Mrs Gladys Dyke and the Hadleigh Pomeranians by Stephano Scullino
Above Andrea with Winnie and Harley both go back to Hadleigh Bloodlines
Cheristar wishes to thank the author Stefano Scullino for giving us permission to print this article. This article is copyrighted and must not be copied, mirrored or reproduced in any form.
Among the pomeranian breeders that left a mark in the history of the breed, a special place belongs to Mrs Gladys Dyke of the world famous Hadleigh prefix.
Mrs Dyke was, and still is, considered the "Queen of the Pomeranians". No other breeder in the world has achieved what she did in her about fifty years of breeding and showing activity, with about 100 British champions, ten generations of homebred British champions, countless overseas champions and winning practically everything there was to win but BIS at Crufts. However, she went very close to it by winning Reserve BIS at Crufts in 1960 with Ch. Pixitown Serenade of Hadleigh, a beautiful dog eventually exported to the USA where he left a big mark both as a show dog and as a producer and winning a group at Westminster.
Her outstanding pomeranians, or dogs closely related to the Hadleigh poms, have been exported all over the world, greatly contributing to the betterment of the breed from Europe to America, from Asia to Australia. No other pomeranian kennel in the world has had such an impact on the breed, and the exquisite headed, huge coated and short backed Hadleigh poms became synonymous with the breed.
Of course, not all of the Hadleigh pomeranians were beautiful show dogs but Mrs Dyke produced some outstandig dogs that will remain in the history of the breed and could still be top winners today. A special mention must be payed to Mrs Dyke's husband, Mr Albert Dyke. He was the man behind the scene but many considered him the true breeder of the Hadleigh poms and saw the decline of the kennel after his death.
Mrs Dyke bought her first breeding bitch in 1938 from Mrs K. Carlin. It was Eastney Madcap and when bred to Eastney Red Bay produced Sundown of Hadleigh, a valuable brood who was the Mother of several winners including the lovely Ch. Hadleigh My Cheri of Rosebert, later exported to the USA.
Mrs Dyke finished her first three champions in 1948 and since then there has been no stopping her show success. Many times she walked away from a show having won both BOB and BOS. Among her first famous dogs, Ch. Sweet Lady of Hadleigh deserves a special mention. She was a top show winner but, most of all, she was a fantastic producer and the Mother of seven British champions. Bred to the lovely Ch. Zambo of Zanow, in 1959 she produced two very influential stud dogs: Ch.Goldenstar of Hadleigh and Ch. Little Gent of Hadleigh. Particularly the latter sired nine British champions and put his mark on the modern type of pomeranian. Little Gent was a sweet headed, huge coated sable dog and he started an uninterrupted line of Hadleigh male champions that ends with Ch. Hadleigh Summer Lightning.
During the Fifties and the Sixties, the Hadleigh influence was felt in the breeding programs of many other kennels: Cynpeg, Andersley and Aurum to name just a few; kennels whose beautiful poms were exported all over the world. The Crufts 1966 Toy Group winner, Ch. Sweet Dreams of Aurum, was sired by Pompadour of Hadleigh, a son of Ch. Little Gent of Hadleigh.
Another golden era of the Hadleigh poms started in the early Seventies when some of Mrs Dyke's most beautiful champions were produced. Many of these gorgeous pomeranians were sired by Ch. Hadleigh Starlight, a wolf/sable dog sired by Ch. Modelstar of Hadleigh, a son of Ch. Little Model, a son of Ch. Little Aristocrat who, in turn, was again by Ch. Little Gent of Hadleigh.
Starlight constantly sired beautiful pomeranians but his most famous children were produced out of two show bitches: Ch. Hadleigh Dolly Dimple and Hadleigh Honey Sweet (2CC's). Both these breedings were repeated and each time produced outstanding dogs. Bred to Dolly Dimple Mrs Dyke got Ch. Hadleigh Supersonic and the wonderful Ch. Hadleigh Twinkling Star, considered by many as one of the best Hadleighs ever. Another dog out of this breeding is Hadleigh Tom Thumb who is a grandsire of the fantastic Ch. Derronil's Maxamillion, whose dam was sired by Hadleigh Royal Star, a son of Ch. Twinkling Star.
