Bajan Airedales (Qld)

Robert with Ch Southdale Figjam

Following on from Airedales in early Queensland, the little information about Airedales in Queensland for the twenty years after World War Two, is undocumented. However, Bajan, owned by Robert Grannum was one of the people who helped put Airedales back on the map in Queensland. He produced the only Airedale to gain the title Australian Obedience Champion, 20 Australian show Champions, one Indian show Champion, one New Zealand show Champion as well another 6 shown through to some other show Championship title. The story of Robert and his Bajan Airedales is outlined here.

Robert Grannum

Robert Grannum's Airedales in Barbados

Robert Grannum was born and raised on the tiny island of Barbados in the Caribbean. Robert well remembers growing up with an Airedale 'Tibi' his parents bred and also "Matilda' who was bred in Venezuela. After Robert settled in Brisbane in 1974 and decided to breed Airedales, his registered the kennel prefix 'Bajan' which means someone who comes from Barbados.

Ch Rangeaire Rehearsal

Robert's interest in breeding, exhibiting and judging pedigreed animals that commenced in Australia with Persian cats, with around 10 champions to his credit. In researching Airedales, in 1986 he was recommended to contact us for his foundation bitch after speaking to a prominent Schnauzer breeder and exhibitor who had moved up to Brisbane from Victoria. That foundation bitch was Ch. Rangeaire Rehearsal 'Penelope' or 'Penny' for short.

Ch Bajan Voodoo Oscar

'Penny' obtained her title Australian Champion with relative ease. A Group winner with another dozen in-group awards, she won 34 Challenge Certificates totaling some 251 points. Mated to Ch Burfield Apollo She produced the only Airedale to gain Australian Obedience Champion (a title no longer available), the first two Bajan bred show Champions as well as a significant breeding bitch. These were

Ch Bajan Voodoo Oscar who produced Ch Roismar Phantom of Bajan
Bajan Voodoo Ido who produced Ch Bajan Poetic Justice
Ch Bajan Al Capone who produced Ch Bajan Regal Elegance and Ch Bajan Miss Mabel
Ch and Australian Obedience Champion Bajan Live and Let Die

Ch Bajan Live and Let Die 'Brady' AOC (Australian Obedience Champion)

Ch Bajan Liveandletdie AOC

'Brady' (pictured) was owned and trained by the very talented Liz Wozencroft. He deserves special mention here as he is as far as I am aware, the highest qualified Obedience titled dog in the history of Airedales in Australia.

At first Brady was reluctantly shown. But when he took part in an Obedience Demonstration at the Brisbane Royal, Liz realized her first love was Obedience and entered him in a local competition. When he was unsuccessful, Liz entered him for another competition some three and a half hour's drive away. But when her husband objected saying

'You're mad taking an Airedale all that way... they're no good at obedience^[1]'

... with a point to prove, Brady began being seriously trained. As both Liz and her dog enjoyed these sessions more and more, training became their daily routine.

Ch Burfield Apollo, Ch Rangeaire Rehearsal and Ch Bajan Liveandletdie AOC

Brady won equal first place at that competition so far from home, with lots of people commenting how well and happily he worked. Just three months later he qualified for his first Obedience title, Companion Dog. Five months after that he gained the title of Companion Dog Excellent, winning the Open Dog Obedience Class at the Brisbane Royal. He then gained his third Obedience title, Utility Dog.

Training him for tracking was the next challenge. But he happily tracked Robert his breeder, dragging Liz through the mud to find him hiding behind a tree! Brady not only gained his Tracking title, he also passed his Tracking Dog Excellent title. The combination of these 5 titles, made Brady an Australian Obedience Champion.

Ch Southdale Figjam

'Billy' came to Bajan some 12 years after 'Penny' was purchased. He had an impressive show career winning 61 Challenge Certificates totalling 555 Challenge points including 3 Brisbane Royals, 3 Best Exhibit in Group, 1 Airedale Specialty Best in Show, 4 Sporting Terrier Club Best of Breeds, 21 in-group awards and 2 all-breeds in-show awards.

Ch Bajan Olivia Langdon

A complete outcross to the lines Bajan had previously been using, Billy was a useful stud dog. He produced 6 Champions 5 from bitches sired by Ch Bajan Al Capone and the 6th from an Al Capone grand daughter. These were

Ch Bajan Mark Twain (From Ch Bajan Miss Mable)
Indian Ch Bajan Roughing It (From Ch Bajan Miss Mable)
Ch Bajan Olivia Langdon (From Ch Bajan Miss Mable)
Ch Bajan Lady Nan Tudor (From Ch Bajan Regal Elegance) who produced Ch Bajan Tangmer Champayne
Ch Bajan Flora Tosca (From Ch Bajan Miss Mable) who produced Ch Bajan Peer Gynt
NZ Ch Bajan Never Hula (From Ch Bajan Tangmer Champayne)

Ch Bajan Peer Gynt

'Jay Jay' is Bajan's biggest success story as far as the show ring is concerned and should be able to make the title of 'Grand Champion'. He already has 78 Challenge Certificates including Best of Breed at the Brisbane Royal three times and over 600 Challenge points to his credit. A Best Exhibit in Group winner, 'Jay Jay ' has also had some 20 other Group placements, including 4th Best Puppy in Show at the Great Joint Terrier Show of NSW under an Italian judge and Best Junior in Show at the Sporting Terrier Club of Queensland under yours truly! Unfortunately 'Jay Jay' has not been bred with extensively as most Bajan bitches are such close relatives.

Ch Bajan Golda Meir

At the time of writing Jay Jay has produced one Champion mated to Ch Bajan Tangmer Champayne a granddaughter of Ch Southdale Figjam. This Champion is Ch Bajan No More Champagne. However, Jay Jay also has some young stock already pointed.

Ch Bajan Tangmer Champayne

Ch Bajan Tangmere Champayne

'Grace' was quite a successful show bitch winning 52 Challenges totalling 355 Challenge points. Her wins included Runner-up Best in Show at the Airedale Terrier Club of Queensland, Bitch Challenge at the Airedale Terrier Club of NSW, Bitch Challenge and Runner-up Best of Breed at the Brisbane Royal, Best of Breed at the Sporting Terrier Club of Queensland and 14 in-group awards.

Ch Bajan Grigori Rasputin

Grace produced 4 Champions - one to Ch Southdale Figjam, one to Ch Bajan Peer Gynt (above) and 2 to Grand Ch Fyreayre Robberyundarms. These latter 2 were the very successful litter and sister and brother (pictured) Ch Bajan Golda Meir and Ch Bajan Grigori Pasputin.

References and Acknowledgments

^[1] Elizabeth Wozencroft 'Companion dogs excellent and their titles to prove it' National Dog September (Pub Sterling Media Pty Ltd) Baulkham Hills NSW1990 Page 41

My grateful thanks to Robert Grannum for the information and photographs featured on this page and my son Jonathan who assisted in getting this page together