about

Cyber finishing his championship

 

 

 

Marque winning Reserve Dog at our National

 

 

 

 Show Dog History

about

Meredith has always had dogs in her life, beginning with Collies and German Shepherds as a child. After graduating from college she began her teaching career and exhibiting and breeding German Shepherds at approximately the same time. When she became an elementary school principal, her Shepherd breeding and exhibiting took a back seat to her school obligations. She still finished champions and co-bred an Obedience Victor and Register of Merit dam. Finding that she could not juggle the elementary principalship with an active breeding kennel, she sold her kennel in 1980 and began her judging career.

Enter the Cavalier

The Cavalier Spaniel saga began in 1989 when Meredith and her husband Al, discovered the breed at the Windsor Show in England. Falling instantly in love, they rearranged their three week vacation to include visits to Cavalier breeders to learn about Meredith's new obsession in life. Bringing a blenheim pet Cavalier back to the States, Meredith began to become involved in the Cavalier scene in the U.S., buying a couple of show puppies, and going to all the old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club/USA shows. Rapidly finishing four champions in the old club, the Rattlebridge team became involved in the formation of the American Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club, Inc., as the new AKC parent club once the AKC recognition of the Cavalier became inevitable. Meredith, one of the twelve founding members, became the vice-president of the club as well as serving on the judges' education committee and as editor of the American Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club Annual. 

 

Rattlebridge Cavaliers have become known for their type and soundness. Since we began showing in 1990, we have finished four CKCSC/USA champions and over one hundred AKC champions-most of them homebreds. Rattlebridge has also bred national specialty winners and best in show dogs including three number one ranked Cavaliers in this country and one in Canada.

                                         about

International Beginnings

Meredith has traveled to Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand to study Cavaliers and to import Cavaliers to enhance the Rattlebridge breeding program. In 1992, she discovered Australian Champion Werrington Buoyancy in New Zealand as a five year old dog. Bounce had won Best in Shows at all breeds and specialties in Australia and exhibited great beauty of body and character. Bringing "Bounce" to American became a dream come true as he rapidly finished his Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club/ USA championship with a reserve Best in Show at the National and his Canadian championship with group 1's. A Bounce son, Ch. Wye Rebound of Rattlebridge became the first AKC champion and a Bounce great grandson is the very beautiful Ch. Rattlebridge Masterpiece.

about

A Most Joyful Experience

She has written several articles appearing in major dog publications and the book The New Owner's Guide to the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, which received the 2000 Maxwell Award from the Dog Writers' of America.


Having retired from her career as a school principal, Meredith is now devoting her time to judging worldwide, writing, and breeding and showing her beloved Cavaliers. She is utterly besotted by the breed and finds living with them a most joyful experience. Due to the health problems in the breed, Rattlebridge is committed to careful breeding and selling pets only on a spay/neuter agreement. She is dedicated to the protection of the breed and zealous about making every effort to see that the Cavalier remains out of puppymills and petshops.