Beagles have been in my life for as long as I can remember. I am a fourth generation dog person, with my daughter Libby being fifth generation.

My great-grandparents migrated from England to New Zealand and both were dog judges. My great grandfather judged All Breeds and my great grandmother was a Terrier judge. My grandparents also showed, as did my parents but they did not venture into judging!

My grandparents had Curly Coated Retrievers, English Cocker Spaniels, Fox Terriers, Scottish Terriers, Irish Water Spaniels, Bassets and Beagles. I have many fond memories of handling some of these breeds as a child which included many weekends away. It was actually my grandparents, Snow and Dot Stopford who began our family’s love affair with our beloved beagles.

When I was 5, my grandparents asked my parents what dog they would like and eventually they chose the beagle. It was nearly a whippet but they chose the beagle because they thought it was a stronger, more robust dog for a family.

After getting our first boy and titling him, a bitch soon followed. Within a few years my parents had many and my grandparents soon followed and began showing beagles too.

My grandparents started the Beagle Club of NSW in Australia and held the early meetings in their house. They imported several Rossuts in the 60’s including Eng. & Aust. Ch. Rossut Treetops Hasty Footsteps who was the first English Champion bitch imported into Australia.

My parents bred their first litter in 1961 and 45 years later, we are still breeding under the NANGUNYAH prefix which is now owned by my mother Elizabeth Stopford, my daughter Libby and myself.

My parents imported two dogs from Dialynne and a Webline bitch who came to Australia in whelp.

My mother has developed a long time friendship with Marion Spavin of Dialynne Beagles as a result of these imports.

Their lines are behind many of my dogs today including Aust Ch. & NZ Grand Ch. Nangunyah Penavon Seeker who is behind all of my current beagles.

I have only bred a maximum of three litters a year and love to spend hours planning litters, whelping them and seeing them grow up. In 1976 I married and moved my first beagle into the house a month later! She was not what I wanted in a show dog and I began planning litters as she contained some old lines that I wanted to continue. In her fifth litter she produced my first specialty Best In Show winner, Ch Nangunyah Xtacy in 1983. There have been many Specialty Best In Show winners since but some of my favourite would be Ch Nangunyah Double Bunga who won Best in the Hound Group at Melbourne Royal as a 9 month old puppy in 1985 and later went on to take the Best Puppy in Show award, Ch Nangunyah Yeodler, Ch Nangunyah Special Issue who won three Specialty Best in Shows. Other big winners include Ch Nangunyah Jazz Singer, Ch Nangunyah First Lady, Ch Nangunyah Spellbound and my lovely lemon girl Ch Nangunyah Arpeggio.

One of my favourite modern day Nangunyahs would be Ch. Nangunyah Lady Madonna who is now 9. She had many top wins at Beagle Club Shows under specialists, as well as Challenge bitch at Melbourne Royal and was Runner Up in Show All Breeds under Mr. J. Eberhardt from Germany.

The following boys have had a great influence on the breed, particularly Aust Ch & NZ Grand Ch Nangunyah Penavon Seeker who has many successful progeny in Australia and New Zealand. He is owned by Noelene Hughes of Penavon in New Zealand and has four best in Show awards all breeds to his credit plus many specialty and Hound Club wins. Ch. Nangunyah Special Issue, his half brother, who won three Best in Shows at Specialties including Best in Show at the Victorian Beagle Club Show under Sylvia Tuchener (UK).

Ch Nangunyah Smokescreen is another half brother who has had a major impact all around the world. He was awarded an Award of Merit in Australia by the National Beagle Council for his outstanding contribution as a progenitor.

My most famous winner was Ch. Bayhound So Sassy who was bred in Victoria by Paul Orman. She is the dam of Special Issue, Smokescreen and Seeker with her sire being Ch Nangunyah Double Bunga. She came to live with me in 1987. Her dam was Ch Manabay Love Match who was a sister to Ch & Am Ch Manabay Luv Othe Rocks who was one of my all time favourite beagles, bred by Lesley Hiltz and Liz Whitcher.

Sassy (pictured below with me) at one of her Best In Show All Breeds wins went on to create breed history in Australia. She won 7 Specialty Best in Shows and 2 Runner Up In Show awards as well as many All Breeds wins. In 1990 she won Best Of Breed at both Sydney and Brisbane Royal as well as three Specialty Best in Shows in NSW and Best in Show All Breeds at the largest one day show in NSW.

I began judging in 1980 when I completed my Hound Group. I now judge Hounds, Utility, Gundogs and Non-Sporting and plan to study for Toys in 2006. I currently judge at least once a month in Australia and have judged in New Zealand on 12 occasions. I have judged Beagle Specialties in NSW, Victoria, New Zealand and the UK. I judged the Victorian Specialty twice. I have also judged Hound Clubs in South Australia and Tasmania and Beagles in all states of Australia excepting Northern Territory.

In 2006 I had the honour of being invited to judge the Very Special Show in Denmark and judged 160 quality beagles.  It was a wonderful experience and I enjoyed the different judging system.  I put a superb young bitch Best in Show who beat all of the champions and has since become a champion herself.

In October 2006, I also judged the Beagle First National of the Philippines with the largest entry the country has ever had of 76! Again, I was fortunate to have some beautiful beagles and put an outstanding
veteran Best in Show and his daughter was Best Opposite Sex. The judging system was again different in the Philippines as they use the American system but it was a great experience to see 28 champions enter the ring together.  Below is a photo of my final line-up with my best in show winner second from the end.

I look forward to more judging in the near future. I regularly judge my four groups in Australia.

I hope you enjoy this site as beagles are my passion in life.  I know it will continue for many more years to come.
 

Though I only have beagles now, I have also owned and shown English Springer Spaniels and Dobermans and have titled Dachshunds.

Sue Bownds