Bonnygate Pointers

Blaze won the Challenge Certificate and Best of Breed at Bournemouth 2002 (judge Maggie Northcott) where he also went 3rd in the Gundog Group (judge Peggy Grayson); his 2nd Challenge Certificate was won at Bath 2006 (judge Zena Thorn-Andrews); his 3rd Challenge Certificate at East of England 2007 (judge Geraldine O'Driscoll), and he also has 4 Reserve Challenge Certificates - Gundog Society of Wales 2002 (John Sheridan); Border Union 2005 (Julie Organ); Paignton 2005 (Malcolm Kent) and Driffield 2005 (Barry Welham). He won Top Dog at The East Anglian Supermatch in 2001. He is a proven Stud Dog. He is sired by Sh. Ch. Ferndel Fabian From Panoply ex Bonnygate Euro Lady (Top Brood Bitch for 2006). Blaze won Best Veteran in Show at The Pointer Club Championship Show 2007 where he challenged litter sister Rosie as she won Best Veteran Bitch.

Rosie is litter sister to Blaze and won her 3rd and qualifying Challenge Certificate at Gundog Breeds Association of Scotland 2005, judge Barbara Theobald. Her previous Challenge Certificates were won at Gundog Society of Wales in 2002 under John Sheridan, and East of England 2005 where she was also Best of Breed, under Peter Gouldson. She won a 4th Challenge Certificate at Bath 2006 under Zena Thorn-Andrews where she also won Best of Breed and went on to be shortlisted in the Gundog Group. Rosie gained her 5th Challenge Certificate at Pointer Club of Scotland 2006 under Pamela Tibbs where she also went on to be Reserve Best in Show. Rosie also has 4 Reserve Challenge Certificates - Paignton 2002 and LKA 2004, both judged by Liz Rigby, East of England 2006 judged by Lynette Knowles, and Manchester 2007 judged by Jill Anthony. Rosie was bred here at Bonnygate but is owned in partnership by Linda Wilson and Linda Skinner. Rosie won Best Veteran in Show at The Pointer Club Championship Show 2008.

Impi is sired by Bonnygate Gunns Choice ex Bonnygate Holly Lady. He has had a successful show career to date having gained Reserve Challenge Certificate at Southern Counties 2005, judge Glyn Anthony. Impi won Puppy Group 3 at National Gundog Society Championship Show in 2004. Impi's litter brother, Karen Lockwoods' Bonnygate Indian Chief at Lockenna continues his winning ways in the show ring.

Impi is a proven Stud Dog and a puppy from his first litter (ex Hookwood Liberty Belle) attended his first Show and won not only Best Pointer Puppy but also the Gundog Puppy Group. His name is Birchleith Barbican Beau and he is owned by the breeders, Colin and Chrissie Beesley. Barbican Beau has gone on from his illustrious start to win Best A.V.N.S.C. Gundog Puppy and got down to the last 4 for Best Puppy in Show at Boston Championship Show. He then went on to win Best Puppy in Show at The Pointer Club Championship Show. Litter brother, Birchleith Bow Bells, won Best of Breed, Gundog Group and Best in Show 4 recently at Retford Open Show. STOP PRESS! Barbican Beau won his 1st RCC at National Gundog Championship Show 2008 in a super entry, judged by Janet Drake.

Impi's daughter out of Raigmore Cutty Sark (Raigmore Let It Shine) has started off her show career with 1st Minor Puppy Bitch at The Pointer Club of Scotland Open Show, followed by 1st in Minor Puppy Bitch at The Pointer Club Championship Show, 1st Puppy Bitch at The Scottish Kennel Club (May) Championship Show, 2nd Minor Puppy Bitch at Birmingham National Championship Show, 3rd Puppy Bitch at Border Union Championship Show, 1st Minor Puppy Bitch at Blackpool Championship Show and 2nd Puppy Bitch at South Wales Championship Show. She then went on to win Best Puppy in Show at The Southern Pointer Club Championship Show, and then 1st Puppy Bitch at National Gundog Championship Show, 1st Puppy Bitch at Scottish Kennel Club (August) Championship Show, 1st Puppy Bitch at Darlington Championship Show and 1st Puppy Bitch at Driffield Championship Show.

