FLATCOATED RETRIEVER
The Flatcoated Retriever originated in England in the 19th century by crossing the Wavycoated Retriever (which was also used to describe the St John's dog at the time) with Setters and collie-like dogs. The influence of the black Irish setter on the flat coat is obvious. Mr.Sewallis Evely Shirley from Ettington Park (1844-1904) is considered the father of the Flatcoated Retriever ("Shirley Retriever"). He was also the first secretary of the Kennel Club in England, founded in 1873. He introduced the stud books and standards and served throughout his life to maintain and refine the new breed.
Before the First and between the two World Wars, the retriever breeds took off on a large scale. Every retriever was worked and it was normal to win a hunting test one day and an exhibition the next day with the same retriever. Equal emphasis was placed on appearance and work facilities in order to meet these requirements. After the Second World War, the Labrador and Golden Retrievers in particular enjoyed a tremendous boom and interests were divided among many. During the Second World War and the post-war period, unfortunately, almost all flatcoated kennels disappeared and only a few breeders (e.g. Dr Nancy Laughton with the Claverdon kennel) who continued under the most difficult conditions, it is thanks to the fact that this breed did not become extinct. As a result, the Flatcoated Retriever was spared the split into working and show dogs until now.
There was a “flat boom” in England in the early 1980s when “CH.Shargleam Blackcap” became “Best in Show” at Cruft's Dog Show. “Shargleam”, from Miss Pat Chapman, who unfortunately died much too early in 1993, was a very successful kennel that always put quality before quantity.
Other significant English kennel names are: Ligwood, Fenrivers (from Mr.Reed Flowers, whose male “CH.Fenrivers Golden Rod” was best of breed at Cruft's in 1967 and 1968 - a dog with the ideal image of the flat par excellence), Collyers from The Honorable Mrs.Amelia Jessel (an excellent dog handler, whose flats were often noticed at field trials), Ryshot, Halstock, Hartshorn, Downstream, Heronsflight (from Mrs.Joan Mason), Rase-Flatcoats, Oakmoss, Wizardwood, Falswift, Gayplume, Llecan, Haweth, Riverflight, Tancourt, Tongreen, Torwood, Vvbos, Braydwinn and Branchalwood as well as Mrs. Brenda Philips' Exclyst kennel, which was established in the 1970s and is still very successful today.