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It was in 1973 we decided we should have another family dog. Our previous dog had been a standard poodle and we had lost her about 3 years earlier. I thought it was a bit much to cope with three children and another big dog that needed constant coat care so I said find a ‘small quiet dog that is easy to look after’.(Ha Ha)
That was difficult but not as difficult as finding a reliable westie breeder. It took me 6 months to find Mrs Connie Hartmann of the Fritsilver affix, who only lived about 6 miles from us. She put me in touch with a lady that had a litter.
Although we went to buy a dog, after seeing the puppies I decided I preferred a bitch. When she was 3 years old I bred her to Birkfell Sergeant Pepper, owned by Mrs Hartmann. I kept a bitch puppy and eventually I produced a grand-daughter to that puppy and she became my first show bitch.
Over the next few years she did fairly well at local open shows and I still occasionally bred a litter using dogs that I thought would improve the quality of my puppies.
After taking some time out from showing due to other commitments, (My youngest daughter, Lindi, was on the GB Swimming Team and I was her chauffeur for the 10 training sessions per week in Leeds.) in 1983 when Lindi went to university in Texas and my eldest daughter and my son grown, I had time for my dogs again. I did quite well at open shows and I started to go to Championship shows just to watch. The Westies I saw were beautiful and I realised how far I had to go.
In 1987 I entered Tartan Melody at Leeds Ch show. We were thrown out but I was not one to give in easily. I decided to breed another litter, producing only 2 male puppies, and my bitch had to be spayed afterwards due to pyometra.
Mrs. Margaret Duell, of the Lorell affix, whom I had met while observing and occasionally exhibiting at Ch shows, taught me a lot and I realised that if I wanted to start doing well I had to buy a quality puppy.
So, I approached Mrs Barbara Graham, of the Lasara affix, and asked her for a puppy to show. I had greatly admired the Lasara kennel and I said I didn’t mind waiting. Oh, how she made me wait! During the following year Mrs Graham offered me 3 puppies but although they were by her dogs she hadn’t bred them and I wanted a ‘Lasara’.
It was at LKA that she said she thought she had a puppy for me and the following week we went and bought Lasara Lindi. I later made her up to be my second champion, Ch Lasara Lindi at Lindenka, as she was preceded by her daughter Ch Lindenka Prim ‘n Proper.
I bred 2 champions from Ch Lindenka Prim ‘n Proper. The first was Ch Lindenka Little Poppet at Crestalen owned by Miss Audrey Allen and the second was Ch Lindenka Quigley who was top puppy in 1997. Quigley got his first CC at age 10 ½ months and went on to get another 8 CCs.
Ch Lindenka Brannigan was my next champion, winning his first CC at Crufts and his second at the Southern WHWT Club. The third was BIS at the ‘of England. He followed up with 2 more gaining a total of 5 CCs.
Brannigan’s litter sister joined Penny and Gary Childe in Arizona, becoming USA Ch Lindenka Caffrey at Morbeck. Another full sister to Brannigan but 18 months younger was Lindenka Shannon (curently with 1CC) who produced USA Ch Lindenka Kandall at Morbeck when bred to Ch Lindenka Quigley
From Lindenka Shannon’s second mating (to Ch Kimgarwyn Apollo) I got (now Ch )Lindenka Kerrygan (currently with 3 CC’s & 3 RCC’s ) and NZ Ch Lindenka Shooting Star (with 19 CCs) who is owned by Tom Gorrie in NewZealand.
Three years later I mated Ch Lindenka Brannigan to Lindenka Kerrygan and the result was Lindenka Delta and Lindenka It’s Magic.
Lindenka Delta is Top WHWT Puppy 2006 with 9BPs., 2 PG1., 1 PG2., BPIS (Combined Centenary), 2 CCs, 1 BOB and all before he was 10 months old. His sister Lindenka It’s Magic (3 Winner’s Bitch) has joined the Donnybrook kennel in USA.
My daughter Lindi (who instigated all this) is now living in America and also successfully showing her Westies.
All our dogs are part of the family with two very devoted servants (Denis & I) fulfilling their every whim.
Click the navigation buttons to find out more and see their photos
** Sadly we lost our Matriarch Holly on the 22 nd of June 2007. All at Lindenka miss her so much
On 17-7-2007 we sadly lost Tammy as well. They leave a very empty space
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