1975 - 2000
25 Years of Kennel FLORINA'S

The first meeting of Christel Bauermeister and Dandie Dinmont Terriers was quite curious. One day she saw a little low-legged dog with great speaking eyes and a pretty little face. She asked the owner what kind of breed that was and was answered: "This is a silk-hair teckel". Later on, after thoroughly studying books on dogs she found that that had been a specimen of the rare breed of Dandie Dinmont Terriers.

The wish to have one of these dogs for her own arose and in June 1971 she got "Filius von Beerenkamp" of the kennel of the only breeder in Germany of that time, Gertraude Maass of Hamburg. "Filius" was an offspring of "Ch.Shrimpney Scarlet Coat x Ch.Watersend Toss" and became later the progenitor of all dogs of the FLORINA'S kennel. Many shows had been attended and already in 1973 "Inka von Beerenkamp", offspring of "Ch.Garcon von Beerenkamp x Shrimpney Silver Shadow", was added.

In 1975 the first litter fell. "Florina's Alfie" out of this first litter went to exhibitions later, won various titles and became German Champion. And in 1975 too, Christel Bauermeister bought "Lilly von Beerenkamp" of a mating of "Ch.Hendell Sans Egal x Ch.Farah von Annehausen". "Cäsar", "Charley" and "Cosima" of this litter had been shown with great success, and "Cosima" stayed in the ownership of the kennel and later became a very successful breed bitch.

Christel Bauermeister had a lucky hand when she got "GB-Ch.Culston Inkspot", a British Dog standing in Denmark, and who became Dandie of the Year in 1978. Three times he was a successful stud dog for the FLORINA'S kennel. Without any doubt "Florina's Gaylord" was the most successful descendant, he won apart from other titles even the title of a World Winner. Further quite successful descendants were "Gay Lady", "Henry" and "Hilary", who became ancestress of Rieck's "Piper" kennel. "Henry" remained in the kennel and had many descendants; many of them going abroad: to Italy, Spain, Austria, Switzerland and to the Netherlands.

In 1983 "Renald Olivia" had been imported from John Roslyn; and she was to become Christel Bauermeister's most successful show bitch. She had four litters.

Many of FLORINA'S Dandies became establishers of new affixes. Just to name the VON BARKEY'S kennel of the former GDR, the SOTHIC'S kennel of the Netherlands, the two kennels of PIPER and OP DE WISCH of Germany and the VOM BABENBERGERSEE kennel of Austria.

During the last few years it became somewhat quiet around the FLORINA'S kennel. Reasons of health forced Christel Bauermeister to mark time a bit at present. Nevertheless even in 1999 a litter fell and to our great pleasure we could welcome Christel Bauermeister one time more as an exhibitor on the occasion of this year's Club Show.

25 years of breeding and exhibiting of the FLORINA'S affix is a jubilee of the rare kind and reason enough to duly present the merits and the influence this affix has had for Germany. I do wish Christel Bauermeister to be in good health and for the FLORINA'S-Dandies the best for the future.

August 2000
Manfred Rosenbaum