Both May and Margaret were still on the Irish Wolfhound Club Committee, and Margaret was on the Irish Wolfhound Club Judges List. They won the Height Cup with American & Canadian Champion Cragwood Ardarragh (a dog by Am. Ch. Cragwood Mark O'Mahoney ex Hollylawn Elizabeth, br. Mrs. N.B. Smith, wh. March 13th, 1955 and listed by the KC as having been imported in March 1961). He was brought over to replace Ch. Sanctuary Rory of Kihone whose death was not only a great loss to his owners but to the breed.
Am. & Can. Ch. Cragwood Ardarragh | May Atfield with Ardarragh and companion |
Litter of puppies in a 1960 advertisement |
In 1961 Sanctuary Sandorleigh Triena won three CCs at consecutive shows - WELKS, Blackpool and Hove - thus gaining her championship, and Sanctuary Classic won the Non Champion Dog Cup, and Sanctuary Sulhamstead Fellad won the Veterans Cup.
In July, 1961 Margaret and May registered a litter by Fellad ex Sanctuary Sonnet of Eaglescrag, wh. June 17th, 1961, in which there were two bitches - Acushla and Stately Saragh - and six dogs - Brave Knight, Ivanhoe, Kilarney, Kildare, Morne, and Osric. A second litter was also registered that month, by Sanctuary Classic ex Sanctuary Dornford Boreen, wh. June 25th, 1961, in which there were three bitches - Mary, Rosaleen, and Wand - and three dogs - Bhoroo, Rasselas, and Truelove. Brave Knight was to prove a big winner and a major stud force.
In 1962 they won the Van Brunt Points Cup, Dog with Sanctuary Brave Knight, but there were no CCs won that year.
On February 14th, 1962 there was another litter by Sanctuary Classic ex Dornford Boreen, with one bitch - Beatrice - and three dogs - Bounty, Bracken, and Buccaneer. Then on July 6th a litter by Sanctuary Casey ex Sanctuary Sonnet of Eaglescrag, with four bitches - Brickeen, Fionna, Kelly, and Ondine - and seven dogs - Barney, Brutus, Fonab, Kerry, Limerick, Lufra, and Nero. Brickeen and Kerry from this litter went to Mrs. Van Brunt.
Sanctuary Brickeen of Riverlawn |
Sanctuary Kerry of Riverlawn |
In 1963 May and Margaret moved to Hollesley Farm, Smallfields, Horley, which took up a great deal of time and work, but gave lots of acreage for exercising the dogs. Mrs. Peter Van Brunt's Riverlawn Irish Wolfhounds were also housed at Hollesley Farm. There were no trophies or CCs won in 1963 and only one litter registered - by Sanctuary Classic ex Sanctuary Sonnet of Eaglescrag, wh. July 6th, 1963, and with only one bitch - Serenade - and seven dogs - Chorister, Cu-Chulainn, Opus, Sir Jasper, Solo, Songster, and Trumpeter.
Sanctuary Brave Knight at 2 years of age (from the June, 1961 litter) |
In 1964 things were much more settled and several trophies were won, all by Sanctuary Brave Knight (from the June 17th, 1961 litter) - The Typical Head Challenge Cup, the Baily Booth Strohmenger Cup, the Standen Challenge Cup and the Samando Trophy. Brave Knight also did very well at shows, winning the CC and Best of Breed at Blackpool and Birmingham, and the CC at the Scottish KC Show, Edinburgh, gaining his championship at Birmingham. Three of the wolfhounds appeared in the film "Becket" and two made regular appearances in the opera "Don Carlos" at Covent Garden. This was their fifth season for making operatic appearances. Margaret judged the Ladies Kennel Association Show this year.
