When Ulla Larsson celebrated her 50th birthday she decided to hold a party for all the dogs
she has bred.
FURUVIK On her 20th anniversary as a breeder Ulla Larsson invited all the puppies she has bred in
her time to a party. Some of them are now old and deaf eg 14 year-old Sigrid from Sandviken.
Others are boisterous and puppy-like eg the newly-delivered Pluto who has been in Eskilstuna
for a week now.
However, Ulla Larsson knew them all.
- - At least almost all of them, she adds to cover herself.
More than a hundred dogs and owners gathered together at the Rowntree Kennels in Furuvik.
They represented about 25% of all the puppies Ulla Larsson has sold during her 20 years of
dog breeding. Wherever you looked there were liver & white and black and white dogs lazily stretched out
resting their heads on their curly ears. The majority of dogs that Ulla has bred are
English Springer Spaniels, but some are the Italian breed Lagotto Romagnolo quite new in
Sweden and for Ulla Larsson - they look like tightly-curled Gotland sheep.
Family pets A few dogs were old, deaf and a little overweight like Sigrid. Others were small, boisterous
and playful, like puppies. A couple of them have received fine awards of distinction
and are champions which is the highest merit for a dog, others are everyday family pets
who have never set foot in a show ring.
But all were welcome here and all the dogs did a circuit of the show ring, where they were
judged by professionals and awarded diplomas.
The best male - All the dogs could enter without special trimming and it could sometimes come as a
surprise when an ordinary family pet was judged to be a fine example of the breed,
said Ulla Larsson.
For example the black and white Springer Spanieln Milton from Gävle who the owner
Katarina Sahlin described as a real "dog for rambling in the woods" but who was in fact
chosen as the finest male in the show.
Progeny of "After eight" Besides all the dogs it was of course Ulla Larsson, who was also celebrating her
50th birthday, who was the centre of the festivities.
She has some kind of relationship with most of the people who have bought her dogs
and many of them them have also become close personal friends.
- They have become a part of my family, she said. And even though there were many dogs present Ulla remembered most of them. They are
offspring in direct descent from her first chocolate coloured Springer Spaniel whose puppy
the Kennel Club named Rowntree.
The puppy was born just after 8 o'clock and was chocolate coloured and white,in fact a real
"After Eight" as she was also called, Ulla Larsson told us.
Rowntree Rowntree
And the company that produces the "After Eight" chocolates is called Rowntree. Ulla
called them and asked if her Kennels could adopt the name and that was how it came about.
As well as running the Kennels Ulla Larsson has also brought up two children, who are now
grown up, and worked part time as a dental nurse.
Breeding dogs is not a profitable occupation, but it gives you a rich and varied life
and many friends. But you have to make a living as well, said Ulla in her jubilee speech.
(News artikle from Arbetarbladet Sunday 21 Juli 2002)
Text: Ulrika Porath
ulrika.porath@arbetarbladet.se
Tel. 026-27 88 15
