ANDREW HUNT

 

 

Andrew was born in London in 1953 to Reg & Cecily Hunt.   There was never a time in his life when he wasn't amongst terriers, his mother breeding and showing them under the Dominus affix.    Her foundation bitch was Roundway Bluelight.   She made up several champions, the best known probably being Ch. Dominus Director.  As a youngster Andrew handled his mother's dogs at open shows and it was whilst he was engaged in this, at around 14 years of age, that he came to the notice of Joe Cartledge who took an interest in him and invited him to work in his kennels during the school holidays.                                                                                                                                           

 

When he left school; Andrew decided he wanted to work with dogs and was fortunate enough to be offered work with Albert Langley with whom he remained for about four years.   It was during this time that Ch. Brookwire Brandy of Layven attained Best in Show at Crufts in 1975 with Albert, but it was with Andrew that she gained her first two CC's.    Andrew spoke with a great deal of affection about Albert from whom he feels he learnt so much about putting trimmed terriers down to perfection.   Albert's trimming was second to none and it is evident when looking at the dogs Andrew has prepared that he was a very adept pupil.   

 

Whilst reminiscing about his times with Albert, Andrew told me that there would be as many as 20 champions in the kennels at any one time and rarely a day went by without at least three bitches coming in for mating.   Many of the champions in Albert's kennels are legendary even today - Holmwire Tudor Region, Seedfield Meritor Superflash, Mitre Beau Brummel and many others.    Andrew was lucky enough to be around during those heady days when wires reigned supreme and when handlers, such as Albert, would have the pick of the wires from the major breeders to show.     Andrew can well remember seeing Bob Barlow coming up the stairs at Earls Court in 1962, wearing his signature trilby hat, which was the year he took the BIS at Crufts with Ch. Crackwyn Cockspur.

 

When Albert left the U.K. to work in Italy Andrew decided to continue handling on his own account and remembers Elsie Williams (Penda) as one of his earliest clients.    When Andrew first started handling he had four clients but acquired far more as his reputation grew and he has handled for such personalities as Alf Churchill (Weltona) Mr. P.H. Copley (Caradochouse) Jim Barker (Barmaud),  Joe Cartledge (Ryslip), Stafford Somerfield (Panfield) Geir Pedersen (Louline), Mrs. Braddock (Dimminsdale), but to mention a few.    Andrew firmly believes that if he cannot be reasonably sure that he will gain success with a dog, he will tell the owner this, being of the opinion that it is unfair to take on dogs  who are unlikely to achieve the sort of success the owners hope for.    Although Andrew has made up in excess of 20 wires, he has achieved many, many more tickets with a variety of trimmed terriers - Norfolks, Welsh, sealyhams, lakies, Airedales, miniature schnauzers.   He sees his role in the dog business as that of making up champions and to this end he aims to build up considerable rapport with his charges by trimming, exercising and training them to perform at their best in the ring.     Andrew is fortunate enough now to have the luxury of being selective in the dogs he handles and he is also in considerable demand to put those all-important finishing touches on show dogs before their owners take them into the ring.  

 

When I asked him which was his most outstanding wire he named Wiredresst Jewel Price.    She was a Dutch import, owned and bred by William Joosse, and was top wire in 1980.  Whilst with Andrew she gained 8 CC's, and particularly remembers one won under Audrey Dallison whom he describes as a most formidable judge!

  

On a personal note, Andrew has been married to Sue Griffin for 28 years.  They and their three sons live in East Sussex.    Sue is a well-known figure and can usually be found assisting Andrew at the shows.   

 

In addition to the considerable success he has enjoyed in this country, Andrew has also achieved many successes overseas.   When one considers the great terrier characters that Andrew mixed with over the years and the memories he has of his earliest days in dogs, it is difficult to realise that he is still a comparatively young man.