Shooting Gazette – September 2019

86 SEPTEMBER 2019 WWW.SHOOTINGGAZETTE.CO.UK

One of ourown

ThelateGrahamCoxwasa tourde forcein thegundogworld,as wellas

beinga regularShootingGazettecontributor.Wendy Bardsleytalksto his

wife, Marilyn Cox, about his passion in and away from the field.

OnholidayonthewestcoastofIrelandin1986,GrahamwithHolly(HolwayCymbalofWydcombe)andMarilyn

with Comma, who became Graham’s first field trial champion, Littlemarston Comma of Wydcombe, in 1990.

GUNDOGS Gundog legends

G

rahamCoxledan

extraordinarilyfull

life,onethattookhim

frombeingtheVice

Chairmanof theKennelClubField

TrialSubCommitteeto Associate

Professorat BathUniversity.He

wasbestknownforhisgundog

writingandphotography.Graham’s

writtencontributionsandinfluence

reachedfarwithinthegundog

communityandfromhisfirst

ShootingGazettearticleonthestop

whistleto re-writingthefieldtrial

J RegswithDavidPaterson,there

is noquestionheexploredand

interpreted an abundance of topics

thatreflected his devotion to the

sport.

Graham’stwopassionsweresport

andart.Atschoolheplayedfootball

andcompetedin athleticsduring

thesummermonths.Hewenton

to playfootballat Cambridgeforhis

college,theuniversityandbriefly

oneyearfora localnon-league

team.Whentheymet,Graham

toldMarilynheverymuchwanted

to beanarthistorian.Discovering

a passionforgundogscameabout

bypurechanceas Grahamdidn’t

havea ruralupbringing,hadnever

owneda dogandhadnevershot

in his life. He came from a family

where,thoughheandhisbrother

hadalwayswanteda dog,theywere

notallowedoneandit wasn’tuntil

GrahamandMarilynmarriedin

1970 thatanopportunityarose.

Grahamgraduatedwitha Firstin

Economicsandhedecidedto stay

onto studyfora PhD.His topic

wasIrishNationalism.

“Webothwantedto geta dog,”

explainsMarilyn.“WhenI got

homefromteachingwetendedto

gofora walktogether,discussing

ourdayas wewentandwethought

howniceit wouldbeto havea dog

withus.Harderwasfindinga breed

we both wanted. As Graham