TANTRA-THE REAL STORY

I was in Australia when I 1st came across the Lhasa Apso.  I had seen a photograph of a grey shaggy looking dog on the cover of Australian Dog. This was later to become Champion Cheska Mr Ed, if I recall correctly. I got a boy and a girl from the Singtuk kennel. Unfortunately I was still a child and I did not have parents who considered children important and certainly not their dogs. My dogs were given away when we were brought back to England very much against my will. This was in 1975. 

 I used to travel to Lhasa Apso club shows. In the late 70s I acquired one female from Hardace and later in 1981 another female from the same kennel. Neither of these were of any quality but it really did not matter as circumstances dictated that I could not breed or show. 

 Very much later after several years of successful person Showing where I bred champions and group winning champions and Best in show winning champions, I was finally able to move out to the country. I found it impossible to buy in a decent female. 

 Unbeknownst to me, that there had been a concerted campaign of lies and cruelty towards me which resulted in me being refused membership of one of the breed clubs. When this happened I decided it was time to confront the source of all this gossip. 

 I went out on my own and I imported two females one from Denmark and one from France. I bred quietly on my own until I felt I had something good enough to show. My 1st championship show was at Windsor in 2006. I have campaigned seriously since then and have attended almost every championship show available.I have qualified every single dog I have shown, which now amounts to about 11. 

 I will always be grateful to Linda Robinson of Polielin for allowing me to buy my pick of litter out of her litter of 7 puppies. This black female was to become the famous Whitney. To give her her proper name, BISS Ch Polielins Whitney with Tantra. Whitney is not only the most delightful dog to live with and the only one I can never say that I have truly fallen in love with and she with me, She is also an excellent example of a Lhasa Apso. I retired her at the end of 2010, and in January 2011 she had her 1st litter.

 From this letter I have kept Pussy and Deita. Deita went to live with Kutani. Her full name now is Champion Tantra's Plenty O'Toole is Kutani. ( I can only say that my relationship with Wendy of Kutani is a very good one and I can only wish that it had started much sooner than it did. Our friendship is a surprise to both of us and represents a salutary lesson for those whose aim in life is to gossip and tear other people down. I have been very touched by Wendy's kindness and the very thoughtful things that she has done for both John and I.) 

 As for the 2 bitches that I imported, they are behind the 2 dogs I am now showing. Tantra's Mary Grace and Tantra's Chase Me. Mary Grace has won the limit class twice and chase won his very 1st class and has qualified for Cruft's. He has been shown 3 times and has been in the top 3 each time. Chase is the 4th generation of my own breeding.Mary Grace is his mother. So regardless of the fact that I have loved this breed for 40 years I have in fact only been a serious exhibitor for 6 years. All the above achievements have been in the last 6 years. 

 Especially because of my health situation, I will not be able to campaign every quality puppy that I produce. It is therefore entirely possible that top-quality puppies will be available from me. However, puppies for showing will not be sold at 8 weeks. I much prefer to run them on myself and be certain of their qualities before I sell them on. This will mean that the puppy is likely to be over 6 months of age. 

 I hope this now sets the record straight as some people seem to think that I have been showing for the past 30 years! And I do wonder why their memories do not kick in and they then realise that of course they have not seen me at showsfor the last 30 years!