Having just moved to the Val de Cèze it was necessary to change my style of hunting. Learning from the experience that I had with Vickie, the French Spaniel bitch, it seemed logical for me to have a retriever. But which one?
The passion for Labradors…Thank you Céline, Valerie and Jean Pierre.
Having just moved to the Val de Cèze it was necessary to change my style of hunting. Learning from the experience that I had with Vickie, the French Spaniel bitch, it seemed logical for me to have a retriever. But which one?
Having always been careful and a methodical, it was not a question that unduly worried me. During my first year in the Val de Cèze I visited various shows and field trials, organised by the Retriever Club of France, trying to identify the characteristics of the various breeds and decide which one would suit me.
 Very quickly I developed a fondness for Labradors; after studying their temperament and aptitude for work it seemed to me that they would be well suited for the rather difficult hunting conditions found in the hills and river banks of the Val de Cèze. I also observed the Labradors expressive glance towards its master, which can make you forget that they are not only your companion for that instant but for life.
Benefiting from this period of observation and from my discussions with Jean Pierre Andre, a well known judge of working dogs and owner of talented Labradors, I finally made my choice. I chose a small Labrador bitch named Opale from the kennels of La Plaine de Lavau.
She was from the famous Jarnac de la Plaine de Lavau, a dog which literally flew over the working tests in the nineties and in 1999 finished its career by taking the title of the “Beau et Bon”.
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Throughout the training of Opale, I kept in touch with Jean Pierre Andre and his wife Marie Noelle who helped with my education in the art of raising dogs. At the same time Jean Pierre introduced me to Céline Bourgue and Valerie Monmagnon, who were Labrador enthusiasts and well informed about breeding them.
The knowledge and enthusiasm of Céline and Valerie increased my passion for Labradors. Valerie helped me to understand the real difficulty of selection when breeding; Céline helped me acquire all the rudiments and subtleties of raising dogs, of control in working tests, whilst at the same time passing on hints as to how to achieve the best in shows.
Here the history started for me. The continuation is perhaps a little more traditional, with moments of joy and others of sorrow, but more than ever my passion for Labradors grew. I am fully motivated and determined to select and produce good and beautiful Labradors, whilst not forgetting to be attentive to their behavioural balance.
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Passion has many virtues but does not make it easier to obtain excellent results; therefore I think it is unwise to be too passionate. Breeding remains a very subtle science and is not easily controllable. The enormous competition in the show ring and in field-trials forces us to remain humble in an activity where perfection remains inaccessible.
May 17, 2005 Patrick TALMANT Début de l'article : Labradors - not by chance |
