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Show Dog History
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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. |
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Enter the Cavalier
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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. At the time of this writing Rattlebridge has finished forty
three AKC champions since January, 1996, thirty three of them homebreds.
Rattlebridge Cavaliers have become known for their type and soundness. |
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International Beginnings
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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. |
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A Most Joyful Experience
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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.
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