TRACEY GARVEY
NOOSA, AUSTRALIA
Painswickclumbers.com
Owned Clumbers for 20 years, been in my heart for 40+ years
I have never been without dogs. A sandy coloured Labrador greeted me when I was born, followed by a white then apricot miniature poodle and a border collie. A Bedlington Terrier and a Beagle were my companions in my early teens. At this point in time, dogs had always been part of my family. They were all house dogs, went on holidays with the family and were my constant companions.
In 1969 when I was 18, my involvement with dogs was about to change forever with the arrival of my first Old English Sheepdog. “Fred” CH Lockburn Pish Tush was my first show dog and what a show dog he was. Twice top winning Old English in Australasia with many Show and Obedience awards to his credit as well as a huge number of advertising endorsements made me hooked on the magic world of dog showing and all things dogs. I went on to become a professional dog groomer with the well known poodle breeders, Robert L Curtis (OAM)-“Uncle Bob” and the Late Peter Xirades at The Popular Dog salon in Bondi Junction ,Sydney.
For the next 35 years, I was never without at least one Old English at home. In 1970, I was one of six OES breeders who began the first Old English Sheepdog Club in Australia, which continues to grow in strength today.
My kennel name of Painswick [Est 1972] comes from the Cotswold town of Painswick in England where the Old English Sheepdogs used to work their flocks. Painswick has a reputation of being the most beautiful of all Cotswold villages. I lived in Oxford, England in a place called Cassington which is on the periphery of the Cotswolds (from 1976-1980). My traditional 1660 Cotswold cottage had oak beams, flagstone floors and an inglenook fireplace with walk in bread oven. I was hooked on England and all things English, especially my English sheepdogs. Since 1972 Painswick Kennels has proudly stamped its name to many top winning dogs both in the show ring and as breeding stock.
I saw my first Clumber Spaniel at Crufts in 1978 and immediately fell in love with the breed. Burtonswood Best Beam (later to be imported into Australia) took the ticket that day from over 85 clumbers, but it was not until 1998 that I bought my first clumber CH Erinveine Imperial Rose after a long 20 year search. In 1998 I became of member of the Clumber Spaniel Club of America (CSCA), The Clumber Spaniel Club of Canada and the Clumber Spaniel League of Victoria. I also joined the various Internet Clumber groups including the clumberspaniel@yahoogroups as it is now called through whichI have made several very good friends. In 2002 I imported Aust/Can CH Whitehawk Nonsuch Windsor from Canada, followed by Aust/USA CH Nonsuch Zeffiroso (Maggie) from the USA via South Africa in 2005. Windsor has been a phenomenal success in the Australian show ring and is one of the top Australasian Clumber Spaniels. Presently he has champion progeny in three continents and was a qualified Delta Society Therapy dog for six years, visiting The Sydney Children’s Hospital regularly. Maggie Nonsuch closely followed on his heals in the show ring and their daughter Pebbles continued the tradition.
In 2011 I became associated with the great Grand CH/CH Clussexx See You Later Alligator who won the breed at Westminster in 2012 and was top Clumber All Breeds and Breed in the same year. Alligator produced a wonderful litter to CH Clussex in Cahoots with Traddles and I am privileged to own her son, now Supreme CH Clussexx Kangaroo Jack with Phoebe McIntyre from Sydney. Jack is the top wining Clumber of all time in Australasia with over 15 best in Shows to his name. Alligator’s grandson, Grand CH Clussexx Man of Steel won Group 2 at Westminster in 2016 and Best in Show at the Spaniel Club 2016.
In 2014 Tracey began her association with Friar Clumbers in Arizona, USA. Soon after, Craig Crouch and I amalgamated our kennels to become friarandpainswickclumbers. Craig has been showing and breeding Clumbers for many years before me and is very knowledgeable on the hunting side of the breed (something that I knew little about) and has produced many successful litters that have excelled in the show ring, at obedience and hunting.
In 2016 we made up CH Friar and Painswick Dan The Man, CH Friar and Painswick TNT I’m Dynamite and CH Friar’s Roxanne’s Red Light.
We have one aim……to make a small difference to the betterment of the breed and as always……striving to produce the perfect clumber.
Tracey
March 2016
