|
Glenn Miller and the Graftonbury English Springer
Spaniels 1975 - 2012
I purchased my first dog
in 1972, an Irish (Red) Setter Bardonhill Achilles at
Graftonbury
as a pet but after seeing him at 6 months old his
breeders persuaded me to show him and “the show bug had
bitten”. I had great success with him at open shows, he
being BOB many times, but he never had the same success
at championship shows never the less he was the very
first Graftonbury.
Late in 1975 I had the
opportunity to purchase a young ESS bitch as this breed
had caught my eye; in fact it was love at first sight
after viewing all the beautiful bitches being shown in
the ring at that time (mostly by the Great Sh Ch
Hawkhill Connaught) The bitch in question was
Hawkhill High Society of Lawnwood aka
Becky, later to become Sh Ch Hawkhill High Society
of Lawnwood, 14 months old and never been to a
show. The following year she was mated to Sh Ch
Clevehill Yankee Clipper (not my choice or type
but a very sound and worthy champion). This was the very
first Graftonbury litter, 8 in total, black/whites and
liver/whites. My choice of pick of the litter was a
liver/white bitch I named Smudge or her official name
was Sh Ch Graftonbury Exquisite at Lawnwood
and was owned by Marjorie Satterthwaite but was shown
and lived
with me for several years.
In 1976 I mated Becky
again this time to Sh Ch Monclaire Mr Chips
a son of the great Connaught. One puppy caught my eye,
the one who has continued to be my blueprint for the
breed Sh Ch Graftonbury Genghis Khan winner of 25 CCs (4 at Crufts). 17 RCCs. 15 BOB. 3 Group
1st at general champ shows including Crufts
1985 and in 1984 a RBIS at a general champ show.
Following Khan we had his daughter Lady Sara of
Graftonbury who won 1 CC and 3 RCCs when mated to
Wardhill Whistling Boy she produced Sh
Ch Graftonbury the Ninja 4 CCs 5 RCCs and his
litter sister Graftonbury Princess Leia
(owned by Linda Lawson)
who won 4 RCCs.
In 1986 there were big changes
in my life and it was not until 1999 some 13 years later
that I returned to the show ring with an ESS starting
with Sh Ch Amichien Monte Christo at Graftonbury
aka Jake, winner of 4CCs 3 BOBs 1 Group 1st
and 2 Group 3rds. Following Jake I have owned/bred/shown
many CC winners including Swedish Sh Ch Graftonbury
Total Recall, Sh Ch Calmolly Peter Piper & Calmolly
Jamima Puddleduck at Graftonbury and Graftonbury
Fifthavenue (sire of Sh Ch Mompesson Rich
Pickings & Graftonbury Phoenix).
Again in 2008, big lifestyle
changes where it was impossible for me to breed or show
but the Graftonbury name continued with many top
winners in both Europe and the UK being sired by
Graftonbury dogs. In 2010 even more changes and
relocating. I am now living near Geneva, Switzerland,
where I look after the New Bellecombe Basset Hounds.
2011 will see the next stage of my evolution and back
into the show world as co-owner of two young bitches with
Kennel Charlescroft in Sweden..
I am
available for judging appointments when ever asked and have awarded
CCs to ESS in the UK since 1985 and have judged them in
Denmark, Sweden and Finland. I also judge all gundog
breeds in the UK at Open Show level.
I can be contacted by phone on: 0044 7747196051 or 0041
797922441
Email:
enquiries@graftonbury-ess.com
Full postal address on request.... |
