Sulhamstead

The later years - 1977 to 1988

Mrs. Nagle did not find her time in America one of unalloyed pleasure, and she missed her family, so she finally returned home. She actually moved into a bungalow behind Westerlands, instead of into the main house. She had retired from her chairmanship of the Ladies Kennel Association in 1977 after 18 years in the post and was then elected president of the Association, a position she held until her death.

I think these next photographs were taken at Windsor, 1977 but if any of you know differently, please let me know. The photographs were taken by Ros Cramphorn and I am grateful to her for the loan of them.

The Open Dog class: Roy Hollis at the back, Marjorie Saunders with Erindale Triston and Mrs. Nagle with Sulhamstead Motto

The Open Dog class: Mrs. Nagle standing second in the line with Motto, judge Margaret Harrison going over Marjorie Saunders' Erindale Triston, Susanne Hudson standing fourth in the line.

A slightly different view of the Open Dog class

Motto had been left behind at Westerlands and in 1977 he won four more CCs at Paignton, South Wales, Hound Association and Leicester City. His sister Moya won two Reserve CCs and her daughter, Mira, won a CC at Darlington.

Motto from an advertisement in Dog World Annual, 1980 (in which he was incorrectly named as Sulhamstead Monitor)

Sulhamstead Mira

Early in 1978 Mrs. Nagle was proposed by Mr. W.J. Rasbridge and Mr. Stafford Somerfield as a member of the Kennel Club. She was turned down, because women were not allowed to be members of the Kennel Club. Mrs. Nagle, however, was not going to go away quietly. She started a case under the Sex Discrimination Act of 1975, although this was not universally popular even among the members of the Ladies Branch of the Kennel Club who were afraid they would lose their privileges. The case was heard but the decision was that it was not unlawful for her application for membership to have been refused. However, the Industrial Tribunal did encourage Mrs. Nagle to continue the battle and the Equal Opportunities Commission said they would finance her . The General Committee of the Kennel Club decided discretion was the better part of valour and decided to recommend to the membership that women should be allowed to join, although at first they tried to put off any changes for two years. However, in the event the changes went through quite quickly and the first women members were elected in February 1979. Mrs. Nagle was voted by Dog World their Woman of the Year.

In 1978 Seplecur Meg of Sulhamstead (bred by Gordon Crane by Motto ex Ch. Seplecur Meghan) won her first CC from Novice at City of Birmingham Show. She had also gone Reserve in the Puppy Stakes at Richmond. Her litterbrother, Mercury, was also at Sulhamstead and both were to become Champions.

Meg	Mercury

That same year Mrs. Nagle judged the Irish Wolfhound Club of Canada Specialty at Montebello, Quebec

Mrs. Nagle with her Brace winners, Nanci M. Oleske's Am/Can.Ch. Seplecur Grey Ghost & Can.Ch. Seplecur Red Coral

In 1979 Mrs. Nagle was interviewed by Muriel Bowen and the interview appeared in The Sunday Times under the heading "A Life in the Day of Florence Nagle", which can be seen here.

On August 16th,1980 Mrs. Nagle judged at the Irish Wolfhound Association of New England Specialty, where Rosemary Wortman's Redtops Eirena was BoB.

Mary Jane Ellis and Mrs. Nagle	Mrs. Nagle and her Reserve Winners Dog - Wild Isle Avis Stargazer

Meg had to wait until 1980 for her second and third CCs, at Leeds and Richmond. Her showing career spanned eight years and she won in all 13 CCs and 5 Best of Breeds. Her last CC was won at the age of eight at the LKA. She was the 50th Sulhamstead champion. Her brother, Mercury, won his first CC at the LKA in 1980, where he also went BoB and Reserve in the Hound Group. In 1981 he won the CC at Three Counties and Bournemouth.

Ch. Seplecur Meg of Sulhamstead

Ch. Seplecur Mercury of Sulhamstead

In 1981 Motto died. He had won 12 CCs. Also in 1981 Mrs. Nagle founded the Irish Wolfhound Society, of which she was president until her death.

The Officers and Committee of the newly formed Irish Wolfhound Society

In Dog World Annual, 1981 Mrs. Nagle took an advert with photographs of Meg and Mercury and also of Sulhamstead Moya, the housepet, with her friend the cat. Moya was Motto's littersister. At this time she was eight years old.

