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IT MAY not surprise those who know her to discover that Marion Spavin’s parents were in the theatre. Indeed she was named after their Marionette troupe, so it is perfectly logical that Marion loves an audience.
Which is why she’ll be right at home when Andrew Brace interviews her for An Audience With... for DOG WORLD TV on September 4 as part of the City of Birmingham championship show weekend.
Marion had always been fascinated by animals and, strange though it seemed to her family, at an early age she had decided that she wanted to follow a career with livestock. At the tender age of 14 Marion left school to take a job with a Sealyham kennel where she learnt the basics of animal husbandry along with the art of stripping and clipping dogs.
Following her marriage Marion bought her first pedigree dog, a Shetland Sheepdog who was not a resounding success as a show dog and subsequently began breeding Cocker Spaniels. Later, having joined and become a committee member of her local canine society, she acquired her first Beagle in 1957, Derawuda Vanity, who lies behind all the present day Dialynnes.
Prior to embarking on am ambitious Beagle breeding programme, Marion had taken a few years away from dogs during which time she had her three children, Marilynne, Dianna and Derek.With her natural instinct for breeding livestock Marion soon had her first homebred champion, Huntsman, and did amazingly well in a breed that was very hotly contested, competing with the likes of the Appletons, Suttons, Claytons, Thelma Gray and Leonard Pagliero.
Since then Dialynne has been responsible for a steady stream of champions, many of whom became significant stud dogs and were always available to enthusiastic breeders at reasonable fees, and it would be no exaggeration to say that the immortal Ch Dialynne Gamble changed the breed much for the better in Britain.
The Dialynne affix has also been borne by champion Manchester Terriers, Tibetan Terriers and Cocker Spaniels and for many years Marion has run a number of highly successful boarding kennels.
Marion’s judging career has taken her all over the world and she is presently one of the few British judges to be licensed by FCI to judge all breeds recognised by our Kennel Club at international shows. She has judged best in show at most of the major British championship shows and is always a popular choice with exhibitors.She first awarded CCs to Beagles in 1966
Many people have also seen the side of Marion the entertainer, a lady who has a wealth of amusing anecdotes and stories which she needs no encouraging to share in any company.
Few characters in the dog world have led such a colourful and successful life as Marion, and on Saturday September 4 at the Kennel Club Building in Stoneleigh, Andrew will be interviewing the lady herself about her time in dogs and her fascinating career. The audience will begin at 7.30 pm.