Eventually I went to agricultural collage and by the time I was in a position to do something with the dogs again the original line had been lost.
On going to look at a litter of yellow puppies at the renowned Poolstead Kennel of Bob & Didi Hepworth, I came away with a 12 month black bitch! A year later she was CH.Poolstead Pin Up of Fabracken. Beautifully bred, being by CH.Sandylands Mark x a bitch who was a mix of Sandylands & Kinley breeding, I had hopes she might be a good producer. Indeed she was.
It was also Pin Up who really started my interest in the working side of the breed. She was a natural at work and taught me so much about the 'real' Labrador. After winning her second CC I was determined that if she was to win her Show Champion title then she would become a full Champion by gaining her Show Gundog Working Certificate (SGWC). This has been my intention ever since then. Many show bred Labradors will work, given the opportunity, and make very useful picking-up dogs. There is so much satisfaction to be gained from watching any dog do the job the breed has always been bred for.
Since then all the Fabrackens are worked throughout the winter, as well as gaining SGWC's, and their temperament and ability to do this are very much in mind when choosing stud dogs.
Use is made of the KC/BVA Hip, Elbow and Eye schemes and the dogs are also now Optigen tested for
prcd1 GPRA.
Many things go to make up a good Labrador, health being a very important part of that. |
