The Cardigan Welsh Corgi in SwedenThe history of the Cardigan
Corgi in Sweden dates back to 1971 when Sivert Nilsson imported the first
brood bitch from England, Daleviz Our Gracie (Daleviz Haraudon Trader x
Daleviz Bernhardt). The first decade
This new breed was met with
great interest in Sweden and more imports from the UK were to follow. From
the early 1970's until the early 1980's a surprising number of Swedish breeders took up the breed. However, hardly any of
all these Cardigans will be found in today's pedigrees. Daleviz Our Gracie, who was to
become Int. & Nord. Champion, was mated to another UK import Daleviz
Howel (Daleviz Haraudon Trader x Daleviz
Career Girl) and produced Beau Brummell (S42224/71). In 1973, Sivert Nilsson's
brother Göran (Herdens)
imported the brindle bitch Apollinaris Carmen in whelp to Winsdown Blue
Disk of Robgwen. Carmen was by Ch. Parmel Digger out of Robgwen Solitaire
and her litter, containing Int.&NordCh. Herdens Ancient Anglo, H. Ave
Aniara and H. Aida Amneris, all blue merles, was born on 14.06.1973. H.
Aida Amneris lived to the ripe old age of 17 years and 7 months. A litter
brother, Herdens Argus Antonius, was probably exported to Finland where he
sired the two SFCh. Sasalu Berti-Benjamin and Sasalu Business-Bill out of
Sasalu Aprilaria. On 07.08.1974 Daleviz Gracie
had a litter by Herdens Ancient Anglo, containing Claudia Cardi (blue
merle). On 20.05.1975 Apollinaris
Carmen had Herdens B-litter by Beau Brummell. Herdens
C-litter, born
18.03.1981 was by Herdens Ancient Anglo out of the blue merle bitch
Anotherdelight. Anotherdelight, born 20.04.1979, was by another UK import,
the brindle Sirax Copperfield (Apollinaris Cenydd x Sirax Beeswax, born
27.03.1975 and bred by Jean Grace), out of Claudia Cardi. Breeder of
Anotherdelight was Mona Alvö. Daleviz Howel sired a litter
of 5 puppies born 07.02.1977 out of Claudia Cardi's litter sister Coue
Conamore. Herdens Ave Aniara whelped 3
bitches (Destiny, Daisy, Diana) on 08.12.1974 by Beau Brummell, and on
14.03.1977 Ave Aniara had another litter (Elton, Eliza and Emelie) by
Sirax Copperfield. Breeders:
Åke and Britt-Marie Lindman.
Herdens Ave Aniara together with a Swedish Vallhund Both owned by Åke and Britt-Marie Lindman, Sweden On 01.08.1977 Nord.Ch. Daisy
had a litter of 8 puppies by Sirax Copperfield for Jan Thörnell, Rastgårdens kennels, breeder of German Shepherds.
Her second litter of 3 puppies by Int. & Nord.Ch. Cardax
Bobby-Bare was born 08.07.1979 and bred by her new owners Kurt Hallgren
& Pia Carlqvist. Among them was S & Nord.Ch. Allington. Int. & Nord.Ch. Herdens
Ancient Anglo produced the first blue merle litter for Margareta Widin's Cardax
kennels on 07.04.1980 out of SCh. Cardax Dwenny. Herdens last litter (D) by Ch.
Robgwen Jet Black x Anotherdelight was born on 13.10.1983, containing SCh.
Herdens Drover Duck. Göran Nilsson was also a very
successful breeder of Pembroke Corgis. He died far too early in 1994. In 1975, Mr & Mrs J. Bruun in Veinge imported from J.H. Jones, England,
the red/white bitch Dilwel Sue Sue (Ch. Southpark Gerwyn x Dilwel Suesan),
born 19.04.1971 and in whelp to Ch. Joseter Mudwin (Ch. Pantyblaidd Pip x
Samantha of Joseter). Her litter was born 06.04.1975, containing S &
NCh. Angel, top winning Cardigan bitch in Sweden 1976 and S &NCh.
Action, both red/white.
