I first met Gwen Broadley when she married Frank Truslove and came to live at Lower Shuckburgh almost 50 years ago. Frank was Allan Taylor’s uncle and Allan and I were best friends. We both loved dogs and soon became regular visitors to the Sandylands kennel. Although Gwen was over 50 years old by this time she did not seem old to us because she was so modern in her outlook and had so much energy; she was always doing something and always planning for the future of her kennel.

Allan and I were soon helping out with the dogs and doing chores around the place and, although I did not realise it at the time, I was absorbing the kennel routine, her animal husbandry and Gwen’s approach to dogs and the show scene in general.  Later, as Gwen became less active and was no longer able to work around the kennel, I took over many of the daily tasks, yet it never occurred for one moment to alter anything. Right down to the present day, the whole kennel routine, even to the way we feed the dogs, exercise them, receive visiting bitches and their owners is based on Gwen’s example. I am very keen to maintain this continuity at Sandylands as it enters its 75 years as a kennel. Gwen is no longer with us and I miss her and her wise advice so very much, but the kennel and the way she ran it continues and this will be the case as long as I have anything to do with it. I cannot begin to explain how much I owe to her.

Before she died, Gwen made it clear that she would like Sandylands to continue after her time. Mr.Garner Anthony offered me a partnership and it was thought best to have three partners, Mr.& Mrs.G.Anthony and myself, in the prefix and the kennel. It was decided to move the kennel to Napton Fields Farm, a short distance from old Sandylands. The new Sandylands has a range of farm buildings and some 76 acres of land. The kennels are built within the farm buildings which shelter them from the harsher elements of winter and they are cool in summer. The runs have cover and are plenty big enough for the dogs and there are well-fenced fields for free exercise. We have two ponds to which the dogs have access at all times except when ice makes it dangerous for swimming. Napton Fields Farm has the facilities to keep a very big kennel of dogs but we try to keep numbers down so that each dog can have individual attention.

Napton Fields Farm

During the period of transition after Gwen’s death a number of top winning dogs were taken to their titles. Ch.Sandylands My Guy and his son Sh.Ch.Sandylands Gad-About were made up during Gwen’s lifetime. They have proved to be important stud dogs with Gad-About the sire of a number of top winners in the ring today. The neat black bitch, Sh.Ch.Sandylands Lovebug was bred by Gwen and Mr.G.Anthony but was made up after Gwen’s death. From Betty Howard we had Sh.Ch.Tapeatom Ginantonic at Sandylands, Gwen saw Ginantonic as a puppy; many respected judges feel that Ginantonic is as good as any of the top Labradors taken to their title at Sandylands over the years. Ginantonic won a Gundog group. Gad-About’s yellow son Sh.Ch.Tapeatom Gadding Around at Sandylands took his title very easily. The black male, Sh.Ch. Rockabee Blue Peter at Sandylands was a little slower to make up to a champion, but he is proving a useful stud dog.

L to R:

Sh.Ch.Tapeatom Ginantonic at Sandylands, Sh.Ch.Sandylands Love Bug, Sh.Ch.Sandylands Gad-About, Sh.Ch.Sandylands Gracia, Sh.Ch.Rockabee Blue Peter of Sandylands &Sh.Ch.Tapeatom Gadding Around at Sandylands.

All these dogs go back to the original Sandylands born in 1929, Juno and Jerry. I am very proud of this unbroken line back through the generations. I will always try to maintain this link with the original dogs but recognise that from time to time outside blood has to be introduced into Sandylands. At present our dogs are heavily influenced by the lines down from Ch.Sandylands My Guy and Sh.Ch.Sandylands Bliss especially through Gad-About. However, a slightly different line was introduced when I took Sandylands Gratitude, a sister to Gad-About, to Mr.& Mrs.J.Palmers’ Jayncourt Star Striker who had some older Sandylands blood close up in his pedigree. Sandylands Star Shine came from this mating and she is the mother to the youngsters, Sandylands Gentle Touch and Sandylands Grace.  Mrs.Marion Hopkinson used Gadding Around on her Sh.Ch.Rocheby Powder Blue and she kindly let me have Rocheby Purple Shades at Sandylands and I eventually mated her to Sh.Ch.Rocheby Whisky Mac to produce two top winning youngsters in Sandylands Wait And See and Sandylands Wait Awhile. It is my intention to integrate these fresh lines into our Sandylands breeding programme so that, hopefully, I can maintain the type and quality in the dogs that has long been associated with Sandylands. In bringing in new blood and then incorporating it into our existing lines I am following the example that Gwen set on a number of occasions over the years.

Sh Ch Tapeatom Ginantonic At Sandylands winning her 14CC at the Three Ridings LRC under judge Mr Moray Armstrong and  BIS under Referee Mrs M Rooth

Sh Ch Sandylands Wait And See	Sh Ch Sandylands Wait Awhile
Sh Ch Rocheby Whisky Mac X Rocheby Purple Shades At Sandylands
Doing the Double - Winning both CCs at the Three Ridings Championship Show 2006

I would like to put on record my thanks to my partners, Mr.and Mrs.Garner Anthony of Hawaii, U.S.A. for their continuing support and encouragement which allows me at Sandylands to strive to maintain the high standards set by Gwen Broadley.

The Sandylands kennel is not a commercial kennel, we do not breed litter after litter just for sale. The breeding is undertaken when new stock is required for the benefit of the kennel. Of course, some puppies are for sale from time to time but there is a waiting list for Sandylands puppies and many, many more people make enquiries for puppies than we can ever supply with young stock. Similarly, the stud dogs are not at public stud but are available to approved bitches only. We will not allow the stud dogs to be overworked and, unfortunately, on occasions, this means bitch owners are disappointed. Over the years, Gwen was asked many times to allow Sandylands dogs to be loaned or leased for periods of time but she would not do it. We intend to maintain this policy and no Sandylands dogs are available for loan or lease and will not be in the future.

I try to follow Gwen’s example in having the health and welfare of the dogs as a major priority. Good temperament is very important and the kennel has all its adults tested for hip and eyes.

In the time since Gwen’s death in February 1999, the Sandylands Labradors has been very successful in the ring. Since Gwen’s death to date - December 2006 -Sandylands Labradors have won 41 Challenge Certificates, 29 with Best of Breed, 32 Reserve Challenge Certificates, one Gundog Group 1 and two Gundog Group 4s and at the present time is the home of nine Show Champions.
We are proud of these wins; they have been achieved with nine different dogs. I hope that Gwen would be proud of our successes.

Sh Ch Sandylands Gad-About	Sh Ch Rockabee Blue Peter of Sandylands

	In training at just 5 weeks old Sandylands Gentle Touch at Lembas X Sh Ch Sandylands Wait Awhile