Allthough I have
been keenly interested in dogs since early childhood, it was not until I
married in 1965 that we bought a Labrador.
At the time, Labrador was not a well know breed in Norway.
They were brought into this country by the Norwegian officers that
served in England during the World War II, and they descended mostly
from the early Knaith dogs. As there were few new imports, they soon
became heavily inbred.
I was so happy when I finally was able to buy a puppy from one of the
few litters born that year. He was a yellow dog and his pet name was
Sniff. He was rather tall and rangy with his tail carried proudly over
his back. He was much loved and lived until he was nearly 15.
But looking to England, their country
of origin, I soon
realized that this was not what Labradors were supposed to look like. So I talked my husband into buying another
Labrador.
This time I wanted a bitch - and I wanted her to come from the very best
Kennel in England!
Sandylands Georgina
I was delighted when I finally received Sandylands Georgina from Gwen Broadley in 1968. She was by Sandylands General out of Sandylands Memory ( Memory was Ch Mark's litter sister). Georgina had a lovely personality and was extremely intelligent. She was an excellent type of Labrador but probably not perfect, even if I wanted to believe so.
Being one of the first show quality Labradors imported from England since the war, she certainly looked different to most dogs of her breed in Norway.
It was at her first show I decided what our prefix was going to be. I had entered a show in Bergen, hoping to be BOB at least, preferably Best in Show !! So to my great horror, embarrassment and SURPRISE, the Swedish judge announced loudly that "This bitch is as fat as a pig, and moves like a pig and can not be awarded a first prize as a Labrador!"
By now I had applied for several kennel names, all of which were taken (FCI). After this show I wrote to the Norwegian Kennel Club to apply for SURPRISING as my prefix. It seemed that the whole doggy game was going to be full of SURPRISES!!
The next morning I had second thoughts about the name, and wrote back to the Kennel Club to cancel it. I was too late however.
So this is the story of how SURPRISING became our prefix.
I went to Sweden when I decided to mate Georgina for the first time. The dog was another Sandyland-import called Sandylands Alpha. He was by the lovely English Champion Kimbo of Ardmargha and out of ShCh Sandylands Troubella. From this litter I kept Surprising's Amanda, the start of all Surprising's pedigrees.
I wanted another bitch to complement Georgina's offspring. Going to English shows, I was very impressed by Sandylands Charlie Boy's progeny. Gwen did not have any youngsters by him at the time, but knew that the Jayncourt Kennel had kept two litter sisters by Charlie Boy out of a very much Sandyland bred bitch. So fortunately I brought home what later became Norw.Ch Jayncourt Star Sound, born in 1972.
Norw.Ch Jayncourt Star Sound
She was aptly named as she was a great star of her time, winning
Gundog Groups and even Best in Show at the Norw.Kennel Club's
International ChShow in Tønsberg in 1973.
Her litters
were all sired by dogs of our breeding, namely the litter brothers Ch.
Surprising's Cedric and Ch. Charlie and also Ch S. Godfrey.
As
I never bought another dog or bitch since then, the two
bitches, Sandylands Georgina and Ch Jayncourt Star Sound are behind
every dog we bred.
Since my husband's untimely death in 1993, our daughter Anne has been my
partner in the Kennel. Anne, an expert handler, has shown our
dogs since early childhood.