Lireva - The History
Chapter One – Let’s Start at the Very Beginning
Lireva was registered as an affix in 1972 by my parents. They had bought a Sammy as a pet and started showing him. A couple of years later they bought a bitch and when she was 2 years old prepared to breed a litter and registered the affix in preparation. The Kennel Name is Averil, both my Mum’s & my first name spelt backwards – it seems obvious to us, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t pick this up. It has been totally appropriate as over the years Lireva was very much a Mother and Daughter kennel with my Dad happy to be the one who stayed home and looked after everything there.
It wasn’t long before Poms were added as I had pestered and pestered to have my own small breed. My first Pom was bred by the Harrison & Atfield sisters but we registered her Café Au Lait of Lireva. I lost her shortly after her first show at 6 months old when she picked up rat poison on a walk. I was a young girl and I was devastated.
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At the show we had met Dot Hay of the Haysholm kennel and at the next show she asked Mum, who was there showing the Sammies where I was with my Pom. When Mum explained Dot, one of the kindest people it has been my pleasure to call a friend, said I’ll find something for her. She did and Crufts qualified Dolores of Glasnaionn of Haysholm was soon sleeping on my pillow and I was taking her to shows. Dot was the best mentor a girl could have and she and Mum became firm friends. Dot’s guidance certainly set us off in the right direction as some time later she rang Mum when a 12 month old boy, ‘well bred’ carrying Andersley and Hadleigh lines, she told us but “up to size and he’s not the best colour” (Wolf Sable) was looking for a new owner having mated his sister…. He was Pippitty Bo of Lireva he did pretty well in the ring, winning out of Limit, which in those days, particularly with an unfashionable colour and a novice kid handling (there were no children in the breed at that time at all except me) was very good. But it was as a sire he proved his worth, sound typy puppies always an improvement on the mums, he saved his best till his last litter of all when he produced Ziggy – Ch Lireva’s Shooting Star.
Dot also let us have a small orange puppy who was later to become our first Champion – Ch Haysholm Swell Fella from Lireva. She also advised, after we had taken his title, to do what virtually all breeders in those days did. A gentleman from Hong Kong wanted to buy him at Crufts and paid what at the time was well on the way to the price of a new car…… He was sold and, as promised, his new owner sent pictures and stayed in touch with us for the rest of Pesky’s long and successful life, the gentleman could not have done more and obviously loved him. I cried myself to sleep for a few nights and then made a decision way back then that I have remained true to right to this day. No Pom is ever sold from Lireva because of the price offered or without careful thought. I know I can’t keep them all, but since that time I have always allowed myself a generous number of oldies, the special ones, who live with me all their lives. My Poms are my pets as well as my show dogs.
Coming soon Chapter 2 – Girls Girls Girls
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