Wendyhas been active in breeding, showing and working Golden Retrievers for over 40 years. In 1968, having bought her first Golden Retriever as a family pet she was eventually persuaded to show her: Royal Pal of Catcombe, then aged 7, was quickly made up.

The conversion of her ‘Show Champion’ title to ‘Champion’ with the Show Gundog Working Certificate was Wendy’s introduction to the working side. Wendy still passionately believes in the importance of maintaining the truly dual-purpose gundog.

Wendy has been judging since 1978 and is on the A panel list for Golden Retrievers, awarding Challenge Certificates. She has judged extensively in the UK and the Continent in Holland, Germany, France, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Estonia, Poland, and as far afield in Australia and New Zealand. She judged Golden Retriever dogs at
Crufts Show in 2006. Wendy also judged the Gamekeepers classes for all the Gundog breeds at Crufts in 2005.

In 2007 Wendy’s Champion Catcombe Corblimey JW won the Dog CC at Crufts and she followed this up by winning the BOB in 2008. Corblimey was the top winning Golden Retriever in the UK for 2007. He has two Champion sons, Catcombe Cock a Doodle Doo JW and Chinnordale Rockhopper. ‘Doodle’ is currently the top winning male for 2008. Wendy and her husband David were the Top Breeders in the
UK for 2008. She is the author of a well received book on Golden Retriever conformation and a new CD Presentation on the same subject. Wendy’s book and CD, called “The Golden Retriever - The Breed Standard Illustrated”, written and published by Wendy Andrews and Catcombe Publications, are absolute musts
for anyone who is serious about this wonderful breed. In this book Wendy covers every factor that must be taken into consideration when attempting to produce the faultless Golden Retriever.

Wendy is avidly interested, and very active, in the working side too and has a successful line of Field Trial bred dogs, who are all descended from her FT Ch Standerwick Rumbustuous of Catcombe. Besides picking-up at shoots, and judging Field Trials and Gundog Working Tests, she has been Field Trial Secretary for 10 years for Open Stake Societies, covering Retrievers, Pointers, Setters and
Spaniels. Wendy is also the Field Trial Secretary for the Wiltshire Working Gundog Society. Furthermore, Wendy is a Kennel Club Field Trials Liaison Council Representative.

Wendy and David run a flourishing kennel, Catcombe, next to their beautiful renovated thatched country cottage in Wiltshire. They own the large adjacent field on which they exercise and train their numerous show and working Champions.

The Catcombe web site address is http://www.retrievers-catcombe.co.uk/