Bruun's B-litter by another
import, the red/white Jezalin Matador (Dilwel Gwel Hwn x Jezalin
Francyfree) out of Angel was born 29.03.1977. Mr & Mrs J. Bruun also
imported the tricolour dog Int.&NordCh. Lees Black Cloud (Rozavel
Merioneth – Ch. Lees Rhiwelli Blue Ray) born 20.09.1974, bred by Pat
Curties, England. Black Cloud was twice Cardigan
of the Year (1975 and 1976). He sired the C-litter out of the UK import
Debryn Bewitched (Rozavel Galawnt x Blue Sequin of Debryn) containing 6
puppies born 10.07.1977. Bruun's D-litter born
25.03.1978 was equally sired
by Lees Black Cloud out of Angel. The E-litter, born 08.08.1978
(Endy and Ebony) was by S&NCh. Action out of Debryn Bewitched. Finally, Angel had a litter
(F) on 25.03.1978 by Ch. Lees Black Cloud. Rigmor Folkeson, Nosseklof's kennels, on 12.07.1977 had a litter (P) by Int.Ch.
Robgwen Welsh Emblem out of SCh. Herdens Beach-Belle and on 08.05.1979
Beach-Belle had another litter (Q) by Cardax Bobby-Bare. Beach-Belle's
last litter (R) was born 20.05.1980 by D'artangnan (Sirax Copperfield x
Claudia Cardi). Ingrid Mårtensson, Mårten-Woods kennels, had a litter on 29.07.1977 by Int.Ch. Robgwen
Welsh Emblem out of S & NordCh. Cardax Brindle Beauty, containing SCh.
Mårten-Woods Afrodite, Cardigan of the Year 1979. On 14.11.1980 Afrodite
had Mårten-Woods' B-litter by Int.& NordCh. Cardax Bobby-Bare. Int.Ch. Robgwen Welsh Emblem
also sired 2 litters for Rosmarie Johansson, Charott's
kennels out of Cardax Carroty. Two puppies were born on 21.03.1978 and 5
puppies on 29.04.1979. On 21.09.1982 Rosmarie Johansson bred a third
litter of Cardigans by Int. & Nord.Ch. Robgwen Jet Black out of Cardax
Blue India, among them S&NCh. Charott's Acinta-Aimee. Charott's
kennels also bred Pembroke Corgis. 17.03.2006/ANo ----------- A new era began in 1972 when
Margareta Widin (Cardax)
imported the brindle ptd tri bitch Sonnet of Robgwen (Windsdown Blue Disk
of Robgwen x Robgwen Welsh Beauty) and the sable dog Sardis Sir Geraint (Dilwel
Gwern x Sardis Roxane).
Sonnet of Robgwen – Sardis Sir Geraint Margareta Widin's first litter
by Sardis Sir Geraint out of Sonnet of Robgwen was born 18.10.1974. Among
the 4 puppies were SCh. Cardax Adeline CD and SCh. Cardax Amber.
Cardax kennels were fortunate to make the acquaintance of Gwen Roberts and her magnificent Cardigans. During the following years several imports came from her kennel and during the first many years the Swedish Cardigans were strongly influenced by the Robgwen line. Combined with stock from Elin Refset's Cardelin kennel in Norway, which is based on the English Daleviz lines, these dogs produced progeny which is still present in today's pedigrees. The co-operation with other countries was difficult at the time because of quarantine regulations. Swedish Cardigans have been exported to Denmark, Finland and Norway.
Imports 1975 - 1999Imports that greatly influenced the Cardigans in Sweden: Int. & Nord.Ch. Robgwen Welsh Emblem, born 1976, by the legendary Ch. Parmel Digger out of Robgwen Pride 'n' Joy, imported by Margareta Widin (Cardax). Digger was a son of Ch. Kentwood Cymro who was by Ch. Kentwood Dewin, son of Withybrook Brock. Emblem was accompanied by his litter sister Robgwen Twinkle Toes and the two of them made it possible to continue on these great lines.
In 1980, Margareta Widin imported the tricolour dog Robgwen Jet Black (Ch. Robgwen Gregson x Robgwen Black Bess) and his sable litter sister Robgwen Cream Cracker.
Among Cream Cracker's successful progeny were MultiCh. Cardax Rhydian (by MultiCh. Cardax Incadoo), a very influential stud dog, and MultiCh. Cardax Mac Redish (by NordCh. Cardax Jeremy).
Robgwen Jet Black was the sire of Nickname's Rhandie, born 1985, who together with the UK import Ch. Deavitte Oakleaf (in Finnish ownership) produced progeny of great quality.
R. Jet Black also produced the top winning Cardigan bitch in 1982-1985, MultiCh. Mindecor Mindy (out of Cardax Florens), bred by Ulla Nordling in 1981, and SCh. Cardax Polyanna, the foundation bitch of Carina Sandell-Widin's Nickname kennel (out of S&SFCh. Cardelin's Dancing Donnalinn, Norwegian imp.).
