Gayteckels

Dachshunds

Diana Abbott

The Gayteckels kennel was founded by Diana Abbott in 1957. Di was born in Ilford, Essex and joined the army aged 17. She was part of the demobilisation forces in war-torn Europe before returning to the UK to work at London Zoo.

She then moved to Brighton to work as assistant to the famous homeopathic vet Buster Lloyd-Jones, founder of Denes Natural Pet Care. Buster was also an established author, whose autobiography, The Animals Came In One By One mentions Di’s role in his practice, which included treating Winston Churchill’s Standard Poodle among the top breeders of the time.

It was through Buster that Di obtained her first Wire-Haired Dachshund, Marfre Montana who was to become the foundation bitch of the Gayteckels kennel.

Di moved to Jersey in 1957 and soon established herself as a successful canine beautician and breeder. Her no-nonsense approach and aptitude for not suffering fools made her a well-known local character in the canine, as well as wider community.

Gayteckels achieved immense success in the Channel Islands and on the mainland which made it one of the top kennels to be based there.

Di served the Jersey Dog Club for three decades and was its second female President from 1977-85. Her weekly training class laid the foundations for the Jersey Junior Handlers Association, once a force to be reckoned at national level, and she was the JJHA’s President from 1994 until her death ten years later.

It was during her presidency that Adrian and Russell Marett, who had attended JJHA training classes with their Cardigan Corgis since the age of six and four respectively, became involvement with Gayteckels.

In 1996 a Cesky Terrier, Ridley Gadabout with Gayteckels, joined the kennel, introducing the Marett family to the breed. Two years later they obtained a Cesky and a further four were to join the show team, either owned by Di or Adrian, Russell and Chris.

Again, the highest success at local shows and, more importantly, at mainland championship level was to come the way of the Gayteckels and Zidout Ceskys.

Upon Di’s death in 2004, her three Ceskys joined the Marett household and continued to be campaigned, taking runner-up Top Dog all breeds in the Channel Islands and best of breed awards at championship shows.

Di’s last top-winning Dachshund was also campaigned, taking Top Dog all-breeds in the Channel Islands for two years, C.I. Dog of the Year 2004 and a RCC at the Wire Dachshund Club.

Adrian moved to the mainland in 2003 to study for his degree in Contemporary History at the University of Sussex, Brighton – living near Preston Park, where Di herself had lived before she moved to Jersey.

On completing his degree, Adrian moved to Kent to work for the top-selling canine newspaper, DOG WORLD and a Post Graduate Diploma at the London School of Journalism.

The Gayteckels affix was transferred into Adrian’s name in 2007.

Popcorn winning Best in Show under Jean Lanning, shortly after Diana Abbott passed away

Adrian and Peanuts at the PAT Dogs Finals