We obtained our first St Bernard in 1977 (a 1974 model) having owned GSDs and Miniature Poodles prior to that. Our second Saint the smooth Destrier introduced us to showing Saints and we had a lot of fun with her. Around 1980 we began stewarding, an activity we still enjoy today, often caravanning at the large general championship shows for 3 or 4 days.

We were invited to stand for election to the United SBC committee, serving until the formation of the South of England SBC, Sheila becoming treasurer and me a committee member for 13 years. Following a one year break Sheila returned to the committee for a year before retiring. During our time on committee we were instrumental in beginning judges training with yearly seminars and judging booklets. We sit on the Judges sub-committee for the South of England St Bernard Club whilst I do the same for the South Eastern Pyrenean Mountain Dog Club and I also assess judging candidates for the Pyrenean Mountain Dog Club of GB. In 1985 I began writing St Bernard breed notes for the UK weekly publication Dog World and expanded this to show and general reports, book reviews and had several photographs published. I retired from writing breed notes in 2002 and now write the occasional article for magazines.

In 1984 we began judging and I awarded Challenge Certificates in St Bernards in 1989 and Sheila in 2002. We have judged in America, me in Australia, South Africa, Latvia and extensively in Europe and both of us in Denmark judging all breeds and BIS in the UK and Denmark at open show level. I now award CCs in eight breeds in the Working and Pastoral Groups.

Since our early retirement we have had more time to spend with our dogs but we still don’t show very much, preferring to enjoy our dogs and other activities.