Sire:

Messano Blueprint
Res CC, SGWC
Open Show Best in Show Winner
 

Barklands X-Planation of Messano
                    

Fourwinds Bossanova of Lorinford  3 Res CCs, JW

Sh Ch Gyrima Oliver

Tenfield All At Sea
SGWC
Open Show Best Of Breed Winner,
Ch Show Firsts in Breed & Stakes classes

NL/Lux/Dt/DtVDH/World
Ch Jamescroft Squire

Jamescroft Magic Miranda

Jamescroft Chanelle

Bridgefarm Barleycorn
1 CC, 3 Res CCs  

Teal - not a day goes by that I do not think of Teal and her tail that never stopped wagging, that's what she was famous for.  Never beaten in a waggiest tail competition, the faster it wagged, the more I laughed and the faster and faster it wagged.  I miss her ever thumping tail, you only had to change position on the sofa and all you would hear was thump, thump, thump.  All she ever wanted to do was to be a good girl and make you smile.  She was also talkative when it came to letting me know it was dinner time or walk time, Adrian nicknamed her 'squeal' because of this.  She would come and look at you intently and vocalise until you paid attention to her needs!  Extremely tactile, as well as very obedient and intelligent, with lots of will to please, Teal would have been outstanding in obedience competition if ever I had the time.  As a puppy, Teal used to have a really naughty streak, she was known as 'destructo dog' - if she couldn't get her own way or was ignored in favour of the other dogs, she shredded things, including countless dog quilts.  She remained chief dog bedding chewer to her last days, until Tamu the Basenji came along, whenever I found a corner missing from a quilt, I know who the culprit was! 
Having said that, a more loving and devoted dog you would be hard pressed to find.  Like her sister Bungle, her temperament was second to none, the words I use to describe her are 'dear sweet Teal' for that's what she was, a real sweetie.  Everyone loved her - a mixture of Darwin, Race and great granny Ramble  - I could see all of them in her.  Apparently she was also very like her granny 'Bracken' too.  Teal was otherwise known as 'Tiddle' or 'Pom' and answered to both names either singly or combined.  I miss my little Pom so much, she gave so much and asked for so little.


              

Teal never had a days illness in her life, before that dreadful day.  She was such a robust and sound little girl, my 'mini' Golden - she took after her grandfather 'Yogi' (Guella Golden Hind) and inherited his small stature.  Measured at 20" meant she was on the minimum of the breed standard and would have been mostly overlooked in the show ring because of her size.  It didn't help that she was also short coupled and compact, as anyone who judges dogs should know, a short coupled dog will always look smaller than a longer bodied one.  This didn't stop her winning at the few shows she attended as a youngster under judges who couldn't ignore her non-stop tail and sound effortless movement.   Although on the smaller side, she was very well-proportioned, well constructed and an absolute delight to live with.
Teal was a natural and enthusiastic retriever and like her sister adored water and loved swimming.  Teal went out on the shoots in her younger days and proved particularly valuable in the beating line, being steady and reliable.  In 2002 Teal badly cut a front paw when out for a walk, returning to me covered in blood making me think she had ripped open her tummy.  She spent four weeks recuperating after the foot was stitched, she loved the attention having her paw dressed daily and found out that she could use the 'drip bags' we used to protect it as a boxing glove.  How I wish we could have recorded her sparring on video as she boxed the other dogs! 
 

Teal was only shown on five occasions in Junior classes at Open Shows and only had one outing in Special Yearling, after that she stayed at home and found her true vocation as a 'super mum'.  Teal produced four wonderful litters and proved to be the most marvellous mum in every way, tribute to her fantastic temperament.  Particularly devoted to puppies under 4 weeks old, while Teal was around I could rest in the knowledge that she would always take care of any puppies if mum was unable to for any reason. 
Teal is mother to my lovely Reiver, Pepper and Rally as well as many other puppies including Yarka working for Canine Partners and not to mention 21 other puppies who have given their families unconditional love.  As you progress through the Canine Partners website, it is Yarka pictured as a puppy who is their donation mascot on almost every page, tempting you to part with your money - and who can resist!
Reiver has now produced a multitude of children and Teal is a grandmother many times over, her grandchildren are bringing the same happiness to families at home and overseas.  Teal might not have even stayed at Tenfield, but for the fact that she and her sister were the only survivors of Darwin's last litter and right from the start it was clear Bungle had a problem.  Funny how things work out .......

