Breeder Profile

Arnold Hendriks

v.d . Zuylenstede kennel since 1968

After 10 years in a sporting career as a racing cyclist, I became happily married and had, at that time, two (later three) darling children. We also wanted a little dog, like so many other young families.

To me it also had another meaning. My father had been a very good breeder of German Shepherds before World War II. Because of the War, everything had been destroyed and my father had no courage to rebuild again, so I wanted to take up his hobby and breed dogs. My father advised me not to start on a popular breed but to choose one which needed to be renewed in our country. My choice became the French Bulldog.

My first acquaintance with a Frenchie was at my Aunt’s who possessed one. By chance

I read an add stating: For sale two French Bulldog females aged 2 ½

We made an appointment to view and were astonished to see the two dogs sitting in a chicken house, hairless, their skin felt like leather and was in bad condition. I felt so sorry for them and thought they had to leave there immediately so I bought them. After about five or six months their hair grew back and they looked beautiful.

I had become a member of the Dutch French Bulldog Club in the meantime and learned that a famous French Bulldog breeder lived in the vicinity. We met and when he saw my dogs he informed me that they came from a fine bloodline. My bithes were in good condition and I decided to breed with them. They soon became with young, one having eight and the other one nine puppies.

With the sale money from the puppies I bought a beautiful young female Blanche v.d . Molenstal from the best Dutch breeder Mr. van Doorn. With Blanche I started my show career. At our first show, the Winner in Amsterdam 1969 she became Winster and Best Bitch.

Blanche won several shows and again Winster in 1970 in Amsterdam and eventual Dutch Champion.

Out of a litter of Blanche I bred a nice male called Boulotte. He won several prices and was noticed by Prince Ratibor who liked him very much and was surprised that such a beautiful dog had been bred in the Netherlands. He invited me to visit Germany, which I did.

Whilst there I discovered at the shows that the beautiful dogs of Prince Ratibor had been bred from a certain English bloodline. He imported French Bulldogs from England around 1965 out of the Lancefield Kennel of Mrs. Muriel Walker and the Selholme Kennel of Mrs. Hugh Baker.

During my holiday in England I visited Mrs. Hooton`s Little Coombe Kennels in Exeter. She had a young male, aged seven months, for sale called Topsham Mc Tavish. He had a bloodline from both parents of the male Bomblitz Edward Bear and that was just the type I was looking for. I didn’t have to think twice, McTavish came back to Holland with me. Mac as we called him, won several prices and won BIS at the Dutch Clubshow in 1976 out of 125 French and English Bulldogs. He was Junior Winner in Amsterdam 1974, Winner 1976 and Dutch Champion.

In 1975 I imported Quatt Pollyanna, a beautiful brindle female aged one and a half. As her ear had been damaged I could not show her, but she was from a good bloodline. I had bought her to combine with McTavish. Out of the first combination I bred Dutch Champion Amorous Belle v.d. Zuylenstede and Queen Annabelle v.d. Zuylenstede.

Daughter of Amorous Belle was Dutch Champion Girly v.d. Zuylenstede. Daughter of Queen Annabelle was Dutch Champion Alicella v.d. Zuylenstede Winster 1979 and BOB 1980.

Out of the second combination of McTavish & Pollyanna appeared the beautiful pied male International Champion Chico v.d. Zuylenstede.

Out of the combination Chico & Alicella came the fawn bitch Chemera v.d. Zuylenstede. Unfortunately this colour was not recognized in Europe so I couldn’t show her but I kept her and mated her with an imported male called Brickett Jacarinda, son of Gangour Oss.

With this combination I bred Zappa v.d. Zuylenstede, which I sold to a family in Germany. This beautiful male has only been shown once at the Bundessieger, where he was awarded reserve champion. In that time I had sold a lot of beautiful dogs to people who wanted pets and were not interested in showing.

From the combination Zappa & Chemera came Arsenall-Imposant v.d. Zuylenstede. This male later became the rescue of the bloodline which I wanted to follow up.

Daughter of Chemera, Georgina v.d. Zuylenstede had a litter of five males, very compact and sturdy types. The well known out of that litter where Roquefort v.d. Zuylenstede and Lancelot v.d. Zuylenstede. Roquefort went to America after a show career in the Netherlands. I sold him to Ed Bigham and Bud Niles (Balihai Kennel) and within thirty days he became American and Canadian Champion. He was the first French Bulldog of the continent to become an American-Canadian Champion

His brother Dutch Champion Lancelot v.d. Zuylenstede World Champion at the World Show BOB in Amsterdam 1985. One of the most famous sons of Lancelot is the male Laurent-Perrier v.d. Zuylenstede who was sold to France. He had an impressive show career with remarkable results. He was one of the first Frenchies who won BOB in Monaco, Nice and San Remo all in one weekend. French and International Champion, Reserve World Champion in Dortmund, Germany. Laurent is the father of the most successful French Bulldog in Europe of 1999, Moustique du Marais Piction W99 (Mme Bourguin)

After a few times trying several combinations with other bloodlines I decided to stop before I came up with problems I had never had before with breeding. I did not want to continue with this and as I mentioned before, Arsenall was my rescue. He was nine years old by that time and still a successful stud male.
I went to England to buy a new female who possessed some blood of the old English generations in her pedigree. I bought Sankins Gypsy Love and mated her to Arsenall. The result was four puppies, two males and two females. I kept two puppies for myself, Oliverro vd Zuylenstede & Lou Lou vd Zuylenstede. Oliverro is the father of, International and French Champion Hopwood Camelia du Vendangerot (Mme Lesage) and International, French and World Champion Hachley du Vendangerot (Mme Torrens)

Oliverro now living in America (Jan & Jim Grebe) is also the father of American Champion Casconade Dutch Courage and New Zealand Champion Kohanga Ole Benoit. This dog was, as first French Bulldog ever in New Zealand, a finalist at the Supreme Dogshow Contest in 1998. (Mr. & Mrs. Jeffries)

American Champion Vallerie vd Zuylenstede, daughter of Lou Lou, became the first, not in America bred French Bulldog, Best of Winners and Best bitch at the Specialty 1993 of the FBCA. (Mrs. Toye) Three daughters of Lou Lou and a daughter of Oliverro I kept for myself and these were my bases for the future.

During 32 years as a breeder, I have gained knowledge every time again from the one or two litters bred annually.

I am proud that over the years, this knowledge has been appreciated and that I have been asked as a French Bulldog judge all over the world.

Lotus Elise v.d. Zuylenstede, Best puppy at the Dutch clubshow 1998 and Best Junior 1999 and male Quentin v.d. Zuylenstede son of Australian Champion Spike v.d. Zuylenstede

(Mr.and Mrs.Cartwright) and also Blossom Bloom v.d. Zuylenstede daughter of Moustique du Marais Piction are at this moment the last generation of the Van de Zuylenstede kennel.

I hope this history will give you some interesting information of the van de Zuylenstede Bloodline.