History

Ashridge Labrador Retrievers grew out of a love affair that started back in 1957 when we first met a labrador named Wager while living in England. We had been asked to take care of this one-year-old yellow male while his owners were out of the country. He was lovely (honey colored with soft brown eyes), intelligent and responsive, yet easy going and gentle. In short, we fell in love.

However, due to the demands of 3 young children and frequent international travel, the dream of owning a dog of our own was put on hold for 9 years, at which point  we again found ourselves living in England. We immediately rushed to purchase a yellow male puppy which we proudly brought home and named Cholmondeley (pronounced Chumley). Unfortunately, an x-ray later revealed a terrible case of hip dysplasia and a prediction that he would not be able to walk past the age of 5. He outlived that gloomy prognosis by 4 years, and left behind a legacy of love.

Having learned a hard lesson, we scoured the English countryside looking for the perfect foundation bitch, armed only with a rental car and a list of Labrador breeders from the RKC. We were rewarded with the discovery of a beautiful yellow female pup, sired by Fredwell Never Say Die of Blaircourt, the grandson of English Ch. Ruler of Blaircourt. We named her Bridget, and the rest is history. She won a five-point major and a number of other points, but did not finish to champion. Though well-proportioned, strong and compact, she was a bit small-boned. But what beautiful, big-boned puppies she managed to throw! She had two litters: one by Am. Can. Ch. Shamrock Acres Ebonylane Ace CDX, WC; the other by Ch. Kupros Spartacus. All my lines go back to one or the other of these litters. Bridget was also responsible for my kennel name (we chose it because she had been born on the Ashridge estate in eastern Buckinghamshire). She was exceptionally intelligent and her discriminating ear twice saved us from having a car burglarized, while our other dogs slept on. When she passed away at the age of 12, in March 1990, there was a degree of consolation in knowing that her descendants have prospered and done her proud.