Tuesday 28 December 2010

Boxing Day Shoot 2010- Newburgh Priory Estate.


Out as usual with the dogs and then on to Newburgh for the Boxing Day shoot which is run by Mark Faulkner and keepered by Rob Easton. The bag was over 130 with pheasant and partridge shot. Organised by my best friend Geoff Thornton ,Anna went along to capture the day and ended up driving the game cart.The snow came down until lunchtime but then cleared.Later in the day we joined up with the guns for a meal at the White Swan in Ampleforth. There would be 7-8 bottles of port passed round so it was not as you can gather for the faint hearted.

Friday 17 December 2010

Newburgh Christmas Do





Tonight there was a party at Coxwold pub for the beaters and pickers up on the local shoot. Thanks to Mark and Rob for inviting us and paying for us to have a good time. There was mountains of food and the beef sandwiches really got the thumbs up. A good time was had by everyone. It was left to the young ones to compete to drink the year of ale Mikey managed to empty it.

Sunday 12 December 2010

A Night out with Rubi-Sue


It has been a busy week for the dogs as we have been out and about picking up most of the week. So as the saying goes "All work and no play" So it was off to the Carpenters Arms to be well feed and watered- the wine wasn't bad either. With Anna ,Nick,Claire and little Rubi-Sue it was a good night. I may be biased but that young lady could be the next Mrs Thatcher -she is so determined and so on the ball with what is going on. She had been shopping all day with Claire in Leeds ,had a quick nap on the way home- just like me a nap does you the power of good - and then out on the town at night. Are we looking at the youngest FTCH handler . I hope so .She is already like dogs so we are on the way.

Saturday 11 December 2010

Red sky at night...



Shepherds delight /I am no longer a shepherd but I couldn't help but admire the sunset last night. I was out with the dogs and took these photos . Even the water in the beck[stream to some people] reflected the colour of the sky.

Thursday 9 December 2010

Lucky Number 13 -FTCH Delfleet Neon of Fendawood

Well done to David Latham who won the IGL 2010 trials today in Norfolk with his Labrador -Delfleet Neon of Fendawood who he both owns and trains.
His sire is FTCH Mediterian Blue who strangely enough we had thought of a couple years ago to use as a stud dog for one of our girls as being one of only 3 fox red FTCH dogs we came across at that time.Fox red x fox red we were not sure if they would be much demand if they all turned out the same colour. We ventured north instead going to FTCH Leadburn Viceroy who is black to get both black and yellow pups. You can always bet someone wants a different colour than what you have or different sex . We have always been delighted with Viceroys offspring.We will have to look for different bloodlines when Viceroys daughters need a mate. The dam of Neon is Delfleet Dawn Flush, which is also interesting as another Delfleet line is Delfleet Treasure is the dam of our 3 fox red girls -Tina,May and Willow. I will have to study the Labrador 2010-champions of the New millennium in great depth.
Tonight we have Gregory Huysens,his wife and friend staying with us from France . They have had the last 3 days at the trials, so we have had the run down of the performances.

Sunday 5 December 2010

The IGL 2010 -Sandringham ,Norfolk


The IGL- International Gundog League Retrieve Society will hold its 88th championship on Sandringham Estate in Norfolk this week on Tuesday ,Wednesday and Thursday by gracious permission of H.M.the Queen. Here the cream of the Retrieve world will be battling it out to win.
Our dear friend Billy Steel snr will not be taking part this year. We waited with baited breath for Billy and FTCH Leadburn Viceroy to win in 2008. Viceroy is an excellent all rounder plus a very good stud dog. We have some lovely youngsters by Viceroy who are keen and ready to listen. We hope to have a go with in the novice trials next year. We hear already some of his offspring are making their mark on the trialling field. So we will listen with interest at how young Billy Steel jnr gets on with Hillus Clyde his qualifier for the event.We wish him all the very best and hope he will be taking the top trophy back to Leadhills for the family to fill. The photo show two of Viceroys pup who as you can see are very laid back and take everything in their stride. They have got brains and are very easy to train./ We are hoping to have a litter from May which will be born towards the end of January 2011

