The Labrador Retriever Kennel Club
A Celebration of Fifty Years

Synopsis
The Labrador Retriever Kennel Club (LRKC) has embarked on an ambitious exercise to celebrate the first fifty years of the Club’s existence. Regrettably, in the pre-digital era, there was a reliance on those pioneers of the breed to record the early days of the LRKC, the dogs, the members and the club activities, committees came and went and, inevitably, some history was lost over time. However, 2008 and the 50th Anniversary of the LRKC provided an ideal opportunity to create a Celebratory Book to record for posterity what information, history and records are available – be they anecdotal or formal records. The book is to be modelled on a similar publication that was generated by the Labrador Retriever Club (of England) to celebrate its 75 year anniversary.

For Labrador owners and anyone interested in the breed it is important to be reminded of the origins of the Labrador. There are many versions given in the numerous existing books on Labradors but the LRKC book commences with a useful and insightful summary of the various theories with respect to the world’s most popular dog.

From the arrival and development of the breed in England we move to the arrival of Labradors in South Africa and first registrations with the KUSA, before introducing George Jenkin, the Club’s founder and a World War II hero who dedicated his life to Labradors. The Club is fortunate because George provided a handwritten version of his recollections of the LRKC’s foundation and its early days (including the politics!) before he died in 2007.

In the next chapter those dogs and kennels are highlighted that have had the most significant impact in South Africa and laid the foundation of a breed that now consistently ranks in the top three most numerous registrations with the KUSA. Reviewing the more recent and current kennels, one continues to see how certain British bloodlines have stood the test of time and also how our breeding has been strengthened by imports from different parts of the world including the USA.

The origin of Field Trials is described together with the role of the LRKC in establishing Retriever Trials in South Africa, an activity essential both to the past of the Labrador and to its future. After an outline of the early working tests, the book contains some fascinating anecdotes from the early years and the challenges that were faced by the organisers of these events. This chapter provides a very useful introduction to retriever field trials for readers who are unfamiliar with an activity that has become synonymous with the breed and been around almost as long as Labradors.

The other key activity enshrined in the Club’s Constitution is the holding of breed shows to evaluate the conformation of South African Labradors, and chapter six provides an outline of the purpose and structure of such events. Most often it is the top show winners who will have the greatest influence on the breed’s future quality and development and descriptions of some of the top dogs are given. To understand the key breed characteristics that a judge looks for in the show ring, refer to chapter eight for an excellent pictorial presentation of the Labrador breed standard.

The book continues with a description of the breed’s versatility. One of the Labrador’s best known roles is that of guide-dog for the blind and the LRKC’s long relationship with the South African Guide-Dogs Association is described. There are also some accounts about other important functions or roles that Labradors have fulfilled in South Africa.

The book concludes with a comprehensive selection of breeders’ advertisements and a useful section giving the pedigrees of the influential dogs in South African going back several generations. If you would like to advertise in the book please click here to download the necessary documentation.

This book is a must for all LRKC members and indeed anyone who owns or has an interest in Labradors.

By Mike Holman