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The Marksbury Kennel came into being in the late 70’s with the acquisition of two St.Wire Haired Dachshund bitches from the well known Brockbane Kennel (Eric Gross and Val Beynon) and from one of these bitches came my first Champion, a red bitch. Ch Marksbury Feather Light. Later a red dog, Marksbury Marrow gained 2 challenge Certificates and twelve Reserve Challenge Certificates!
I was up at Crufts one year ,back in the gloom of Earls Court , and went to look at the Bloodhounds, as my husband had suggested getting one , to which I vetoed the idea immediately , I was not impressed , movement was shocking, skin was bad as were eyes. But for some unknown reason I found myself asking about litters. Three months later I had a bitch puppy from the Abingerwood Kennel, (Joy Piper) and this lovely girl became Ch Abingerwood Wild Garland. I was hooked. And the following year went back to Joy and bought home another bitch and a dog puppy. These two became Ch.Abingerwood Zillah and Ch Abingerwood Zebedee.
And so it went on from there ,I bought in a dog and bitch from David and Joy Kingsberry ,Brumbies Kennel, and was encouraged to start working these two hounds, Diligent and Dulcimer. Both reached the Senior stake but Dulcimer gained the highest accolade possible. Ch. and Working Trial Champion Brumbies Dulcimer.
She is the only bitch hound to ever attain this heady title since Working Trials began nearly a century and a half ago. Only 4 dog hounds have ever attained this title. One of Dulcimer’s puppies very nearly got there, Ch.Marksbury Quoniam Sanft had only one Working Trial CC to get.
In 2004 I bred a litter retaining a dog and a bitch. The dog hound became a champion ,Ch.Marksbury Wayward, and had a Group 2 win at Manchester ch Show , but his sister was not going to let his success come between her and fame. Ch Marksbury Wistful ,29 Challenge Certificates, three times Best of Breed at Crufts, Best in show at both Clubs championship Shows , somehow won the Hound Group at Crufts in 2007 under Dagmar Kennis Paudman . Later in the year at LKA under Marianne Nixon she once again won the Hound Group and had various group placings throughout that year. To the present and the Top Bloodhound for the last four years ,is Lorraine Priestley’s Ch.Railside Pluto sired by my Ch.Marksbury Ruin . Ruin has been top sire for four years running. He has sired three other champions and a handful of CC winners. Pluto is the record holder for Best of Breeds and CC wins. To date the Marksbury Kennel has bred and or/owned 35 champions world wide and has won upwards of 150 challenge certificates.
Not a bad record considering I was far from keen on buying in a Bloodhound !