SIMON PARSONS 26/6/2018 RL
Over the last couple of weeks I’ve come to dread looking at FB, opening a message or taking a phone call, for there seems to have been so much tragedy affecting individual people or dogs in our community, or scary news items which may affect the dog world’s long-term future.
Then yesterday came the worst, news from one of the breeds in which I have a special interest and which has left the entire breed community reeling with shock and disbelief.
Although there is a nucleus of highly talented breeders of Bull Terriers in the UK, I don’t think anyone would deny that over the last 20 years or so the leader among them has been Russell Lamonby of the Emred kennel.
A relatively young man seemingly in the prime of his life, he was at the peak of success in the breed, both in terms of his own achievements in the show ring and through the influence, both in Britain and around the world, of the dogs he produced.
To hear news of his sudden death, just a couple of days following his most recent show ring triumph, is numbing and horrifying, and one can only imagine what his mother Doreen, who shared his passion for his breed and played a big part in the breeding of the dogs, his children and family must be going through.
When like me you have been following many breeds (and the dog world in general) closely over several decades, you watch the progress of the various breeders who emerge onto the show scene. Some of them come into a breed, enjoy a certain amount of success, then when the going gets tough find other interests and that’s it. A few develop a long-term commitment to their breed, and gradually work their way up to the top. A select elite develop a distinct and unique type and style in their dogs and leave an indelible mark on breed progress. Russell was one such.
My first memory is of a keen youngster, I guess in his early 20s, showing and making up Ch Brobar Joker of Emred, bred by Arthur and Joyce Miller. You could not have wished for better mentors than this couple who had the ability to turn out great dogs year after year, as if by magic, and several of the famous kennels which followed them owed much of their success to Brobar. And it was from Brobar lines that came the first dog bred by Russell and Doreen to make a big mark, Am Ch Emred Top Gun of Brobar, a significant sire in the States.
But it was a not until about ten years later that British enthusiasts discovered Russell and Doreen’s great talent for breeding when they came up with Ch Emred Devil’s Chance, a clever, indeed inspired combination of the lines of the day, as well as tracing back to his Brobar foundation.
I suspect breeders of many types of terrier will know that much of the battle in breeding them is to combine a short back and general compactness with a good reach of neck and the right angulation and shapeliness that is pleasing to the eye in the show ring. To my mind achieving this, first in Chance and subsequently in his descendants, was Russell’s great achievement.
He and Doreen also had the knack of knowing when to incorporate an extra dose of substance into their very shapely dogs so that they weren’t simply beautiful outlines but had the breed’s unique type and strength as well. Add to that superb head type as well, and in many cases very good movement too – all this the Emreds achieved in generation after generation.
Chance, incidentally, was a smallish dog – perfectly acceptable in this breed which has no size limits – and his virtues were also incorporated successfully by some breeders of Miniature Bull Terriers.
From then on, by clever line-breeding in the time-honoured fashion, Russell and Doreen bred a succession of super champion males, Huntsman, Daredevil, Devil’s Spy, Devil’s Advocate, Devil’s Tri-Star, most of them also highly successful stud dogs too. He won a group with Ch Bilston Blackjack of Emred and with Huntsman and I’m sure some of the others could also have won groups had they been campaigned for longer.
He occasionally showed a bitch too, and for me the ultra-feminine Ch Emred Devil’s Essence was one of the most beautiful I have ever seen, followed closely by the equally shapely Ch Emred Night Fever.
This year he had emerged with another young star, Emred Dikram Devil’s Brew, rapidly making him up, and just days before the tragedy he had won his fourth consecutive CC with his sister reserve in bitches.
The breed is famous for its unique trophy shows and Emred had in recent years an unparalleled record at these events. I’ve lost count of how many Regent Trophies and Ormandy Jugs the kennel and its progeny have won but the record books will tell the story.
Like all serious breeders Russell was always looking forward to the next generation and recent FB posts showed his latest litter of pups and a young dog who in his photos looked sure to become the kennel’s first brindle champion.
Since the news appeared on FB there have been countless tributes from Bull Terrier people around the world showing the respect they felt for Russell and reminiscing of happy times when his enthusiasm and positivity were always evident.
I know it will take everyone involved with the breed a very long time indeed to come to terms with this loss and one can only hope his family will take some comfort from the sincerity of all the tributes.
