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Editors/Publishers:
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Lena Svalling-Ekdahl

Independent, non-profit Magazine covering news
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Cavaliers & Charlies

Special Breeder Portrait - Elvenhome Cavaliers, Australia

We proudly present our third Special "Breeder Portrait" From the winter weather we took the
flight to the summer weather, but gosh we can tell you - Australia is far away from Sweden.
Finally we made it and arrived to Jeanie Montford in Australia. Soon we were sitting down
and Jeanie started to tell the fantastic story about Elvenhome. Please enjoy her
story from a country far, far away from Sweden!

Jeanie Montford, Elvenhome Cavaliers

Welcome to Elvenhome Cavaliers

Aust Am Champion Elvenhome Keep Going

Aust Ch Elvenhome Revelry

Aust NZ Champion Elvenhome Crevette

Aust Am Champion Elvenhome Elrohir

Aust Am Champion Elvenhome Tilt

Aust Ch Elvenhome Buckthorn

Aust NZ Champion Elvenhome Charivari

Elvenhome Chronicles
Cavaliers king Charles Spaniels

I first came under the spell of the Cavalier way back
in the late 1960’s watching them while showing my Dobermann and gradually realising that Cavaliers
were “the” breed for me. Little did I know that they were to change my life over the next 30 years!

Since 1974, I have been fortunate to travel regularly to UK and USA and have been lucky to see many of the “great” dogs of the breed over that time. I came into the breed at a time when some of the most famous names were active, meeting Caroline Gillies, Jack and Susan Burgess, Dido Schilizzi, Gertie Biddle, Bunty Green, Mollie Coaker and learning an enormous amount from them. .However I was so in awe of Mrs Pitt that I was too shy to speak to her! Among many starting out at that time were Norma and Gordon
Inglis who have remained good friends ever since.
I love and intermittently keep all four colours, but I find the tricolours with the correct markings are the most difficult to get right!

When I became seriously interested in the breed, the choice of dogs was somewhat limited in Sydney and after a false start, I really began with three English Cavaliers in 1974 - the dog, Aust Ch McGoogans May Fly, a Rosemullion grandson who became the pillar of my bloodline and who proved to be a successful producer beyond my expectations, and the two bitches Aust Ch McGoogans Christmas Joy, dam of 5 champions and Aust Ch Homerbrent Jem, the first Homerbrent champion in Australia and a multiple all breed BIS winner.

Another import who was an important producer was the Caption daughter Aust Ch McGoogans Abighaoil whose dam was full sister to May Fly, reinforcing that good producing line. I must mention the B&T bitch Aust Ch McGoogans Black Treacle, who produced
some marvellous Braganzar wholecolours for my ex husband and who is in the pedigree of all my particolours today. A dominant Black & Tan, when mated to the blenheim May Fly, the Ruby Aust Ch Chandlers King Midas and the Blenheim Aust/NZ Ch Matsy Peter Pan (a son of Ch Eyeza Crisdig Pip) she founded a dynasty which continues to this day.

Among the most important dogs over the years was May Fly’s grandson, A/NZ Ch Prestonville Givm Beans bred by Dianne Tyssen - for a while the record
winning Cavalier in Australia, who in turn through
his son A/NZ Ch Elvenhome Glen Buck, was the grandfather of the renowned Aust/NZ Ch Elvenhome Buckthorn. I think we all dream of having during our time in dogs, a “great” one – Buckthorn was that dog for me – at one time the greatest winning Australian Bred Cavalier. He was a spectacular and exciting dog to show, always in full coat, with great driving movement and an exuberant personality. He won 8 Cavalier Specialties, twice in record entries in Melbourne under Norma Inglis (Craigowl) and Susan Burgess (Crisdig), 7 All Breed BIS, Best in Group twice at the Spring Fair, Best of Breed at Sydney Royal, National Dog Magazine Top Cavalier Australia 1992, Sydney Cavalier Club Senior Point Score trophy in 1992 & 1993. He left me aged 13 years 7 months.

