TATLOW Irish Setters
The fame and success of the Tatlow dogs represents only a portion of the contribution to the history of the breed attributable to Marjorie Deane. As a highly regarded judge and an expert handler, she always considered the dog’s merit as a specimen of the breed or as a potential producer and rarely its breeder’s prefix. Consequently there have been as many famous dogs not bearing her kennel name that she was directly responsible for as there were Tatlows. Records of the actual number of Tatlow champions are obscure but estimates indicate a minimum of thirty.
Already successful in the show ring with other breeds, Marj entered into the Irish about 1940 with Wendy of St Elmo, but it was her foundation sire Aust Ch Fascination of Burbury that established her as an identity in the breed. Ch Fascination of Burbury was by Ch Glendare Sportsman ex Colleen of Lambton. He was a multiple best in show winner and twice a Sydney royal challenge certificate winner. He was also awarded Best Gundog at Sydney Royal when six years of age.
Marj’s foundation brood bitch was Korere Pollyanna imported from New Zealand. She was by Marksman of Kashmir ex Korere Beth. Fascination was mated to Pollyanna to produce the first Tatlow litter in which there were a number of champions. Most notable of these were Ch Tatlow Trump (a famous showdog and widely used sire) and the legendary Champion Tatlow Irish Melody. Melody won eleven Best In Show All Breeds, including Best In show at Melbourne Royal. This mating was later repeated under the prefix Myrmidon to produce such champions as Ch Myrmidon Hector, Ch Myrmidon Echo who belonged to Mrs Belshner’s Rosebrook Kennels in Queensland, Ch Myrmidon Maestro & Ch Myrmidon Macushla who was owned by Marj and later went to Mrs E Lambert of Tara Kennels.
Ch Tatlow Irish Melody was only mated once to Mrs Morris’ English import Ch Hartsbourne Brutus (by Hartsbourne Tobias ex Hartsbourne Popsy) who was handled by Marj. Brutus was, in fact, handled through to Best In Show Sydney Royal in 1954 by Marj Deane. The Brutus-Melody mating produced nine pups, 8 of which became champions. Amongst them were Mrs Fisher’s Ch Tatlow Terrence, a multiple Best In Show winner; Mr & Mrs Gedyes’ Ch Tatlow Tallulah, a Best In Show Sydney Royal winner; Mrs Brown’s Ch Tatlow Gayelord and Miss Hinds’ (Parr-Leyn) Tatlow Irish Sonata.
Ch Tatlow Terrence was mated to the Tatlow bred Ch Myrmidon Macushla of the Lambert’s to produce the famous Tara litter which included Mr Jack Poel’s Ch Tara Triumph CDX UD TDX & Field Trial Ch; Aust Ch Tara Traviata, the multiple Royal Challenge Certificate winner retained by Mrs Lambert and later sold to Miss Hinds; and Aust Ch Tara Titian Tess acquired by Marj.
Tess was a top winner who had a multitude of show successes, including the Royal Challenge Certificate. In 1963 Tess was mated to Mrs Clementson’s (Patrona) English import Aust Ch Wendover Shandy of Casamia producing yet another memorable Tatlow litter. Amongst these were: Fay MacDonald’s (LindenLea), Aust Ch Tatlow Tricia, Mrs Beattie’s Aust Ch Tatlow Tranquility, Redtree Kennel’s Aust Ch Tatlow Field Boy (an extensively used and top producing sire) and the Balderson’s (Greglynn) Aust Ch Tatlow Irish Memory. Marj retained an interest in Ch Tatlow Irish Memory who became one of the most influential dams in recent history of the breed. she wa also successful in the show ring and won a bitch challenge at Sydney Royal in 1967 opposite her litter brother Aust Ch Tatlow Field Boy who won the dog CC.
Ch Tatlow Irish Memory produced three litters by the prepotent Aust Ch Parr Leyn Perry O’Shea. The first two of these which Marj was largely responsible for carried the Greglynn prefix. The third litter was bred by Miss Hinds, the owner and breeder of Ch Parr Leyn Perry O’Shea and carried her Parr Leyn prefix. Most of the Perry-Memory progeny were successful show dogs and became champions. All those that were bred from produced champions. They revolutionised the breed in Australia:- Breeders that used the stud dogs achieved quality and style beyond their expectations, and contemporary breedders who purchased them as foundation stock acquired immediate elevation to the forefront of the breed. Some of the progeny were:
– Aust Ch Greglynn Prince
Foundation sire of the Crawford’s Gaydave Kennels in South Australia
– Aust Ch Greglynn Garryowen
of Mary Waldron’s Colclough Kennels – one of the most prepotent and widely used sires in Victoria
– Aust Ch Greglynn Guinevere
who went to Mrs Ethel Flynn (Shenandoah) in Victoria
– Aust Ch Greglynn Giselle
one of Keith McCarthy’s (Taraglen) foundation bitches in Victoria
– Aust Ch Greglynn Stormlad
who produced several champions in Western Australia
– Greglynn Picture Girl
belonging to Doug Smith (Indolent) in Sydney, producer of 2 champions
– Aust Ch Greglynn Honeyhush
foundation bitch of the Heath’s Benwee Kennels in Sydney
– Aust Ch Greglynn Red Radiance
who was retained by Marj Deane. He won a challenge at Sydney Royal and sired some of the most well known and successful show dogs of the decade.
In the late 1960’s, with the death of her partner (Alf Thorn) Marj moved with her dogs to live with Nante Hinds at Parr Leyn Kennels. She continued to exhibit her dogs and even planned a couple more litters which didn’t eventuate. She acquired an unknown bitch from Western Australia which was derived from her breeding and from a litter sired by Ch Greglynn Red Radiance she kept Tarrenglen All Aglow, a bitch which she had considerable success with in the show ring.
Finally, after a couple of years at Parr Leyn, with waning interest in the Irish, and increased enthusiasm and success in a new field – the breeding and training of racing greyhounds – Marj sold the last of her show and breed stock and retired gracefully from the Irish whilst still on top. Ch Greglynn Red Radiance was sold to Victoria – to Keith McCarthy (Taraglen) and Ch Tarrenglen All Aglow was sold to Mr & Mrs Hamilton (Quailmoor) of NSW.
Marj’s last public appearance with irish setters was at the Setter Club Annual Show in 1973 when she handled George McHardie’s Ch Parr Leyn Irish Shanis through to Runner Up Best In Show .