He has also been mated to Lokmadi Grace O'Malley (Yvonne & Malcolm Kent) and the puppies from this mating have just been born.

Diana is sired by F. T. Ch. Fernglen Fez ex Bonnygate Gunn Carriage (litter sister to Blaze and Choice). Only lightly shown, she is being trained for Field Trials, and her litter sister, Joanna Blowers' Bonnygate Just A Madam for Deadaway, has already won a Puppy Stake at the summer trials, and a Guns Choice award in the spring trials. Maddy has just won a Certificate of Merit in the Pointer Club of Scotland Open Stake, and has gone on to win two more Guns Choice awards at the spring trials 2007.

Diana has been inseminated with frozen semen from the Kinnike kennel in the United States and produced a lovely litter of 4 on 15th February.

BONNYGATE EURO LADY, who is now 14 years old, was Top Brood Bitch for 2006.

Bonnygate has been involved with Pointers since acquiring their first Pointer in 1977. This was Cumbrian Kruger (James of Crookrise ex Cumbrian Black Satin) obtained from the late George Holliday. Our next Pointer was Dorabells King Arrogance (Eaglesham Sirius ex Debbie of Crookrise) from Doris & Louis Costello. Then in 1979 came Cumbrian Sea Chieftain (Sh. Ch. & Braz. Ch. Crookrise Rio ex Cumbrian Sea Gail). Chiefie became the foundation, along with Cumbrian Diana (James of Crookrise ex Cumbrian Sea Shell), of the Bonnygate Pointers. Both these dogs came from George Holliday and are behind all the present day Bonnygates. Chiefie gained 1 Challenge Certificate and 1 Reserve Challenge Certificate in the show ring, and Diana her Stud Book Number. Both these dogs had the temperament valued by the Bonnygates today. Chiefie sired Sh.Ch. He Man.

Our first litter by Chiefie out of Diana produced B. All Mischief, Reserve Challenge Certificate winner, and the next produced B. Border Chief, Reg. PAT-Dog. and K.C.G.C.

Pointers kept in the intervening years have been B. Chief Gunn J.W. (sire of Sh.Ch. Swandance Signet) and his litter sister B. Call Me Madam, Reg. PAT-Dog; B. Dark Chieftain (Stud Book entrant) and his litter sister B. Devil Woman, K.C.G.C.

Over the years Stud Dogs used have been Fernglen Forester F.T.Winner; Penebeck Nijinsky; Bonnygate Chief Gunn J.W. (Fernglen Forester ex Bonnygate All Mischief); Sh. Ch. Vossmead Gambler Of Crookrise; Sh. Ch. Ferndel Fabian From Panoply (twice); Bonnygate Gunns Choice (Sh. Ch. Ferndel Fabian From Panoply ex Bonnyagte Euro Lady); and F. T. Ch. Fernglen Fez.

Sh.Ch. Bonnygate Gunns 'n' Roses (owned in partnership with Linda Skinner) has 5 Challenge Certificates and 4 Reserve Challenge Certificates. Rosie is litter sister to Blaze, Choice and Carrie.

Bonnygate strive to produce Pointers which can win in the show ring, and can also give a good account of themselves in the field. We also endeavour to breed healthy dogs and to this end we have just experimented by having Choice and Impi's hips x-rayed. We are delighted with the result: Impi (Bonnygate Imperial Choice) has a score of 3-2; and Choice (Bonnygate Gunns Choice) has a score of 5-3 which are both excellent scores. We have now had Blaze's (Sh.Ch. Bonnygate Gunns A Blazing J.W.) hips scored and they are 4-5 which is another excellent score, particularly at the age of 7 years old.

Bath Championship Show 2006 was an unforgettable day for the Bonnygate affix where we did the double in style. BONNYGATE GUNNS A BLAZING J.W. won the Dog Challenge Certificate and litter sister Sh.Ch. BONNYGATE GUNNS 'N' ROSES won the Bitch Challenge Certificate and Best of Breed, going on to be shortlisted in the Gundog group! The breed judge was Zena-Thorn Andrews, one of the UK's top all round judges.

More photographs of the Bonnygate gang can be seen in the individual Show Results.