     

Dear sweet Teal had been spayed in November 2008, as being a girl that came into season every 6 months, I thought it was fairer for her not to have to endure the attentions of the boys and also wanted to avoid the possibility of a pyometra or cystic ovaries later on.  Since then, she had steadily gained weight which both the vet and myself put down to being neutered, even though she was on 'sparrows' rations.  In late June 209 Chase had a litter of puppies which took up most of my time and I didn't pay proper attention to some subtle things Teal was trying to tell me, although she was well in herself.   On Wednesday 29th July 2009 she enjoyed life as usual, enjoyed a run on Salisbury Plain, ate all of her meals and biscuits as normal, enjoyed a cuddle on the sofa in the evening.  The following morning, I took one look at her and thought 'you don't look right'.  I took her temperature which was normal and checked her gums, which were almost white.  I offered her some food and she tried to eat to please me but her eyes told me she couldn't - anyone who knows Goldens (and in particular a Tenfield Golden) knows that is serious.  We saw the vet that afternoon and he thought her spleen was enlarged.  We arranged for her to be admitted the next day for investigation. I had to tell Mike that day that Teal wouldn't be able to go for her usual walk and tried to impress upon him how serious the situation was.
 When I arrived at the vets the next day, Teal was being her usual optimistic never complaining self, wagging her tail as usual, I had to tell everyone that although she looked OK on the outside, I could sense there was something seriously wrong.  I shall always remember her anxious look at me when the vet took her lead and I told her 'It's OK, off you go'.  At that she happily walked away tail wagging as usual - that was the last I saw of my beautiful golden girl.
Ultrasound and x-rays did not reveal anything ominous other than her spleen appeared very enlarged, I had said to the vet that morning that her abdomen felt fluidy.  I gave telephone permission to go ahead and operate to remove the spleen, but within 20 minutes I had answered the phone and knew that the news was not good.  Teal had been carrying around a 2½ kg benign tumour which had been attached to the spleen and the weight of this tumour had eventually ruptured it.  Teal had lost so much blood, the vet advised that she be given sleep.  Not to be with her in her last moments was soooooo hard to bear.
I collected my golden girl so that I and the dogs had time to say our goodbyes and she was cremated the next day.  But the pain never leaves, she did not deserve to be snatched so soon, I had always assumed she would be around until she was 15 years.  Of course, I blamed myself, if only I didn't have the puppies I would have been paying more attention.  If the tumour and spleen had been removed sooner, she would still be here today.  Consequently, I found it very hard to look at Chase or her puppies, as we had never shared the close bond enjoyed with the rest of the 'true' Tenfields and with the support of Chase's breeders, I was able to find her a fantastic home nearby, not long after the puppies had left for their new homes.
Just a week after I scattered Teal's ashes on the 'Tenfields' in Barnard Castle, her daughter Pepper won her first Challenge Certificate and within a month gained her Show Champion title.  I felt Teal was with us and Pepper certainly wagged her tail harder than ever, I shed tears in the ring each time for my dear sweet Teal.  She may be gone but she leaves a true legacy and hopefully when Rally and Pepper produce puppies that legacy will continue.

Rest in peace my dear sweet Teal, until we are reunited again.   You have left many aching hearts, mostly mine and Uncle Mike's.
Below is a tribute I wrote to Teal through tears, the day after I lost her. 

"small but yet balanced, dark bitch with ever wagging tail, dark eye, correct earset.  Straight front with good length of upper arm, hocks well let down with correct rear angulation, moved true, which won her this class." - Hilary Male (Malenbrook), Tunbridge Wells & DCS Open Show, March 2002