My name is Finn Arild Thorsen and together with Jon André Breivik I breed Flatcoats under the affix Flat Garden. The dogs are a lifestyle for us and are living with us like family members.
Finn and Sverre winning the NordJV-09 title.
Jon and Vigdis.
I got my first Flatcoat when I was 15, which was 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 Nineteen-Eight, and the second litter was by NUCH Hopsnesets Askeladd, a son of NUCH Cariena’s Nineteen-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 to us. He was mated with our bitches from our Belsud lines 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 and this was the start of many years of friendship and mentorship.
Mrs.Mary Grimes at Crufts 2005
Mary’s first flatcoat, the liver bitch Brown Bella of White Rials, was given as a present from her husband in 1960 and the livers has featured in her kennels ever since. 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 she won the CC and BOB at Crufts.
Belsud Brown Victoria
I got my first liver Flatcoat the same year I met Mary. I bought my first import from England, Belsud Brown Victoria. She was a nice elegant Flatcoat on the smaller side and was a good working dog with a 1st. price in beginner’s class. 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.
NORD UCH Belsud Brown Margo
In 2001 we imported our second Belsud bitch, Belsud Brown Margo. She was made up both Norwegian, Swedish and Finnish Champion (Nordic Show Champion). Margo won BIS at the Swedish Club Show in 2004, the same year she also won BOB at the Norwegian Retriever Club's annual Breed Show for Flat Coated Retrievers. Margo was also a good working dog and was awarded with a 1st. price in beginner’s class on a cold game test.
These two bitches are the foundation in our kennel. We will try to preserve the late Mrs. Mary Grimes’ breeding and particular the dark liver colour that her liver Flatcoats are known for from 40 years back. We think the type and uniqueness of the Flatcoat, together with the overall health to our beautiful breed are the most important for us in our breeding.
Flat Garden dogs
Since I met Mary I have been going to England several times a year to study the breed at dog shows and going to Crufts has become a tradition for us. The last years Mary was alive I had the honour of showing her dogs at Crufts, as she was not able to herself.
In 2004 I had the pleasure of judge an Open Show in England. I enjoyed that a lot and it was a nice opportunity for me to see the English Flatcoats with a closer eye. In 2008 I had the honour judging bitches at The Flatcoated Retriever Society’s Diamond Anniversary Show. It was a huge entry and it was a true pleasure for me judging so many nice Flatcoats. In February 2010 I got my judging authorisation for Flat Coated Retrievers and in November 2011 i got my authorisation for Labradors and Goldens.
C.I.E GB SH CH NO UCH SE(U)CH NV-07 Flat Garden’s Mathilde IX
The most known Flatcoat in the kennel of today is C.I.E GB SH CH NO UCH SE U(U)CH NV-07 Flat Garden's Mathilde IX. She is Jon’s first Flatcoat and has got a very successful show career.
BIS judge Mrs.Lena Häglund and Jon with Mathilde winning BIS at the Norwegian Retriever Club's annual Speciality Show 2006.
I will metion Mathilde's highlights in the Show ring by now:
She won BIS at the Norwegian Retriever Club’s annual Breed Show in 2006. She also won The Gardenia Prize 2006 (Top Winning Flatcoat bitch 2006) and was runner up for The Shimmy Trophy 2006 (Top Winning Flatcoat 2006). She was made up Swedish Show Champion the same year(2006).
At the Norwegian Winner Show 2007 Mathilde won BOS and got the title Norwegian Winner 2007.
In 2009 she got the CC, BOB and Cacib in Finland. This got her the tittle C.I.E (Int. Show Champion). At our annual Flatcoated Speciality Show 2009 she won BOB under Mrs.Glenys Gwilliam. And we are so proud of her winning The Shimmy Trophy 2009 (Top Winning Flatcoat 2009) and The Gardenia Prize 2009(Top Winning Flatcoat bitch 2009).
In 2010 Mathilde sayed at kennel Llantrussa with Christin and her family. We was delighted when she gained her GB SH CH title during her stay in the UK.
She gained her title at these shows:
BOB & CC at Three Counties Agricultural Society 2010 under Mrs.Glennys Gwilliam
Best Bitch & CC at Bath Canin Society 2010 under Mrs.Pauline Coal.
She got her 3rd CC and best bitch at Gundog Breeds Association of Scotland under Mrs.Pat White.
When Mathilde came back from her stay in the UK she was Best Bitch at the Norwegian Retriever Club's annual Speciality Show 2011. She has prooven that she is a top winning flatcoate by winning year after year in different countrys. She is a really speciall and important girl for us!
Finn and the dogs in Valdres.
Finn Arild Thorsen & Jon André Breivik