Wednesday 1 December 2010

Stuart Ellis ---top eye specialist

We were all ready loaded and ready to go .We had been waiting for an update on how Stuart Ellis was managing to travel from Preston to his Barnard Castle clinic to test dogs eyes. Fortunately we had not got set off Stuart had to turn back when he got to Harrogate. He is only one of six specialists in the country who is qualified to do such tests- lets hope he made it home ok. All dogs have to be microchipped before they can be examined and then they get drops put in by the veterinary nurse to get the pupils to dilate so when Stuart looks in to their eye he can see if there are any deformities. There are 5 tests he performs and it takes 5- 10 minutes. Now we will have to wait until the roads are clear and he can rescheduled .Until then the dogs are quite happy to stay at home.

Thursday 18 November 2010

First sight of snow


We took May one of our fox red Labrador bitch up to Billy Steel snr's Leadburn Kennels to use his stud dog FTCH Leadburn Viceroy. It was very windy and rained most of the way up. We turned off the A74 and travelled through the hills to get to Leadhills. The snow was still laid although I think it had been a lot more a day or so before. The stream - a burn in Scotland -that runs along side the road was in full flow and it was degrees colder up there. The warmth of the Steels kitchen and hospitality was far more warming. We sat and put the world to rights before departing to travel south again. It looks as if we will not be going on holiday in Feb after all much to a certain persons disappointment and that person is not me I am quite happy to stop at home with the dogs.

Wednesday 10 November 2010

Shooting at Carr House Farm and the Cuckavalda Gundogs- November 2010

Shooting and Home

 
Had a grand day. Started off with breakfast at home -this was my second breakfast which was at 9am . My first breakfast had been 3 hours earlier. There was plenty of birds and even more shots.Although I took a gun after the first drive I worked the dogs and Anna took charge of the gun . She reckoned she had shared a bird with Did Thompson and they are both sticking to that story. Finished the day down at the White Horse in Ampleforth with good company and good beer.
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Friday 5 November 2010

Young Labrador dogs


I am very pleased with how the young dogs are shaping up . They have been out with me picking up and the main thing to ascertain is that they are not gun shy.With the best breeding in the world it can happen or if they are introduce too suddenly . I start them off with an air gun noise and gain their confidence before taking them anywhere near a shoot gun. Then I keep well back picking up birds that have gone a long way back . The same with introducing them to water.There is no need to force them and to take older dogs to lead the way is a good idea as they dont like to think they are getting left behind. Here you see them taking to the water seeing who can get to the fallen bird first.

Tuesday 2 November 2010

Sleet on them there moors at Dallowgill


It wasn't the nicest day to be up on Dallowgill Moors today. It was bleak and from the set off it was driving rain which turned to sleet and a biting wind. After the first drive they were 120 birds off getting 4,000 brace this season. Every drop of rain seemed to prick the skin and Quozzi took shelter under a boulder. The Labradors are made of stronger stuff but they were glad when the day was over. Here you see them getting blown in the wind.Me -I was wet to the bone. Everything is now hung round the Aga drying off. The dogs dried off on the way home and had a good feed. As for me I was glad to jump into the bath,have a good roast dinner and spend the rest of the night in front of the fire. Apparently here at home the weather was fine but the wind must be blowing from the west as we are getting the stormy weather now.

Sunday 31 October 2010

Carters Country Ware in Helmsley...


comes to the rescue. Remember the song - and now we've walked one thousands miles. I guess my socks have walked more than that. I hate change and so it was with deep sadness that I had to give up the ghost of the old socks and am wearing a new pair of shooting socks which Anna got from Jeremy Carter's for me ages ago. Not that there is anything wrong with the new ones -they are very comfortable. Shame the old ones have got such large holes in, they barely resembled socks any more. They haven't finished their life yet as I have tied knots in them and have given them to the chocolate cocker pups to play with. A good pair of socks are hard to find.

