HUNTERHECK The story so far

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away..........No seriously we met on the farm I had worked on since I was 14. It was 1980 and Angela brought her horse to be stabled. Not exactly "love at first site" but, to cut a long story short, when I took a new job in Thame a couple of years later we decided to move down together. That's when our first dog came along. A rescue Doberman dog who was very loving but very mixed up. We moved back to the North East about 12 months later, when a job came up with a house and work for Angela. Our 2 boys came along in 85 and 87 and life trundled along until it looked like work might be drying up where we were. I changed jobs to a local agricultural contractor and we moved to a new house. In 1992 we bought our current house in Widdrington and that was when we bought our first springer from Dorothy Williams. The boys had been pestering us for a while as the last of our dobermans had died and they missed having a dog. I had started shooting a lot by then and fancied a springer.

Angela with Brodie, Pippa Zoe and Rose

We went to visit the litter and picked out Pippa (Bosol Bernita) We went to the Game fair that year and we were stopped by so many people who liked her and one lady said that we should show her.We asked Dorothy what she thought of the idea. She said yes she would not be too bad and so we entered her for Consett CA and that, as they say, was that we were hooked. Work meant that I did not get to the summer shows but Angela went with the boys and did quite well with her. I spent the spare weekends training her to the gun. A visit to Jean Taylors Cleavehill kennel brought us our second springer Maggie (Cleavehill Midnight Maggie) Angela had seen a dog who she really loved at the Northern Springer. He was Skelsea Johnnie Scott and we asked Dorothy if she would use him on her bitch Bosol Sea Sprite and she agreed. I first saw the litter late one evening after work. I was taken by a puppy which turned out to be Angelas choice too. She was, of course Brodie (Bosol Sceptre)

Angela with a young Brodie

Brodies puppy career went well with a lot of class wins and best puppy awards and by the end of her junior career she had 55 points! She was doing well at champ shows as well as open shows. I remember the day of Darlington champ show I was at work drilling corn when I saw our car pull up in the gateway. Angela and the boys came running with the dogs across the field. Brodie had won her first reserve CC under Mr Pat Capstick. She was only 13 months and we were both pretty chuffed! Brodie carried on her career and produced a litter to Clanach Crown Destiny. We kept a bitch puppy Hunterheck Eternal Destiny who won best puppy in show at the NESSS under Ian Hampton. Another RCC followed in 1999 from Ray Smith at the Scottish and then The CC at the NESSS from Angela Mitchell. Two more reserve CC followed that year at WKC under Mr D Webster and Midland Counties Under Mr D Shields. Quite a year and it was around this time that I started to make car cages and tailgates so farming was kicked into touch and that also meant we could concentrate on showing a lot more.

Druridge Bay close to where we live at dawn

A second litter to Sh Ch Wadeson Inspector Wexford gave us Beth and Amber Hunterheck Rhapsody in Blue and Hunterheck Amber Sunset at Beescraig. A fifth rcc came in 2001 At the ESSC of Scotland under Carole Coode. A repeat mating to Sinbad following the sad death at a young age of Amber produced Hunterheck Bewitched at Beescraig That was by no means the end of her career as she carried on showing right till the end and she certainly did us proud over the years. She would not be left behind on show days or shooting days and loved both equally. My one regret was not getting her show gundog certificate. We had worked on cold game before the test with pheasant from the local keeper and she would retrieve and work as well as any I had trained but on the day of the test they used rabbit.She marked the "bird " and I sent her for it only for her to look at it, look at me and then start back without it! I stopped her and sent her again and she retrieved perfectly but the judge failed us. A bit harsh I thought but thats the way it goes.On the way home we were convinced it was because she had never seen a flying rabbit!!!!

Her offspring carry on winning in the ring even now. Rhapsody in Blue went on to win 1 cc and 2 rccs and her sister from a repeat mating won limit bitch to gain her stud book number. Currently we are showing her grand-daughter Hunterheck Midnight Blues who has just this year gained her first CC and BOB at National Gundogs under Margaret Jamieson so her legacy lives on. Over the years we have tried other breeds in the gundog group Irish Water Spaniels being one and our bitch, Foulby Molly Malone, went on to win 9 ccs all be it after she went back to her breeder but thats another story.... A labrador arrived for me to work but she never inspired Angela to show her and. at the moment an Hungarian Vizsla Bitcon Darling Diva who is doing very well. Springers remain our passion and Angela is not far from having judged enough dogs to take her JESS exam. As to the future we hope to continue breeding and showing healthy and happy springers and, with other plans in the pipeline, who knows..