About Us

ABOUT US

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We are Steve Lloyd-Jones (Nightwing) and Wendy Tugby (Rynchanon)

We live in County Cork in Southern Ireland.

Tel. No: - 00 353 (0) 22 72 984

We're always pleased to welcome visitors but please ring or e-mail first as we're not
always at home and we'd hate to miss you!

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Below are our two beautiful Champions - recently lost but never
forgotten -
Zizi - 9 yrs (Ch Rynchanon Cowboys N' Kisses)
Zizi was put to sleep on 29.12.2010 - she lives on in our hearts

Alfie - 7 yrs (GB IR Ch Rynchanon One Wild Knight at Nightwing JW)
                Less than two months later, we were heartbroken to also have to say goodbye
                to Zizi's son Alfie. He was put to sleep on 20.02.2011.

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Our current family of hounds are -

Molly - 5 yrs (Celtic Spirit at Nightwing)

Ben - 4 yrs (Rynchanon Rock Steady for Nightwing) 2 RGS 1 RCACIB

Mattie - 4 yrs (Rynchanon Ain't Misbehavin) 1 CC, 1 RCC, 3 GS 5 RGS
                                                                                                    1 CACIB

Raven - 3 yrs (Bribiba's Celtic Mix For Nightwing)   1 RGS

Diva - 1 year 5 mths (Rynchanon Dancin Barefoot)    1 RGS, 1 RCACIB

& her brother -
Arnie -1yr 6mths (Rynchanon Spirit In The Sky Over Nightwing) 1 GS/RBIS

Keira - 3 yrs (Nightwing Dymonds N Pearls) Ir Jun Ch

Bat - 1 yr (Nightwing Ain't No Doubt)

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The Affixes

Wendy's affix - Rynchanon - is pronounced ‘Rine’ – as in the river Rhine, and Shannon, as in the river Shannon. First registered for Weimaraners and Wolfhounds, the Rhine was for the German connection and the Shannon for the Irish connection. The Weimaraners gradually fell by the wayside, making way for more Wolfhounds.

Steve’s affix - Nightwing - was his CB call sign from his earlier trucking days and first registered for his Great Danes. As with my Weimaraners, Steve's Danes gave way to the Wolfhounds, although Steve still maintains an interest in the breed. Nightwing Nothing Compares to Clonallan, from his last litter of Danes, became an Irish and International Champion. She was the top Dane in Ireland for three consecutive years - 2005/6/7. Her full sister from a previous litter, Nightwing The Enchantress, was also an Irish Champion. Both were owned, loved and shown in Ireland by Paul and Linda McGee.

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Our Background in Wolfhounds

Wendy. I had my first Wolfhound in 1989. I'd coveted the breed for many years previously but each time I enquired the price had gone up and a puppy always seemed to be just out of my reach. Eventually I realised that sacrifices would have to be made elsewhere and I tracked a litter down and somehow scraped the money together to buy what was to be the beginning of a lifetime (from then on) passion.

I bought the last available puppy from a litter of ten and was totally smitten from the very first day I saw her. She was Casey, - Bridgedown Avon (At Rynchanon), a dark brindle bitch and the foundation bitch for the Rynchanon affix. She lived until she was almost ten years of age, only eventually succumbing to the dreaded bloat/torsion.

Vixen, a Casey daughter from her first litter, was my learning curve in the show ring. Although I'd been breeding dogs - Irish Setters, Dobermans & Weimaraners - for nearly twenty years, I'd never been interested in showing, until a friend who bred, showed and judged Whippets, persuaded me to enter Vixen for a show. Our first was an Exemption Show (now called Companion Dog Shows) in December 1992. Vixen won Best Puppy in Show and that was it - I was bitten by the show bug.

Following an eighteen year 'apprenticeship' in the breed, I made up my first Champion, Rynchanon Cowboys N' Kisses (Zizi), in July 2007 and two months later, her son, Rynchanon One Wild Knight At Nightwing JW (Alfie) became the second Champion for the Rynchanon affix.

Steve. Although he'd admired Wolfhounds from afar, Steve's first love was Great Danes and he'd had them for many years when we first got together in 1999. Living with the two breeds side by side was an experience for both of us and Steve was soon smitten by the Wolfhounds, though I have to confess I never gave my heart to the Danes. The two breeds may have size in common but are totally different in most other respects and now, if we get a Wolfhound puppy enquiry from a Dane owner we try to emphasise this, as most seem to think they'll just be getting a Dane with hair.

Steve's first Wolfhound (in 2001) was Rynchanon Smoke On The Water Over Nightwing (Sweep). He won a Reserve CC at Belfast Championship Show when he was just seventeen months old. Tragically, he died at 22 months with a liver torsion and it broke Steve's heart.

John and Kathleen Kelly (Nutstown) offered Steve a young dog which they had been running on to show. He was Admiral Of Nutstown (At Nightwing), Bailey - who was subsequently mated to (CH) Rynchanon Cowboys N' Kisses, Zizi and they produced GB IR CH Rynchanon One Wild Knight At Nightwing JW - Alfie. The first Wolfhound litter to be registered with Steve's Nightwing affix - sired by Alfie ex Celtic Spirit At Nightwing, Molly - was born in February 2008.

Alfie became a UK Champion in September 2007. Steve lost his last remaining Dane in February 2007.

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We have to admit that there are times when we think Wolfhounds should carry a Government warning:- ‘Beware, this breed is addictive and can seriously damage your wealth’, because, like a great many owners we suspect, we would probably have been quite well off had we never got involved with Wolfhounds. Having said that, they give a richness to our lives that no amount of money could ever buy.

We hope you enjoy looking at our hounds on this website, as much as we enjoy living with them and if you aren’t already owned by a Wolfhound, perhaps you will be tempted - but remember – you’ve been warned!

If you would like to leave us a message, we promise to answer every one and would appreciate your input and comments; so please sign our guest book. Just click on 'sign my guest book', in the index column. If you have a problem signing, please e-mail to let us know. Thank you.

Steve, Wendy and the hounds.