21 March, 2009

Warrigal Australian Cattle Dogs

Fell in love in Australia, brought into the UK

By Sue Huntingdon

Warrigal Australian Cattle Dogs; The first time  I sighted a Cattle dog was in 1983 when William and I moved to Australia.  He had gone on ahead and I arrived in January when he had already hunted down a breeder.. he had said to me, "we are in Australia now we must have an Australian Dog".... so came
what was to be the beginning of the Warrigal kennel two years later. Our first bitch was Rokeglen Red Rosita, who was rather a shy bitch, an outstanding athelete  absolutely fantastic, jumping in the air and in the sea, but always nervous of strangers.  We had not had her until she was 4 months old , as we were not to continue our life out there we decided to leave her behind on a friends farm it was very sad but she was not a dog who would not have endured quarantine.

Soon after I arrived in England  The ACD Society of GB was just beginning and I managed to track down a litter bred by Carol Snell.. and there I found Red Gum.  At that stage I never entertained a blue, Rosie had been Red and Red it had to be, he was by Lenthel Flinton out of Formakin Yindi. 

Kapia Red Gum

In 1987 I went to Australia in search of two bitches and back to the Rokeglen Kennels I went where Mrs Cook had been running on a couple of bitches and she showed me the pair eventually sending Mankara.  And then we selected Lowana from another litter so they would be company for each other in quarantine (in fact they never really liked each other and were separated towards the end of their quarantine!)  So began the Warrigal Kennels with Rokeglen Blue Manakara of Warrigal and Rokeglen Tarlaga of Warrigal being the foundation bitches. 

Rokeglen Blue Manakara of Warrigal and Rokegle Tarlaga of Warrigal

At that time we had a girl working in the Yard with the horses who showed Bernese Mountain Dogs and she took me to my first show, a championship show, where Mankara duly won BOB first time out!!!  in AVNSC.  She was a beautiful bitch and went on to win numerous prizes and have 2 sons go BOB at Crufts, one twice and she herself was BIS twice at our Club Show.
 

Lowana (Talarga) was the first to have a litter by Red out of which came amongst others Warrigal Blue Todd whom I gave to Monica Gibbons who had recently lost Red's brother Steele, Stella Smythe used him successfully and through  his son Morrow Blue Aborigine the great Working Trial Dog, I have his son Warrigal Blue Togar (Best of Breed Crufts 1997).

Warrigal Blue Togar

Manakara then had a litter to Red out of which came Warrigal Blue Mallett who came to be the sire of Cooma, my lovely bitch out of Lowana, who has produced some lovely dogs both from Togar and Curdeleon Blue the Boy Wunda. 

In 1992 William and I found a very nice young dog that the Cooks of Rokeglen had recommended to us  called Kristad Eureka Digger and he arrived in 1992 where he lived with Lyn Chesterfield  who gave him the most wonderful life and he was also BOB at Crufts. He came to be a huge influence on the breed here through his well known multiple show winner Warrigal Blue Sydney, out of Mankara sire of
the hugely successful Curdeleon BlueThe Boy Wunda, and daughter Warrigal Blue Moonah, who is so influential in the lines of Ann Bourne and Hilary Tutte. He had the most marvelous temperament and this is what we hope will be passed on again and again. For the moment Warrigal rests in the hands in those people along with  Norma Digby, who has a lovely Bitch Munyah, and Cooma's sons Swagman and Stockman with the Curdeleon and Garreg Ddu Kennels.  Lyn Chesterfield with Ringer along with Togar's two sons in Ireland with Daryl Moffitt also. Stella Smythe with her working trial
bitch Kookynie .  There are also puppies that have gone to Bermuda, Denmark, and the Isle of Man. 

Warrigal Blue Walhallow in Ireland

There is only Togar and Cooma here now and we will have to see if the family is enlarged at a later date!! They have been an addictive bunch and I can't imagine not having an ACD in my life!

Warrigal Blue Cooma and Warrigal Blue Togar

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