SEALYHAM TERRIERS ~ Alice & Betty
ILMER TERRIERS - click for larger picture.....
Above photo copyright Charles Sainsbury Plaice 2011 not to be used without permission
For all enquiries please contact :
gail@gwestcott.wanadoo.co.uk
or call us on 07974948312
May 8th 2013 ~ First Country Fair of the season
We spent the Bank Holiday weekend in the glorious grounds of Althorp House where the Sealyham pack was on display both days .The weather was wonderful and the terriers were much admired ~ Here is a video clip of them parading with Hounds in the main arena .
Meeting the public
April 28th 2013 ~ A Stream of Sealyhams
The Working Sealyham Terrier Pack enjoying being back beside the river in the Devon countryside ~ the water was still too cold for us but as you can see the terriers didn't mind at all !
April 20th 2013 ~ Sealyhams in the Springtime
Spring has finally sprung !
The Sealyhams were delighted to have a day out on the edge of Dartmoor in the long awaited Spring sunshine.
March 20th 2013 ~ A Day out in Dorset
Last Saturday The Working Sealyham Terriers were invited for a days ratting in the wonderful Dorset countryside.
To read all about our day please take a look on
http://www.gunsonpegs.com/shooting/blogs/
under the heading 'Ratting with The Working Sealyham Terrier Club '
Hope you enjoy reading about it as much as we and the terriers enjoyed doing it .
March 13th 2013 ~ Crufts
Alice meets Olympic Gold Medalist Victoria Pendleton !
We had a wonderful time at Crufts this year with huge interest in the terriers who as always made us very proud.
To see the rest of the pics go to Crufts 2013
February 2nd 2013 ~
SEALYHAM NUMBERS ON THE UP !
Mabel is pleased to announce that for the 5th year in a row there has been an increase in Sealyham Terrier puppy registrations, with 76 pups registered with the Kennel Club in 2012.That is 13 more than the previous year and although only a small increase it is a step in the right direction.
Below are the K.C Breed Registration statistics for the last 5 years.
|
Year |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
|
Sealyham Terriers |
43 |
47 |
49 |
63 |
76 |
We will again be taking the pack to several country shows/events during 2013,so please come along and support us if you can,together we can and WILL Save Our Sealyhams .
Our 2013 events list is now on the Events 2013 page,but please do keep checking as we may add to / amend the list throughout the year.
January 18th 2013 ~ Sealyhams in the snow :)
7 month old Betty doing her snowball impression !
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Betty's brother Badger playing in the snow
Dilly and the snowman
Dilly's owners Sophie and Adam with their new dog !
Winnie The Snowdog !
We Wish You A Merry Christmas 2012
Celia's 1st Xmas
A very festive Daisy in Lincolnshire
Seasons Greetings from Bentley in Berlin
Happy Christmas from Pooh Bear in America
December 2012
News Update ~ Hitchcock Film Premiere
On December 9th we took some of the pack to London for the Premiere of the new film Hitchcock to try to get some publicity for the breed as there are 2 SealyhamTerriers in the film playing the parts of Alfred Hitchcock's, Geoffrey and Stanley
We left home at 4am with 5 Sealyhams and met Tizzie Craggs with her 2 Sealyham boys at the BFI Southbank where the premiere was due to be held.
We spent the day trying to secure a place to stand with the dogs but had no luck with the PR people as we were allowed nowhere near the Red Carpet ! Anyway we decided to place ourselves at the beginning of the Red Carpet where the celebrities would arriving by car.
On hearing that the officials wouldn't let the dogs on the Red Carpet the carpet supplier promptly put down a small piece of Red Carpet for the Sealyhams to stand on ! As you can imagine this immediately brought lots of attention their way and cameras were soon clicking.
When the celebs were due to arrive our carpet had to go so that the cars could turn round.
The first to arrive was Sir Anthony Hopkins,who when Tizzie called out to him turned and said 'aah Sealyhams,are they all yours ? well done,keep up the good work '
Next came Dame Helen Mirren who spotted the Sealyhams straight away making a beeline for us saying 'ah these are my real fans',she then chatted for 3 or 4 minutes and made a fuss of puppy Celia,who cheekily licked her on the nose ! She thanked us for bringing them along and took one of our cards.
The films director Sacha Gervasi and his wife stopped for about 5 minutes to chat and admire the terriers. He said if we had been in LA he would have used our dogs in the film ! They were very enthusiastic about the breed ( they have a miniature wirehaired Dachshund ) and they too took one of our cards saying that they would be in touch if they did a sequel or indeed if they ever needed terriers in a film.
