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My love affair with beagles started in 1986 thanks to my daughter Julie. After going to the shows with me and showing an interest while I was showing my Labs, I decided when she was 12 years old that she could have her own dog. Having looked around the rings she thought a beagle would be a good choice. After I had a look I thought, “ small, short coat, should fit in fine with the labs”....little did I know what I was letting myself in for! So along came “Echo” (Norcis Idress) a blanket tri boy with a mind of his own. He wasn’t the easiest of dogs to train, but full of character (I could write a book about the things he got up to.) He did a lot of winning at Championship shows and Open shows and always showed great up to a ripe old age of 15 ending his carreer by winning Best Veteran dog at the Beagle Club Champ show.
Next came “Magic”(Norcis Night Magic) - she was a very sweet beagle who loved everyone. She was not shown much as her movement was never right after she hurt her leg at 4 months - but she still managed to get her stud book number. We had her for 16 years and she gave us a lot of pleasure.
I then went to see a litter of pups with Mrs Isobel Miller that was sired by her dog Ch Mistylaw Chuckle of Millmar JW (“Mac”) with no intention of having one. That was until I saw and fell in love with a tan and white puppy called Dorabell Galaxy. “Holly”was the snob amongst my beagles, always thought she was better than the others. I’m sure she went around all day with her nose in the air! She was a great show girl who had a presence about her that made people notice her and we had the joy of owning her for 16 years.
Katherine Cooper (Caurniehill) used Echo at stud producing a litter of ten bitches, one of which I kept - Caurniehill Rainbow. Again ”Megan” was not shown much as she did not like the ring, but of all the beagles I have owned she was the most biddable one - loved to please you , could do nothing wrong.
It was then I decided to breed my own ( first and last!) litter, so I mated Caurniehill Rainbow (Megan) to Haughmill Sergeant Pepper. From the resultant litter of six I kept two boys - Cachalot Magician (“Merlin”) and Cachalot Batchelor Boy (“Butch”). They both had very impressive show careers and, at 16, they are now both enjoying their retirement.
Craigmount Almost an Angel at Cachalot (“Cass”) was the next one to join our gang. She ALMOST lived up to her name, and at 11 she is also enjoying her retirement.
Then came my present day show team ; Annavah Gallant at Cachalot (“Copper”), Craigmount Creag Pitridh (“Inca”- as well as showing she also enjoys going to the beagle racing), and my tan and white baby Craigmount Touch of Gold at Cachalot (“Abbey”) - she is the cheeky one, and so far her successes include two Best Hound Puppy wins and a Best Puppy in Show. Over the years they have given me a tremendous lot of fun. Beagles past (the ones that are now in doggy heaven - I know there is a doggy heaven, otherwise why would GOD spelt backwards be DOG ?) and the present, whether showing, walking or going on holiday with the gang. Little did I know when I got that first beagle 20 years ago that I would fall head over heels in love with them.
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