history
History
Dogs have always been a part of my life, my earliest experience of exhibiting was at the age of four with the family wire fox terrier at a local fete. However, I took a more serious approach when I grew up and initially did a little bit of competitive obedience during the late 60s and early 70s with my Labrador and Cocker Spaniel. I became involved with breeding when I decided to have pups from one of my spaniels. Unfortunately she suffered from “fading puppy syndrome” and only ever produced one surviving puppy who wasn’t of sufficient quality to show.
It was then that I had my first English Setter

Hurwyn Chorus Girl (picture) arrived at Mariglen in June 1979 and she was to be the foundation of my kennel and is behind all Mariglens today.
She had a classic pedigree for line breeding, her grandfathers were the famous litter brothers Sh Ch Suntop Starling and Sh Ch Suntop Nightingale (exported to Sweden).

Hurwyn Chorus Girl had a reasonable show career, though never quite making the big time and she only ever had one litter.
Mated to the influential Hurwyn Flight Master in 1981 she produced the lovely blue belton bitch Sh Ch Mariglen Highlight (picture).
Highlight was a winner of 6 challenge certificates, her first along with BOB won at Crufts in 1985 and RBIS at Gundog Society of Wales first championship show. She was BIS at the English Setter Association championship show in 1986.

Highlight produced five show champions from three litters, a record held jointly with Sh Ch Tattersett Was I Right.
Her first litter to the all Hurwyn bred dark blue belton Keningale Adonis Blue produced the blue belton bitch Sh Ch Mariglen Silent Prayer (picture).
Silent Prayer was a winner of 5 challenge certificates

Highlight was subsequently mated to Sh Ch Latest Dance At Bourenhouse and produced
Sh Ch Mariglen Pace (picture) (winner of 6 challenge certificates & Elswood Progeny Salver winner 1996),
Sh Ch Mariglen Precious Gift to Gemsett (winner of 4 challenge certificates),
Sh Ch Mariglen Prelude at Elswood (winner of 7 challenge certificates) and
RCC winner Mariglen High Spirits.

From her third litter to the mainly Suntop bred Imberset Carlsberg At Lorien, Highlight produced the group winning Sh Ch Mariglen Fallen Angel (picture, winner of 5 challenge certificates) and RCC winner Mariglen Silent Angel.
These two bitches won the CC and BOB and RCC respectively on the last occasion Miss Margaret Barnes (Suntop) awarded CCs.

Highlight daughter Sh Ch Mariglen Silent Prayer and her half sister Mariglen Silent Angel (picture) were both mated to their half brother Sh Ch Mariglen Pace who was a son of Sh Ch Latest Dance at Bournehouse.
From the Silent Prayer litter came Sh Ch Mariglen Talking Pictures, Sh Ch Mariglen Silent Sensation at Balvenie and the dual CC winner Mariglen Silent Movie At Christter.

Silent Prayer was also mated to Beechanger Wood Tiger ar Roydi and produced the two bitches Mariglen Diamond Dust in Cumbersett and Mariglen Forever Amber in Cumbersett who between them became the foundations of the Cumbersett Kennel (picture of Cumbersett Aira, daughter of Mariglen Diamond Dust in Cumbersett)
From this mating also came the dual CC winning Mariglen Gold Dust in Gemsett and Mariglen My Blue Heaven, winner of 1 CC.

Meanwhile Silent Angel’s litter to Pace produced Sh Ch Mariglen Sets The Pace with Gemsett (picture, winner of 3 challenge certificates) and the Stubbingtons’ Mariglen Silence Is Golden At Bondgate, winner of 1 CC and a good foundation for the current successful Bondgate Kennel.
Mated to Sh Ch Bournehouse High Treason, Silent Angel produced David Wilkinson and Rachel Ludbrookes’ CC winning Mariglen Field Of Dreams.

The next generation of successful breedings were Sh Ch Mariglen Talking Pictures.
Her first litter to the all Suntop bred Walshaw Stormbird produced the pre-potent stud Sh Ch Mariglen Valentino (picture, winner of 6 challenge certificates & Elswood Progeny Salver winner 1999/2000/2002/2004) , Sh Ch Mariglen Gilded Prayer at Caleydene (winner of 4 challenge certificates) and RCC winning Mariglen Another Gift.