Friday 29 October 2010

Quozzi goes missing...


I don't let all the dogs out on every drive and although I take a list with me each day of who I have with me. Some dogs alternate drives with others so they are not working all day and every day as the season gets into full swing. As we went from the first drive this morning I didn't count the dogs back into the vehicle and after the 4th drive around 2pm found Quozzi to be missing.
She must have headed out late on the scent of a downed pheasant and hadn't come back to the vehicle. What a sickening feeling it was as I headed back to where I had parked up on the first drive. Three hours that little dog had been waiting by herself. I dreaded that she had gone out on to the road and got run over. There she was waiting where she had jumped out of the vehicle at 10am .She had the sense to wait . I don't know who was the most pleased -her to see me or me to see her. She is safe and sound and that is all that matters.When we got home and we headed to the kennels she certainly wasn't lagging behind and kept close to my side. We dont want another day like today either of us

Monday 25 October 2010

Tara- Cuckavalda Touch of Gold...


This young bitch is a pleasure to have and although I do not want to waste her picking up, I want her to know what it is all about and for her to get used to the noise of the guns. She was quite happy to travel in the back with the other dogs and just go for the ride out. She did work on one drive. Her sister Hidi was out the other day and both her and Rollo cleared 2 strands of barbed wire waist high,with no pig wire underneath This is everyone's dread that they get caught up in the wire or don't clear it . I think they will have to have a bit more schooling before they go out again. Both came home unscathed but it could have been a very different story.

Sunday 24 October 2010

Apple Lovers




We have lots of fruit trees and it has been a really good time for apples this year. The dogs love to go pinching the apples. It started first this year with Rollo clearing the fence to get one Three or four times when he was exercising would he go off returning with an apple.Soon the other dogs caught on to what he was doing and here you see them going off to get their apples

Friday 1 October 2010

Ocober 1st - the weather forecast...


There was no need for a weather forecast from the powers that be this morning as soon as I woke up I could hear the rain lashing against the window. It was still dark and it was blowing a gale. There was a partridge shoot at Newburgh today so it was crack on..... Talk about the rain in Spain ,it was the rain in North Yorkshire. It was a long day and I was glad to get the dogs home and fed. Peel the layers of wet clothes off and jump in the bath. Its a good job we have an Aga to get everything dry.Even the dogs strings in my pocket hadn't escaped the rain.

Tuesday 21 September 2010

A partridge day at Newburgh Priory


For those who don't go picking up this will look as if the dogs are having their own game of hide and seek. Here you see cockers and springers working together after a drive on the Newburgh Priory Estate partridge shoot which is just a few miles from our home. The weather is remarkable mild for the time of year but already the days are starting to draw in. It is always dark in the mornings when I start around 4.30am and after a long day- which is on the grouse moor- it is dark when I get finish.Another month and the clocks will be changing. The pheasants are starting to stray away more from their release pens now.They are getting their feathers more now as it wont be long before the pheasant shooting starts -this means hard working days for the dogs but they build up their muscles and stamina as by the end of the season a good sized cock pheasant will weigh a good four and a half pound.

Monday 30 August 2010

Boots all the way from Arizona, America


Many thanks to Starr Stamp who has come to stay with us and to Liz of Healy's Red Wing Shoe Store -both who went out of their way to source me a new pair of Red Setter boots. Apparently Liz had to ring around as there was no size 14s left in their store as the Red Setter boots are very much in demand as it is the hunting season in America as well as over here. I have had my old pair nearly 2 years and they have walked a lot of miles on hard terrain as well as in all weathers but they have had their day and so I am now the owner of some very fine new boots. Anna had hoped we would have to go on a holiday to America to get a pair Thanks to Starr who brought them over I can stay put in England and Anna will have to go back to the drawing board on how to get me away on holidays. I think we live in the best part of the world so why do we need to go away. Hopefully it will be good weather tomorrow as Starr and her husband get their first taste of Yorkshire.

