Sulhamstead Mary, born in 1946 by Ch. Ouborough McCarthy of Boroughbury ex Sulhamstead Cassandra, was the first post-war bitch CC winner and in 1949 became the first post-war champion. At the first Crufts after the war (in 1948) Mary's brother, Monty, won the dog CC and he became a champion in 1950.
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| Ch. Sulhamstead Mary | Ch. Sulhamstead Monty |
Also in 1950, a CC was won by Sulhamstead Felcara, who won a second in 1953 but never became a champion. Her first litter was to Ch. Sulhamstead Monty, and whelped in 1950 (despite her having hard pad at the time), from which came Fronde and Falla, shown here aged 3½ months:
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At Crufts in 1951, Mary's three offspring by Artel Clontarf won three of the top four awards, with Majenta winning the dog CC and BoB, Manilla the reserve dog CC, and Mesa the Reserve bitch CC. Majenta became the first Sulhamstead to win the Graham Shield, given for Best of Breed at the Irish Wolfhound Club Show held in conjunction with the LKA. He was BoB at Crufts in 1952 but sadly had to be put down later that year at the young age of four years. He had won a total of 5 CCs. Manilla won 1 CC, in 1952.
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| Ch. Sulhamstead Majenta | |
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| Sulhamstead Manilla | |
In 1952 Mesa won BoB and the Graham Shield at the Club Show/LKA and in the next two years won many more awards. She was mated to the American import, Rory of Kihone (a gift from his breeder, Miss F. Jeanette McGregor, to the British Club to help with the breed's problems after the war) and produced Manna and Melba.
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| Ch. Sulhamstead Mesa | |
| Melba and Manna at 8 weeks |  |
At this time Mrs. Nagle was in partnership with Miss Marion Clark, and in 1955 Mrs. Nagle became chairman of the Irish Wolfhound Club and Miss Clark the Treasurer.
Another bitch mated to Rory was Sulhamstead Felcara. She was by Sulhamstead Cosmo, one of the single wartime litter, out of Artel Felclarion, a daughter of Sulhamstead Fella, and was born September 26th, 1946.
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Sulhamstead Felcara |
From her litter, born 14 May 1953, came Fellus and Freda and in 1954 these two won all five classes at the Brighton Show, with Freda going BoB, at the ripe old age of eight months. Later in the year, at Reading and Richmond, Fellus was BoB and then Freda won the CC at Birmingham and Fellus at the LKA, where he was also BoB and winner of the Graham Shield.
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| Fellus at 5 months | Ch. Sulhamstead Fellus |
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| Ch. Sulhamstead Freda | |
Mesa won the bitch CC at this show (the LKA), and Manna (Mesa's son) the Reserve dog CC. A littersister of Fellus and Freda, Sulhamstead Felrose, went to Mrs. Van Brunt of the Riverlawn Kennels in America and became a champion in 1956.
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Am. Ch. Sulhamstead Felrose of Riverlawn |
At Crufts, 1955, Sulhamstead hounds won both CCs (Manna and Freda, with Freda BoB) and Reserve CCs (Fellus and Melba).
In 1956 (August 26th) Ch. Sulhamstead Melba had a litter by Ch. Sulhamstead Fellus, which included a dog which was to take America by storm. He was owned by Mrs. Groverman Ellis and became Am.Ch. Sulhamstead Matador of Killybracken. He achieved his title in May 1958 and, during his show career, won 9 BIS at all-breed shows, 21 Group Firsts, ten Group Seconds, three Group Thirds and one Group Fourth. He was BIS at the IWCA Specialty in 1960, sired six champions, and died in October, 1963.
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| Matador winning the IWCA Show, 1960 | Am.Ch. Sulhamstead Matador of Killybracken |
In 1957 at Crufts, Sulhamstead took both CCs with Freda again winning BoB and Fellus the dog CC. At the Club Show/LKA Manna went BoB for the second year running.
| Sulhamstead Manna born September 7th, 1953 |
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In 1958 the Sulhamsteads won all seven classes at Crufts, with Freda taking the bitch CC for the fourth consecutive year and Manna BoB. Sulhamstead Sedlestan Rebel won the dog CC. His sire was the import, Am. Ch. Cragwood Barney O'Shea of Riverlawn and his dam Sedlestan Rona (a daughter of Majenta)
| Ch. Sulhamstead Sedlestan
Rebel, born 22nd September 1955 |
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Rebel became a champion in 1958 at WELKS, where the Sulhamsteads again carried off both CCs and Reserves. Sulhamstead Meld (later sent to Sweden) won the bitch CC, with Melba the Reserve, and Marco took the Reserve Dog CC.
