The Labrador Retriever Club celebrated its 50th Championship show on 12th June, 1993. For the Club, founded in 1916, the 50th Anniversary of its first Championship show had an entry of 447 dogs. Another highlight was the Parade of Champions with a total of 71 entries. On this occasion the Club honoured three of its most senior lady members: Gwen Broadley (Sandylands), the Hon. Lady Hill-Wood (Hiwood) and Mary Roslin-Williams (Mansergh). The three grand ladies of the L.R.C. had been active in the breed all their lives. They had given many decades of service to the Club.

Mrs Gwen Broadley acquired her first Labrador in the late 1920’s. When she died at the age of 92 in 1999 she had given more than 50 years of service to the Club. She served both as Vice-Chairman and on the Committee. The Sandylands prefix was registered in 1932. Her second Labrador Jerry became the first Sandylands Champion in 1934. Gwen Broadley became one of the world’s most successful breeders of Labradors. Dogs from her kennel have had an impact on the breed throughout the world.

Lady Hill-Wood, the daughter of the 3^rd Viscount Hampden, was an outstanding handler and judge of retrievers. Her expertise in dogs and their training was exceptional. In the early 1930’s her labradors came to prominence in the show and field trial world. All her life she was committed to gundogs. Her ideal was the dual purpose labrador. When she died aged 90 in 1997 she was President of the L.R.C.

Mary Roslin-Williams, who died in 1994, had been one of the Club’s long-standing members. She had given much of her life to the breed. At the 40th Championship show she won Best in Show with her bitch CH. Mansergh Mayday. She regarded this win to be her greatest achievement in her show career.

Heinz-Werner Witzel