WWW.SHOOTINGGAZETTE.CO.UK SEPTEMBER 2019 89Gundog legends GUNDOGS“The essence of
Graham Cox and
the legacy he left
the sport he loved
continue to shine.”Grahamathomewith Marilyn
and Marti in 2017.onformanyyearsandMarilyn
remembersfondlyso many happy
times spent there.
An important balance
Despitetheimportanceof gundogs
intheirlives,throughouttheir
47 yearsof marriageGrahamand
Marilynalsoworkedhardto divide
theirtimebetweensharedinterests
in art,theatre,filmsandespecially
music.It wasimportantto themto
tryto maintaina balanceandoften
Grahamwoulddashhometo goto
a concertaftera day’sjudging or
competingin thefield.
Retiredat 50,Grahamcontinued
to workonedaya weekat Bath
University,mainlysupervising
students’dissertations.Heenjoyed
thisin-depth,one-to-onework
andworkedwiththemacrossa
widerangeof topics.Henowhad
moretimeto focusonhisgundog
activities.Hisroleas a gundog
writerforShootingGazettespanned
almost 30 yearsandhefeaturedin
morethan 300 issues.Thisis notto
mentiongundogarticles,reportsand
photographspublishedinShooting
Times,TheField,CountryLife,
SportingGun,Insight,DogWorld,
IrishHunting,ShootingandFishing
andTheKennelGazette.
In2013,TheBestof theBestwas
published,whichGrahamco-wrote
withDrGarethDavies,celebrating
100 yearsof theIGLRetriever
Championship.Graham’schapters
in thebookhighlighthisremarkable
memoryforstatisticsandevents.
Then,in 2014,heproduced
thelittlebookhereferredto as his
legacy,TheGunÕsDog. Thecontent
reflecteda clearsetof principlesand
identifiedessentialskills needed to
succeedin thefield.
ThroughoutGraham’slifehe
observedtheworldof gundogs,
takinginspirationfromwhathe
encounteredandpouringhis
interpretationintoeverywordhe
wrote.Hewasa uniquewriter,
able to transmit thought-provoking
discussionthroughhisarticlesto his
readers.Hemaintainedtherewas
noroyalroadto traininga gundog
andhisvalueswerebasedon
fundamentalscentralto theprocess.
Asa photographer,Graham
hada keeneyeforanactionshot.
Throughouthiscareerphotography
playeda centralrolein supporting
hiswriting.In theolddaysof black
and white and long before digitalcameras,Grahamwouldcomehome
fromaneventandspendtheevening
in theatticdevelopinghisprints.
Marilynlaughedas sheremembered
when,in around2007,Graham
suggestedbuyinga new,digital
cameraforher.Funnilyenoughhe
seemedto knowexactlythecamera
hewantedto getherandhewould
sayto friends,“I boughtthiscamera
forMarilyn– andshe’s never had it
fora singleday!”
In2016,Grahamstartedto wind
downfromjudgingandattending
trials.InMarch 2017 hereceived
apositivediagnosisof Motor
Neurone Disease (MND) but stillmanaged,witha littlehelp,to take
partin twomoreFieldTrialSub
CommitteeMeetings.Heusedhis
profileandincredibledriveto raise
awarenessandfunds for research
intoMND.
“Hewasmagnificentin his
illness,”saysMarilyn,“always
tryingtofindwaysaroundthings
hecouldnolongerdo.However,
ourremaininggoldenretriever.
Marti,whowasninebythen,still
sawGrahamas herhandlerand
herealisedthismustchange.He
insistedweworktogethertomake
herseemeas herhandlersothat
shewouldn’tbecomeconfused
orupsetwhenGrahamwasno
longerabletowalkherorspeak.
Wesucceeded.SoonMartiwas
lookingonlytomeforcommands,
praise,affectionandGrahamwasso
pleasedwehadbeensosuccessful.
Butit musthavebeenas hardfor
himas it wasformewhenshe
wouldcomeintoa room,ignoring
himcompletelyevenif hespoke
toher,eyesfixedonme. He really
caredaboutMarti.”
With 40 years’picking-up
experienceandsuccessin the
triallingdomainhewasableto
achievefieldtrialchampiontitles
withtwoof hisgoldenretrievers.
Graham’sroleas anA paneljudge,
memberof theKennelClub’s
FieldTrialSubCommitteeand
VicePresidentof theGolden
RetrieverClub,amongstothers,
wassubstantialin manyways.He
relishedtheopportunityto judge
theIGLRetrieverChampionship,
ledthecommentaryteamat the
GameFairformanyyearsfollowed
bya 10-yearperiodas Gundog
Advisorandjudged the International
in2015.
Theessenceof GrahamCoxand
thelegacythatheleftthesporthe
lovedcontinueto shine.Hewrote
abouthissubjectwitha keeninterest
andenergythatwillnodoubt
securehisplacein the annals of
gundog history.