Welcome to Fendawood Gun Dogs.

My name is Dave Latham.

I left school in 1981 and started work as an apprentice coach builder at Rolls Royce (now Bentley Motors), now in my thirtieth year.

I have always been interested in country pursuits, mainly ferreting and long netting with my Dad as a young lad.

In 1978 my Dad bought me my first labrador, a black bitch called Gunstock Sall. She probably caught more rabbits than I could shoot in those days!

I few years later a friend asked me if I would like to watch a field trial at Checkleywood shoot. I didn't know what to expect and was amazed at what a labrador could do. So that night I picked the phone up, called Sandra Halstead and ordered a black Labrador called Drakeshead Matt.

A few years later in 1989 we entered our first novice trial with the three ridings labrador retriever club, and were lucky to bring the winning trophy home!

"That was it - I'd caught the bug!"

To date I have made up four field trial champions:

• The first, FTCH Fobbingacres Sunny, qualified four times for the IGL Retriever Championship.
• The second, FTCH Drakeshead Deana, won her first two-day open stake at seventeen months old, one of the youngest dogs to run in the championship! She also qualified for four championships and in 2003 Deana won the IGL Retriever Championship at Sandringham.
• The third, FTCH Mediterian Blue, my most consistent god who also qualified for four IGL Retriever Championships.
• FTCH Mediterian Blue sired my fourth, FTCH Delfleet Neon of Fendawood. Dell, who won a novice stake, a one-day open stake, a two-day open stake and then won the 2010 IGL Retriever Championship at Snadringham all in his first season. Dell was only two and a half years old, the youngest dog or bitch at the championship.

The Youngest Winners of the IGL Retriever Championship:

1. In 1938, Mr L. Lonsdales "Greatford Shy", 19 months old.
2. In 1949 Mr J. Annands' FTCH Glenhead Zuider, 21 months old.
3. In 2010 Mr D. S. Latham's FTCH Delfleet Neon of Fendawood, 24 months old.

I have a small kennel, only four dogs at any one time. They all go picking up and enjoy their training on summer evenings and weekends.