Wingan Labrador Retrievers: A New Dog in America

Step 1 - Import the Best Labradors

Jay Carlisle liked a good-looking dog, but he wanted more. He wanted dogs with an acceptable show record and qualified in the field. "Once Mr. Carlisle had decided that the Labrador was to be his breed, he began a study of existing blood lines. He went over countless records, and all the time he had in mind the qualities that he wanted." 1

After breeding, raising, showing, and racing horses, he developed a discerning eye. However, in the early 1930s, the Lab was still new to America and field trials were just getting started. Carlisle promised to make the breed as popular in America as it was in Britain.

FC Banchory Night Light & CH Banchory Jetsam

Banchory Night Light and Banchory Jetsam were littermates sired by Blackworth Midnight. They were bred by Miss L. Croad of England.

In 1935 Field and Stream Magazine began offering a challenge trophy to the dog that earned the greatest number of points. Only competition in Open All Age Stakes counted.

Night Light was one of the top Labradors and earned 12 points in the contest. Banchory Varnish of Wingan earned 10 points and Glenairlie Rover was tied with Blind of Arden at eight points.

He was a Field Champion and major pointed in dog shows. Jetsam was a Show Champion which included winning the points at the Westminster Kennel Club show in 1934.

Tops of Bigstone, Night Light's daughter, produced several quality dogs. These included Dual CH AFC Matchmaker for Deer Creek, FC AFC Ladies Day at Deer Creek, and Kingdale's Ink Spot.

It's interesting that Night Light carried the chocolate gene while his sister, Jetsam, carried the yellow gene.

Drinkstone Peg's British litter

Below are Peg's puppies by Eng Dual Ch Bramshaw Bob.

Bancstone Blair of Wingan

Owned by J.F. Carlisle

Although he wasn't shown much he almost always won his class and even won Best of Breed.

CH Bancstone Bob of Wingan

Owned by J.W. Redmond

Bob also finished his show championship with three five-point majors - including at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show in 1937.

Bancstone Doctor of Wingan

Owned by J.F. Carlisle

Although Doctor was also shown, he didn't finish his championship.

Bancstone Peggy of Wingan

Owned by J.F. Carlisle, later by C.H. Mackay

Although she was halfway to her show championship, it appears she never finished her title.

Other Labs

Carlisle had many dogs - some he bought and some he bred. Here are a few of his better known Labs.

Okanagan Sandy

Sandy was bred in Canada and was special enough to earn a place at Wingan Kennels. One of the field trials he ran was under particularly difficult conditions.

"Six dogs were called back for the final elimination with the sea pounding on the outer bars, whitecaps making in the inlet and snow squalls driving inland. Dog after dog was sent into the icy water. Suddenly the black clouds closed down and the whole world was shut out by a driving snowstorm....

"Sandy's water work was little short of perfection, he taking to the water with a huge splash, after having marked his two falls..." 7

Wingan's Daily Double

Another Wingan dog deserving of mention is Daily Double. Bred by Carlisle and sold to Howes Burton, an amateur, who handled her himself. She won at the Long Island Retriever Field Trial Club in 1939 and placed second in what was called "fast company" just a week before. The winner in that trial was Earlsmoor Moor of Arden.

However what makes her special is the combination of pedigree and offspring. She was a half-sister to Blind and Decoy of Arden on her father's side. And a half-sister to Pons Junior on her mother's side.

When bred to Eng FTCh Glenairlie Rover, she produced Mint of Barrington who in turn sired NFC AFC Marvadel Black Gum "Blackie".

Blackie was High Point Derby dog in 1946. He won his first Open stake at 16 months of age and finished his field championship the next year. And he qualified for eight consecutive National Opens (1946-1953), winning in 1949.

Step 2 - Build the Best Kennels

Instead of a heated kennel building with attached runs, Jay Carlisle built condos for his Labs. He felt it would be hard for the dogs to go from a heated kennel to retrieving in icy water.

Each condo was 6x11 feet, made out of redwood and set on 4x4s to avoid rot. Inside were two rooms - a 5x6 foot vestibule that became a shaded porch in summer and a 6x6 foot sleeping compartment with a hallway to avoid drafts.

They even had lights, windows and a hinged roof for cleaning.

The condos were set in 20x30 foot concrete runs with trees for shade. Puppies had a similar set up in a larger grass run.

