Lena Hagglund, Kennel O’Flanagan, Sweden

I have been in Flatcoats since 1972 and was also by that time more involved in horses than I am nowadays. Our prefix O’Flanagan comes from an Irish showjumper owned by and competed with by Miss Pat Smythe. They were competing all over Europe and in the Olympic Games. Further on there were more and more Flatcoats and less horses for me. And in September 2022 we celebrated 50 years with Flatcoats! I became an authorized judge 1991 and am now doing all Retrievers and a few Spaniel breeds. I considered judging education to be a natural development of my interest in animals in general and since I was always interested in anatomy and its impact negatively and positively on the movement in animals, this was a way to learn more. I also have a huge interest in health and soundness as well as illness and have during the years been a member of breeding committés in the Swedish Spaniel and Retriever Club as well as in the Breeding Council of our Flatcoated Retriever Club. My intrest in the dog world has brought me to many countries and continents for judging appointments and this has given me lots of friends all over. I have had the joy to judge our breed in many Specialties all over Europe, but also in the States as well as in Russia. One can see that Swedish Flatcoats have made a great impact in the breed in many countries but one can also find lovely, classic types of Flatcoats with a non Scandinavian background in their pedigrees. In my own breeding I love to use male’s pedigrees that are not too ”common”, I love to find interesting blood lines in other countries. We do not breed alot, but I love to see puppies growing up and continue to follow them after they have moved to their new homes. From the beginning I did not realize how difficult it would be to combine breeding, competing with my own dogs with judging appointments and I still want to be as active as possible with my own Flatcoats.