Page 27 - Online Spring 2022 Newsletter
P. 27

prominent author of dog books, wrote  her  tally  of  24  challenge  certificate
        a  lengthy  piece  for  the  New  Year’s  wins has been surpassed by several
        Eve edition, titled ‘Dogs For Sport and  dogs.
        Pleasure, in search of novelty.’

        He  had  interviewed  Mrs  Wingfield
        Digby and featured her recollections
        of how she had come to discover the
        Dutch  Barge  Dog.  Those  of  us
        fortunate  enough  to  own  her  book
        “My Life with Keeshonden” will have
        read her account of her first sighting
        whilst on her father’s steam yacht on
        the Dutch canals and how the captain
        was sent ashore to find some for the
        Miss Gwendolen.  In Croxton Smith’s  Mrs  Rene  Tucker  and  Panda  with  the
        article she reported how they would  Keddell Memorial Trophy for Best in Show
        follow a horse and trap all day, never  Crufts 1957
        run off, be good to the gun and yet
        learn tricks and be absolutely reliable                         ***
        with children.
                                            We have seen a steady decline in our
        She  also  said  how  easy  the  coats  numbers  since  then  to  the  current
        were to maintain, a testimony to the  number of around the 100 per year,
        shorter, harsh coats of the early dogs.  plus or minus about 15.  The world
                                            of pedigree dogs has changed since
        Her interest in the Iceland Dog came  Mrs Wingfield Digby and her friends
        to nothing as sadly one died before  set  out  to  build  a  hobby  with  their
        they could be bred from. How lucky  dogs  and  there  are  no  longer  any
        for us today that she fell in love with  big  breeding  kennels  to  continue
        our wonderful breed and encouraged  breeding their chosen line and type.
        the support of other notable people  Our breed has become international
        in the 1920s.                       in breeding and will continue to be so.
                                            As we look to the Centenary in 2025
        By the Golden Jubilee, a good number  I  can’t  help  but  wonder  what
        were being registered each year with  the doyens of the past would make
        288 registrations in 1975.  This was  of  today’s  obsession  with  designer
        down from the high of 481 in 1947   crosses  and  the  rare  coloured
        and the continuing good numbers in  brachycephalic breeds.
        the 1950s but still a steady number.
        In  1957  the  breed  had  achieved  Those of us left have a proud tradition
        the  highest  recognition  in  the  dog  to  preserve  and  we  need  younger
        showing  world  when  Ch  Volkrijk  of  enthusiasts to take up the baton as
        Vorden,  Panda  to  her  friends,   we have done from those who built
        achieved  Best  in  Show  at  Crufts,  the breed in the early days.
        something  that  has  never  been
        repeated despite her record, although

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