Ebony was the bitch puppy which we kept from Bella’s first litter, born on 25th March 1995. Our first home bred puppy was so precious to us. She was a calmer character than her mum She had lovely confirmation, a good flat, thick coat and wonderful movement. With all the basics in place and nothing to hide, she was an absolute dream to show.... even I managed to do it with some success! She had enough sparkle to catch the eye but not so much as to make her naughty in the ring and on the move it was like having a fairy on the end of the lead. She had a lot of lovely wins including Best Puppy in Breed at Manchester Champ show in 1996 and Best Puppy in Show at Nantwich Open Show, which I certainly did not expect and found I was utterly overwhelmed!

She was so perfect for me, she was like a dream come true. Tragically too good to be true. She died of poisoning/ haemorragic enteritus, in July 1996 at 15 months old. That last week of trying to save her was simply the worst of my life as well as hers. For some time I thought that I could not carry on with flatcoats but then Megan came to us and helped me move into the future.