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Ch. Sulhamstead Marco by Ch Sulhamstead Fellus ex Ch Sulhamstead Melba, born August 28th, 1956 |
Marco became a champion the same year at Southern Counties, where Freda won BoB and Reserve BIS. In 1959 Manna took BoB at Crufts and was among the finalists for BIS. At this time the group system had been introduced. Just to get these wins into perspective, there were only eight sets of CCs for the breed each year.
In 1959 Mrs. Nagle judged the American Irish Wolfhound Specialty Show, held on Friday, May 22nd in Red Bank, New Jersey
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| BIS - Ch. Brogan of Hillaway, C.D., Mrs. Nagle, and BOS - Ch. Brickeen of Hillaway |
Also in 1959 - July 3rd - Sulhamstead Replica had a litter by Ch. Sulhamstead Sedlestan Rebel, from which came Sulhamstead Rena.
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Sulhamstead Rena |
In 1960 came the prize every breeder and exhibitor dreams of - Sulhamstead Merman, aged 17 months, went Best in Show at Crufts. The breed judge at this show was Henry Fottrell, an all-rounder and chairman of the Irish Kennel Club. The group judges were Joe Braddon and Enid Nichols, and the BIS judges Bert Lloyd and Fred Cross. Merman was by Ch. Sulhamstead Sedlestand Rebel ex Ch. Sulhamstead Melba. Mrs. Nagle always said that Merman was not her best hound, and that it was just her turn to win, but she was never inclined to consider her achievements on merit.
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| Ch. Sulhamstead Merman, when he
won Best in Show, Crufts 1960 |
Merman at home |
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The presentation of the trophy
for Best in Show at Crufts, 1960. Mrs. Nagle with Sulhamstead Merman |
Ch. Sulhamstead Sedlestan Rebel died later in 1960. Although Mrs. Nagle did not consider him one of her best hounds, he sired Merman, Mystic (4 CCs, gained her championship at eighteen months of age) and Remus (1 CC and several Reserve CCs). At the LKA, 1960 Sulhamsteads again took all four top awards, with Mystic winning the Bitch CC, Merman BoB and Reserve BIS, Mirth the Reserve bitch CC, and Remus the Reserve dog CC.
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| Ch. Sulhamstead
Mystic (It does not seem possible these photographs can be of the same bitch, but they are) |
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| Sulhamstead Mirth | Sulhamstead Remus |
Also in 1960, at Birmingham National, Sulhamstead Max won the CC and BoB from the Novice class, and then went on to Reserve Best Hound. Max was by Fellus out of Mystic and proved himself a superb sire. Mrs. Nagle said he had that gift of uplifting everything bred to him. Max took his second CC at Southern Counties in 1961, again with BoB and this time he won the Hound Group. At the Club Show/LKA, 1961, Merman and Mystic again took the CCs, with Merman BoB, and Max won the Reserve dog CC. Mrs. Nagle judged the breed at Crufts in 1961, so there were no Sulhamstead wins.
In 1962 Mrs. Nagle took in a bitch puppy from a litter bred by Elsie James, by Merman out of Ballykelly Biddy Mulligan of Boroughbury, born February 12th. This bitch became Sulhamstead Kelly of Boroughbury. On February 15th of the same year, Sulhamstead Media (born 6 September 1958 by Ch Sulhamstead Sedlestan Rebel ex Ch Sulhamstead Melba) had a litter by Ch. Sulhamstead Max, from which were kept Sulhamstead Marty and Sulhamstead Myrtle.
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Sulhamstead Kelly of Boroughbury |
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| Sulhamstead Myrtle | Sulhamstead Marty |
On August 28th, 1962, Sulhamstead Mona (Ch. Sulhamstead Sedlestan Rebel ex Ch. Sulhamstead Melba) had a litter by Max, from which came Sulhamstead Misti.
| Sulhamstead Misti |  |
In 1962 Merman again took BoB at Crufts, with Max getting the Reserve dog CC and Mirth (Ch. Sulhamstead Fellus ex Sulhamstead Mona) the Reserve bitch CC. Max gained his championship at WELKS.
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Ch. Sulhamstead Max |
Mrs. Nagle said of Max that she preferred him to Merman and that he was beautifully balanced with the kind of strong, good hound conformation - good shoulders, nice spring of rib, low hocks, typical head and a great sire. She felt he was second only to Conncara as a sire and that the best of his progeny was Match. She liked short-coupled hounds for breeding, as she thought they always proved their worth over the longer bodied hounds in this respect.
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| WELKS, 1962: Marion Clark with
BOS Ch. Sulhamstead Mirth, Judge Miss Norah Hartley, Mrs. Nagle with BoB Ch. Sulhamstead Max |
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| Birmingham Show, 1962: Sheelah
Seale with BoB McGilligan of Ballykelly, Judge Bill Siggers, Mrs. Nagle with BOS Ch. Sulhamstead Mirth |
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Updated 3/20/2006