Monday 23 August 2010

First day at Dallowgill grouse moors for Cuckavalda Metal Vicereine


better known as Hidi -the black Labrador- she is sat her with her mother,Tina to her right and aunt,May to her left. Her family are no strangers to the grouse moor and no doubt her sire FTCH Leadburn Viceroy will be out on the moors around Leadhills in Lanarkshire today with his owner Billy Steel snr. Billy says a dog has to work for its supper not just be a pretty face and Hidi certainly took to the moors in her stride and we think a good looking dog. The heather is well kept up at Dallowgill but it certainly tests the stamina of the fittest of dogs. Hidi was born in March 2009. She is sister to the more well known Tara-Cuckavalda Touch of Gold. All safely home now and the older dogs will be getting rested up for another early start in the morning

Copperbirch Winnebeggo- Hip Hip Hooray.


This morning Skeldale Vets rang to say they had received Rollo's hip score back from the BVA. They are 2/2 so we are very pleased. Anna rang me at Dallowgill this morning on the grouse moor to tell me . It is like waiting for your A Level results to come through. So here Rollo will know be joining the University of Life as a stud dog . His eyes are tested clear and his hip score is very good too. Through his parentage -his sire is FTCH GREENBRIAR of DRAKESHEAD[3rd IGL 2006] and his dam who is IR FTCH ERNEVALE MAUD of TUDORCROFT -who was also top bitch in Ireland in 2008 -both parents are unaffected by TRD,GPRA,CPRA,HC- Rollo is PRED-PRA Clear. What is more he is a super looking dog with a keen nose and a lovely temperament. He was born in Ireland but can now call himself a true Yorkshire dog as he now understand all his commands in a Yorkshire accent

Thursday 19 August 2010

Billy Steel snr wins again.....

and another win for the Leadburn Gundogs. This time with his Irish bred dog Copperbirch Paddy who Catherine said went like a dream. This was Paddy's first trial and he came in first place. Not so much a dream as the reality of hard work and skill that this great man has in training his dogs. I saw Billy working Paddy earlier this year and was very impressed with how he hunted.
Paddy is 2 years old now and out of Irish FTCH Ernvale Maud who was Ireland's Retriever of the year 2008 . She is also the mother of our Rollo- Copperbirch Winnebeggo, who is just turned a year last month. So we are following both dogs with great interest.
What a wonderful result for Billy -the best birthday present a man could ask for -and lets hope there are many more ......winners and birthdays

Friday 13 August 2010

Magnificent Seven


What a difference the weather was today for the second day on Dallowgill grouse moors. The colour of the sky was distinctly grey as the rain came down in sheets. Talk about the rain in Spain -it was rain in North Yorkshire. The dogs didn't seem to mind, it certainly wasn't too hot for them which is sometimes a worry at this time of year. The heather is well maintained and the Labradors have the long legs to cope with the ling . Peg loves to go and Troy had his second day out. I took Hamish again -he is a strong dog and eager to please just over 2 years old and in his prime. Also the Three wise sisters,Tina,May and Willow. and what a picture they looked. Bess completed the seven.

Jack Peckitt and his Cuckavalda Gundogs on the Glorious Twelfth 2010

Thursday 12 August 2010

The Glorious twelfth



had hoped to upload a Youtube tonight as we have recorded the Glorious Twelfth for you to see -from setting off this morning to come home tonight. I took 7 dogs with me. May ,Tina ,Hamish and Rollo the Labradors,Troy and George the cockers and old timer Charlie the springer. Tomorrows another day when I will have a different crew with me. Quozzi was not amused she missed out today.

Friday 30 July 2010

A voice from the past


What a marvellous thing the Internet is and who has been looking at my website.... We had a phone call from Ruth who used to live at Oldstead 40 years ago. We meet her sister years ago at Coxwold Fayre. Ruth had been looking at the website .She has springers and goes on a shoot very close to here so we caught up on the news. Maybe I will persuade her to buy a cocker as I find when they are hunting they are easier to handle than a springer as they stay close to me.We will not be having any more springers I just have my three old faithfuls Charlie,Molly and Twiggy.
We do hear from Rose and Jill who went down to Nottinghamshire last year and enjoying a lovely life and now go to music festivals with their own tent.

