A Tale from the TROPICAL North

David Margan

Michelle Ginn and daughter, Emily, have to travel for one and half hours each way to compete, many times at night in the pouring rain navigating the dangerous Gillies Range outside of Cairns in North Queensland.

But such is her love of our dog world, the science of breeding and the success of daughter and star Junior Handler, Emily, she does it again and again.

To say Michelle is enthusiastic would be an understatement she bubbles over with an evanescent energy. The more bitter and taciturn may not like that but great things happen with passion.

“I come from Pioneer stock on the Atherton Tablelands. My grandmother was a very little girl and she cut the ribbon on the first train track to open up here. My family once had the biggest dairy farm on the Tablelands. My grandfather was known to be the ‘Man that knew his stuff about Cattle Dogs’, he also bred them. I think that’s where I get the love of dogs from actually.”

But Michelle’s engagement with the serious world of breeding is relatively recent, she began that arduous process in 2014 but her love for animals and dogs started way before that.

“Growing up on a farm I just loved animals and their breeding, the chooks, turkeys, ducks and cows, all of it.”

Her passion for dogs and especially Labradors began with a neighbours runaway when she was just eight years of age.

Golden Labrador, ‘Bam Bam’, lived five kilometres away on a neighbouring farm but was constantly escaping and coming to Michelle’s place so his frustrated owners said, “You can have him!”

Decades later, a single mum with two kids in tow she bought a pure bred Labrador but sadly shortly after, it died suddenly from the ravages of a paralysis tick. Her kids were so upset and missed him so, that Michelle just had to get a replacement.

But that was far more difficult than she imagined, there were no Labrador/Retriever breeders in North Queensland and what was she looking for any way, she had a lot to learn.

Images: Previous page – Michelle Ginn, Wilhelm Chang and Emily Ginn (Main), Emily the winner (Inset). This page – Emily and her favourite dog, Rumpy.

At the same time, she thought she could become the only Labrador breeder in the deep north. “Hey, hang on, maybe this is something I could do.”

Then she heard about dogs Dogzonline, “I spent hours and hours researching, calling people and asking questions, it was very, very hard I didn’t really have a clue what I was doing and back then there was no social media where you can connect easily with others.”

Finally, she settled on a chocolate and a golden Labrador from noted NSW Breeder, Helen Roche and Phenwick Labradors and with all her breeding purchases she always travels to the breeding kennel to check everything out first.

“I still didn’t know what I was doing, I had so much to learn but I knew what I wanted, I wanted to be good at it and breed the best but God it was a struggle.”

But then something changed everything she met Wilhelm Chang, President of Labrador Retriever Club of Qld Inc

“He loved helping new, genuine breeders, with the right look, the right pedigree, he taught me, he helped me, amazing. I can’t thank him enough, he’s always been there on the phone 24/7.”

“Michelle was put on the waiting lists for a potential puppy, however, it was a good 3 years later that I have something good enough to send her. Her patience did impressed me and her passion and keenness towards the breed was also evident.” Said Wilhelm Chang.

In 2022 at the major Cairns Kennel Club show Michelle and Emily Ginn won the Gundog Trophy and Michelle has lost count of the ribbons her and her progeny have won.

Five dogs are registered as national Champions with another five waiting in the wings, an upstart had killed it.

But equally satisfying has been the work and success of 12 year old daughter Emily.

“What I love about dogs is their loyalty and companionship with myself and my family. I like spending time with my dogs, working together with my dogs and getting them to trust me and I love their willingness to work.”

Emily went to a show with her Mum and was hooked; “I noticed lots of junior handlers in the ring, it looked like a fun experience so I became a dogs Queensland junior member and started handling in early 2021.”

It was Wilhelm Chang who again made the difference suggesting he send up a dog for Emily to show and so two years ago the work began, given the distance from classes it was just practice, practice in the paddock; “Learning tips and tricks was quite difficult due to not being able to attend classes.”

Mum, Michelle; “Again, we didn’t have a clue what we were doing but I’d video her efforts in practice and in the ring and send them to Wilhelm and he’d make suggestions, slow down, speed up, use a longer or shorter lead and at each show we’d pick up tips. Given all that it’s just amazing how well she’s done.”

Wilhelm Chang agrees, “Little Emily was amazing, all my suggestion were followed, she just took it in her stride. Very commendable for a 10 years old!”

Emily was now in the thick of it, “Going to the 11th Labrador National in Durack was an amazing experience as well as spending time with the one and only Mr Wilhelm Chang, President of the Labrador Retriever Club of Queensland.”

But in the end, according to Michelle, it was simply pure hard work and determination. “Given all that she has had to contend with its just amazing how well she’s done.”

The highpoint so far would have been last year’s Ekka show.

They had just completed the Nationals so the Ekka was an afterthought, perhaps an opportunity to relax and have a bit of fun when suddenly Emily was offered the chance to show a dog.

“Thanks to Mr Neal Macrossan entering his lovely yellow bitch, ‘Justice’, I got the opportunity to handle her in the ring.”

But it wasn’t as simple as that, “We panicked, all her show ring outfit was stuffed in a bag in our car that was some distance away so off we ran, pulled the creased and crumbled outfit out of the bag and ran all the way back.”

Then they got getting lost in the massive Showgrounds as their Group 3 gathered in the marshalling area but they made it, just, “And she won! It was just the best!”

Emily; “The Brisbane Royal (Ekka) was an experience I’ll never forget.”

What did her mentor, Wilhelm think?

“It was great to see Emily having such fun in the ring. Everyone love to win, especially to a young Emily such exposure are precious.”

And Emily’s favourite dog, “Out of all the dogs I’ve ever handled my favourite dog would’ve been ‘Rumpy’, he was a big golden coated Labrador. I loved how Rumpy always wanted to have a go in the ring, no matter the time or place ‘Rumpy’ wanted to show off his stuff we did Junior Handlers together giving me very good practice throughout my journey. I hope in the near future ‘Rumpy’ can come back home for his retirement.”