Rivermeadow Labradors: Latest News: 2017 & 2018
18th March 2018
We have now completed another interesting and rewarding season picking up on the shoot, where the boys excelled themselves once again, finding hidden birds and demonstrating time after time how their working breeding has produced such natural and talented gundogs. I don’t usually mention Tom’s dogs on here, because they aren’t used at stud, but they are of my breeding so deserve a mention! It was very rewarding, and quite emotional, to see dear veteran Sam (Fife’s grandson) still enjoying his picking up, particularly as he was very poorly earlier in the year, and to see him bouncing around on the shoot brought quite a lump to my throat, I can tell you! Tom’s youngest recruit Ace (Ash’s grandson) was learning the ropes and gaining skill with every outing. He definitely has “the nose”! Fife and Ash would be very proud of their grandchildren!
A new agility competition season is about to start, and now Fig is extremely proud to be able to display the title AGILITY WARRANT PLATINUM after his name! This is a truly amazing achievement for a 4 year old Labrador. Fig is so consistent, and he thoroughly enjoys his agility, making him an absolute joy to train and compete with. He doesn’t hang around either, and I certainly can’t keep up with him!
My beloved Oak is still jumping out of his skin, and adoring agility. I train him at a lower height now, but all the time he wants to do the courses at competition height at shows then we will continue to do so. He is still flying around the courses with style and skill, and is a delight to work with.
As far as stud duties go, Oak has had some recent repeat matings with bitches whom he had litters with previously, and once again has produced healthy litters of a good size. Fig has proved very skilled at mating “tricky” bitches, and we hope for puppies this spring as a result. If you would like to consider either dog as a mate for your bitch, do contact me and we can discuss which health tests you will need prior to mating, and how I can help you produce the litter you dream of.
19th September 2017
Never, in my wildest dreams, did I imagine that I would be writing this. I knew Oak was good at agility, and when he won to Grade 5 I was ecstatic. Oak started in Grade 1, so to get to Grade 5 was amazing. You need 1 agility win to progress through the levels from 1 to 5. To go from grade 5 to grade 6 you need 3 wins. Well, guess what? My beloved Oak now has 3 Grade 5 Agility wins, taking him to the heady realms of Grade 6! Oak had two of these wins this season, at 9 years old. He is utterly astounding!!
Very much his father’s son, dear Fig has had numerous top places this season in Grade 4. This weekend he obviously felt his Dad was getting too much limelight and so Fig won an agility class too, moving himself up to Grade 5! And Fig is only 3 years old! Astounding boys, both of them, and an utter joy to work and play with!
Oak is proud that some of his other offspring are also doing well at agility too, and we like to see them at shows and cheer them on!
21st August 2017
Today is a very sad day. My darling boy Ash has gone to Heaven. The end was very peaceful and I will always be comforted by the memory of me sitting on a lovely thick rug in the vets, with Ash laying on my lap. He tucked his head into the crook of my arm, and as the injection started to take effect he snuggled right into me, pushing his head right up into my arm, and it was as if he said "Thank you Mum", and smiled his way up to heaven.
I love you Ash, and thank you for being such a loving part of my life for 11 years xxx
19th August 2017
Oak gets PLATINUM and Fig goes for GOLD! Wow! The father and son team have now earned their Platinum and Gold Kennel Club Warrants! Clever boys! This means that on their puppies’ pedigree certificates it will now state AW(P) and AW(G) after my boys’ names. How impressive is that? So proud!
July 2017: Figs Miracle pups are born
I was contacted by the owner of a lovely bitch who, despite having done everything “by the book”, was proving impossible to get in pup. Veterinary advice was to have a mating using Artificial Insemination, and so Fig and Grace had a romantic liaison in the garden and, with the help of an AI expert, a mating was achieved. To the delight of her owners this week Grace produced the longed for puppies! Congratulations to the new family, and very well done Fig!
Fig is now available at stud to health tested bitches, for natural matings as well as AI. He is a lovely example of a working Labrador – good looking, healthy, with a fabulous temperament. Fig is biddable, keen to work at whatever is asked of him, great fun and very rewarding to do things with, and the friendliest dog ever. Oak is rightly very proud of his son, and I am very proud of them both!
Agility season is in full swing now, and both Oak and Fig are collecting a lovely collection of rosettes and even some trophies! They are amazing to do agilty with, as they love it so much and are really biddable and in tune with me, making it such a pleasure to work with them.
See Rivermeadows news from 2016
See Rivermeadows news from 2015
See Rivermeadows news from 2014
See Rivermeadows news from 2013
See Rivermeadows news from 2012
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