When Jenny (Romaclove The Power of Love), made breed history by becoming the first solid blue bitch Champion, so many people saw the celebrations, the photographs and the end result. What they didn’t see was the journey that began long before Jenny was even born.
This is the story of one little blue Whippet, the people who believed in her, and the journey that began long before she entered the world.
Back in 2016, having grown up with Whippets and Greyhounds, I decided it was finally time to welcome a show Whippet of my own. That decision led me to Alayna and her Zoraden Whippets. At the time, we were both showing Greyhounds, so I already knew of Alayna. As luck would have it, she had a litter due and, a few months later, my lovely Clive (then Clove) came home with me. Neither of us could have imagined just how much that one puppy would shape the next decade.
We soon realised we lived fairly close to each other, started travelling to shows together, and you could say the rest is history!
In 2017, I welcomed my beautiful Zoraden girl, Delilah, into the family. She’s never been a natural showgirl and much prefers staying at home, ruling the house and keeping everyone in line! But, like all the Zoradens I’ve been lucky enough to know, she has the most wonderful temperament and is an absolute pleasure to live with.
After many discussions with Alayna, I decided to have a litter from Clive and Delilah. They produced six of the most beautiful puppies I’ve ever seen (I may be slightly biased!), and amongst them was one very special little blue girl who stole my heart from the second she entered the world. That girl was, of course, Jenny.
I never bred the litter in the hope of producing a blue. In fact, being involved with rescue, I’d have been perfectly happy if there hadn’t been any. I see first-hand how irresponsibly blues are often bred simply because of their colour, and the complete nonsense surrounding them being “rare”. Delilah, however, had other ideas and produced every colour it was genetically possible for her to have… one solid blue, two blue and white, a fawn with a blue mask, a red fawn and a black and white!
From the litter, only one puppy went to a family we didn’t already know (although poor Nyree was probably interrogated to within an inch of her life first… so sorry!). Jenny and Bruno stayed with me, Ellie lives with my mum, Teddy with my aunt, Ed with our good friends, and Ziggy with Nyree and her lovely family. They’re all still living their very best lives.
I had countless people wanting to buy Jenny, simply because she was a blue bitch, but there was never any chance of that happening. From the moment she was born, there was just something about her. I can’t really explain it, but we had an instant connection. Whether she grew up to be show quality or simply spent her life curled up on my sofa, she was never going anywhere.
Coincidentally, my partner had shown me a random photo of a little blue Whippet with a white blaze up her face in the weeks before the litter was born and jokingly said, “I’d like one like this!” while showing the photo to Delilah. So, when a blue girl with a white stripe up her nose popped out, it genuinely felt like fate. It took me a few days to name all the puppies… except Jenny. She had her name from the moment she entered the world because I just knew she was staying, no matter what.
Looking back now, I often wish I’d repeated the mating with Clive and Delilah, but hindsight is a wonderful thing. We did have exciting plans to have a litter from Jenny, but due to a multitude of reasons and life in general getting in the way, we never managed to put those plans into action. To be honest, though, I’ve never been very good at letting dogs leave once they enter my home… which probably explains why I fail at fostering the rescues so often! Besides, I’d probably have wanted to keep all of Jenny’s babies, which wouldn’t have been very practical! So I’ll happily leave the breeding side of things to others.
Like so many youngsters of her generation, Jenny lost her puppy career to COVID, but she certainly made an impression when we finally managed to get back into the show ring, picking up her first CC at NEWS from Yearling in 2021 under breed specialist Marie Whyte, and her second from Open at Windsor in 2022 under breed specialist David Knights. There were many wins, placings and ‘chucks’ in the years that followed, but whatever the result, she always gave 110%, and I was always incredibly proud of her.
As time went by, I accepted that her crown might never come, but we never gave up. After every show, we would say the same thing: “We’ll keep trying.” I firmly believed that if it was meant to happen, it would happen one day. If it didn’t, it simply wasn’t meant to be, and it wouldn’t matter because she would still be my bestest girl in every way.
Then came 4th July 2026. It started like any other show day, up early, on the road, setting up at the show and catching up with friends. But it quickly became a day we will never, ever forget.
Jenny won an incredibly strong Open class filled with quality bitches and Champions, and I remember already feeling as proud as I could possibly be with her win in that class. I didn’t let myself think any further than that. In fact, I was probably the most relaxed I’ve ever been in a challenge because I’d genuinely adopted the mindset of, “What’s meant to be will be.”
She made the shortlist and round we went. I could feel her floating effortlessly across the ground at the end of the lead. Then it happened. That elusive third CC was waved in our direction by breed specialist Fiona Finch.
Everything suddenly became a blur. I knew Jenny had given it her all, as she always did, but I couldn’t quite believe it was actually happening. I could hear everyone cheering and congratulating us, but it felt as though I wasn’t living in real life. Even now, it still feels like I’m going to wake up from an incredible dream, although I’m sure it will sink in eventually.
I’m so grateful to everyone who captured photos of that special moment. They preserved a very special day and gave us memories we’ll treasure forever.
At home, Jenny remains the same perfect princess she has always been. She makes me laugh because on show days, she puts on her game face and takes everything so seriously. At home, though, she’s hilariously funny. She constantly ‘roos’ at us, usually demanding either a treat or her rightful place on the sofa! She loves going up the field to look for bunnies and does the funniest excitement spins during her zoomies. I love her to bits, and I know she loves me too, but she’s definitely a daddy’s girl at heart and can often be found lying upside down in Luke’s arms.
The journey to her gaining her crown has been incredibly special, and I’ve met some wonderful people along the way. I’m so lucky to be part of such a kind and supportive team. I’m also incredibly fortunate to have the support of my long-suffering partner, Luke, and my lovely mum, Joy. One of them is always at home, looking after the rest of my gang and allowing me to travel the country to enjoy the hobby I love.
There is one person who deserves a special mention, though, and that is Alayna.
Throughout it all, her support has been invaluable. She’s always been there with advice when I’ve needed it, encouragement when things haven’t gone to plan, and genuine happiness when they have. Over the last decade, we’ve never had a cross word. She’s one of those rare people who celebrates other people’s successes just as much as her own, and I honestly don’t think I could have asked for a better friend to share this journey with.
Looking back now, I feel incredibly grateful that Alayna trusted me with my first two Zoradens. They became the foundation of everything that followed. Together, Clive and Delilah produced a litter I’ll always be immensely proud of, including one little girl who would eventually go on to make breed history, while the journey also created a friendship that will last a lifetime.
But for me, Jenny’s story has never really been about success or making history. It’s about the friendships, the laughter, being part of a wonderful team, patience, perseverance and ultimately believing in a dog, even when success doesn’t come quickly. There were wonderful highs, disappointing lows, and moments when I wondered whether we’d ever achieve our dream. Yet Jenny never stopped giving me everything she had every time she stepped into the ring, so I never felt she deserved anything less than my belief in her.
Jenny may have made breed history with her title, but to me she’ll always be the tiny blue puppy who stole my heart from the moment she entered the world. Titles eventually become words on paper, but the memories we make with our dogs stay with us forever. Every cuddle on the sofa, every ridiculous roo, every bunny chase, every show, every success and every disappointment have been part of an incredible journey that I wouldn’t change for the world.
Finally, I’d like to thank Alayna. Thank you for trusting me with my first two Zoradens, and for your friendship, support and guidance over the last decade. Without my Zoradens, none of this would have happened.
Lisa Samson