It was purely by accident that my involvement with Belgian Shepherds started in the mid eighties, like many other house holds we had always had at least one dog, but with the loss of our much loved GSD which left us with only a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and the house feeling empty without a big dog, it was decided to get another. We all had our opinions on which breed we wanted, my father wanted a Rottweiler, which he was over ruled on straight away, my mother Bearded Collie and my sister a Newfoundland! I really wanted a dog that I could do some obedience with and was a bit “Different” I remember searching through a number of dog books and seeing pictures of Belgian Shepherds, all the pictures depicted them looking like poor relatives to the GSD!
I wish I could say that we went about getting our first Belgian the correct way, but we didn’t, it was while we were all arguing about what dog to get that an advert appeared in our local newspaper for Belgian Shepherd Puppies, “lets go and have a look” I had some idea what they looked like ! So my sister, my mother and I went “Just” to look. Well that was it, they were black that pleased my sister, hairy which pleased my mother, it was love at first sight for me, but it was a grey bitch that I wanted to take home, but the breeders were keeping her. We were allowed a choice of four black males, after seeing the puppies running about I picked what I thought was a very sound well made puppy. At this point I must mention that I had already had been showing for a number of years, but with horses, show ponies to be precise at county level. They are very much like miniature Thoroughbreds, with conformation and movement being major factors in their judging. It was with the knowledge that I had gained with the ponies that I picked our puppy; we took him there and then and named him “Robbie”. I still remember arriving home with Robbie and my father walking in saying that it didn’t look at all like a Rottweiler! As I have said I was already a keen show person, I was only interested in the “in-hand” showing with broad mares and foals and youngsters up to three years old. I had just sold my three year old but was still showing for other people and wondering whether to buy in a foal. I remembered that the breeder of “Robbie” telling me that his sire, Ch Zhale Philanderer was one of the top winning Groenendael of the time, it was then that my interest in dog showing started.
First I had to register our puppy and choose a name, we wanted the name “Black Shadow” very uninspiring I know but we did put a twist to it and had it in French with the addition of our street name “Ombre Noir de Burne” That really was how I started showing dogs, I never did buy myself a another show pony, just more dogs!
“Robbie” really was a fantastic introduction to the breed; he would readily turn his hand to anything, from showing, agility to man work, in all activities he showed great willingness to please and treated it all as one big game, but it was with showing that my greatest interests lay.
“Robbie” was a very sound dog with a good body, he had a great show career, with many good wins, culminating in winning his champion title and 2nd in the then very large Working Group at East of England Championship Show when he was 4 years old.
The second Groenendael that I purchased was also a Ch Zhale Philanderer son, this time from Hazel Pond, Zhale Mythical Hero, “Bruce” he was different in type and temperament to Robbie, a smaller dog with a very good expression and head, he had very good type. “Bruce” was always well placed under breed specialists and won his Junior Warrant with ease, but showing was not really for him.
It was in 1989 that I decided that I would maybe like to breed and decided to acquire a bitch. A lot more thought went in deciding where to buy a bitch from. I decided to go to the Top Producing Kennel of the “Woodlny” Belgian Shepherds owned by Vic & Lynne Salt, I had admired many of their dogs and who themselves have become good friends and have helped me greatly . I was offered a puppy from Ch Woodlyn Grandmaster X Ch Woodlyn Black Velvet, a combination of their two lines and being line bred to their famous producer, the Tervueren Xarina Von Svitto Of Questenberg, hence “Abbie” Woodlyn Korenza arrived in our lives.
“Abbie” was shown to Top Puppy 1990. It was after the arrival of “Abbie” that an Affix was chosen, I always wanted an affix that meant something, therefore “Lebeau” meaning, The Handsome/ The Beautiful, the perfect description of a Belgian Shepherd for me.
