I was in my thirties before I owned a dog.
After properties around us were broken into Chris decided to get Sheba our first Samoyed. Never a guard dog she would open the door and let people in!
It was through our vet's suggestion that we joined the Samoyed Club. Our first show was at their Ch show. After a few more wins we were hooked on showing this wonderful breed. A stunning male owned by Heather and Ian Wilson led us onto obtaining our first male Ross from his breeder; Chrissie Andrews in Scotland.
Unfortunately what started as a stellar show career for Ross came to a tragic end when he was killed with both Chris and myself seriously injured when a drunk driver mounted the footpath whilst we were out walking our 2 dogs. This dramatically changed our lives but with the help of Joan and John Walsh we were able to get back to the show scene. We moved to the country where we established our kennel and registered our affix Rodina with the Irish Kennel Club named after a hotel we stayed at in Bulgaria. A female from Annecy Kennel [UK] became our first Irish Champion. This was the beginning of our rise from the late 1980s through the 1990s as the top Irish kennel.
Our first spitz was from the Lower Park Kennels in England bred by Lyn Westby. We went on to have the first puppy samoyed to qualify for pup of the year. We had the first samoyed to qualify for show dog of the year and the first japanese spiitz to qualify for the show dog of the year.
In 1991 we got our first keeshond and went on to breed a best in show keeshond he also was best veteran ALL BREED FOR 2 Years he was owned by Maureen and Brian Carroll. Rodina Midnight Legend died this year at the age of 12 year leaveing a gap in the Carroll household.
In 1986 we got Best In Show at the Samoyed club show with our Ch. Enchantment of Annecy out of the junior class.
In 1987 we did the double winning Best In Show at the Samoyed Club Show with the bitch Ir Ch Am Ch Can. Ch. Novaskaya Modesty Blaze and the Japanese club show with Ch. Jackenby Sasquatch.
In 1988 we did the double at the Saint Patrick’s Day All Breed Championship Show with our Samoyeds Ch. Snowwarren Broth of a Boy and Ir Am and Can Ch. Novaskaya Modesty Blaze.
We bred the top winning Samoyed Rodina Buzalgo owned by Jim and Mary Patton who was the top winning Samoyed through the 90’s.
We bred the Japanese Spitz Rodina secret formula owned by Shirley Johnston who won the Japanese Spitz club show on 4 occasions.
We also went best in show at the Japanese Spitz Club Show on 4 occasions with 4 different dogs.
When we moved to Spain we could not keep our kennel name Rodina as we were now under FCI rules and someone had registered the name Rodina in 1918. So we added Eires in front of Rodina that is why any stock born in Spain have the prefix Eires Rodina.
We now have a new puppy keeshond from Claude Grange in France and we are looking forward to showing her this summer.
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