Friday 23 July 2010

Labrador pups enjoying the sunshine.


Even though the days are drawing in a bit now and we have had our fair share of rain this week the sun was out today. These Labrador pups are very laid back and spent their day soaking up the sun without a care in the world. They were just back from having their second jab at Skeldale and were quite happy to go for a trip out in the pickup . We have lots of lovely photos of them playing out together. I am a great believer in that they should have time to play while they are pups before setting them into training. They explore,discover and carry things around at their own pace.

Wednesday 21 July 2010

Work to be done...



had a day off yesterday -well 7 hours.leaving Fiona and young Owen in charge.So thanks to them they held the fort and we escaped to Scarborough to see Tony and Liz Fawcett- but today it was work as usual. I was up just after 4.30am to get the adult dogs out and give the pups their first feed of the day. The next job is to swill and brush the kennels out. Then come in to get my breakfast. Out after breakfast and clean out the pups bedding and so the day continues with training the young dogs,fixing a gate,feeding the young pups again. Answer the telephone- I am a man of few words with Anna coping with most of the communications we get through emails or phone calls. An hour before lunch I just have time to finish strimming the sides of the drive down. The 2 mothers of the pups are exercised more times a day and separately from the rest of the dogs.Lunch then it all starts again. The adult dogs are fed once a day before supper after they have been let out for their second exercise until the shooting season starts then they are fed twice a day. The pups mothers are fed at least 3 feeds a day. I tend to feed pups 4-5 times a day -little and often as I hate to see bog bellied pups and in this way they ate as graciously as a dog will rather than gulping it down and making pigs of themselves.When pups get to 5-6 weeks old I start to walk them and by 7-8 weeks they have built up to walking about 200 yards down the road 3 times a day. Any youngsters we have are feed 3 times a day until they are at least 6 months. The pups are wormed every two weeks from two weeks old so hopefully we keep on top of them. At eight weeks we would then wormed them every month until they are 6 months old then at three month intervals .It all take time and I reckon I know what the painters of the Forth Bridge feel like. By 5 pm I am ready for a sit down and my own dinner and a couple of hours off or off for a few pints. About 8 pm I do the rounds and at 9 pm the pups get their last feed for the day and I am looking forward to getting my head down as 4.30am comes round pretty quickly

Monday 28 June 2010

Labrador pups have got their eyes open.


Tina's' brood of fox red Labrador pups have got their eyes and are starting to explore. We read from books that although they are open for the first few days they are not properly focused. They seems to be bombing about great guns now and are getting interesting to watch. As time goes on you can see their characters start to develop. It will not be long before they are bringing back their first pheasants.
By coincidence we have some people staying for bed and breakfast and they have a Labrador out of the same litter as our Hamish-Leadburn Gavin that we got from Billy Steel. We thought when we travel up to Scotland it is a fair trek but these people had a lot further to travel as they are based in Kent. Their dog has already trialled and been placed

George is now a Dad....


of 6 very good sized cocker spaniel pups. 4 dogs and 2 bitches. Photo taken at 5 days old

Wednesday 23 June 2010

Lemon and white/lemon roan cocker spaniel pups....

are due any day. This will be our Georges first litter. His sire is the only FTCH lemon roan cocker spaniel in Great Britain or was when he was born. His Sire is FTCH Maesydderden Sorcerer bred and owned by Peter Jones who is famous for his Maesydderwen cocker spaniels and very successful on the trialling field and a well respected judge. His Dam is our beautiful Molly-Buckshaw Bobsleigh,whos sister went on to be a FTCH, who has certificates in novice and open trials in her own right. Anyone who knows her will know what a good hunter she is and what a lovely temperament she has. She is Anna's favourite cocker spaniel and is mother of our Quozzi, of Flake and her sister Ball.