From a very limited career at stud, he sired
18 champions including Aust/NZ/Japanese Ch Prestonville Thorne #1 Cavalier in Japan and All
Breed BIS in both Australia and Japan, Aust/NZ/American Ch Elvenhome Geraldton

And another “dog of a lifetime”……… Aust & Am Ch Elvenhome Elrohir owned in America by the renowned Corgi breeder Tim Mathiesen. Elrohir or “Robert” to his friends, made dreams come true. He was ranked
#1 Cavalier USA 1998, won the American Cavalier
Club National Specialty , 2 All Breed BIS and was Best of Breed at Westminster Kennel Club in 1998. More recently in America David and Stephanie Abraham of the famous Trefoil Boxers have become more involved with their Cavaliers and have campaigned Am Ch Elvenhome Keep Going, beautifully handled by Karen Gallipeault. “Kiefer” was a Top Ten Cavalier USA 2002 and won an Award of Merit at Westminster 2003.

My most influential bitch has been a beautiful little
girl called Elvenhome Charade. She disliked the ring
on the few occasions that she was shown but was worth her weight in gold winning the Cavalier Club Brood Bitch trophy three times. She was the dam of
5 champions, Pat Ide’s Aust & Am Ch Elvenhome Clarissa, Tim Mathiesen’s Aust & Am Ch Elvenhome Caprice, my Aust Ch Elvenhome Charm, my Aust Ch Elvenhome Charivari an All Breed and Specialty BIS winner,Junior Point Score 1995, Senior Point Score 1996 and Aust Ch Elvenhome Cheriblosm Junior Point Score 1997. A truly remarkable effort. To have
a bitch who consistently produced such quality
and excellence is surely the dream of every breeder. Exquisite in type with the most glorious eyes,
she ruled my house and heart for 13 years.

My other great producer, also not shown, is the tri bitch Elvenhome Gardenia, still well and fit (no heart murmur) at nearly 15 years old. Nearly every Cavalier
I have at the moment traces back to her including
my wholecolours.

More recently, after nearly 25 years of intensive line breeding, there was a need to go to a comjpatible outcross. Together with Dianne Tyssen of the famous Prestonville Cavaliers in NZ and Karen Paul of Leisureview Cavaliers and King Charles here in Sydney, we were very kindly allowed to bring Annukka Paloheimo’s older heart and eye cleared Finnish Champion dog Deeriem Thelonius of Anncourt here for a visit to the Southern Hemisphere. He easily made
his Australian and NZ titles and was a popular stud dog during his short stay. He now can boast of at least
14 champion children in Australia and NZ to date, a number of them Specialty BIS winners. I am lucky to have bred two outstanding sons – Aust Finnish, Estonian Ch Elvenhome Finlandia (ex Aust Ch Elvenhome Charmeuse) – winner of the NSW Cavalier Club Junior Point Score for 2003, Best in Group and Res Best in Show All Breeds in Australia, Best of Breed at the 2003 Sydney Spring Fair.

He is now visiting with Annukka Paloheimo in Finland and beautifully handled at the shows by Heidi Qvickstrom. I am absolutely thrilled that he recently won Best of Breed under Joachim Ohlsson going on that weekend to All Breed Best in Show, I believe the first for many years for a Cavalier in Finland. His daughter here with me, Elvenhome Maidov Honr, was Best Minor Puppy in Show NSW Specialty in September 2005.

The other Thelonius son here with me is Aust Ch Elvenhome Manov Honr ( ex Aust Ch Elvenhome
Honr N Glory) who seems to have filled the place in
my heart left empty when Buckthorn left me. “Mickey” was slower to mature than Finlandia but he has had
a wonderful year winning the NSW Cavalier Club
senior point score for 2005, BIS Cavalier Specialty, ResBIS Specialty and Res CC at our biggest Specialty under Lorraine Gillhespy and multiple Best in
Group All Breeds..

In all I have owned 93 champions of which 69 are homebred. Over the years, these dogs have won 32
All Breed Best in Shows, 32 Specialty Best in Shows, and the NSW Cavalier Club annual Trophies for Stud Dog 8 times, Brood Bitch 10 times, Senior Point Score 9 times and Junior Point Score 10 times since 1978.

I am a licensed all breed judge and have been honoured to judge Cavaliers on numerous occasions
in UK, first awarding CCs there in 1985. I gave a presentation on Cavaliers in Australia at the first International Breed Conference in 2001 and in 2003 had the honour of judging the American Cavalier
Club National Specialty. On the all breed front I
have judged extensively in Australia, NZ and USA,
at FCI International shows in Peru and Sweden.

Two of the awards that I most treasure are to be made a Life Member of the NSW Cavalier Club and a Patron of the Cavalier Club of South Australia.