So all in all it was a very successful day.
Our Sealyhams were filmed on the Red Carpet ,please take a look at this video clip and see them at the very beginning of the video/trailer of the Premiere.
The film is due to be on general release from 8th February and we can't wait to go and see it
December 7th 2012 ~Badger the Sealyham Pup
Today we received this photo of Badger aged 5 1/2 months looking very proud sporting his new haircut all ready for Christmas.
November 18th 2012
We awoke this morning to a beautiful,sunny ,frosty day and could not resist taking the pack for a lovely walk along the riverbank.After all the grey,wet days of late it made a refreshing change not to be knee deep in mud !
Sealyhams go to London ~ November 2012
On Remembrance Sunday,November 11th,we took some of the pack to London.
After an early start at 2.00am, we picked up Nigel and travelled to Earls Court for the Discover Dogs event .
On arrival we had a couple of hours to prepare the stand before the doors opened to the public at 10.00am.
The event provides a fantastic opportunity for visitors to meet, greet and discover over 200 different breeds of dog, and learn all about the distinctive personalities, traits and looks of each breed and how to buy the perfect canine partner.
Our Sealyhams were hugely popular and the stand was crowded all day with old and young alike queuing to have a chat and hug a Sealyham !
The terriers were perfectly behaved and particularily enjoyed the company of all the children eager to meet them.
Below : Doris enjoying some attention and above, Ethel having a hug
The Sealyham Creche !
When the doors closed we packed everything away again and began the long trip back to Devon arriving home about 11.00pm,exhausted but happy after another successful day promoting our amazing breed.
August 8th 2012 ~ Vintage Ratting !
In this weeks issue of the Shooting Times magazine ( 8th August ) there is a wonderful article written by Simon Whitehead ,who joined us for a great days ratting in Suffolk earler this year.
To read the article in full go to our Sealyhams in The Spotlight page
Latest News July 12th 2012
We have been informed today that the CLA Game Fair at Belvoir Castle due to start next Friday has been cancelled due to the adverse weather conditions affecting the site.
We are of course very sad not to be going as it is the best possible place to promote our wonderful breed to the country loving public but hopefully next summer will be kinder to us all.
We are looking forward to attending the Festival of Hunting at Peterborough next Wednesday ( 18th July ) which has been confirmed as definately going ahead.
This event is held mainly indoors so will be unaffected by the weather and is a real treat for any lover of hounds and hunting,please do come along and support us if you can.
To cheer us all up on these rainy days we have a short clip of the Sealyhams on exercise in the sunshine :)
We will keep you posted on any further changes thay may be made to our Summer plans.
JULY 5th 2012
The Working Sealyham Terrier Club had a fabulous week away in Norfolk and Suffolk.
We displayed the pack for 2 days at the very busy Royal Norfolk Show and were delighted to take part in the Hound Parade in the Grand Ring on both days where once again the Sealyhams proved to be a great hit with the public.
We also had 2 glorious days out in the Suffolk countryside ~ a great day by the river dispatching rats and we were extremely fortunate to be invited to go ratting around an old fashioned threshing machine,a rare opportunity that we will not forget in a hurry ~ The terriers had a fantastic time, as did we all ! ~ a sunny day,good company and excellent vermin control ~ what more could we ask for :)
Images of our week away were captured by photographer Karen Davison-White and can be viewed on :
http://www.photoboxgallery.com/karendavisonwhiteimages under the headings :
Ratting with friends on a Saturday afternoon in Suffolk 30-6-12
Sealyhams in Aldeby Suffolk 29-6-12
Norfolk Show~Hound Parade 26-6-12
The whole week was organised by our good friend Tizzie who we are eternally grateful to for her continued help and support and we are already looking forward to next years trip to Suffolk.
Molly, our Country Life cover girl celebrates her 1st Birthday on a day out in the countryside .
JUNE 2012
A PERFECT JUBILEE WEEKEND BY THE RIVER
Very Exciting Xmas News !
December 25th 2011 ~ Sealyhams on Sky News
To see the Sky News Report that was screened throughout the day
on Christmas Day 2011 please click on the link below
http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16137071
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=y8E-Pe3Yv8A
A short video clip of our Sealyham Pack...
