The story began in 1979 when we purchased two dog puppies as family pets, Rusty and Worthington were from Bryanstown and Stolford lines and introduced us to Golden Retrievers.

Inseparable brothers we had 3 happy years with them until tragedy struck and Rusty was diagnosed with a form of hepatitis, after a week at Cambridge VET school we were told that although his liver would regenerate to a degree his kidneys were failing and he had only 6 months to live. Faced with this decision, which tore us apart, we had to let him go as we could not let him suffer. Worthington pined terribly and advice was to get him a companion as soon as possible.

 

We contacted a local breeder who although did not have puppies herself put us in touch with someone who had puppies by her stud dog. Hawfield Oliver who was a Fourwinds Bossanova of Lorinford son captured our heart and Sunny as he was known came to live with us. Worthington was not impressed, and all through their lives there was no bond between them.

'Vienna' aged 6 Mths.....Rosinante Scarlet Woman Among Sokenlea.

At six months the stud owner came to see him and thought he was a hopeful prospect and could do something in the ring was I interested? So I dabbled here and there with breed classes, gundog variety classes, any variety classes and I was hooked.

Sunny qualified for Crufts and did a considerable amount of winning in that year when I was learning the ropes. Not satisfied with one dog to show I quickly bought another young male this time from Sue Russell Rosinante Sweet Pepi by Lorinford Lancelot, and her beautiful Kynaf Rosevean Bryher of Rosinante (Sophie). Danny quickly became one of the gang, we enjoyed moderate success, and he was my BOB winner.

 

I enjoyed going to shows, making new friends and always learning, I never had any intentions of breeding until I heard that Sue was repeating the mating and this time I would have a bitch. Rosinante Arraminta changed my life forever and one year later after her phenomenal puppy career I applied to the Kennel Club for my own affix.

Sokenlea was not my first choice, but as we had moved house to accommodate the dogs, we lived at the time in a village called Thorpe-le Soken. A Soken is an Anglo-Saxon word and refers to the lord or squire bestowing a favour on the people out of the goodness of his heart.