Errol came to us a 12 week old puppy from his breeders John and Sue Lewington in South Australia. He was initially going to be Greg's dog..... Well that never happened. From the moment my eyes met his, it started. The beginning of the most wonderful relationship with a dog I could have ever dreamed of.
Errol is my first Irish Wolfhound. I thought I was prepared for nurturing a giant baby, well I wasn't. Nothing can prepare you for what is in store if you haven't experienced it before! He seemed to grow before my eyes.... and eat... well that's another story!
We initially purchased Errol as a show dog and a family companion. However I had been warned that 'you wont win with a wolfhound' so I was content to just go along to shows and enjoy him as the loving companion he was.
It wasn't long before Errol started to become a regular winner at group and show level for his baby and puppy class. I had a lot of positive feedback from judges from Australia and overseas, and I began to think that maybe we were just lucky.
Errol won his first Best In Group at 12 months of age. I was totally blown away. That same day, he went on and won Junior In Show under an international judge who found me after the judging and proceeded to strip Errol's head neck and ears, all while telling me his opinion on the way I had done it.... I was mortified. I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me there and then. It took me 2 years to email that particular judge and tell him he was the turning point in Errol's career and a little bit of every ribbon he has won since then was dedicated to him.
From then on I started researching grooming techniques. I made some AWFUL mistakes. Still do. but I was determined to never have a dressing down by a judge again, and for me to not be the reason he wasn't considered. There have been many people who have helped me along with grooming along the way, I sincerely appreciate them all.
Errol won his first All Breeds Best In Group at 15 months of age. He has since matured and gone on to become the youngest IW Supreme Champion at just 2 1/2 years of age and the greatest winning Irish Wolfhound in Breed History. To date he has amassed 29 Best in Show awards from 29 different judges and 76 Best In Group Awards all under different judges. He is only 3. He has been awarded in 3 states of Australia, by Tasmanian, Australian and International Judges from all over the world. He finished 2015 as Tasmania's No1 All Breeds dog All Systems, Australia's No4 Hound and Australia's No16 All Breeds. This is no mean feat as Tasmanian shows do not attract as big an entry, and it means he has to be so much more consistent to keep in touch with the leaderboard. He has had some incredible wins and huge highlights, all which are on on this website.
In March 2016 Errol was given sponsorship by Royal Canin. I had been feeding him and the cresteds on it for quite some time, and the results were outstanding. His skin, coat and vitality all changed very quickly once I made the switch. I was extremely impressed with the results. I am a VERY proud Ambassador for Royal Canin, I truly believe the proof of feeding the product is there for all to see. I am grateful for their support.
Through all of Errol's career there has been a constant, and that is the incredible support I have received from his breeders Sue and John. They are like family to me now. I am incredibly blessed to have them in my life and I treasure their friendship like no other. They are there for me all the time, every time. They are an amazing source of knowledge , and as a person new to the breed, I am indebted to them and gratefully receive all their advice. Better breed mentors one could not have. Thank You Sue and John. I Love you both. I have a fantastic support network of friends, they know who they are and I love them for it. They have been there the whole way, and have seen everything and been through it with me.
However there is not a big enough ribbon, award or rosette in the world for me to give this magnificent creature to show him the depth of my love for him. He is my world and I am his. I am truly the luckiest person in the world that Errol loves me.
Photo Gallery
These are some of my favourite photos of Errol and I, each has a special significance to me.