Christmas News Update 2011
Following the success of the Country Life article in October we were approached by Sky News and the Sealyham pack and our 8 Sealyham pups were filmed for a small piece to be shown at the end of Sky News on Christmas Day.
There is also a lovely photograph of the puppies in this weeks Double Christmas issue of Country Life magazine ( Dec 14th ) and we are very grateful to them for all the wonderful coverage.
We also have the Country Life front cover shot of our pup Molly available as a greeting card ~ see website for details.
Thanks to everyone who has supported us in 2011 and we look forward to a great 2012 with the Sealyhams.
Best Wishes from Harry ,Gail . & all at W.S.T.C
News October 2011
It is not every day that we get great publicity for the Sealyham, but this month is spectacular. The article in Country Life is a must for all Sealyhams and potential Sealyham owners. If you have come on to this site as result of the article, or other articles in the Daily Mail or Daily Telegraph please feel free to browse and if you would like to support our efforts to Save Our Sealyham, please just register your email address in the column on the right - the more the merrier!
SEALYHAM NEWS UPDATE!
We are very excited to announce that there will be an article on the Sealyhams in next weeks Country Life magazine ~ with our Sealyham puppy Molly on the front cover. We had a great day at Cothelstone Manor in Somerset with our hosts Nigel, Finny and Jack Muers-Raby for the photo shoot, which took several hours and a lot of patience !
The magazine is on sale 26thOctober and will hopefully raise the profile of our wonderful breed.
We have had a good summer promoting the pack at the country shows and Game fairs and would like to thank everyone who has shown their support by coming to see us and joining the club to help Save Our Sealyhams.
We will be sending out a more detailed newsletter very soon.
Hope you enjoy the magazine.
Very Best Wishes
Harry, Gail, & all at W.S.T.C.
For W.S.T.C Membership enquiries please email gail@gwestcott.wanadoo.co.uk.
SAVE OUR SEALYHAM
SOS
I would like to say a big THANK YOU to everyone at the Country Life for helping me to make the public aware of how dangerously vulnerable the Sealyham Terrier really is.
The response that we have had from the Country Life article already tells me that beyond doubt all that I have been trying to do over the last 10 years has been truly worthwhile.
The concern and interest for this breed has prompted me to write this letter as a plea for help, as I sadly fear it may be the last chance I get to promote the Working Sealyham on this scale. Gail and I have done all we can, but with the right help and support coupled with our knowledge and experience, we feel the Sealyham could be in a much safer position. ~ This might sound like begging but if that's what it takes then so be it - I am not too proud to ask for help as it is the only option I have - and the Sealyham can't ask for it themselves .
What we really need is the facility and space to be in a position where we could breed the right type of Sealyham which is the small, active type that Sir Jocelyn Lucas would be proud of.
The feedback we have had about Sealyhams we have bred is extremely encouraging which again makes it all worthwhile.
We feel that the future of the Sealyham relies upon introducing some new bloodlines from overseas to use as an outcross and to widen our gene pool. Armed with this knowledge and with fresh and enthusiastic input from whoever is willing to help I know that we can and WILL save the Sealyham.
Not only will we be saving a terrier of the highest order but we will also be preserving a piece of Merry Olde England - as anyone who has spent a summers day in the English countryside beside a glorious river with the only pack of Working Sealyhams in existence will gladly verify.
If you haven't yet read the article in Country Life please do. If you as a company or a person think you may be able to help in any way, shape or form to rescue this breed, please get in touch because if the sad day comes when it is too late to save the Sealyham we would hate to
think that there may be someone who could have helped, but didn't because they were unaware of the plight of the Sealyham.
With help we can continue to breed, work and display the pack all year round. So if there is anyone who can help we look forward to hearing from you. Let us not allow the Sealyham to become retained only in our memories and lost forever in the mists of time.
Please contact me on gail@gwestcott.wanadoo.co.uk or on 07974948312
Many Thanks
Harry Parsons
Did you know the Queen once favoured Sealyhams?
Click on the picture to see some famous people with their Sealyhams - including Cary Grant, Alfred Hitchcock and Princess Margaret.
Don't forget to have a look at Dave's Diary of Winnie - his working Sealyham pup from Harry.
Winnie's Diary http://www.mysealyhams.com/page20.htm
Check out these articles in The Telegraph, the Daily Mail, and, of course the online version of the Sealyham article in Country Life
MAY 22 2011
We are very pleased to report that Flo ( as mentioned in the April newsletter ) now has a litter of 5 Ilmer Terriers puppies, born on Easter Monday. They are 4 weeks old and are all doing extremely well. For any information on this litter please call Harry on 07974948312.