Part of the advertisement read "The Irish Wolfhound used to be known as one of the soundest of the big breeds but unfortunately now one could not claim this honour. Quantity not quality has resulted, and a lot of pet quality puppies have been sold as show specimens and we see in the showring many poor movers and hounds of bad conformation, and temperaments are not what they used to be. I do beg the up and coming breeders to only breed from the best and soundest." FLORENCE NAGLE

Shalfleet Myron of Sulhamstead was born on 6 February 1981 by Ch Seplecur Mercury of Sulhamstead ex Shalfleet Cloth of Gold, and bred by Barbara Wilton-Clark.

Shalfleet Myron of Sulhamstead as a puppy

In 1983 Lainston Laodamia of Sulhamstead (bred by Sue Holmwood by Shalfleet Myron of Sulhamstead ex Dawn of Seplecur) started her show career, winning two Best Puppy in breed at championship shows. In 1984 she won the CC and BoB at Border Counties, and again at Birmingham City. She gained her championship at Southern Counties, 1986, with BoB and the Hound Group.

The young Lainston Laodamia of Sulhamstead at home

Ch. Lainston Laodamia of Sulhamstead, handled by Marjory Williams, taking the Hound Group at Southern Counties, 1986, under Prince Husain

Mrs. Nagle had been associated with the Ladies Kennel Association for more than fifty years, as a committee member, then vice chairman, chairman, and latterly as president. In 1984 at the luncheon held to mark the LKA's 80th year, Mrs. Nagle was given a presentation by John MacDougall, chairman of the Kennel Club. November 16th, 1984 was Mrs. Nagle's ninetieth birthday.

Mrs. Nagle with Lainston Laodamia of Sulhamstead & Seplecur Meg of Sulhamstead in front of her beloved Bentley

In 1985 she judged Best in Show at Crufts, which she gave to a Standard Poodle.

Mrs. Nagle giving Best in Show at Crufts, 1985

At Crufts she was also introduced to Prince Michael of Kent and to the Irish Guards mascot,  Connor. The following picture appeared in Dog World Annual 1985:

Mrs. Florence Nagle, the grand old lady of dogdom, celebrated her ninetieth birthday this year, as full of drive and energy as ever. At Crufts she met Prince Michael of Kent who was visiting the show; here they admire one of her favourite breed being used as a regimental mascot. (Dog World Annual, 1985)

A delightful photograph of Mrs. Nagle with Ch. Seplecur Meg of Sulhamstead (left) and Lainston Laodamia of Sulhamstead which appeared in Dog World Annual, 1985

By 1985 the kennel had been reduced to four hounds.

Mrs. Nagle in the garden with Meg and Laodamia in 1986

The last year of her life was a particularly sad and dramatic one, with the sudden death of first her son, David, and then her great friend of more than 30 years, Tom Fidler (partner with Bill Marriott in the Mapleton kennel). She also had a fall and fractured her hip, which kept her mostly confined to a wheelchair and unable to get about as much as she would have wished, which she found hard to bear.

She attended the championship show of the Irish Wolfhound Society at the end of September, 1988 and was full of plans for her move to a bungalow with superb views over the Sussex countryside and for attending the LKA show in December. The move was delayed by the need to have the grounds well fenced so her two Irish wolfhounds could run free and she did not get into her new home until her 94th birthday, just a few days before her death. She loved the new house, had thoroughly enjoyed her birthday, and was looking forward to the future. She died on October 30th, 1988 and her funeral was on November 7th at St. Mary Abbot Church, Sulhamstead, in Berkshire.

At the time of her death she was a Vice President of the Kennel Club, something that would have been impossible before she took up the cudgels on behalf of women. She was not, however, a feminist and did not agree with women being given special treatment. What she did believe in was that everyone should have the opportunity to excel, regardless of gender.

In all, Sulhamstead hounds won 255 CCs, Mrs. Nagle gave CCs in the breed in 1930, 1932 and 1938 at Richmond; 1934, 1949, 1962 and 1978 at L.K.A.; 1935 at the Kennel Club Show; 1939 at Manchester; 1952 and 1966 at WELKS; 1961 and 1970 at Crufts; 1968 at Peterborough; 1973 at Windsor; 1974 at Leeds; 1975 at the SKC.

Updated 11/17/2015