Blackpool 1964 (l to r) Alice Dunlop with Sappphire of Delorne, Judge Mr. Fullwood, Margaret Harrison with Sanctuary Brave Knight |
May Atfield with (l to r) Sanctuary Dornford Boreen, Sanctuary Fionna, Sanctuary Sonnet of Eaglescrag and Ch. Sanctuary Brave Knight |
In 1964 Boroughbury Bawnshee was transferred from Mrs. James and her name changed to Sanctuary Boroughbury Bawnshee. On April 19th there was a litter by Brave Knight ex Sanctuary Dornford Boreen - Sanctuary Cu-Finn, d/Daniel, b/Dominick, d/Eily, b/Morna, b/Runa, b/Shuma, d/ Tara, b. On September 9th there was a litter by Ch. Sulhamstead Max ex Sanctuary Stately Saragh, of four dogs (Dysart, Gara, Hurrish, and Tigernach) and four bitches (Gentle Colleen, Iona, Iseult, and Moy).
Sanctuary Hurrish from the September 9th litter |
1965 was the year in which Beatrice Harrison died and was buried in Limpsfield churchyard, alongside May Harrison who had died in 1958.
In 1965 Ch. Sanctuary Brave Knight again won a great deal - the WELKS No 1 Cup, the Typical Head Challenge Cup (for the second year), the Ch. Clodagh Cup, and the Stud Dog Cup. He also won the CC and Best of Breed at four shows, including WELKS:-
WELKS 1965 with (l to r) Margaret Harrison with BoB Sanctuary Brave Knight, Judge Bill Siggers, and Florence Nagle with BOS Sulhamstead Merle |
and the City of Birmingham Show:- |
Brave Knight's litterbrother, Sanctuary Morne of Riverlawn, was shown to his title in America by Mrs. Van Brunt in only 22 days - a record for the breed. He was also placed in the group each time.
Am. Ch. Sanctuary Morne of Riverlawn |
On May 27th, 1965 there was another Brave Knight/Dornford Boreen litter, with three dogs (Barrington, Crom-a-Bloo and Knight of Tara) and three bitches (Fiannoula, Mandy and Triena Girl). In September Margaret and May registered Sanctuary Monica, bred by Mr. Powell, by Brave Knight ex Sanctuary Kelly and whelped May 2nd, 1965. They also registered Sanctuary Shamus Again, bred by Mr. Redding, by Brave Knight ex Boroughbury Brickeen, whelped June 9th, 1965. In October, 1965 they registered three bitches from that litter - Sanctuary Ferb, Fintragh, and Fota. In November they registered two more bitches from the same litter - Sanctuary Fingola and Fricra.
Sanctuary Mandy from the May 27th litter |
These pictures are from advertisements taken out in 1965:-
Two week old litter by Sanctuary Brave Knight ex Sanctuary Dornford Boreen |
Sanctuary Fionna at eight months Fionna was one of the Casey/Sonnet of Eaglescrag litter July 1962 |
May Atfield with (l to r) Sanctuary Dornford Boreen, Sanctuary Stately Saragh, Ch. Sanctuary Brave Knight, Sanctuary Hurrish and Sanctuary Fionna |
In 1966 Brave Knight won the Strohmenger Cup and the CC at WELKS and Windsor Shows. In February, 1966 was listed the transfer from Mrs. Stefanski of Sanctuary Cu-Finn, but nothing else happened until the December, 1966 listings of a litter by Brave Knight ex Sanctuary Fionna of five dogs (Sanctuary Cara, Corrigan, Keltair, McSweeney and Merlin) and four bitches (Sanctuary Granua, Hecla, Iduna and Wisheen), wh. October 12th, 1966. Also registered were Sanctuary Donegal, d by Brave Knight ex Sanctuary Dornford Boreen, wh. August 7th, 1966 and Sanctuary Knight of Kerry, d and O'Leary, d, by Sanctuary Cu-Finn ex Sanctuary Stately Saragh, wh. October 15th, 1966.
Margaret Harrison with (l to r) Ch. Sanctuary Brave Knight, Sanctuary Hurrish, Sanctuary Stately Saragh, Sanctuary Fionna and Sanctuary Dornford Boreen |
In 1967 Ch. Sanctuary Brave Knight appeared in the book the "Champion Dogs of the World", by Sir Richard Glyn and Sally Anne Thompson, as the representative of the Irish Wolfhound. No trophies were won this year but Sanctuary Monica won the CC at Glasgow and was Best of Breed at Manchester.