Over the last couple of weeks I’ve come to dread looking at FB, opening a message or taking a phone call, for there seems to have been so much tragedy affecting individual people or dogs in our community, or scary news items which may affect the dog world’s long-term future.
Then yesterday came the worst, news from one of the breeds in which I have a special interest and which has left the entire breed community reeling with shock and disbelief.
Although there is a nucleus of highly talented breeders of Bull Terriers in the UK, I don’t think anyone would deny that over the last 20 years or so the leader among them has been Russell Lamonby of the Emred kennel.
A relatively young man seemingly in the prime of his life, he was at the peak of success in the breed, both in terms of his own achievements in the show ring and through the influence, both in Britain and around the world, of the dogs he produced.
To hear news of his sudden death, just a couple of days following his most recent show ring triumph, is numbing and horrifying, and one can only imagine what his mother Doreen, who shared his passion for his breed and played a big part in the breeding of the dogs, his children and family must be going through.
When like me you have been following many breeds (and the dog world in general) closely over several decades, you watch the progress of the various breeders who emerge onto the show scene. Some of them come into a breed, enjoy a certain amount of success, then when the going gets tough find other interests and that’s it. A few develop a long-term commitment to their breed, and gradually work their way up to the top. A select elite develop a distinct and unique type and style in their dogs and leave an indelible mark on breed progress. Russell was one such.
My first memory is of a keen youngster, I guess in his early 20s, showing and making up Ch Brobar Joker of Emred, bred by Arthur and Joyce Miller. You could not have wished for better mentors than this couple who had the ability to turn out great dogs year after year, as if by magic, and several of the famous kennels which followed them owed much of their success to Brobar. And it was from Brobar lines that came the first dog bred by Russell and Doreen to make a big mark, Am Ch Emred Top Gun of Brobar, a significant sire in the States.
But it was a not until about ten years later that British enthusiasts discovered Russell and Doreen’s great talent for breeding when they came up with Ch Emred Devil’s Chance, a clever, indeed inspired combination of the lines of the day, as well as tracing back to his Brobar foundation.
I suspect breeders of many types of terrier will know that much of the battle in breeding them is to combine a short back and general compactness with a good reach of neck and the right angulation and shapeliness that is pleasing to the eye in the show ring. To my mind achieving this, first in Chance and subsequently in his descendants, was Russell’s great achievement.
He and Doreen also had the knack of knowing when to incorporate an extra dose of substance into their very shapely dogs so that they weren’t simply beautiful outlines but had the breed’s unique type and strength as well. Add to that superb head type as well, and in many cases very good movement too – all this the Emreds achieved in generation after generation.
Chance, incidentally, was a smallish dog – perfectly acceptable in this breed which has no size limits – and his virtues were also incorporated successfully by some breeders of Miniature Bull Terriers.
From then on, by clever line-breeding in the time-honoured fashion, Russell and Doreen bred a succession of super champion males, Huntsman, Daredevil, Devil’s Spy, Devil’s Advocate, Devil’s Tri-Star, most of them also highly successful stud dogs too. He won a group with Ch Bilston Blackjack of Emred and with Huntsman and I’m sure some of the others could also have won groups had they been campaigned for longer.
He occasionally showed a bitch too, and for me the ultra-feminine Ch Emred Devil’s Essence was one of the most beautiful I have ever seen, followed closely by the equally shapely Ch Emred Night Fever.
This year he had emerged with another young star, Emred Dikram Devil’s Brew, rapidly making him up, and just days before the tragedy he had won his fourth consecutive CC with his sister reserve in bitches.
The breed is famous for its unique trophy shows and Emred had in recent years an unparalleled record at these events. I’ve lost count of how many Regent Trophies and Ormandy Jugs the kennel and its progeny have won but the record books will tell the story.
Like all serious breeders Russell was always looking forward to the next generation and recent FB posts showed his latest litter of pups and a young dog who in his photos looked sure to become the kennel’s first brindle champion.
Since the news appeared on FB there have been countless tributes from Bull Terrier people around the world showing the respect they felt for Russell and reminiscing of happy times when his enthusiasm and positivity were always evident.
I know it will take everyone involved with the breed a very long time indeed to come to terms with this loss and one can only hope his family will take some comfort from the sincerity of all the tributes.