The first Lebeau litter was born in January 1993, sired by Anne O’Shea's American Import, Niels at Skyloom de Loup Noir at Zellick, from this we kept Lebeau Pretty Woman “Leah”. It was in this year that while visiting Vic & Lynne I met one of the most beautiful Belgian Shepherds I have ever seen, he was their latest import from France, Grandee de la Douce Plaine of Woodlyn, his head and expression were exquisite and even the way he held himself was just beautiful. Grandee was the sire of my second litter from Korenza, born March 94. I nearly had panic attack when the first puppy was born, it looked ginger! It took me a couple of minutes to realise that it was a Tervueren, not something that I had expected, the rest of the litter were Groenendael. From this litter I kept a male, L Wild Spirit and of course the Tervueren bitch, L Wild Honey and a bitch went to Tina Harbour, L Wild Jasmine. At this time all the varieties were shown together in one ring. L Wild Spirit won a number of Best Groenendael male awards and 1 RCC, he was a very laid back dog and getting him to make the most of himself was always a challenge. The Tervueren L Wild Honey, had wonderful type and the darkest eye’s I have ever seen, but her major draw back was her colour, she really was a kind of brindle, with heavy overlay, not a colour that endeared it’s self to judges, so she was very rarely shown. L Wild Jasmine was shown with great success by Tina, winning 2 CC’s in 1996 including Crufts, she won numerous RCC’s and was countless times Best Groenendael bitch at Championship shows.
It was in 1995 that an advert appeared in the dog press that was to have a major impact for Lebeau, it was for a litter of Tervueren puppies. Now my main interest had always lain with the Groenendael, but I had been watching the Tervueren with great interest for years. The litter advertised was from Linda Collin’s Domburg Kennel, from Ch Bergerac Sweet Talk X Ch Opium Van de Hoge Laer at Corsini, two top producers of which I had admired many of their progeny. (a combination which produced Five Champions in one litter for the Domburg Kennel) I booked a male from this litter; “Sacha” entered our lives and became Ch Domburg Jeu D’Amour, winning his first CC as a junior.
In 1996 I did my first intervariety mating, “Sacha” was mated to Korenza for her last litter, giving me the “Kiss” litter. A Tervueren male went to Karen & David Angier, L Kiss ‘n’ Tell at Biyara and I kept a Groenendael bitch, L Tender Kiss. “Maddie” was like a whirlwind in our lives she posses more character that one dog really should. At her first championship show she attended, aged just 6 months on the day she won BP. Her first RCC with BP came at Crufts 97 and her first CC at just 15 months of age, her second was 22 months old where she beat her sire for BOB and she gained her Title at Crufts 98 aged 23 months with BOB. “Maddie” was Joint Top Groenendael 97, Top Groenendael Bitch 97, 98 and 2001, so far she has won 17CC’s and is the joint BCC record holder, she has won the most individual CC’s than any other bitch and has also won a group 3, in 2001. “Maddie” really is that once in a life time dog.
The Tervueren male, Kiss ‘n’ Tell was shown very successfully by Karen Angier, the litter made a little bit of history when they became the first litter mates of different varieties to win a set of CC’s together at Bath “99”
In 97 I had my first and only Tervueren litter to date, sired by Ch Domburg Jeu D’Amour to L Wild Honey, which produced L Savannah, who won very well as a puppy, but was never shown very much after that by her owners.
In 98 our second Tervueren male arrived, owned in partnership with Linda Collins, he was jointly bred by Linda & Jenny Eaves and was born in quarantine. Montmartre du Domburg, sired by SR Ch Gourou des Crepuscule des Loups x SR Lutece de la Clairiere aux Louves. “Conner” had his show career cut short by a car accident which left him slightly lame in a hind leg, but he did win 2 RCC’s for us, he posses one of the nicest temperaments you will ever come across and is very much of the clown of the house hold.
It was in 1999 that Tender Kiss had her first litter. This again was an IV mating, to Domburg California Dreamin’ not only a dog that suited her looks wise, but this was to treble up on Ch Bergerac Sweet Talk, who has become one of the top producing bitches ever in this country. This produced the “Fire” litter for me. The litter contained 2 Groenendael males, 1 Groenendael bitch, 2 Tervueren bitches and 1 Tervueren male, I kept a Groenendael male, L Playing With Fire. “Dakota” won his first RCC at his first ever champ show at 8 months old, he was Top Puppy 2000, winning a number of places in puppy groups at champ shows. “Dakota” won his first CC & BOB in 2001 with a group 2 and his title in 02 at the NBSDC with RBIS & BOSIS, along the way he picked up 11 RCC’S!! The other Groenendael male in the litter went to Janet Harriman Ch Lebeau Earth Wind 'N' Fire who won his title as well. A Tervueren Bitch , L Fire Opal went to Jan Piles who works her in competitive obedience, with great results, winning two “B” classes so far. The other Tervueren bitch owned by Mandy & Steve Rowe, has been winning well for them in the show ring, winning Limit classes and also competes in obedience.
