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Balrion
at Weathertop
John Crook OBE: (Balrion) My late wife, Glenda, and I began breeding labradors
in Great Britain in 1972.
Over the years we enjoyed success in the show ring. Perhaps our
greatest accomplishment was our
Sh Ch
Balrion King Frost who was a Best in Show winning Breed
Record Holder.
King Frost and three of his littermates became known as the
Famous Four because they are to date still the
only four Labs
from one litter to become British Show Champions.
After Glenda died in 1997 I carried on
breeding and showing the Balrions.
Saudjie Cross Crook: (Weathertop) I bought my first pet Labrador in 1988 while living in my
hometown
Carmel, California. A
year later I bought a book from the pet store. While looking
though it I saw a photo of what I thought was the most beautiful
dog I’d ever seen. At that moment I decided that I wanted to
breed
Labradors and I knew exactly what I wanted them to look
like.
The dog in the photo was Sh Ch Balrion King Frost.
After
many false starts I acquired a puppy who grew up to be Am
Ch Beechcroft Weathertop Wind (Moria). She became a champion
by winning four Specialties with me on the end of the lead.
Her son, Am
Ch Weathertop El Niño, produce champions all over the
world.
I met John in the show
ring in Southern California while he was judging Moria.
He gave her a 3rd and me a 1st . We were
married in North Wales in 1999,
honeymooned on safari in South Africa, and then John and 12
of the Balrions joined me and my 8 Labradors
at Weathertop in
Carmel.
We became Balrion at
Weathertop.
In 2003 we moved with
10 Labradors from Carmel, California back to North Wales
where we live
in a big stone house surrounded by green Welsh hills and lots
and lots of sheep.
We
are one of the few remaining line bred kennels and our Labradors
are recognized as amongst
the top show bred Labs in the world. I compete in working tests,
pick up at a shoot, and serve as
Judge’s Steward at numerous Field Trials every year. We travel
the world judging Labs and speaking
at breed seminars. Labrador kennels all over the world have
their foundation in Balrion Weathertop.
John is a patron of the South African Labrador Retriever
Kennel Club.
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