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Bear

April 3rd 1991 - July 12th 1999

Bear entered the show-ring at the tender age of 6 months and 3 days in October 1991 where he was awarded best puppy in Show at the Old English Mastiff Club Open Show. He gained the title of Junior Warrant at 16 months of age and was the only mastiff to do so that year. He was the top winning Mastiff in the UK in 1993 and the top winning male mastiff in 1994 when he was exhibited on only 7 occasions, winning 5 challenges and on 4 occasions was Best of Breed. He was Dog Challenge winner and Reserve Best in Show at the Mastiff Association Championship Show in 1994 against an entry of 150 plus dogs; a record for any show outside of the US at that time.

At Crufts in 1994 his Sire, Ch. Trevabyn Mr. Snowman at Andwell, won the Dog Challenge, Bear won the reserve. In less than 3 years of showing Bear won in excess of 16 UK Challenge Certificates. At his last show in the UK in August 1994 he was Best of Breed. He arrived in Australia in 1995 and retired from showing.

His much higher than expected hip score in no way influenced his soundness or quality of life until the day he died. However we have no illusions regarding the potential of high scores in a breeding program and we proceed with great caution.

We can say that some of his exceptional qualities are now appearing in his offspring and this can do nothing if not light the path for the future of the breed. We now have youngsters and pups in our kennel carrying Bear's exceptional temperament, his power, reach and drive.

One of the truly great Mastiffs of the modern era.