Talking Pictures (picture) second litter was by the other pre-potent stud of the late 90s Roszarke Romantic Pursuit.
This produced the successful brood and CC winning Mariglen Say A Prayer For Fishwick , who is behind the current winning Fishwick kennel and the international champion Mariglen Midnight Sun (Iceland).

Her third litter was to Sh Ch Elmwood Escapade from Quensha.
This produced my Sh Ch Mariglen Steals The Scene (picture, winner of 4 challenge certificates), who for some time was owned in partnership and occasionally show by Di Morgan (Meandi).

Steals the Scene’s most successful litter was to Sh Ch Cumbersett Aira Force with Mariglen from which came Polish Champion Mariglen Water Lily (picture) and Mariglen Steals The Heart of Meandi.

Silent Angel daughter Sh Ch Mariglen Sets The Pace with Gemsett was mated to Sh Ch Mariglen Valentino and this is the point where to two lines from Sh Ch Mariglen Highlight come together.
This litter produced Mariglen Striking Diamonds With Gemsett. This bitch won 1RCC and was a successful brood producing dual CC winner Mariglen Gershwin of Hayworth and Mariglen Glitters (picture, 5RCCs) by Roszarke Romantic Pursuit.

Sets The Pace also had a litter to Sh Ch Cumbersett Aira Force (picture) from which came the Lux/Dutch/Gib Ch Mariglen Force The Pace with Becksett

Mariglen Glitters was mated back to her grandfather Sh Ch Mariglen Valentino.
From this came Sh Ch Mariglen Time To Shine With Gemsett (picture).

Glitters then had eight puppies to Sh Ch Bournehouse Royal Colours.
From this litter an orange belton male went to Norway, Mariglen Flambeau. Though little shown he has been successful with two CACIB and group placings.
A blue belton male Mariglen Holy Moses went to Finland and has won well throughout Scandinavia and eastern Europe.
The blue belton and tan male Sh Ch Mariglen Get Carter Balvenie (picture) 3CC, 1 RCC and the bitch Sh Ch Mariglen Princess Royal at Gemsett 3CC, 1BOB, 1RCC have been consistent winners for their owners.

Tragically, Glitters passed away at only six years of age the day after her orange belton daughter from this litter, Sh Ch Mariglen Flaming Colours (picture) won the CC, BOB and with it her title at Crufts in March 2006.
At the moment Flame has 24 challenge certificates, 10 BOBs and group 3 at Blackpool 2006, group 4 Birmingham 2007 and ended her show career as Top English Setter 2007 and overall fourth top gundog in the ratings.

So, this is the main history of my kennel.
There have been other breedings, some not quite as successful. There have been five dogs brought into Mariglen.
The High Treason daughter Sh Ch Cumbersett Aira, bred by my friend Sonia Clarke ex Mariglen Diamond Dust in Cumbersett 1RCC and her grandson Sh Ch Cumbersett Aira Force with Mariglen (picture) ex the Pace daughter Mariglen Hiborn For Cumbersett who has been a useful stud.

Sh Ch Wistaston School Breeze at Elswood (picture, on the left) was a great show dog winning eighteen CCs.
Bred by Glenis Williams his grandmother was Sh Ch Mariglen Prelude at Elswood on his sire’s side and his dam was a daughter of Prelude’s brother Pace.

Sh Ch Gemsett Dark Forces at Mariglen (picture), a son of Aira Force ex the Valentino/Aira daughter Mariglen Fallin For A Dancer at Gemsett JW 1RCC and bred by friend Linda Harris had a very successful show career and became a show champion at just two years.

The orange belton bitch Sh Ch Fenston Arabella at Mariglen, bred by the late Wing Commander and Joy Field, by Roszarke Romantic Pursuit ex the Pace daughter Fenston Fenella, after a successful show career, in November 2005 produced four blue sons to Fin Ch Moon Magic Po Pengtsson (picture) including the successful show/stud Sh Ch Mariglen Pengtsson’s Legacy.

Mated in December 2006 to Sh Ch Bournehouse Silver Dreamer, Fenston Arabella produced the orange belton bitch Mariglen Francesca Fenston (picture) who has had a great show career to date. She was the top English Setter pup for 2007 and a “Pup of the Year” finalist. She won her title at sixteen months of age to become the breed’s youngest ever show champion and was the top winning English Setter for 2008 and 2009.