Nearby was the feed house where they stored supplies and prepared meals for the dogs. Puppies were fed five meals a day - cereal with milk in the morning, cooked beef, raw beef, milk and biscuit and a big-dog meal.

Adult dogs got cooked meat twice a week with commercial food, cod liver oil and yeast. Occasionally they got salmon or raw beef.

Step 3 - Import the Best Help

While Jay Carlisle was looking for the best Labs, he was also looking for someone to train the dogs. For that he looked to Scotland where many men learned the business as kennel men and game raisers.

With the help of Countess Howe and many others, Carlisle found the right man. In 1934 he brought David D. Elliot to Long Island from Scotland.

David D. Elliot

Elliot grew up near Edinburgh, Scotland, where he learned about sheepdog trials from his grandfather. Watching how the sheepdogs responded to signals gave him the idea to teach signals to Labs. A form of these signals is still used today to guide dogs on blind retrieves.

Lady Howe, Dr. Monro-Holm and David Black (breeder of Peter of Faskally) recommended Elliot as a kennelman for Carlisle. Elliot agreed to come for five years, but instead, he stayed for a lifetime.

In addition to training dogs, he also trained people. They included Dorothy Howe (Rupert), Joan Redmond (later Joan Reed, Chidley) and Kathleen Starr (later Mrs Fredricks, Timber Town). The ladies were sometimes called "Elliot's Harem." Cotton Pershall was another person who learned how to handle dogs at Wingan.

Carlisle was pleased with Elliot's training and thanked him for introducing him to field trialing. The competition made him happy despite the recent death of his wife.

If you'd like to see Elliot and two of his retrievers - Eng FTCh FC Banchory Varnish of Wingan and FC Timber Town Clansman - check out the "Sky Game" video, filmed in 1939.

Step 4 - Promote the Kennel and Competition

Jay Carlisle registered Wingan as his kennel name in 1933.

He ran ads in a variety of magazines - from the AKC Gazette to Vanity Fair.

He served as President of the Labrador Retriever Club from 1935-1938. During that time he established the Amateur stake and donated a perpetual trophy so the stake would continue.

Carlisle, Anthony Bliss, Franklin Lord, Gould Remick, Henry Root Stern, and Leonard Buck formed the Long Island Retriever Trial Association. The club's purpose was to encourage the breeding, training, and use of retrievers, and for holding of all-breed retriever trials.

David Elliot wrote a book about Labs and training them and Carlisle published it in 1936. It included training advice and many photos of Wingan Labradors.

“The efforts and absorbing interest of J. F. Carlisle, his participation in trials and at shows, and his generous offering of dogs at stud to new breeders gave the breed a tremendous push forward in this period. He helped to form a nucleus of good material to build upon, together with the superb group of imports... All this gave the breed the right start, and it was not long before history repeated itself, so that the Labrador was on its way to overtaking all the other Retriever varieties in the New World, as it had in the Old.” 9

The End and a Beginning

Jay Carlisle died in 1937, just eight months after his wife.

He was so respected, that 28 prominent men volunteered to act as pallbearers. A special train transported guests from Penn Station in New York City to Carlisle's home in East Islip, Long Island.

The retriever community postponed a field trial so contestants could attend his funeral. However the postponement meant the trial had to be limited in order to finish in one day. This was the start of Limited All-Age stakes.

The Labrador Retriever Club, Inc. set up a Jay Carlisle Memorial Trial. It was held from 1938 to 1941 near his home on Long Island. Mrs. Hill-Wood, Morgan Belmont and Robert Morgan judged the first Memorial Trail.

On a sad note, the contents of his home went to auction in 1938 and his beautiful mansion was demolished in 1940.

Most of his dogs were given to the young Scotsman, David D. Elliot. He also received the specially-modified green and yellow dog wagon and the right to rent the Wingan kennel at a reduced rate.

Although it seems like a sad ending, the dogs did continue competing with Elliot. And many people recognized Carlisle's contribution to Labradors and to field trials in America.

David Elliot (right) with Banchory Night Light winning the Field & Stream Challenge Cup for Outstanding Retriever of 1937.

Today

Few people recognize the Wingan name today or they confuse it with Helen Ginnel's Whygin kennel. But Carlisle's efforts - importing quality dogs, making his stud dogs available, and promoting Labradors - helped make the breed as popular in America as it was in England.

I'm proud to have several dogs that trace back to the Wingan Labradors.