In 1985, Margareta Widin imported Grangefield Morwenna (Grangefield Elmet x Gwenlais Beauty of Grangefield). She is the dam of MultiCh. Cardax Vivaldi Jubilee who spread his genes to all the Nordic countries and, through his son Smultronbacken's Donovon, to the United States.
Also in 1985, Margareta Widin imported Antoc Marcasita (Cardwyn Merywen x GBCh.Antoc Cinnabar) while Per-Erik Wallin (Ryttaren) imported her litter brother Antoc Mercury.
Mercury sired only two litters, one with Cardi-Corinne (by MultiCh. Robgwen Jet Black) which contained IntNord.Ch. Quantum's Anna, bred by Gunnel and Bengt Samuelsson (Quantum), the most successful Swedish bred Cardigan Corgi in the show ring so far, with several Group and Best in Show placings. The second litter was with MultiCh. Cardax Nadja containing SCh. Smultronbacken's After Eight.
Other imports during this period included Cardwyn Hynoon (GBCh. Joseter Joson x Cardwyn Lleucu), born 1987, and Kentwood Rolant (GBCh. Kentwood Arnallt x Beckrow Beauty at Kentwood), born 1989.
Cardwyn Hynoon produced MultiCh. Quantum's Christina with MultiCh. Quantum's Anna, and SCh. Cardax Daphne with SCh. Framework's Alice (by NordCh. Cardax Jeremy and bred by Elisabeth Larsson).
At the end of the '90's Ulla and Kenneth Staff (Smultronbacken) imported Mandylay's Isolde (Smultronbacken's Donovan x Mandylay's Cheery Sheree) from Finland who among others produced the successful MultiCh. Smultronbacken's Harri.
Later three siblings, born 1998 (Kerman Air Mail x Birkebakken's Harmony Hirse) and bred by Aase and Kaj Therkelsen, Denmark, were imported. Birkebakken's Mac Beth went to Smultronbacken's kennel, Birkebakken's Miss Mitzie to Cardax kennel and Birkebakken's Marco Polo to Mildred and Sven Jernström.
Other imports from Denmark included Rundhøj's Felix (Nickname's Hard Stuff x Baileswood Cristyn), born 1998, bought by Inga-Maj Henriksson (Timmot) and Rundhøj's Cecilie (Marco av Trolldom x Baileswood Cristyn), born 1995, bought by Margareta Widin (Cardax). Imports 2000 – 2003Faarup
Tootsie, Denmark to Cardax kennels (Margareta Widin) Blondie´s
Möller, Denmark to Wesa Borg´s kennels (Pia Schröder) Edison
Cofie v.d. Bockmühle, Holland
to Wildcard´s kennels (Ia Rask) Tyhjätaskun Crosseley, Finland
to Wesa Borg´s kennels (Pia Schröder) The development of the Cardigan Corgi 1995-2003During this period some 20 Cardigan Corgis were imported, first and foremost from Denmark and Finland and some from Norway. Compared to previous years imports have increased considerably. A big issue was the DNA-test for PRA. This test has been accepted and documented in the Swedish Kennel Club's (SKK) central breed register. The Swedish Welsh Corgi Club (SWCK) endeavours to convince the SKK to include the DNA result in the pedigree of each dog. Once the DNA-test was available, the SWCK strongly recommended that breeders and owners had their dogs tested. Although it was on a voluntary basis the breeders were very co-operative so that all stock from 1989 onwards has been documented and all dogs/bitches used for breeding have been DNA-tested. Puppies will only be referred by the SWCK if their parents have been tested or are hereditarily clear of PRA. No carriers have been bred from. The Swedish Cardigan population is dominated by brindles but tricolours are on the increase. Reds and sables are still very rare. Between 1975 and 1982 only three blue merle litters were registered. First in 2000 there was again a litter of blue merles and two more blue merle litters have been registered since. Since 1995 registrations of Cardigan puppies have increased and several new enthusiastic breeders are promoting the breed. In concluding, the Cardigan Welsh Corgi in Sweden is developing positively and gaining in popularity. From 1973 – 2004, a total of 1290 Cardigans were registered with the Swedish Kennel Club. The Swedish Welsh Corgi Club - SWCK was founded in 1963 and caters for both Cardigan and Pembroke Corgis. Members: about 400 A newsletter "Corgi Prat" is published 4 times a year. Sweden is a member of the FCI. Margareta Widin & Carina Sandell-Widin November 2004 Translated by Anita Nordlunde |
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