Growing up with family dogs and New Forest Ponies in the family, the development to having my own dogs to train and show was quite natural and I was always drawn to the Gundog breeds for their versatility and great personalities. Golden Retrievers and Spinoni filled my life during for three decades and has led me down a pathway to breeding, studying, judging and enjoying a variety of canine interests. My affix, Bedeslea, was registered with the Kennel Club in 1977. A number of Champions (UK and overseas) and UK Field Trial award winners have carried this affix, which gives me great pride and pleasure. Especially in the friendships forged alongside the success gained by other enthusiasts with dogs I’ve bred.
I later published ‘The Italian Spinone’ definitive handbook in 1999 and progressed my judging (from 1989) to an invitation to judge the Spinone at Crufts 2003. I now award CCs in Goldens, Bracchi and Spinoni and enjoy judging all of the Sporting breeds. A background in Sales and in Education, together with a desire to grasp the detail of a breed, equipped me for presenting to interested groups and for judges’ education. I am delighted to have been able to take this onwards from the Spinone to the Bracco Italiano and recently to the Lagotto Romagnolo.
The Spinone has been my passion, taking me to Italy on many trips to the Raduno and to visit kennels and friends. During those visits I admired a number of the smaller, curlier Lagotto several times and followed their development in the UK from the mid-90s. It wasn’t until 2012 that I was introduced to a friendly little white Lagotto owned by a friend. She jumped into my arms and I was smitten! Now I own her daughter and grand-daughter and share a super white/brown male imported from Kan Trace in Croatia.
Owning the Lagotto has enabled me to rekindle another passion - training for canine competition - now with Rally, Scentwork and Gundog. This breed certainly has a natural aptitude for focusing and learning quickly, making it a joy to train. A life-long interest of broadly working with dogs has reached a new level with this clever breed.
My involvement with the LRA these past five or six years has been truly interesting and I look forward to helping the Association continue its mission towards a strong future for the breed. I endorse its aim for transparency and for careful, responsible breeding and also its desire for owners to broaden their knowledge in all areas of ‘living with the Lagotto Romagnolo’.
Carolyn is currently Acting Chair for the LRA committee.
I later published ‘The Italian Spinone’ definitive handbook in 1999 and progressed my judging (from 1989) to an invitation to judge the Spinone at Crufts 2003. I now award CCs in Goldens, Bracchi and Spinoni and enjoy judging all of the Sporting breeds. A background in Sales and in Education, together with a desire to grasp the detail of a breed, equipped me for presenting to interested groups and for judges’ education. I am delighted to have been able to take this onwards from the Spinone to the Bracco Italiano and recently to the Lagotto Romagnolo.
The Spinone has been my passion, taking me to Italy on many trips to the Raduno and to visit kennels and friends. During those visits I admired a number of the smaller, curlier Lagotto several times and followed their development in the UK from the mid-90s. It wasn’t until 2012 that I was introduced to a friendly little white Lagotto owned by a friend. She jumped into my arms and I was smitten! Now I own her daughter and grand-daughter and share a super white/brown male imported from Kan Trace in Croatia.
Owning the Lagotto has enabled me to rekindle another passion - training for canine competition - now with Rally, Scentwork and Gundog. This breed certainly has a natural aptitude for focusing and learning quickly, making it a joy to train. A life-long interest of broadly working with dogs has reached a new level with this clever breed.
My involvement with the LRA these past five or six years has been truly interesting and I look forward to helping the Association continue its mission towards a strong future for the breed. I endorse its aim for transparency and for careful, responsible breeding and also its desire for owners to broaden their knowledge in all areas of ‘living with the Lagotto Romagnolo’.
Carolyn is currently Acting Chair for the LRA committee.