-- Chip and his descendants trace to -

* NFC Banchory Night Light of Wingan (grandsire of Dual CH Matchmaker for Deer Creek)
* Am Eng CH Banchory Trump of Wingan (grandsire of Dual CH Grangemead Precocious and FC Pickpocket for Deer Creek)
* CH Bancstone Lorna of Wingan (granddam of Dual CH Grangemead Precocious)
* Penney of Wingan (dam of NFC AFC Massie's Sassy Boots)

-- Dee and her descendants trace to -

* CH Banchory Jetsam
* NFC Banchory Night Light of Wingan (grandsire of Dual CH Matchmaker for Deer Creek)
* Am Eng CH Banchory Trump of Wingan (grandsire of Dual CH Grangemead Precocious and FC Pickpocket for Deer Creek)
* Eng FTCh FC Banchory Varnish of Wingan
* CH Bancstone Lorna of Wingan (granddam of Dual CH Grangemead Precocious)
* Bancstone Blair of Wingan (grandsire of NFC NAFC CFC Major VI, 1993 Hall of Fame)
* CH Bancstone Peggy of Wingan
* Eng Am CH Drinkstone Peg (dam of the Bancstone litter by Eng Dual CH Bramshaw Bob)
* Orchardton Doris of Wingan (dam of Pons Junior Of Wingan and Wingan's Daily Double)
* Pons Junior of Wingan (sire of FC Timber Town Clansman and great grandsire of NFC Dual CH CFC Bracken's Sweep)
* Wingan's Daily Double (granddam of NFC AFC Marvadel Black Gum)

Notes:

[1] Arthur Frederick Jones, "True Labradors and Traditions Live at Wingan," American Kennel Gazette, February 1934

[2] Henry R. Ilsley, "Carlisle's Entries Take All Three Places in Open Novice Retriever Stake," New York Times, December 29, 1934

[3] Helen Warwick, "The Complete Labrador Retriever" (New York: Howell Book House, 1965), 137

[4] Staff correspondent, "Carlisle's Labrador Beats 22 Dogs in Long Island Retriever Clubs Trial," New York Times, April 18, 1937

[5] Ned Corey, "Banchory Varnish of Wingan First in Brookhaven All-Age," American Kennel Gazette, December 1, 1937, 94

[6] Staff correspondent, "Brookhaven Field Trials Are Marked by Splendid Work and Keen Competition," New York Times, October 31, 1937

[7] Henry R. Ilsley, "Retriever Laurels Annexed by Carlisle's Dog at Trials Held in Snowstorm," New York Times, November 29, 1936

[8] A.F.J., "Whitecairn Wendy of Wingan Wins Brookhaven's Open Stake," American Kennel Gazette, January 1, 1936, 168

[9] Warwick, "The Complete Labrador Retriever," 126

Glossary:

• AFC - Amateur Field Champion
• Best of Breed - At a dog show, the dog that has defeated all the other dogs of its breed.
• Best of Opposite Sex - If a male dog wins Best of Breed, the best female wins Best of Opposite Sex, and vice versa.
• BLF / BLM - Black Labrador female or black Labrador male
• Brace class - Two dogs shown together that look very much alike.
• CCW - British Challenge Certificate winner (show win, but not a title).
• CH - Dog show championship
• Dual Champion - A dog that has won a show championship AND a field championship.
• English show champion ("Eng Sh CH") - A dog that earned a show championship, but lacks the working certificate to be a full champion.
• FC - Field Champion (British FTCh) - A dog that has won enough in field trials to qualify for the field champion title.
• FTW - Field trial winner (not a title)
• Full champion - England requires Labradors to pass a working test in addition to earning a show championship.
• Major points - In the US, Winners Dog and Winners Bitch can each receive points based on the number of dogs defeated. It can be 0-5 points, with 3 to 5 point wins called "majors."
• NFC - National Field Champion
• QAA or *** - A dog that has proved himself in the Qualifying stake and could enter the limited Open or Amateur stakes.
• Reserve Winners - The second best dog of its sex that has not completed a show championship.
• Winners (also Winners Dog or Winners Bitch) - In the show ring, males ("dogs") compete against other males in various classes. Then the winner of each class competes against the other winning males for Winners Dog. Depending on the number of males defeated, the Winners Dog will receive up to 5 points towards his show championship. It works the same for females.