We are Scottish but have lived in Sussex, England, for the past 22 years. Our home is only 10 min. drive from Gatwick Airport. I retired from business in 1998 and Margaret from teaching in 2002. We currently have 28 Chihuahuas, a Harlequin Great Dane, a Golden Retriever and a British Blue cat.  

 

 

The family picture is with six Champions including three generations of S/C i.e. String of Pearls, Miles Better and Better by Far and his sister Smiles at Ballybroke.

I have been involved with Chihuahuas since I bought my first one in partnership with my mother in 1960. Prior to this we had bred Welsh Corgis (Pembroke), also bred and showed Yorkshire Terriers.

We registered our prefix Ballybroke in 1960, had our first litter of Chihuahuas in 1961 and first showed this breed in 1962 which was the year I married Margaret and she got involved with me in breeding and showing. For a number of years we also showed Pomeranians.  I now judge Poms at Champ Show level.

We made our first Champion up in 1968. I judged the breed at Championship Show level for the first time in 1974. Since then I have judged many times in the U.K. including both varieties at Crufts.  I have judged the breed in Australia, Belgium, Finland, Holland, Japan, South Africa, Sweden and the U.S.A.  In Australia it was their first ever National Specialty and I had a massive entry of 362. Before going I did not know that they had that number of Chis in Australia. I think I am correct in saying that I still hold the record entry for The Chihuahua Club of America National Specialty, which I judged in 1993.

Nowadays, Margaret is only involved with the dogs when I am not available to look after them. She used to show and was Secretary of the Chihuahua Club of Scotland, for a number of years, but retired to the back room when we moved south. We have two daughters and two grand children. Our daughter, Alison at the age of twenty, was the youngest ever to be passed by the K.C. to award C.Cs in Chihuahuas.