It was also in 99 that anther Tervueren male entered our lives, Ch Domburg Star Of Africa, sired by Ch Lynx de la Clairiere Louves from Ch D Jeu D’Amours litter sister, Ch Domburg Reve D’Amour “Cairo” had a fantastic show career, winning his first RCC as a puppy and gaining his title at just 2 ½ years of age. “Cairo” won his 5th CC at Crufts 03 where his dam beat him for BOB, he won a total of 5 CC & 6RCC’s.
In 2001 that while visiting Linda that I fell for another Tervueren male puppy, again from Reve D’Amour,(the Top Winning Tervueren Bitch Ever and a Numerous times Top Brood Bitch) a bitch that I had always admired. He was a very laid back puppy and had been over looked by every one. Domburg In Envy arrived at our house at 12 weeks old, “Jordan” is a very slow maturing dog, still with a very laid back attitude but is one of the easiest dogs to live with, he has been very lightly shown so far and has won 3RCC’s. “Jordan” has made his mark by siring some beautiful puppies including the breed’s youngest ever male champion, Ch Domburg Rock DJ at Zantal.
For Tender Kiss’s second litter in 2002 I decided to make the most of the Pet Passport scheme. I chose a dog that lived in the south of France, Memphis des Pearles Noirs, again a dog that has some of the best Tervueren lines in France, being sired by Horry de Clairiere aux Louves. The result was a litter of 4, 3 males and 1 bitch. A dog went to Yvonne & Trevor Wheeler, L American Dream of Gron-de-mon, who so far has won 1RCC as a puppy, and has sired their latest litter. A second male went to America, to Cheryl Courson, “Chancery” and Dennette Cockley “Sumerwynd”. I kept the bitch Lebeau’s American Beauty, “Paris” who has been lightly shown so far, but has won BP’s & BOB at championship shows.
Tender Kiss’s last litter in 03 was again to a French dog the beautiful Fr Ch Rival de la Fureur du Crepuscule, with a resulting litter of 9, 7 Groenendael and 2 grey Tervueren. From this litter 5 have been shown, a Groenendael male owned by Janet Harriman, L Look No Further is a multiple BP, RBD, CC & BOB winner at championship shows and an all breed BPIS winner. A Male owned by Evelyn Van Vliet who has only been to to shows so far and is already a RCC winner. A Groenendael bitch went to Yvonne & Dave Brason, L She’s Got The Look at Flambards, again a multiple BP winner. My own Groenendael bitch L Look Of Love is a club show BPIS winner and BP at Champ show winner. Finally Mandy & Steve Rowe’s grey Tervueren bitch, L Just One Look, who is also a BP in breed winner at Championship shows and a puppy group winner at open show level. I really look forward to seeing this litter mature.
In 2003 after a lot of talking and a visit to America I decided to let Ch Lebeau Playing with Fire go to Cheryl & Dennette who have become great friends. He had sired just 3 litters here, resulting in 1CC winner and 2 RCC winners so far, he was also Top Sire 2003 in the UK. The decision to let Dakota go was not an easy one, but I knew he would have a fantastic home. “Dakota” went with the agreement that 2 puppies, 1 each from Cheryl & Dennette would return to me and I greatly look forward to their arrival some time in 2005. “Dakota” has gone from strength to strength since his arrival in America, gaining his American title with ease, then to my delight in November this year he made history while gaining his Canadian Title in just 2 days, making him the first ever UK bred Multi titled champion !. “Dakota” is also proving himself as a sire, with numerous champions. I’m very proud of “Dakota” and all of his achievements and progeny.
I only have ever be able to breed in a small way, with the most one litter a year (if that), so I was very proud to be Joint Top Groenendael Breeder 2001. For me when breeding, type, temperament and health must go hand in hand. I have always been a strong supporter of making the best of the lines being available to us, this including the Tervueren. To me the loss of the use of the Tervueren lines was a huge blow. I have only had two intervariety litters, but have produced Tervueren in two other litters. The Tervueren has played a major part in the development of my Groenendael and will do so for some time to come. The pet passport scheme has again opened up some of these lines to us and I will hope to make use of them in the future.
My involvement with the breed has also included serving on the BSDA of GB committee as show secretary and as Membership secretary. I was first passed to award CC's in the breed in 2001 and have enjoyed judging here and over seas.
I have made some great friends over the years and will always be grateful to those people that have taken time to pass on advice and their experience of dogs and lines to me, as they say “there is always something new to learn”.
I hope to carry on breeding and showing in my own small way and wish to produce happy, health Belgians who are at home in the ring or on someone’s couch, but always with the “look and character ” that makes them a Belgian Shepherd, what ever their colour.