However my greatest satisfaction comes from the many people who have had their treasured family
pets from me over the years. To know that their Cavaliers have enriched their lives and brought them lasting happiness and love is surely the best reward
of all. If they have had only a fraction of the love
that my Cavaliers have bestowed on me then I feel
I must be doing something right as a breeder.

Jeanie Montford,
Sydney

Aust NZ Champion Elvenhome Geraldton

Elvenhome Charade (12 years old)

Aust Champion Elvenhome Manov Honr

Aust Fnl Est Champion Elvenhome Finlandia

Elvenhome Gardenia (14 years old)

Elvenhome Maydow Honr (9 months)

Elvenhome dogs at home

1. What is the most important issue/aspect in your breeding program?
To maintain the essential qualities of the Cavalier especially their charming temperament.

2. According to question 1, have you achieved this in your breeding program?
I hope so!

3. What do you look for when picking a puppy in a litter?
Markings as soon as they are born, appealing expression from the beginning, boldness in exploring the whelping box, being relaxed and calm when handled, and then at about 8-10 weeks I like to take a glass of wine and sit and watch the puppies playing on a paved surface. I am looking for straight movement from front and rear and most importantly, for the outline in profile – I want the puppy to have a good neck and a level topline and to “carry itself”. I don’t like “stacking” them to assess them. I want to see the natural shape on the move. I also like good breeders I respect in other breeds to look at the litter –they stop me getting carried away and making mistakes! Often there will be one puppy which constantly catches the eye, and that is usually the one who stays.

4. In your opinion, which cavalier (present & past) has been the most significant for;
    a) Country (all breeders) Ch Rosemullion of Ottermouth
    b) for your own breeding the bitches Elvenhome Charade & Elvenhome Gardenia

5. Which cavalier has been the most significant/important that you;
    a) owned Aust Ch McGoogans May Fly (imp UK)
    b) from your own breeding program Aust NZ Ch Elvenhome Buckthorn

6. List down below, the best dogs and bitches in each colour?
    a) Blenheim dog Ch Cherokee of Rossbonny at Delhaze
    b) Blenheim bitch Dead heat between Ch Anncourt Parasol, Ch Craigowl Cashmere and Elvenhome Charade
    c) Tricolor dog Ch Barsac The Palio
    d) Tricolor bitch Eng Ch Tregarron Caprice
    e) Black/tan dog Aust Ch Braganzar Scarteen
    f) Black/tan bitch Aust NZ Ch Prestonville Sade
    g) Ruby dog Ch Stellas Eider of Panitsa
    h) Ruby bitch Ch Charmanic Lucasta & Ch Harana Good Golly Miss Molly

7. From the above mentioned Cavaliers – who is the best?
Impossible to choose!!!

8. Which moment/memory is your biggest regarding shows/dogs?
Winning BIS Melbourne Cavalier Club with Buckthorn under Norma Inglis and then winning again the next year with Buckthorn (couldn’t believe it!) under Susan Burgess .

9. Which moment/memory is your worst regarding shows/dogs?
Losing Buckthorn and Charade within ten days of each other. They had been together all their lives and when he died, it was as if she no longer wished to live – part of my heart died with them

10. What kind of a judge do you prefer showing for?
Thoughtful, gentle, where it is possible to gain from the way the dogs are placed some idea of what the judge thinks a Cavalier should look like – one who rewards virtues instead of fault judging.

11. Is there anything that could be changed within the show/dog world?
In my part of the world, there should be more emphasis on the achievements of breeders such as you have in Scandinavia.

12. Describe the best puppy-buyer?
One with a lot of common sense, who listens to what you tell them!

13. Any advise to new breeders in Cavaliers?
Learn to be objective in assessing your dogs and puppies. Most common problem is basing a breeding program only on pedigree or rushing off to use the latest fashionable sire or showdog who may be entirely unsuited to their bitch.

14. Any advice to new exhibitors?
Watch the successful exhibitors – ask them lots of questions about how they rear and train their puppies, condition and prepare their dogs. Be patient while you learn the skills required.

15. Any other interest except for Cavaliers?
Gardening, antiques and music..

16. What makes you happy in the show/dog world?
To have bred a much admired showdog and to have bred a much loved and healthy pet

17. What makes you pissed off (sorry for the language) and mad?
Bitchy jealous comments and rumours about my dogs from other exhibitors, people who breed only for money and people who do not look after their dogs properly.