About

Then came the ladies, one had caught Nigel’s eye named Anne! At this time Nigel had stopped showing dogs and sold his horses, so time was well spent with Anne and in 1974 they married and decided to keep a dog. Sarabande was in its infancy, as the couple decided to register a kennel name. (This name was taken from a three-piece suite furniture catalogue, with a second choice of a kennel name being Asconti)

Nigel and Anne had purchased an English Setter which was followed in 1977 by a small white ball of fluff a new breed in the UK known as a Bichon Frise, this was for Anne to handle at shows and she became part of not only this kennels history but a much larger history was to unfold for Ch Glenfolly Silver Lady Of Sarabande, in fact at her very first UK Bichon Frise club open show she won Best Bitch Puppy, Best Puppy, Best Bitch and Res Best In Show.

This bichon during her show career made significant history in the UK dog game as in 1980, she was the first ever UK CHAMPION achieving her first CC at Crufts awarded by Lionel Hamilton Renwick, her second at UK toy dog awarded by Terry Thorn and her third at Birmingham National awarded by Andrew Brace.

Followed by Shandwick Jack Frost at Sarabande, was the first CC winner in Welsh springer Spaniels for the Sarabande kennel, Sh Ch Shandwick Kristoffer At Sarabande who finished in 2008 as Top Dog in the breed with 11 CC’s and Sh Ch Shandwick Premier Rose at Sarabande JW SH CM who achieved 9 CC’s and in 2014 was Joint Top CC Winning Bitch.

Sh Ch Shandwick Premier Rose at Sarabande JW SH CM is the foundation of all SARABANDE dogs today. Rose produced all her litters from AI including an Australian Champion, American Grand Champion and English champions as well as some very good progeny to cement good breed type, temperament and more…

Next on the Sarabande adventure came the English Springer Spaniel Trimere Total Eclipse Over Sarabande which made up to Show Champion.

Judging for both Anne and Nigel started in August 1979 At The Metropolitan Borough Of Dudley open shows headed by Secretary Mr Ray Blackmore. Although, They both judged matches and exemption shows prior to this.

Anne awards CC in Bichon Frise and Welsh Springer Spaniels, her first CC appointment was at SKC in 1989 and she had the honour of Judging the breed at Crufts in 2013. Anne has completed judging appointments for Toys in Norway and Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

Nigel is passed to Judge Championship show level GUNDOG GROUP (Championship show level) and has judged In Sweden, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Finland and the USA. He awards CC’s in English Setters, Irish Water Spaniels, Clumber Spaniels. Welsh Springer Spaniels, English Springer Spaniels, Weimaraner’s, American Cocker Spaniels, Cocker Spaniels, Italian Spinone, Irish Setters, Irish Red and White Setters, German Shorthaired Pointers, Golden Retrievers, Pointers, Large Munsterlanders, Curly Coated Retrievers, Bracco Italiano’s and Brittany Spaniels. Nigel’s first CC appointment was in English setters at the Leicester Championship Show in 1992.

Rose’s pup Sarabande Sweet Nothings (AI) Also pet named as Rose, has made breed history, Rose was exported to the STATESMANS kennel in Atlanta, USA where she was campaigned by Meghen and Susan to her title of American Grand Champion.

Rose was exported to Susan & Meghen of the Statesman’s kennels Atlanta USA as a young puppy, her debut in the American show ring came when she was a puppy at the AMERICAN SPANIEL CLUB SHOW where she awarded Best Puppy Sweepstakes. The following year she attended the same show as a young adult and was Winners Bitch (similar to CC winner) at the Welsh Springer Spaniel Club of America Specialty under Mr Sam Houston Macdonald. By the end of that same month she gained all that was needed for her AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP title, including Best of Breed wins over existing champions.

We had planned to have Rose attend the 2019 Crufts show, and had temperature considerations as well as the rigid UK import requirements. But all on “Team Rose” hoped to try for her GRAND CHAMPIONSHIP title before having her cross the pond again. She amazingly completed this title in five straight shows, each with 5-point majors (the most points that can be gained at a single show)

Nigel and Anne re-imported Rose (2) and she returned to the UK on the 8th Nov 2018, so preparation started for Crufts in 2019 and they successfully campaigned her to gain her UK Show Champion title during that year this is the only welsh springer spaniel to be re-imported as an American Grand Champion to become UK Show Champion.  Rose followed in her dam’s footsteps and entered the ring in the UK when she won the BCC with Best of Breed at Crufts on 7th March 2019, with Nigel handling.

Rose is Co-Owned by Meghen Riese-Bassel (Statesmans Kennels) and Anne Worth (Sarabande)

Sarabande is planning a few more litters from frozen semen that they have in storage before they finish their plans for the breed and hang up the hat…

Any interested parties should make contact to register their interest and watch the litterbox page for further and updated information.