Cailloch Golden Retrievers began with one as a pet, and developed into a hobby for me, (Lindsey) and then infected my husband Jack as well. Jack and I both grew up with dogs, but until 1999 our work commitments, and in particular a period of five years working abroad prevented us from being able to indulge in keeping a dog ourselves, because we didn’t particularly like the idea of having to put a beloved pet into six months quarantine on our return.

We were encouraged to pick a Golden Retriever as our first family pet by the then 10-year-old Nicola, who had fallen in love with the breed. Our first golden came from Ruth Turner of Amilone Goldens. ‘Reme’ (Amilone Remembrance) had been kept by her as a show girl, but an injury put paid to her show career and she came to live with us at 11 months old as a pet. It was truly a sharp learning curve! Reme took her role as family companion very seriously. She demanded attention, games, cuddles, exercise and food in large quantities, and would paw you earnestly or grab your sleeve to remind you she was there if she felt she was being ignored. She protected us from the postman, workmen, squirrels and birds fearlessly, although hot air balloons are apparently a different kettle of fish! We felt that her sociable nature left her a little lonely as an only dog, and so one soon became two.

I had begun attending shows just to watch, and when Ruth gave me the opportunity to have a show girl myself I was thrilled. ‘Callie’ (Amilone Caledonia) was our first show puppy and our entry into the world of showing dogs began. She did well at the few shows she attended, but she did not take to the showring, never really doing her lovely construction justice and preferring instead to chase balls and dig holes in the garden.

Nevertheless, we enjoyed our girls, and as our interest and enthusiasm grew, we decided to have a litter of puppies. Ruth insisted we approached this venture properly and instructed us to apply to The Kennel Club for an ‘Affix’ for our kennel. Because we are Scots, and because golden retrievers are of Scottish origins, we chose a Scottish name: ‘Inch Cailloch’ is a small island nature reserve in Loch Lomond, which is near to where I grew up.

Our family home was then in South Buckinghamshire, where over the years we raised four litters of puppies. In 2002 ‘Meg’, (Cailloch Meg O’The Mill), one of Reme’s puppies joined our family not as a showgirl, but because we fell in love with her delightful personality.

It was not until 2003 and Callie’s first litter of puppies, to Kim Ellis’ ‘Rowan’ (Tenfield Border Patrol JW) that we seriously began to show. With ‘Corran’ (Cailloch Flamboyant) we started learning in earnest. She has done us proud in the ring, qualifying for Crufts twice, winning at Championship shows, and winning ‘Best Puppy in Breed’, Best Of Breed’ and ‘Reserve Best Of Breed at Open Shows. Corran’s litter sister Chase (Cailloch Racer To Tenfield JW) went to her Dad’s home in Wiltshire, and we are very proud of her achievements in the show ring. Aside from her many Open and Championship Show wins, she qualified for the Pet Plan Pup of The Year Final in 2004 – the only gundog to do so that year, and went on to win her Junior Warrant in style at Richmond Championship Show in September 2004.

In March 2004 Callie presented us with another stunning litter to Kim Ellis’ ‘Tor’ (Tenfield Border Rambler JW).  From this litter Angus & Sylvia Perry (Melmand) asked us for ‘Chloe’ (Cailloch Prima-Donna) and they have shown her successfully, also qualifying for Crufts in 2005 and 2006

Late in 2005 Jack had decided he wanted his ‘own’ dog. So, although the summer of 2006 saw us lose our darling Callie to a sudden illness, it also brought us ‘Rhea’ (Rosinante Balalaika at Cailloch) a funny, mischievous puppy to fill the gap in our hearts, and to be Jack’s special girl. Her great grandmother is Reme’s litter sister, ‘Leah’ (Amilone Sea Pearl).  Rhea is a very clever girl, and Jack determined to try out the working side of golden retriever owning with her.

Litter number four was September 2006, when Corran took a rest from the showring to concentrate on her puppies to Sh Ch Willowlawn Faberge JW (aka ‘Hugo’) owned by Christine Ashton and from that litter we have kept ‘Teal’ (Cailloch Spinnaker). We planned to show her as a puppy but family commitments, moving house and holidays got in the way, and by her first birthday she had only attended a few shows, where she was placed at four of them.

In September 2007 we moved to Gloucestershire, to a house with a little more land, and a few more girls have since joined our ranks. Echo, (Tenfield Celtic Echo Of Cailloch) came to live with us in 2008 and is Chase’s daughter, Callie’s granddaughter. She has done well in the show ring and in 2011 presented us with a beautiful litter to Sue Brown’s Sh Ch Meloak Buccaneer At Ipcress from which we kept or first ‘blonde’ golden: Leksi (Cailloch Helter Skelter). Leksi did very well in her first few months in the show ring, qualifying for Crufts and picking up an Open Show Best Puppy in Breed and Puppy Group 3 along the way. She continued to do well in higher classes, then spent a long time out of the ring losing her coat and having a litter of her own. She came back into the show ring with a bang in 2015, first winning her stud book number, then taking Bitch Challenge Certificate and Best of Breed at the Ladies Kennel Assoc. Championship Show in December of that year. She is moreover, the most affable of dogs greeting everyone she meets as a new friend: a character trait she shares with our first golden, ‘Reme’.

2015 also brought us Acer, (Tenfield Red Sunset Over Cailloch): Jack’s birthday present to himself, and to celebrate his retirement. She is by ‘George’ (Tenfield Sea Patrol) who we have long admired and who in turn is out of Cailloch Racer to Tenfield. Acer has cemented Jack’s involvement in showing, they have a great partnership. She is an adorable lively girl who has won and been placed in some very competitive classes at Championship and at Open shows.

We continue to breed the occasional litter when time and commitments allow.

That is us so far, we hope you enjoy our website.

Jack & Lindsey Hazelton