Sanctuary Monica |
In June 1967 Margaret judged the Hound Show at Alexandra Palace:
Margaret Harrison going over Peta Innes' Petasmeade Chant |
Margaret Harrsion looking at her line-up in Minor Limit Dog with (r to l) 1st Mrs. Nagle with Sulhamstead Magnum; 2nd Susanne Hudson with Feccna of Brabyns ; 3rd Peta Innes with Petasmeade Cassius |
Margaret with Mrs. Nagle and Bill Marriott |
In June 1967 Margaret and May registered a litter bred by Mr. & Mrs. Cleveland Peck, by Sanctuary Dominick ex Sanctuary Fintragh, wh. May 23rd, of three bitches (Sanctuary Countess Kathleen, Eithne, and Queen Emer) and three dogs (Sanctuary King Conor, Lomair and Oisin). In October 1967 two home-bred litters were registered: one by Sanctuary Domenick ex Sanctuary Serenenade, wh. October 1st, of two bitches (Sanctuary Clarion and Clarissa); one by Jayantees Tiberius ex Sanctuary Mandy, wh. September 2nd, of three bitches (Sanctuary Esmeralda, Katie More, and Rose of Ireland).
Puppies by Ch. Sanctuary Brave Knight ex Sanctuary Dornford Boreen with Geoffrey Smith, aged two |
In February, 1968 was registered the transfer to Sanctuary of Jayantees Tiberius from Mrs. M.P. Davis. The trophies won in this year were the Non Champion Cup, Dog at Crufts with Sanctuary Knight of Kerry, and the Sulhamstead Cup Junior at Peterborough with Sanctuary Mandy. No CCs were won in this year.
In November, 1968 was registered a litter by Sanctuary Domenick ex Sanctuary Monica, wh. October 13th, of four dogs (Sanctuary Bathin Mor, Cess Kilgreen, Finnbar, and Lurach) and six bitches (Sanctuary Brigid, Cathlin, Eanna, Jomar, Mella, and Siobhan).
At this time only Margaret was on the Irish Wolfhound Committee.
Sanctuary Monica with a litter of week old puppies by Sanctuary Domenick |
Sanctuary Knight of Kerry at 7 months |
Margaret Harrison with puppies |
In 1969 The Non Champion Cup Bitch at Crufts was won with Sanctuary Hecla and the Typical Head Challenge Cup at Windsor went to Mr. Forsey's Sanctuary Cathlin. Sanctuary Monica won another CC, this time at Birmingham.
In April Margaret and May registered a dog, Sanctuary Charlemagne, and a bitch, Sanctuary Roisin, bred by Mr. W.D. Cleveland Peck, by Sanctuary Dominick ex Sanctuary Fintragh, wh. February 18th. Also a home-bred litter by Sanctuary Hurrish ex Sanctuary Fingola, wh. March 15th, of three bitches (Sanctuary Daireen, Diarmid, and Graina) and one dog (Martin). In August they registered three dogs (Sanctuary Anthony, Rebel, and Roger) and five bitches (Sanctuary Gaela, Gay, Julie, Peggeen, and Sadie) bred by Mrs. E.M. Kemp, by Sanctuary Jayantees Siberius ex Sanctuary Tara, wh. July 29th. Also a home-bred litter by Sanctuary Knight of Kerry ex Sanctuary Hecla, wh. July 1st, of two bitches (Sanctuary Gilda and Hera) and three dogs (Sanctuary Leprechaun, Temujin, and Shamus Gelert). Sanctuary Hera was our first wolfhound.
Sanctuary Knight of Kerry, sire of the July 29th litter |
In November was registered a litter by Knight of Kerry ex Sanctuary Mandy, wh. September 11th, of four bitches (Sanctuary Emblem, Fidelma, Miss Killarney, and Noreen) and four dogs (Sanctuary Frankilly, Lonan, Regal, and Treanknight).