I also have a page dedicated to my Year Books - Cocker Spaniels Downunder - featuring advertisements from Cocker breeders all over Australia and New Zealand. Cocker Spaniels Downunder also has results from shows in Australia and articles about the cocker spaniels.
Bolwarra Cockers came into existence in 1974 with my first cocker a blue roan bitch supposedly pick of the litter, picked out by Liz Harper of Lambrigg Fame. Maybe the whole litter were pets anyway we loved this pup and took her along to shows which she didn't enjoy but somehow I was bitten and not put off by a cocker who hated the ring. We bred her and had a litter of 10 pups the pup we chose an orange roan didn't turn out so we went searching for a better pup the first choice was better than our much loved Snibbo but still not to the judges liking so again produced a litter and kept two Bolwarra Bobby Dazzler was one of these, and it is now 1977. Bolwarra Bobby Dazzler was my first challenge winner, but advice from Bill Owen of Goldstream Cockers saw us place both these pups. Then in 2000 we purchased Brightleaf Beforceful and befriended Edna Flynn. Brightleaf Beforceful was our first Champion he won a Best in Show and was Cocker Spaniel of the Year ACT on a number of occasions he was a finalist in ACT Guineas and won class and Best in Group awards and was sire of our winning Ch Bolwarra Hot Gossip. In 1982 Edna and Syd Flynn gave us Ch Lehearn Let it Be Me along with much help and advice. Ch Lehearn Let It Be Me won well for us I was still on a huge learning curve grooming and handling, she was mother of Ch Bolwarra Hot Gossip, Ch Bolwarra Bubble Gum, & Ch Bolwarra Lolly Pop. Ch Lehearn Let It Be Me produced a litter from Ch Craigleith Kings Ransom and Ch Bolwarra Bubble Gum, & Ch Bolwarra Lolly Pop were the result of this. These dogs again gave me many hours of joy it was now 1989 and I had started to study for my Gundog License, I judged my first Open show that year. Ch Bolwarra Lolly Pop - Sydney - won the Contest of Cockers in 1990 he was a very pretty dog and won many class and Best in Group awards, and a Runner UP Best in Show at an ACT Cocker Show. Ch Bolwarra Bubble Gum - Annie - also did well under cocker specialists.In the nineties with human children growing up to be young adults I had more time to pursue my showing. Bolwarra Bubble Gum won Runner Up Best in Show at the NSW Specialty under cocker specialist Adrian Jones and then Best in Group a couple of weeks later I bred her to Wingait Risky Biznis which produced - Holmes - Bolwarra Big Biznis he didn't grow to size so we placed him in a pet home and repeated the mating which gave us Bolwarra Sticky Bizniz - Peekay - and Bolwarra Blue Chip -Warnie-. My numbers of dogs were limited at this time because we only had a small suburban yard. The next mating I put Annie to Feenix Fair Star and this produced Bolwarra Graphic Design -Buster- and Bolwarra The Illustrator - Benita -.I was now a qualified Gundog and Working dog judge and studying my Hound license. I had also completed my Diploma of Graphic Design, so never a spare minute. I started a new job working for a small printing firm as their Graphic Designer from there I left to work as a freelance designer for a few Graphic Design Studios, then accepted a Government position as a Graphic Designer.It was 1998 things were looking good and then my husband died from a massive heart attack.! My children were grown up and pursuing their own lives my son was married and my daughter was working in Perth as a Certified Accountant having completed degrees in Economics, Asian Studies, and Masters of Accountancy. On my own with seven cocker spaniels and a small suburban yard and a neighbour giving me grief, so I reduced my numbers back to four.In 1999 lonely I fell in love with charismatic Gabor Markotany and we married just before the dawn of the 21st Century.In 1999 now with 6 dogs in the back yard we decided we needed better quarters for the dogs and so purchased a house in Wanniassa. This house had a huge gargage and carport and we cemented the back yard which gave us a clean surface for the dogs. We bought Lachlana Hallmark and Glenbriar Silver Bell, these dogs had excellent pedigrees and Bell became the foundation for my present stock.I now had my Hound and Toy license and my own small Graphic Design business - Benchmark Design Studio. Our dog population had doubled and left us looking for more land to house our dogs. With strick laws on the number of dogs you could keep in the ACT we looked further a field. After much searching we found a pretty 5 acres in Murrumbateman.In September 2001 we settled into Nirta Drive Murrumbateman. This meant I had to complete my Non Sporting license in Sydney and Garbie had to complete his hound license there also, only 26 kilometers out of Canberra but we had to travel 300 kilometers to Sydney to lectures and exams. Many late nights travelling to lectures I qualified in 2003 for Non Sporting. Garbie completed his Hound license in 2005.Being in NSW meant we could keep a larger number of dogs, from litters I kept two pups to run on and select a future show dog at an older age. Ch Bolwarra Sterlin Silver, Ch Bolwarra Dancethniteaway, Ch Bolwarra Silver Jubilee, Bolwarra Prima Donna were all dogs we kept to show, title and breed from, all "Bell" children and a real asset to our future generations. At this time I was lucky enough to be given the Beautiful Ch Kenbey Play Boy "Toddy" by Ken Morden. Gr Ch Kenbey Play Boy was retired in 2006 on a winning note, he sadly died, in 2008 at the age of 9 and 3/4 leaving a legacy of a few lovely dogs. Gr Ch Bolwarra Rip Tide is his grand son and is filling the void left by Toddy death.Now 2008 I am qualified to judge Allbreeds. Bolwarra cockers have done well in the show ring and are living in lovely pet homes with their families who keep in touch and send us photos of their dogs, we enjoy hearing how they are going.
Contact Details
Gabor & Megan MarkotanyMullengandra, NSW, Australia
Phone : 0417 243 797
Email : garbie1@bigpond.com
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