Ch. Belinda of Saxham
Ch. Belinda of Saxham: A Cavalier Who Made History
Pictured: Ch. Belinda of Saxham.
Taken at the first Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Championship on 29th August 1946.
Photo credit: Historical photograph. Source unknown.
On 29 August 1946, a remarkable chapter in Cavalier King Charles Spaniel history began.
Following the breed's recognition for separate registration and the granting of Championship status, the first Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club Championship Show was held at Stratford-upon-Avon School of Drama, at the home of Mrs Louise Hitching of the Avoncliffe Cavaliers. Forty-one Cavaliers were entered, marking the beginning of a new era for the breed.
One of those dogs would forever be associated with that historic day: Belinda of Saxham.
Belinda of Saxham
Blenheim bitch
Born: 17 July 1939
Death: Unknown
Owner: Mrs Katie Eldred
Best in Show: First Cavalier Championship Show, 29 August 1946
Bitch Challenge Certificate: First Cavalier Championship Show, 29 August 1946
Belinda of Saxham
A Blenheim bitch, Belinda of Saxham was born on 17 July 1939 and was bred from Duke's Son and Linooga. She was owned by Mrs Katie Eldred, one of the important early figures in the development and recognition of the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
At seven years of age, Belinda made history at the first Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club Championship Show, held at Stratford-upon-Avon on 29 August 1946.
At this landmark show, Belinda was awarded Best in Show and the Bitch Challenge Certificate, placing her name permanently in the history of the breed.
Interestingly, Belinda herself never became a Champion. Her importance to the breed, however, extended far beyond her own show career. She went on to produce Ch. Little Dorrit of Ttiweh, an influential bitch who became an important part of the early development of the breed and contributed to subsequent generations of Cavaliers.
Belinda's pedigree is also particularly significant. Her sire, Duke's Son, was a son of Ann's Son, the celebrated Cavalier around whom the early breed standard was developed. Her dam, Linooga, was a daughter of Aristide of Ttiweh, another important early foundation sire. Belinda therefore brought together two significant early Cavalier bloodlines.
Belinda's story is therefore much more than that of a Best in Show winner. She was part of the small and precious gene pool from which the modern Cavalier emerged, and her legacy continued through the influential Cavaliers descended from her.
Read: A first hand account of the first Club Championship Show in 1946.
Belinda of Saxham - Pedigree
