 |
|
|
|
Let's face it....Bannonbrig doesn't sound at all italian does it? Well that's because we were involved in dogs long before the italian gang came along. In fact, 'Bannon' is an old family name and the 'brig' bit arose because of our then involvement in showing Irish Setters.
|
|
|
|
So how did we get involved with Spinoni? We had been showing Irish Setters already for a couple of years and had had enough success at events up and down the country to be well and truly bitten by the showing bug.
|
|
|
Dogs have almost always been part of life....mum learned to walk with the help of Sandra the Bull Terrier and her dad and his dad before him bred Cocker Spaniels. Similarly, Dad (Mike) grew up in a family where dogs, and cats, were always around.
|
|
| LYNGOR HONESTY OF BANNONBRIG |
|
|
It was perhaps inevitable then that before too long I would want a dog of my own...well there are only so many stray dogs that will succumb to the enticements of a packet of custard creams and a saucer of milk.
|
|
|
|
I had always thought that I would have a small dog....at one stage I insisted that my mum put ink to paper promising to buy me a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel for Christmas (I still have the letter somewhere just in case I need to cash it in!)...but alas it was not meant to be. For many years my dad had been an Irish Setter fan and so once we were past the toddler stage of growing up mum relented and it was all systems go to find a suitable puppy....
|
|
| Two young 'pups' Nicola & Lucy Shandwick Lucinda of Bannonbrig |
|
|
We contacted Mrs June Coates (Twoacres) who very kindly put us in touch with Carolyn Hogsflesh from whom we acquired Lyngor Honesty (Emma). We had been along to watch the Irish Setter Breeders Club Championship Show and as Mrs Hogsflesh suggested that Emma was good enough to show, Mum & Dad thought they would have a go! So that was the start of our showing days...
|
|
|
|
And so back to the Spinone story....Mike was having a brand new estate car to take us to shows, so Carole thought, 'I know what...if he's having a new car I'll have a new dog!'. Anyway, to cut a long story short along came our first Spinone Purdy to join the Irish Setters...in theory she was Mum's dog but in reality she became our dog. You can see Purdy on her own page....she definitely was our LEADING LADY.
|
|
| Nicola Spencer 'bowing out' Best Junior Handler Bournemouth 1985 with Lyngor Honesty of Bannonbrig |
|
Purdy was from one of the first litters to be bred in the UK from the new italian imports that introduced the Spinone as a recognised breed in this country.
The lovely metallic green astra estate car that reliably took us from Bournemouth to Scottish shows and everywhere in between is probably now resigned to the scrapheap in the sky but the Spinoni are still very much part of our lives!
|
|
|
