Lloyd Cross & the history of the Loggeta Dachshunds
Lloyd Cross
(Loggeta Standard Long Haired Dachshunds)
It is very hard to know quite where to start when trying to compose an interesting article about yourself so I thought I would try and put it together in the form of a newsletter rather than a CV or something with too much boring prose which can be a hard read!
So, in a nutshell – took sciences at school and college when I was really more of an artistic sole – my dad said that’s all very well being an artist but you need to get a proper job 😊. So, sciences it was.
After finishing college being even more confused but having always had an interest in dogs and animal welfare I took a summer job at the age of 17 at Tony Johnsons' - Africandawns Kennels in Cambridgeshire and that was where it all started! Although over several years I didn’t remain as a Kennel Boy I did spend several years with Tony and his wife renting a room, helping out evenings, weekends and holidays, working and learning all about the different dog breeds, their welfare, training, breeding and handling whilst gaining work experience as a planner for a large manufacturing company. My real interest however was with the dogs and I soon found myself handling and breeding Long Haired Dachshunds and involving my mother in the whole passion for showing and breeding.
Sylvia, my mum, registered the Loggeta affix back in the 70’s when her interest was in breeding mini smooths – these early home bred dogs were not shown but were from quality lines including: Mrs Soloman (Bowbank) Mrs Castle (Cannobio), Mrs Marshall (Roslaye) & Mrs Shuker (Yewlitt). Sylvia always liked to try and breed a good one.
Ch. Yewlitt Lucky Jim (Ch Fional Charlie Brown x Fenella of Yewlitt)
Whilst living at the Africandawns Kennels, Tony & I had a partnership with a number of different dogs of different breeds including Long Haired Dachshunds & Miniature Pinchers. Dogs that I got to know and lived around in my early days at the Kennels included Champions Murrubidgee Pagenini & Murrumbidgee Isabella owned by Tony & bred by Avril Spiers in Australia
Ch. Murrumbidgee Paganini (Imber Café Paulista x Ch Pandora of Murrumbidgee)
Ch Murrumbidgee Isabella (Dante of Murrumbidgee x Ch Pandora of Murrumbidgee)
Ch Truanbru Beau Brummel of Africandawns (Ch Mormonstag Canny Lad x Truanbru Bambi) owned by Tony and bred by the Cunninghams one of many keen rivals in the show ring at that time
During the late 70’s we worked together I was now handling the Dachshunds for both Tony and my Mum who had started her own breeding programme of Standard Longs from Africandawns stock – I was studying pedigrees (I knew them backwards) and learning from Tony about breeding for correct type.
Both Tony & Sylvia both bred some lovely Longs in the late 70’s and 80’s using a number of different dogs to maintain type but continually introduced different bloodlines to avoid inbreeding health issues.
Dogs of that era bred by Tony Johnson included:
Ch. Africandawns Beau Louis (owner - Jean Walters)
& his litter brother
Ch. Afrcandawns Beau Would Be at Saffina (owner - Jean Jensen)
Ch. Africandawns Wagon Master (owner - Joan Feely)
Ch. Africandawns Liberty Bodis (owner - Pat Gale)
and her beautiful sister:
Ch. Africandawns Boobs of Loggeta (Sylvia & Lloyd Cross – our foundation bitch)
Dogs bred/owned by Sylvia and Me in the 1980’s include:
Ch. Loggeta Flower Power & her litter brother
Ch. Loggeta Hot Toddy
Ch. Loggeta Tom Collins of Albaney (owner - Jean Jensen)
Ch. Loggeta Touch of Class
Ch. Loggeta Bucks Fizz (owner - Pat Hancock)
Ch. & Irish Ch Loggeta Classical Jazz (owner - Bill Warke (Ireland))
Ch Skywalker Self Raising Sid
&
Ch Albaneys Christina Celeste of Loggeta
Probably the most influential dog I owned was another in partnership with Tony Johnson – CH. AFRICANDAWNS YANK GO HOME - this dog would go on become a multi CC winner, sire multiple champions and one of the few Standard Longs to win a Hound Group at an all breeds championship show at that time. Yank as him name suggests was the result of an outcross mating of Little Judy of Africandawns (a daughter of Ch Murrumbidgee Pagenini ) to a USA imported dog – Baron Zucker Kaiser (Son of USA Ch. Felix of Thorn Pines).
