Flat Garden Flatcoats

My name is Finn Arild Thorsen and together with Jon André Breivik we breed Flatcoats under the affix Flat Garden

I got my first Flatcoat when I was 15, which were in 1985. The dog Khazan`s Flat Romeo Star was bought. Two years later I got Ellebo`s Zealous Julie. They seemed to be a good match and had two litters together. I kept Flat Garden’s Senorita Rosita from her second litter. Also she had two litters. The first by: NUCH Cariena`s Nighteen-Eight. And the second litter was by: NUCH Hopsnesets Askeladd, a son of NUCH Cariena’s Nighteen-Eight. From this breeding I kept the bitch Flat Garden’s Maria Merzedes IV and the dog Flat Garden’s Don Fernando IV. Maria and Fernando were both put in pet homes, but Maria was tragically hit by a car and died when she was only one year old. Fernando later moved back home with us. And he was tried mated with our bitches from our Belsud lines, he was then at the age of eight, but unfortunately his sperm quality was no good. Therefore this bloodline sadly ends with him.

F L. FG Don Fernando IV, Belsud Brown Margo, FG Maud VIII, FG Mathilde IX, Belsud Brown Victoria, FG Astrid VII

In 1994 I came to meet Mrs. Mary Grimes, of the Belsud affix. And this is how my huge affection for the livers started

Mary’s first flatcoat, the liver bitch Brown Bella of White Rials, was given as a present from her husband in1960 and the livers has featured in her kennels ever sins. Her most outstanding liver bitch was Ch Belsud Brown Guillemot. She won the CC and Best Bitch at The Flatcoated Retriever Society Championship Show in 1982, and the CC and Best Bitch at Crufts in 1983, in 1984 at Crufts she won the CC and BOB.

I got my first liver flatcoat the same year I met Mrs. Grimes. My first import from England, Belsud Brown Victoria, was bought in. Victoria was very special to me and we think she will mean a lot for our future breeding, as we would like to preserve many of here qualities.

Her first litter was by: GB SH CH NUCH Cariena`s Thirtyfour-Four. In that litter a black dog: Flat Garden’s Edward V was made up both Norwegian and Swedish Show Champion.

Victoria’s second litter was by: Almanza Pinball Wizard. But nothing was kept from this combination.

Victoria’s third litter was by: Belsud Black Taurus. And from this breeding a black dog: Flat Garden’s Magnus VII went to Sweden to the Quills kennel. At home we kept the liver bitch: Flat Garden’s Astrid VII.

Astrid’s first litter was by: NUCH SU(u)CH Caci’s Hell Of A Lot. They produced, the liver dog: NUCH Flat Garden’s Leopold IX and the black bitch: NUCH SU(u)Ch Flat Garden’s Mathilde IX.

Mathilde stayed here with us and she became Jon Andre’s first flatcoat. She has got a very nice start of her show career and the highlight by now is when she took BIS at the Norwegian Retriever Club’s annual Breed Show in 2006! She also got Gardenia-prisen 2006 (Top winning Flatcoat bitch 2006) and came in second for The Shimmy-trofeét 2006 (Top Winning Flatcoat )

Mathilde’s first litter was by our: Belsud Famouse Grouse. And at home we kept this wonderful dog Flat garden’s Umberto XIV.

In 2001 we imported our second Belsud bitch: Belsud Brown Margo. She was made up both Norwegian and Swedish Show Champion and she took BIS at the Swedish Club Show in 2004, the same yare she also won BOB at the annual Norwegian Flatcoat Show. Margo is also awarded with a 1st. price in beginner’s class on a cold game test. In 2006, at the Oslo section of the Norwegian Retriever Club, she won the beginners class with a 1st. and became Club Winner 2006.

Margo’s first litter was by: NUCH SU(u)CH Flat Garden’s Edward V. And from this breeding we kept the black bitch: Flat Garden’s Vilhelmina XI. A liver bitch from the same litter went to the Netherlands.

Margo’s second litter was by INT NORD UCH N LCH NV-96 COALPORT COUNTRY MAN . One dog went to Finland and a bitch went to Sweeden. At home we kept the bitch Flat Garden’s Augusta XV.

In 2004 we decided to take home a puppy dog from NUCH SU(u)CH Belsud Brown Margo’s litter sister, Belsud Brown Rijoa. We wanted to mate Withybed Drummer JW to our NUCH SU(u)CH Belsud Brown Margo, but when Mary bred almost the same combination (Withybed Drummer JW x Belsud Brown Rijoa) we asked to buy a dog from this combination in stead. And that’s how we got Belsud Famous Grouse

Since I met Mrs. Mary Grimes I have been going to England several times a year to study the breed at the dog shows. And going to Crufts has become a tradition for us. The last years I have had the honor to show Mary’s dogs as she has not been able to herself. In 2004 I had the pleasure to judge an Open Show in England, witch I enjoyed a lot and who was a nice opportunity for me to se the English flatcoates with a closer eye. And I am looking forward to judging at The Flatcoated Retriever Society’s Open Show in 2008.

We will try to preserve Mrs. Mary Grimes breeding and particular the dark liver color that her liver flatcoats are known for from almost 40 years back. We think the type and uniqueness of the flatcoat, together with the overall health to our beautiful breed is the most important for us in our breeding.

Finn Arild Thorsen & Jon André Breivik