Wednesday 16 June 2010

Eating out ....


...It is horse work for Anna to try to get me away from the dogs but as I was 6 weeks late in going out for my birthday meal which my girls had given me a voucher to go to the Magpie at Whitby. A dog sitter was sorted,so we made a trip over the North York Moors to Whitby. The heather is not out yet and you can see where the gamekeepers have been busy burning off the old heather so the grouse can feed on the new shoots - a reminder it will soon be the grouse season again which is less than 2 months away.
We had a great meal at the Magpie as usual- I had a kipper to begin with brown bread and strawberry jam and then a trio of fish -lemon sole,salmon and poached king scallops. I should have known given the big portions that are served there that I should have kept the kipper for another visit. The tide was in so it was a good excuse on my part to get back to check on the pups and give the dogs their last run out before bed.

Sunday 13 June 2010

Tina as done us proud....6 fox red Labrador pups...

She had a pups at a civilized hour and has produced 6 fox red pups 3 dogs and 3 bitches. Mother and babies doing well. She as just had scrambled egg and brown bread and has been for a walk out, then down to the stream for a drink and laid in the water to freshen herself up. Marvellous thing -nature.

Steven Wilson -Court House Farm

I presume you have found me and I havent forgotten what I said to you in the White Horse this afternoon.We will expect to see you for a days shooting this coming season and there will be plenty of high birds .Whether you can hit them is another thing.

Friday 11 June 2010

Cuckavalda Gundogs

George- our lemon roan cocker spaniel



To give him his full title he is Cuckavalda Snow man George. His mother is our Molly- Buckshaw Bobsleigh who has won certificates of merit in Novice and Open Field Trails and his aunt went on to be a FTCH. His Sire is FTCH Maesydderwen Sorcerer -the only lemon roan in the UK who is a FTCH. He went up to Durham with 2 of our young Labradors,Tex and Blade on Wednesday to Stuart Ellis' eye clinic and we were pleased to hear they all passed. Although Labradors have been know to be tested for a long time .Stuart said it has not yet become common practice to test working cockers and that George is one of the the first few working cocker spaniel who have been tested.He was a year old in May and has already successfully mated with Sally who will be having pups in the next couple of weeks. He is a kind ,good looking dog and a pedigree to be truly proud of.George will soon be added to the stud dog page

Friday 4 June 2010

Make hay ....



....while the sun shines as the saying goes and in the heat that we are having this week -Only mad dogs and men go out in the mid day sun. It is too hot to do much training work with the dogs so I have been making hay for Wass Grange.The pups are happy to have the shade of the weeping willow tree to keep the heat off them and I am thinking of putting a fan on Tina who is due to have some pups next week as she is finding the weather a bit too hot in her condition.

Monday 24 May 2010

Labrador pups -FTCH Leadburn Viceroy x Jakoranda Feel the Moment


Here are Willows pups just over a month old now enjoying the sunshine. They like to have a roam about now and then are happy to go back inside for their afternoon nap. They are intelligent little dogs and out of this litter we are keeping 2. If they turn out like the other pups we have kept out of FTCH Leadburn Viceroy and Willows two sisters we will be very happy. As you will probably have read before Tara has a 0/0 hip score and you can see her in action on UTube.

Wednesday 12 May 2010

Baby Donkey....



Sorry I have not blogged for a while but my Dad is still not at all well in hospital.He had gall stones.an infected gall bladder,a small heart attack and then pneumonia set in -Please think of him .
On to happier things as you know we have some of Jennifer Floris' donkeys here and now one of the females has given birth to a little boy donkey who even at 2 days old is quite cheeky and is not at all shy. He is like a big cuddly teddy bear with long wonky legs . You can see a lot more of him on UTube -

Sunday 2 May 2010

Cuckavalda Gundogs Izzy in Training by Jack Peckitt

Tara and her hips score.

