In discussing the Smooth's, we have not dwelled on the Hayward's' interest in other breeds and this will have to be rather condensed I fear.

For example, Trevor recalls winning best veteran at Blackpool Ch Show with the ten-year old Rough, Ch Dundrennan Melody.  From her he had bred Ch Foxearth Fella who was sold as a puppy for the princely sum of £20 and later went to Indonesia for Trevor suspects, considerably more.

There is also a Polish Lowland interest at Foxearth and in this breed Foxearth-bred stock have already made an impact in Scandinavia.  Swedish/Danish Ch Ludworth Snowman at Foxearth, by the Hayward's own Foxearth Fable, won BIS at the first club show held in Sweden under a Polish specialist at ten months.  the judge apparently commented: There is only one thing wrong with this dog... I wish it had been imported from Poland rather than Britain!"

Their latest export to Sweden. Foxearth Fire Streak,  won a certificate at its first show.  However the Hayward's have not been enamoured of the politics within the breed in the UK and do not see themselves getting further involved in showing the breed here.

It was inevitable that at some stage Birgit would be tempted back to her original love, Dachshunds, and a few years after arriving in Britain she decided that a Miniature Wire would be a good idea.  She heard of a litter locally and went along to take a look at them as they has some quality breeding behind them.

A bitch puppy was brought and it was planned to use a stud dog who lived rather far away.  however, when the day arrived, there was much snow around and long distance travel was not an option.  After a phone call to a Dachshund friend, it was suggested that Birgit should take the bitch to a dog in nearer Leek, owned by John Green of the Daxenes.  She was reluctant to ring up and ask if she could bring a bitch that very day, but the owner of the dog - Ch Daxene Red Arkle - was most obliging.

They duly arrived and were shown the champion father and son but Birgit really like an unshown male who had never been used before.  She asked of they could try the young dog, and they tried, and tried... but to no avail.  Birgit was a little taken aback when Mr Green suggested that they should take the dog home with them and try at their leisure! So they did, kept him for a week, returned the dog and when asked what they owned as a stud fee were told; Give me a tenner"!

They kept a bitch, but later lost her dam following a caesarean.  The early attempts to breed good Min wires were plagued by caesareans and poor coat texture, so when a friend of Birgit's in Sweden offered her a bitch who had already produced a top winning dog and bitch in two different litters, she jumped at it.  Enter Giss Snurran - for nothing, as her owner had been helped by Birgit so much in the past (She had sent her the first two Lancashire Heelers in Sweden, and later some early Jack Russells) that she considered it a favour.  Snurran had been BOB four times at the big Stockholm show, so this was no mean favour!

Snurran was imported in whelp, produced a dog and a bitch, and was later shown to get her Stud Book number.  She was later mated to Ch Drakesleat Easy Come and produced Ch Foxearth Fusileer at Drakesleat.

A Snurran daughter, Foxearth Ronja Rovardotter, also produced well when mated to Drakesleat studs.  Mated to Ch Drakesleat Speak Easy she produced Foxearth Free Speech.  She was in turn mated to Ch Guinness of Drakesleat to breed Foxearth Flibbertigibbet.

When she was mated back to Foxearth Bysen Rovarson, litter brother to Ronja, Zena Thorn Andrews had a puppy called Foxearth Freemason of Drakesleat who was a CC winner and top sire in the breed for two years (producing among others Ch Drakesleat Art Frob, considered by many to be the best Drakesleat ever) and who was later exported.

Other Foxearth bitches have gone to Drakesleat where they have complemented Zena's breeding programme with great success.  The Hayward's also had from Zena one of the famous 'Dog World' bitches, Drakesleat Liz Cartridge, and when she was mated to Bysen Rovarson produced Arf 'n' Arf Drakesleat who won her title.

Birgit has since imported two more Min Wire males from Sweden, one of them - Fabian at Foxearth - siring Ch Foxearth Fat Chance (ex Free Speech) who gained her title and winning BIS at the Wirehaired Dachshund Club 2000.

Birgit continues to import Min Wires selectively and recently has obtained Dualis Uomo at Foxearth from that brilliant Swedish-based Finnish breeder, Markku Moilanen.  He should help the breed here no end.

In 1993, during its twenty-fifth anniversary year, Birgit was honoured by the Swedish Collie Club who presented her with one of their prestigious 'Gold Awards' for services to the breed, these awards having to have the approval of the Swedish Kennel Club.

This was in recognition not only of the excellence of stock the Hayward's have exported to Scandinavia, but the years which Birgit spent sitting on the club's breeders' advisory panel when she was still living in Sweden.  This panel of three would advise when members wished to breed from their bitches, as to the dogs they should consider and the direction they should take.

The Hayward's are free, open people who talk about their dogs factually and modestly. Despite the fact that they have never used Roughs in their Smooth breeding, they admit that they get the occasional Rough cropping up which is then sold without papers as a pet.  Their principles are obvious - they attach great importance to temperament and soundness, are keen to breed the best and will use whatever dogs they feel will give them what they want.

Trevor and Birgit have a solid partnership where they share goals and ideals.  You get the impression that great success and records have merely happened to them, rather than being the result of an overwhelming desire to be 'Top' this, that or the other.  More important to them is that they can breed beautiful dogs and put them in the right hands.

Ambitious breeders are often reluctant to let the best go. Trevor proves that sometimes it can pay great dividends.  After all, he not only got one of his best dogs back, but a wife too!

The Story continues................

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