Ch. Hadleigh Twinkling Star also sired a litter containing two males destined to leave a mark: Ch. Hadleigh Happy Star and Hadleigh Happy Days. The latter, exported to Japan like many other top Hadleigh dogs, sired the wonderful JapCh, UK Ch., Irish Ch. Daim of Sushimoto at Cygal owned by the late Stuart Finley Bisset. Daim of Sushimoto, born 1980, was a dark sable pure Hadleigh pomeranian who was imported into England and had an incredible show career culminating in the CC breed record holder for the breed, a record held for some time and now surpassed by a bitch: Ch. Thelbern Mardi Gras.
The breeding between Ch. Hadleigh Starlight and Hadleigh Honey Sweet produced the legendary Ch. Hadleigh Shining Star who won more than 30 CC's and was the breed record holder for many years. Together with the lovely bitch Ch. Hadleigh Honey Puff ( winner of puppy of the year 1975) they dominated the pomeranian rings. Shining Star was eventually exported to Japan to Mr Kazu Igarashi. Mrs Dyke kept Shining Star's brother, Hadleigh Honey Star, who proved to be a very influential stud.
A repeat breeding of Shining Star produced Ch. Hadleigh Pride of the Stars, once again exported to Japan where he had a big impact on the breed. Pride of the Stars sired Ch. Hadleigh Superstar who, in turn, sired Ch. Hadleigh Superman who has had an impact on the American show scene as well. Mrs Dyke imported from Japan two bitches sired by Ch. Hadleigh Pride of the Stars, both titled in the UK: Ch. Cream Puff of Hakodate Maekawa (Crufts BOB winner) and Ch. Pride Nana of Azalea Sally of Hadleigh.
Before Ch. Hadleigh Shining Star was exported to Japan, he sired a few puppies, including Ch. Hadleigh Stardust who left a big mark in the history of the breed through some of his children.
Mrs Dyke only let a few selected people have access to her dogs and those who did took advantage of her wonderful bloodlines greatly improving their pomeranians. As a matter of fact, some British kennels of the recent past worked using mainly, if not exclusively, Hadleigh bloodlines, like Mr and Mrs Ainsworth of the Dorney kennel. They were close friends of Mrs Dyke and had access to her stud dogs and produced several lovely pomeranians of exquisite Hadleigh type.
Ch. Dorney Starry Knight, born 1983, was a beautiful orange with huge coat and the sweetest of heads. He was sired by Hadleigh Royal Star (a very influential stud sired by Ch. Hadleigh Twinkling Star) out of a daughter of Ch. Hadleigh Happy Star.
Starry Knight, bred to Hadleigh Musical Star, sired Ch. Hadleigh Mystic Star at Dorney, Hadleigh Elegant Star - RCC winner, and Hadleigh Excellent Star at Dorney - CC winner.
Mrs Heather Moore of the world famous Paddockwood kennel, worked almost exclusively with Hadleigh bloodlines and stamped her lovely type thanks to her famous studs Ch. Hadleigh Summer Lightning (CH. Hadleigh Stardust x Hadleigh Society Girl) and Paddockwood Grand Slam (Hadleigh Royal Star x Hadleigh Chantilly Lace).
Mrs Moore shared her bloodlines with other breeders and by doing so, she helped many breeders with their breeding programs.
Mrs Ruth Keyes of the famous "Tookeys" kennel, got many of her foundation dogs from Paddockwood, hence all her dogs went back to Hadleigh bloodline. Her first champion, Ch. Tookeys Toyboy, was sired by Paddockwood High Jinks. Other Paddockwood poms that played a big role in the Tookeys kennel were Paddockwood Pan The Piper at Tookeys (Ch. Hadleigh Summer Lightning x a daughter of Hadleigh King of the Stars), Paddockwood Flashdance at Tookeys (Paddockwood Grand Slam x a daughter of Ch.Derronil's Maxamillion) and a few others.