One of my greatest achievements during the 1980’s was winning Crufts BOB with Ch. Africandawns Yank Go Home in 1981 followed up by winning BOB at Crufts 1983 with a homebred son of Yank – CH. SKYWALKER SELF RAISING SID the only champion to carry my self-owned affix which was left behind as Sylvia & I shared the Loggeta affix. Thankfully hairstyles have changed since the popular Afro!
Ch. Africandawns Yank Go Home (handled by me in the Hound Group Crufts 1981)
In the 90’s I changed my career path from Agriculture (a proper job as my Father would say) to a career in the upside-down world of entertainment.
I had been a singer all my life and had been spotted by a Musical Director who invited me to get involved in some travelling theatre projects which then progressed into a solo singing career which then moved into the world of Cruise Ships. In the 1990’s I initially was contracted as a singer on board various vessels travelling around the world – my very first engagement in a singing role was on the ill-fated Sun Vista which caught fire and sank off the coast of Malaysia in shark & pirate infested waters! I was in a lifeboat for 8 hours watching my ship burn and when finally rescued by a container ship watched the very vessel I had been singing and working on for just 4 weeks up-end and disappear into the depths of the sea. The ship wreck to this day still sits at the bottom of the Malacca Straits and is visited by divers
Having decided to stick with the Cruise Industry I then progressed into being the Head of Entertainment on board – Cruise Director. Unfortunately, being away from home for long periods I had little time for helping my mother with the Dachshunds which she continued with to some success. And although I had been passed to award CC’s in all varieties of Dachshund at a very young age I had little opportunity to re-visit the dog show circuit. My life then changed again when I decided to live back on land permanently and I became Director of Entertainment for two Cruise Companies up till a few years ago when unfortunately, the last company I worked for went into liquidation. I decided as I was nearer to 60 than 50 to return to my roots in Cambridgeshire.
By this time Sylvia had long since stopped breeding the Standard Longs and unfortunately developed late onset of Parkinson’s Disease which hugely frustrates her and now prevents her from driving around the country and over to Ireland where the Loggeta Standard Longs were well known being some of the foundation dogs for Bill Warke (Glasvey) & Gerry McFaul (Dachville).
Over the years I have thoroughly enjoyed all my judging appointments and continue to award CC’s in all the varieties of Dachshund in the UK - in 2018 along with judging all varieties with CC’s at the 12th National Dachshund Specialty Championship Show in Sydney hosted by the Dachshund Club of NSW, I will be awarding CC’s in Standard Wires & Standard Longs in the UK later in the year plus a variety of other Hound breeds & Hound groups at UK all breeds Open Shows
Having moved back to my roots along with my two Stargang bred min smooth companions and with Sylvia having the last of the Loggeta Longs – the 13-year-old Loggeta Harlem Babe – Dam of the Crufts 2011 bitch CC winner Loggeta Ice Maiden, res CC winner Loggeta Duke of Marmalade & their brother Loggeta John Collings – I have made the decision to resurrect the Loggeta Standard Longs and hopefully with careful planning will be able to breed some more beautiful healthy well-constructed Loggeta Longs once again!
I am looking forward to visiting Australia again, judging the cream of Australian Dachshunds and making some new friends & catching up with some old ones from the days of sailing the seas – Oz see you at Easter!
Tony Johnson & Lloyd Cross - now sporting grey hair and no Afro!
The latest addition to the Loggeta Kennels is the beautiful Glasvey Double Trouble for Loggeta - bred by Bill Warke in Ireland with a pedigree of multiple Champions going back to the original Africandawns & Loggeta lines - we hope she does well in the show ring in 2018:
New for 2018
My latest canine addition to the Dachshunds is a pair of American Toy Fox Terriers of USA & European bloodlines imported from Ukraine & Lithuania. Along with a couple of lovely Africandawns standard longs these are owned in partnership with Tony Johnson completing the partnership circle after 40 years!
Although well established in the States and Canada - these adorable companion dogs are not yet recognised in the UK. My challenge for the next decade along with breeding more top quality Longs is to get this breed on the Import Register List with the UK Kennel Club.