History of Briards in England

Compiled by Linda Shove

In 1966 Nancy Tomlin went to Ireland where her husband Mike was working with a film crew. they were thinking of buying an Irish Wolfhound, so went to visit large kennels run by an American who was breeding several breeds of dog and exporting them to the United States. He bought top quality stock for his project, including the Briards he had bought from France. He started with Orkan de la Chevrerie and Maline de la Plain St Juste who had just produced their first litter. Nancy decided that the Wolfhounds would be too bigfor her London house and on the way out, passed the run with the Briards in it. "Hubert" was big, black, beautiful and four months old and Nacy just fell for him.

After a few quiet months in England as a loved pet, Nancy and Mike started to take an interest in the show world. Being an unusual and very appealing dog, the national newspapers became interested in Hubert and stories and photos appeared about him. Mrs Ann Ford contacted the Tomlins and was soon so captivated by Hubert that she inported another black male from Ireland. He was soon followed by another two Briards for Ann and Desamee Mitzi Moffat for the Tomlins.

Hubert and Maudie started going to training classes and made a big impression on their trainers Mr and Mrs Trueman. the Truemans imported more Briards from Ireland incuding Orkan de la Chevrerie and Karen of Ballinaboy. (In 1968 "Shannon Farms" had run into financial troubles and went into liquidation. Several of the Briards eventually found their way to England). In March 1969 Orkan and Karen produced the first English litter of 11 black puppies for the Trueman's "Tiniswood"prefix.

 
Eng. CH. DESAMEE TRIPOT DE VASOUY (IMP. FR)

About this time, the Tomlins went to France to visit the "De Vasouy" kennels of Mlle Turgis who was then a very old lady and had been breeding Briards for a very, very long time. They bought two fawn bitches including Desamee Solange De Vasouy.
 
Margaret Osborne (of "Shiel" Collies and Shelties) had long been intereted in the breed and she bought a bitch from Ireland to produce the second English litter in November 1969. The first litter for the Tomlins was born in 1970 (under their Desamee prefix) from a bitch they had bought from Mrs Ford. "Desamee" comes from the name of the French Briard club "Des Amis du Briard".
 
In 1970 there were two significant French imports both of which had tremendous influence on the breed. The first of these was Desamee Tripot De Vasouy, a fawn dog for the Tomlins who took the first Dog C C ever offered for the breed and became the second male Briard Champion. He had a long and successful career as a stud dog, siring many Champions and C C winners and was grandsire and great-grandsire to many, many more. Among his Champion progeny are Desamee Balu Bear, Suzy Bear and Belinda Bear, and Lullingstone Lottie and L Lemuel. Champion grandchildren include Desamee Bambin Bear, Bubi Bear and Scooby Bear and Stormfield Freida, Frodo and Natasha. In addition there are many Champion grandchildren in England and Champion descendants in Australia and New Zealand, all too many to mention here. There would be very, very few top Briards in the three countries who do not have "Oscar" in their pedigrees.

 
Eng.Ch. Desamee Balu Bear

The second was Shiel's Thor De La Tour St Genin, a black dog for Margaret Osborne. Thor had only been used at stud a few times when he tragically died from bloat while still just a young dog. But in that short time he had made his mark. Thor's litter to Lullingstone Lottie of Desamee was possibly one of the most influential litters born in England (remembering of course that Lotties sire was Tripot de Vasouy). This litter produced Ch. Desamee Bubi Bear, Ch. Desamee Bambin Bear, Desamee Fee Bear and Desamee Tara Bear. Bambin is still the breed record holder for bitch C C's was first Briard to take Best of Group at an English All Breeds Championship Show and she is still doing well in Veteran Stakes.(At 11 years old she was placed fourth in the Grand Final of the prestigious Pal Veteran Stakes for 1984.)


ENG. CH. DESAMEE BASHAN BEAR OF VALOIS

Bambin is the dam of Ch. Desamee Bashan Bear of Valois and Ch. Desamee Beaulieu Bear and grand-dam of three English Champions and New Zealand Champions Valois Black Shanida and Rolverden Rangler. (Plus many grandchildren and great-grandchildren in the United Kingdom with CC's and Reserve CC's.) Fee is the dam of the legendary Ch. Legrand Proud Lord of Valois and Tara is the dam of Ch. K'sar Royal Jet.


ENG. CH. K'SAR ROYAL JET

Three of Thor's progeny went to Australia: Danny and Emma from his first litter to Desamee Etoile Bear (daughter of Ch. Desamee Mitzi Moffit) and Slencieuse from his litter to Souhaite from Shiel.


ENG. CH. DESAMEE MITZI MOFFAT

Another significant French import was Vir Del Pastre of Baldslow who arrived in 1972 for Ruth Bumstead's "Baldslow" kennels. Vir became an English Champion in 1974. He sired many dogs and bitches of importance to the breed in particular Beaune of Baldslow who never became a Champion himself but is sire and grandsire to several Champions.

  
ENG. CH.VIR D'EL PASTRE OF BALDSLOW (IMP FR)

Considering their short history, Briards have been very successful in the showring in Britain. The first show to have seperate classess for briards was in September 1970 when there were three clasess and 21 briards entered. Best of breed was Aston of Tiniswood from the first English bred litter. Briards were first offered CC's in 1974 at Crifts. There were four classess with 28 briards entered. The Dog CC was won by Desamee Tripot de Vasouy and the Bitch CC by Desamee Mitzi moffat who was to become the first Briards Champion in England.