Tara has been jumping 5 bar gates since she was 5 months old with no encouragement. We dreaded getting her hip scores back . So it was an early birthday present for me the best I can have this year . When Tim the vet himself rang up to say that her hip scores were back from the BVA and they are 0/0 .We are absolutely delighted.

Saturday 10 April 2010

Seka Deer..

I have nearly finished tree planting, so wasn't too happy to see 4 Seka deer grazing a stone throw from the kitchen window. Although they look a lovely sight I know they can be very destructive and it is only a matter of time before they dine on my young Christmas trees. If Gerald had been here he would have had them in a pie by now. My main problem is they upset the dogs and they set them off to bark. Anyone got a couple of deer hounds going spare?. The Labrador pups went to Skeldale Vets this week for their second injections. I am going to keep them until the shooting season as there is always someone wanting a young dog to bring on.They are growing like mad now and enjoy exploring in the wood behind the house. they are too small to go out with the big dogs yet but it wont be too long till they join the happy band.

Friday 2 April 2010

Easter Weekend


It was -1 last night and driving wind today but at least I didn't have to dig a way out for the dogs to be exercised as Catherine Steel had told Anna on the phone that Billy had to set on and do. The snow had drifted so much around the shed door -about 4 foot deep in places with a covering of around 4 inches.We are lucky not to have had the snow although it is bitterly cold. So I set to work to find a job that would warm me up , I have been planting trees and bushes up in the woods that George and I went to Castle Howard nursery for last week . This week we went to get some fir trees from Thorpe Underwood. Then I cleared some of the rides up through the wood so it will make it easier to get to the top. Fiona brought little Owen for his Easter egg this afternoon. He showed great interest in the cat but when it came to see the two Labrador pups that I am keeping he wanted to be picked up. He likes to watch them eating their food and could not believe it had "all gone" so fast - that is Labradors for you

Monday 22 March 2010

Y10 at Harrogate ,was it Molly ?


Anna went to the Y10 tourism conference at Harrogate today and there was some clips on a short advert promoting Yorkshire. Anna was sure she saw Molly my English Springer spaniel in one and one of me walking with the fox red Labradors over the grouse moor at Dallowgill. No doubt she will put her Inspector Morse hat on until she finds out if it was . As far as I know I am the only one who was with fox red Labradors at Dallowgill. More later..

Sunday 21 March 2010

First Day of Spring...Tara and Hidi's 1st Birthday


A year has gone by very quick and here you can see Tara the yellow Labrador and Hidi the black one. Today the first day of Spring and it is their first birthday . They were born on a sunny day and here they are sat out enjoying the sunshine again.
Their sire is FTCH Leadburn Viceroy and Tina- Jakoranda Moment is their dam. The genes of these two have created two well conformed,intelligent dogs and I am so pleased with how they are coming on. Tina is enjoying a rest after a busy season picking up and I guess Viceroy will be doing the same.

Thursday 18 March 2010

America bound


Here you see two of the fox red bitch pups finishing off their breakfast before Simon Tyers came to pick them up for their onward journey across the Atlantic . They are the first pups we have bred that have gone to America. We are looking forward to hearing that they have got there safely and settled in to their new home. It is nice they are going to the same home and will travel together in first class style on the aeroplane.

Thursday 11 March 2010

FTCH Leadburn Viceroys pups


These pups are coming on nicely and are not afraid of water and look as if they are into gardening too as they are pruning the plants round the pond very well -much to Anna's disgust.They have already started carrying twigs about and wont be much longer before they are all carrying pheasants.

Saturday 6 March 2010

FTCH Leadburn Viceroy x Jakoranda Mango by FTCH Talisbrook Rhum of Bolton Abbey



Here are Mays pups at 6 weeks old. In between dog training with Rollo,Tara and Hidi and puppy feeding -they are up to 5 feeds a day now I have been busying sawing wood up as we are hoping to get another wood burning stove put in. There are so many on the market but think we will go for a Jotel like the last one.Anyone with a better suggestion please let us know