JANET Morris has almost as many awards in her house as dogs. That's because she has just scooped best breeder and three of her ten dogs won first prize at the world-famous Crufts competition held over the weekend.
Janet, who lives on a small farm in Goytre, with husband Stuart and daughters Rebecca and Anna, has been breeding dogs for over 20 years. Her dogs are an unusual breed, Chesapeake Bay retrievers who originate from America.
At the event on Sunday the working gundogs took home first places for the best dog, Penrose Puntgun-ner Game Scout (pet-name Tan), best of breed and best bitch, Penrose Amazing Grace (pet-name Grace), aged three. The best puppy award went to 11-month-old Penrose Keen As Mustard who lives in Somerset.
Penrose Harbourmaster (pet-name Gloucester), who is 20 months old and was born in quarantine in Bristol, took away first place in the post-graduate class.
Penrose Amazing Grace, who won best bitch this year and last, is following in her grandfather's footsteps by winning the best of breed away which he won for six years in a row until 2000.
Veteran dog, Puntgunner, aged nine, Grace's granddad, only came home last Tuesday after 18 months in America and Europe but this did not stop him impressing the judges to take the best male award.
Janet was one of the first people in the country to breed the American retriever and saw them as a challenge in entering them in competitions.
Janet said: "I am delighted that they have done so well." And as for the secret of her success, she said: "It takes a lot of hard work and dedication. You have to love the dog and want to be successful. I would have bred cows or horses, but you can't fit them in the car."
As well as entering her dogs in competitions, Janet also travels to different countries as a judge and has previously been a Crufts judge.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article