NUMBER ONE PBGV PUPPY
GAVIN AND SARA ROBERTSON, AVALON KENNELS, OXFORDSHIRE
Soletrader PBGV's are based in Wallingford, Oxfordshire and owned by Gavin & Sara Robertson. Their aim is to breed healthy, quality dogs both in and out of the show ring and to produce a stamp which will be recognised all around the world.
Gavin started in Beagles as a child but quickly picked up the 'dog show bug' and whilst visiting Crufts with his parents at Earls Court in the 1980's they discovered the PBGV. At that time the breed was very much a hairy basset with crooked legs.
Sara's family owned and showed Smooth Collies under the Jesena affix and she was asked to handle a PBGV for a friend many years ago, but it wasn't until she met Gavin in the early 2000's that she regained her love for the breed.
Soletrader was created in 2001 by Gavin & Sara and to this day has had over 50 UK Champions, multiple international champions, top breeder awards, top dog awards, multiple BIS's in the UK and around the world, alongside other titles. In 2010 they were the top breeder/owner of the number one PBGV in four different counties; Am & Can Ch Soletrader Bjorn Borg in Canada, Ch Cappuccino V Tum Tums Vriendjes in the UK, Am Ch & Ch Soletrader Donald Duck in the USA, and Ch Soletrader Peter Pan in Singapore.
Soletrader is best known for Crufts 2013 Best In Show winner CH SOLETRADER PEEK A BOO (Jilly), and her son, CH SOLETRADER MAGIC MIKE (Mike). They have also won BOB's at the PBGV Nationals in the USA and Westminster Kennel Club in New York, as well as multiple BOB's here in the UK at Crufts.
Soletrader breeding is all over the world and there are currently dogs in Canada, America, and Australia who are successful group and BIS winners alongside a small team of dogs waiting for the show ring following the pandemic, based here in the UK.
Gavin & Sara are both CC judges and Gavin also judges multiple groups and Best In Show.
Simon Parsons writes in his Beyond the Dog House page following Magic Mike's new breed record!
Where better to achieve a breed CC record than at the parent club championship show?
That was done last weekend at the Basset Griffon Vendéen Club where the Petit Ch Soletrader Magic Mike won his 29th under Alan Curry and went on to best in show from Val Jackson.
He thereby went one CC ahead of his dam Ch Soletrader Peek A Boo and her dam Ch Soletrader My Aphrodisiac who both won 28 CCs.
Even though there a couple of shows still to go, it’s hardly a secret that Mike will end up as a very comfortable Top Dog all breeds under both the Our Dogs system and the group league compiled by this page.
Like his dam ‘Jilly’ and granddam ‘Dizzy’ he was bred by Sara and Gavin Robertson, and is owned by Sara with Wendy Doherty from Canada (who also co-owned Jilly during her show career).
He is that rare bird, a general championship show BIS winner bred from two other BIS winners.
Jilly was Top Dog in 2012 and won eight BIS awards including Crufts’ 13.
Her first litter, by her grandsire Ch Soletrader Dunc ‘n Disordely, produced a group show BIS winner, Ch Soletrader Annie Mac.
Next, she was mated to Ch/Int/Dutch/Dan/Fin Ch Boom Chicago van Tum Tum’s Vriendjes (Int/Dutch/Lux/Dan/Fin Ch Caramel Apple van Tum Tum’s Vriendjes ex Vivace van Tum Tum’s Vriendjes), owned by the Huikeshoven family in the Netherlands, who Gavin and Sara felt would complement Jilly.
He has two lines back to Jilly’s sire Ch/Dutch Ch Cappuccino van Tum Tum’s Vriendjes who in turn has two Soletrader parents. Boom Chicago was BIS at Paignton in 2015.
From this came Magic Mike and his sister Ch Soletrader Rita Ora.
At his second championship show, Three Counties 2016, he qualified for the Eukanuba/Dog World Pup of the Year final under John Thirlwell. He was BOB at Windsor without CCs and shortlisted in the group.
His first CC came at East of England under Eddie Webster where he won the group under Dianna Spavin, his second at his next show, Bournemouth, under Jenny Startup, and his title the following week at Welsh Kennel Club, judge Sue Pocock.
His first BIS came at Belfast judged by Stuart Plane and he also won the Eukanuba champion stakes heat under Peter Jolley.
He was therefore among the competitors at the POTY and champions finals held on the same day, and won them both! Judges were Geoff Corish for POTY and Bill Browne-Cole and David Guy for the champions.
That year he won three more BIS at East of England (Anne Macdonald), Darlington (Paul Harding) and South Wales (Tom Johnston).
This year he won at Manchester (Valerie Foss), WELKS (Hans van den Berg), Scottish Kennel Club May (Stuart Mallard), Bath (Ernie Paterson), Border Union (Jeff Luscott), Leeds (Patsy Hollings), Bournemouth (Liz Cartledge), SKC August (David Guy) and Richmond (Geoff Corish), giving him a total of 13 BIS, the record for a hound.
He also has two group show BIS.
Among his progeny is Ir Ch Soletrader Buddy Holly, BOB at Crufts 2018 and winner of several BIS in Ireland.