My husband and I have both been involved with Goldens from a young age. First starting over 17 years ago working as kennel hands for the Amirene Kennel, from here we gained valuable experience in exhibiting at shows, grooming, pedigrees, and breeding.
We purchased our first golden together in 2000 and started showing from there. We had some really good luck with Storm (Amirene Kindred Spirit), still being shown for the first year by his breeder. I then started showing him myself at open shows and eventually at championship shows. We achieved in our first two years of showing many open show first prizes and a few Best of Breeds and Group placing’s as well as firsts at championship shows then came our big surprise at 18 month Storm took his first RCC at the GRCS, under Anne Woodcock (Stanroph)! Giving us our first Stud Book Number, and a true bug for showing.
In 2002 we applied for our own affix and were granted STORMFORD. We decided to keep a Storm daughter in 2003 Amirene Romantic Summer at Stormford (Summer). She proved to be a right character and we enjoyed some moderate success with her while her father took a long break to grow a coat and mature. Following Summer in 2004 came a bitch from the Gillbryan kennel, Gillbryan Spring Bonnet for Stormford (Farrah) she also did us proud in the ring winning her way to Crufts 2006 qualification early. It was at Crufts 2006 that Storm came back into the show ring after a lengthy break to take 1st in Mid Limit Dog and then the RCC from Wendy Andrews (Catcombe).
Our first litter combined the two lines that we have in the kennel at the moment the Gillbryan and Amirene. By mating Farrah to Storm we produced a wonderful litter of ten pups of which we kept a dog and a bitch. These both were placed highly at open and breed shows with Findlay achieving Best Puppy in Breed under Mr. Derek Taylor (Olyjen) at 8 month. We would later repeat this mating to produce a single bitch puppy who we could not let go.
2007 was definitely our year starting in August Storm achieved his first CC and RBOB at The United Retriever, November saw him take another RCC at Berkshire and Chiltern Golden Retriever Club plus RBIS and then he did it again in December at LKA with his 2nd CC under Mrs Heather Morris (Sandusky), BOB and shortlisted in the gundog group. And then Farrah qualified for Crufts 2008 the first time out in over a year!
Since then we have gone on to take Storms title, his son Findlay his stud book number and we have qualified puppies and our other dogs for Crufts yearly.
We currently have 8 goldens and all are loved and cherished deeply. We have a real passion for the breed and have used my academic learning to help where we can.
Studying genetics at Newcastle Upon Tyne University allowed me to get a job working for the Animal Health Trust on hereditary diseases that affect pedigree dogs focussing closely on the golden retriever eye defects, a job I would never have left if so much travelling had not been involved. Through this work, we are strong supporters of all BVA/KC health screening programs and so all our dogs are health screened as advised and we have reare KC accredited breeders.
All our puppies that we produce are not only bred for looks but are intelligent, which we try and prove by taking our dogs to local shoots and entering the odd working test. They all possess the perfect biddable nature which must be demanded from a golden. Whether showing, working or a family pet a Stormford golden is the best friend in the world.
Who knows what the future will bring but lets hope we continue our success as our kennel grows steadily and with confidence….