Mrs Mason of the Sableway poms got a dog from Mrs Moore that is behind many top winners. His name was Paddockwood Huckleberry of Sableway and was sired by Paddockwood Grand Slam out of a Hadleigh Summer Lightning's daugther. This same breeding combination proved to be quite successful, producing many winners including Paddockwood Pom Puss (CC and Res.CC winner) who, bred to Ch.Derronil's Maxamillion, produced the outstanding bitch Ch.Paddockwood Pretty Risky, born 1986. Another outstanding champion for Mrs Moore was Ch. Paddockwood Golden Trinket, another Maxamillion daughter born 1987.
Ch. Hadleigh Summer Lightning was also extremely influential in the breeding of the black pomeranians through is beautiful black son Ch. Peninan's Black Topper at Salvadure, bred by Mrs Shaw and owned by Mrs Palmer. Black Topper, born 1982, sired so many winners including Ch. Macdene Black Royal and Ch. Pyropom Othello and his influence will be felt for many years to come and is behind the fabulous Ch. Moonrae Ebony Hot Shot, top winning toy dog in the UK for 2000.
Stuart Finley Bisset and Derek Hill, of the Cygal and Derronil kennels, were two breeders who had access to the Hadleigh dogs and got two studs from Mrs Dyke: Hadleigh Tom Thumb and Hadleigh Escort Boy. Undoubtely, the most famous dog coming from their breeding is the legendary Ch. Derronil's Maxamillion, Crufts 1986 group winner. Maxamillion was born in 1983 by two Cygal's poms sired by Hadleigh dogs. Max was a typical Hadleigh type and every breeder's dream. Not only was he an outstanding pomeranian and a top winner but in his short life he sired many outstanding poms like Ch. Derronil's Desire, Ch. Derronil's Centurion, Ch. Derronil's Heart Throb, Ch.Derronil's Millionaire, Ch. Amcross Trivial Pursuit, Ch. Paddockwood Pretty Risky, Ch. Paddockwood Golden Trinket and many more. Unfortunately, Maxamillion died at a very young age and it was a big loss for the breed. Almost all of his best children had been exported to Japan with very few left in the UK.
Mrs and Miss Smith of the Sidlyn pomeranians are still active today and they too are working with bloodlines closely related to the Hadleigh poms. A dog that produced many winners for their kennel was Paddockwood Adjudicator, again a son of Ch.Hadleigh Summer Lightning. Adjudicator also sired the first champion for the Amcross kennel, Ch. Amcross Airs'N Graces who produced the lovely Ch. Amcross Trivial Pursuit when bred to Ch. Derronil's Maxamillion. Trivial Pursuit, in turn, produced a champion bitch sired by Paddockwood Grand Slam (100% Hadleigh).
The British kennels that have Hadleigh bloodlines in their pedigrees are way too numerous to mention though I think there are very few who do not have at least one Hadleigh dog back in their pedigrees.
During her last years, Mrs Dyke sent to Mr Igarashi in Japan her remaining dogs and retired from breeding and showing. Mr igarashi has been breeding exclusively with Hadleigh bloodlines and inherited the Hadleigh kennel name after Mrs Dyke death in 1997. I won't go into the subject of the Japanese bred Hadleigh poms as I am not very familiar with those dogs but I am sure that they make justice to the hard work, love and devotion that Gladys Dyke put into her beautiful Hadleigh poms for about half a century; the same hard work, love and devotion produced the legendary Hadleigh pomeranians and made Gladys Dyke the queen of our beloved breed.
Stefano Scullino
(Doublesse poms)
Cheristar wishes to thank the author Stefano Scullino for giving us permission to print this article. This article is copyright and must not be copied, mirrored ,reproduced in any form
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