258 



THE NEW BOOK OF THE DOG. 



siderable fame for their levelness of type, 

 and the improvement in heads so noticeable 

 at the present time is to be ascribed to his 

 breeding for this point. Mr. L. Allen Shuter, 

 the owner of Ch. Darenth and other excellent 



MR. A. H. HORSMAN'S CH. SHOTOVER 



BY CH. BLACK QUILT QUEEN OF LLANGOLLEN. 



Retrievers of his own breeding, claims also 

 a large share of credit for the part he has 

 played in the general improve- 

 ment of the breed. Mr. C. A. 

 Phillips, too, owned admirable 

 specimens in Ch. Taut and other 

 good workers, and the name of 

 the late Lieut. -Colonel Cornwall 

 Legh must be included. Many 

 of Colonel Legh's bitches were of 

 Shirley blood, but it is believed 

 that a breed of Retrievers had 

 existed at High Legh for several 

 generations, with which a judicious 

 cross was made, the result being 

 not only the formation of a re- 

 markable kennel, but also a de- 

 cided influence for good upon the 

 breed in general. 



But since the Shirley days, when 

 competition was more limited than 

 it is at present, no kennel of Re- 

 trievers has ever attained any- 

 thing like the distinction of that owned 

 by Mr. H. Reginald Cooke, at Riverside, 

 Nantwich. By acquiring the best speci- 

 mens of the breed from a'.l available 



sources, Mr. Cooke has gathered together a 

 stock which has never been equalled. His 

 ideas of type and conformation are the 

 outcome of close and attentive study and 

 consistent practice, and one needs to go to 

 Riverside if one desires to see the highest 

 examples of what a modern flat-coated 

 Retriever can be. Within recent years Mr. 

 Cooke has owned Ch. Black Quilt (perhaps 

 the most successful sire of the race), Paul 

 of Riverside, Worsley Bess, Gipsy of River- 

 side, Ch. High Legh Blarney, and Ch. Wim- 

 pole Peter, and at the present moment the 

 Riverside kennels contain ten champions in 

 addition to many potential champions. 



Since Dr. Bond Moore imparted to the 

 Retriever a fixity of character, the coats 

 have become longer and less wavy, and 

 in conformation of skull, colour of eye, 

 straightness of legs, and quality of bone, 

 there has been a perceptible improve- 

 ment. 



As there is no club devoted to the breed, 

 and consequently no official standard of 

 points, the following description of the 

 perfect Retriever is offered. 



MR. E. W. H. BLAGG'S BUSY MITE 



BY CH. WIMPOLE PETER STYLISH QUEEN. 



Photograph by Lowmlcs, Cheadle. 



1. General Appearance. That of a well-pro- 

 portioned bright and active sporting dog, show- 

 ing power without lumber and raciness without 

 weediness. 



2. Head. Long, fine, without being weak, the 



