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.

 

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