Latest: April 2011
We are pleased to announce that little Meg is doing very well after giving birth to a healthy dog puppy a few days ago.the Father being Charlie the Ilmer Terrier on the far right hand side of the photo on the website.I have also lined Charlie with Flo and she is expecting pups in 2 weeks time.This is my next step forward in the breeding programme for the Ilmer Terriers.We are hoping for small dog terriers from these matings to put back across small purebred Sealyhams with the intention of keeping the size down and bringing them as near to the old fashioned working type of Sealyham as possible.
We are still receiving excellent feedback from Ilmer Terrier owners who are all very happy with the breed and cannot speak highly enough of them.
As and when there are any Ilmer or Sealyham pups available we will of course keep you informed.
LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN 2011
Hello Everybody
2010 was a very eventful year.We held our first official meet on the River Chelmer in Essex which was well attended and deemed a great success.As a result of this we will be meeting again in Essex and having a weekend meet in Suffolk as well as our regular visit to Sealyham Mansion in September.We will email the dates as soon as finalised and hope to see as many of you as possible.
The first event of the year will see us promoting the pack for 4 days at Crufts from 10th-13th March,Saturday 12th March is Terrier Day ,so please do come along and support us if you can~ we will be on the main Eukanuba stand.
We have just received the official breed registration results from the Kennel Club for 2010,and the good news is that there was a slight increase although very small ~ 49 Sealyham Terriers registered in 2010 ( 47 registered in 2009 ).17 of these were bred through our club.Hopefully 2011 will see more Sealyhams being bred.
The CLA Game Fair is being held at Blenheim Palace ,22nd-24th July and we will be there with the pack in the Terrier Pavillion.When we have the dates for other country shows we will let you know.
Through attending game fairs and country shows we get to meet and vet future owners of Sealyham and Ilmer Terriers which means that our pups end up in the right homes.
Now for an update on the Ilmer Terriers as over the Xmas period we received lots of emails and photos of these wonderful little terriers of which there are now 19.
As mentioned before we bred this way about 25 years ago and kept one or two pups back as working terriers,the rest went to pet/companion homes.As time went on and the pups were seen by the public,the interest grew but unfortunately due to work commitments I didn't have the time to keep up a breeding programme.It has always been an ambition to reproduce the type of terrier that would have been seen before 1920.
Whilst at the country shows we have had the pleasure of being visited by descendants of Sir Jocelyn Lucas who were very complimentary about our efforts to revive what for them was merely a memory and they assured us that Sir Jocelyn would most certainly approve.
From a maintenance point of view the Ilmer Terrier requires less grooming than the pure Sealyham and from the small amount that we have bred it seems they are a very active,healthy little terrier that will excell at most country pursuits.as well as being a loyal companion.
I can't stress enough their amazing ability to use their intelligence whilst working,they seem to take a great pleasure in letting you know that they are not just working for you but working with you and after a hard day in the field you will feel nothing but pride for your terrier.
Like the Sealyham he is a terrier that loves the company of people including children and should be included in family life as much as possible.The bond that is created by him to his family cannot be explained,it needs to be experienced.
In the breeding of these terriers we are not introducing anything new or alien to the Sealyham makeup,just adding a dash of what was already there 120 years ago.
It is my humble opinion that in order to recreate the Sealyham of old we need to go backwards before we can go forward.This is not a new fangled cross breed with some fancy name ,but a good old fashioned all round working companion as you can see in the above photo.
This breeding programme is a very slow process (which suits us ) but the feedback that we receive from the few owners makes it very worthwhile.
Last but not least I must point out that by opening the gene pool and out crossing at least every 4th generation and with careful selective breeding this terrier should not suffer genetic problems.With the use of commonsense and a good eye for a good type the apple should not fall too far from the tree.
Below are some photos of Frank & Kristines Ilmer Terrier puppies which are now 7 weeks old.
For more information regarding Sealyham or Ilmer Terriers please call Harry on 07974948312 or email gail@gwestcott.wanadoo.co.uk.
Best Wishes For 2011
Harry Parsons
Happy 2011 ALL!
We look forward to seeing and hearing from you. Click below to get pictures of our annual meet at the end of the summer in Sealyham, Pembrokeshire. If you have a Sealyham you might want to join us?????