she was one of the most influential of the modern
day dams. Curigwen was, of course, the dam of Ch. Kentwood Cymro, who was one of the top
producing sires of all time, siring some 6 champion children here in the U.K. From Ch. Kentwood Myfanwy came 3 champions and a CC
winner. Ch. Kentwood Hawen produced Ch. Kentwood Brenin, Ch. Kentwood Sian produced Ch.
Kentwood Emrys and Ch. Kentwood Rhydlyd, who was the first Cardi to win Reserve in Group. A kennel that had a great influence during these years was
the Rozavel kennel, due to the hard work of the late Thelma Gray, we have blue merles here
in the U.K. Her first champion was Ch. Rozavel Blue Rosette, who in turn produced Ch.
Rozavel Blue Tinsel and she produced Ch. Rozavel Blue Lamp, her brother Rozavel Merioneth
was the sire of Beckrow Bandelero. Another famous bitch who produced many winners was Ch.
Another Delight, she was also a foundation for the famous Parmel Kennel. She had 5
champion children, Ch. Parmel Dambuster only sired one champion, but he was Ch. Parmel
Pilot, who was a great influence in the early sixties. Ch. Parmel Dandini was also a dog
who influenced the breed during his lifetime. Through Another Delight came Parmel Delight,
who was the dam of the incomparable Ch. Parmel Digger. We all know what his
influence was on the breed. Another bitch who made her mark in the Parmel kennel was
Parmel Frolic who produced 3 champion offspring. In the sixties another kennel who made an enormous
impression on the breed was the Dilwel kennel. Int. Ch. Dilwel Maggie produced 2
champions, Ch. Dilwel Maggie May and Ch. Dilwel Aunty Maggie of Silbrook, who was an
influence in the Silbrook kennel. Dilwel Gweno produced 3 champions and Dilwel Gwerfyl
produced 2. Yet another kennel who made a name in the sixties was the
Robgwen kennel, with Ch. Robgwen Fordwell Deborah who produced 2 champions and another CC
winner. Ch. Robgwen Black Beauty, her daughter, produced in her turn Ch. Wendac Robgwen
Midnight Special, a dog whose influence is still being felt some 20 years on. Her other
Ch. daughter was Int. Ch. Robgwen Welsh Fire, who was the dam of Ch. Robgwen Welsh
Minstrel. The one who did not gain her title was Robgwen Solitaire, who was the start of
the Apollinaris kennel in Cardigans and the dam of Ch. Apollinaris Cenydd, Apollinaris
Carol and Apollinaris Caitlin, who in turn was the dam of Ch. Apollinaris Catkin, one of
my all time favourite bitches. Jezalin Fordwell Deena was the foundation for the Jezalin
kennel. She was the dam of Jezalin Josetta, and Dronlows Jezalin Jaquita, through Josetta
have come many winners for the late Pamela Walker. Dilwel Gwerfyl was the start of the Baileswood kennel. She
was the dam of Ch. Baileswood Gwithyn and Ch. Baileswood Gwythyr. Another bitch who had a
profound effect on this kennel was Baileswood Tursdale Amethyst. She was the dam of Ch.
Baileswood Blodeuwedd, who was in turn mother of 3 champions and one other top sire, Ch.
Baileswood Geraint, probably her
most famous child is still figuring largely in pedigrees today. He was, of course, sired
by the great Ch. Joseter Mudwin, whose influence along with Midnight Special (Blodeuwedd
was by Midnight Special) will be felt for many years to come. Another Baileswood bitch who was to influence the breed
was Baileswood Briallen, the foundation of the Doldrum kennel. She produced 3 champions,
the litter brother Ch. Doldrum Baron Knight and Ch. Doldrum Brandy Snap and a beautiful
bitch Ch. Doldrum Amanda, who died tragically young. Had she lived, I am sure she would
have figured largely in this article. This line is still going strong, through Ch. Doldrum
Hennessy and his children. Tursdale Black Pearl was the foundation for the
Grangefield kennel, she was the dam of
Ch. Debs Delight of Grangefield, who is still the breed
record holder in the U.K. with 34 challenge certificates. Through her sister Galeforce of
Grangefield came all the current Grangefield winners. The father was Ch. Wendac Robgwen
Midnight Special. Coming down from this line was Grangefield Milford of
Gwenlais, who has had such influence on the breed in recent years. She is the dam of 3
champions and another CC winner, all sired by Ch. Grangefield Rainchaser. There were a
number of others from this combination who have continued to breed on for both the
Gwenlais kennel and others. Wendac Specials Jubilation was another Midnight Special
daughter and she produced to Ch. Pharoah of Joseter (a Ch. Joseter Mudwin son) the Ch.
brothers Ch. Wendac Javelin and Ch. Wendac Jaunty. Javelin in turn has sired some brindle
winners, but Jaunty was put to Verwood Silver Jubilee of Beckrow and helped to improve the
blue merles. From a daughter of this mating came Ch. Beckrow Blue Cedar. Joyful, sister to
Javelin and Jaunty, is dam of Ch. Wendac Legionaire, who in turn has sired some lovely
stock. Downholme Golden Beauty had two litters, one sired by Ch.
Joseter Mudwin and produced Ch. Downholme Silver Sand of Joseter, the other by Bridgemont
Suseman and Ch. Downholme Serena of Bridgemont was the last of the Bridgemont kennel big
winners. Silver Sand sired many winners for
the Salvenik and Kentwood kennels, amongst others. The Lees kennel has produced some excellent brood bitches,
the start was Ch. Rhiwelli Lees Blue Ray. Through her we came to Ch. Lees Blue Rose of
Bymil, the foundation of the Bymil Cardigans, Lees Jet, foundation for the Antoc kennel
and Lees Bluemoon of Deavitte, starting the Deavitte interest in the breed. From these
bitches have come Champions over the last few years. From Ch. Lees Blue Rose of Bymil came her two champion
daughters, Ch. Bymil Silver Lining and Ch. Bymil Bluebell of Gorthleck, yet another
foundation bitch for the breed, this time for the Gorthlecks. Lees Jet was dam to Ch. Antoc Cinnabar and Antoc Upper
Crust. Cinnabar went on to produce Ch. Antoc Moonstone, who in turn produced Ch. Antoc
Audacity, the kennel's latest Champion. Upper Crust has also sired champion offspring. Lees Bluemoon of Deavitte produced Ch. Deavitte Moonbeam,
another current winner. It will be interesting to see what she produced in time to come. Verwood Silver Jubilee of Beckrow was another to come down
from the Lees kennel. She has produced some wonderful bitches for other people to start
breeding Cardis all over the world, although she did not have CC winners here in the U.K.
She did have some 6 or so champions scattered all over the world and she was grandmother
to Ch. Beckrow Blue Cedar, who has sired some lovely blue merles here and in the U.S. His
most famous son is Ch. Willowglen Silver Cavalier. So now we are right up to date. It was fascinating to do
the research for this article, especially those of the distant past, long before I arrived
on this mortal coil. There may have been other bitches who have had a great influence on
the breed, and I do apologise if I have left them out. Maybe one day I will get down to
writing a book on the breed, then space will not be at a premium. Published in the CWCCA 1994 Handbook and
reproduced with the kind permission of the late Sandra Tonkyn's parents, Chris & Joy
Tonkyn, and her husband Mike Applegate. |