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Zena spent part of her early life abroad as her father was serving in the Royal Marines. On returning to this country to complete her schooling, she excelled in sport, representing England Swimming (100/200 meters) and Devon County in Athletics (Javelin). She was at that time one of only two holders of the R.L.S.S. Diploma award for life saving. At this time Zena was also involved heavily with Pop music. A member of a number of different bands as a bass guitarist, she progressed to being a full time professional for a short while, and had much success in the West Country with various bands.

Always sharing her life with the family dogs, mostly G.S.D.s and a beloved Bulldog “Sevenup Jenny”, she decided to enter the dog show world. She joined the Irish Wolfhound Club in 1965, to learn about the breed, and began to attend local shows plus Crufts. In fact she has not missed a Crufts show since 1965! In 1967 she bought her first show dog who became Ch. Edgecroft Simon, winner of two Hound groups, 14 B.I.S. and the top  winner in the breed on points, for four successive years. Zena’s first litter          Judging Afghans at Bath 1987. BOB "Gable"

contained just one dog, but he became French Ch. Drakesleat Sir Francis,                              later BIS at Crufts

the top winning I.W. ever in France, with 25 CACIBs and many other awards.

Zena’s second breed was Miniature Wirehaired Dachshunds , again a Champion resulted in the first litter , this was Ch. Drakesleat Hussy , who in turn produced four British Champions.  From the first Champion Irish Wolfhound and Miniature Wirehaired Dachshund in the early 70’s, Zena has bred or owned 121 British Champions and is now the Top breeder all breeds for number of Champions since records began in 1873. Drakesleat is the second top winning kennel ever in Irish Wolfhounds and the top winning kennel ever in all coats of Dachshunds. Both the breed record holders are Drakesleats, with the Miniature Wirehaired Champion Drakesleat Klunk Klick top hound all breeds in 1976, and still the breed dog CC record holder. Ch Drakesleat ‘Ai Jinks is the current breed record holder, and winner of a number of groups, and several reserve BIS all breeds. The Irish Wolfhounds, Champion Drakesleat Roisin was a former bitch record holder, and Champion Drakesleat Kyak top hound all breeds in 1981, is still the breed record holder. Kyak has been picked as the most perfect dog ever judged, by a number of top judges. Possibly the best known of recent Irish Wolfhound Champions was Ch Drakesleat Odyt , top hound all breeds 1992 and Reserve Best in Show at Crufts 1993, with over 21,000 entries .

Zena’s record of over 120 Champions and over 700 Challenge Certificates make her the all time top breeder in the UK and the Drakesleat's have won a staggering number of CC’s at Crufts, but they have not been exhibited there since her late husband Terry became chairman. The first ever Best in Show all breeds (since the breed gained CCs in 1959) won by a Miniature Wirehaired Dachshund has  been achieved by Zena in an entry of 8,500 dogs (Sept 06).  

          Zena started judging in the early 70’s, and progressed through the hound group as a specialist, before branching out into other groups. She judged extensively at hunt terrier shows and for over 20 years hunted both Wolfhounds and Dachshunds, therefore is very keen on good conformation and fitness in all breeds.  Zena is approved to award CC’s in all breeds, and is currently the number one top judge in the UK, & the only judge approved for all breeds that have challenge certificates. She is also approved by the FCI as an all breed judge in all FCI countries. She still shows Dachshunds but sadly does not have Wolfhounds any more. The record of Top breeder nearly every year since 1975 in one or both breeds has never been bettered by anyone in the UK. She has just been honoured by the German Kennel Club(VDH) being the only breeder outside Germany to be awarded the Baron Von Gingins medal for outstanding achievement in breeding Dachshunds to the correct type, over many years.

She is President of the Hamiltonstovare Club of GB , Patron of the South West Hound Club - of which she was a founder member and the first chairman , also the Dachshund and Hound representative on the KC Breed Liaison Council. Member of the Kennel Club's breed Standards committee, & vice president of several breed clubs. She judged the Hound Group at Crufts in 1998, judged the Pastoral group in 2008, and judged the Working group in 2010. She also has judged at many World shows. She was married to the late well known all breeds judge Terry Thorn.

Seen here entering the ring to judge Best in Show at the worlds largest & best   

dog show CRUFTS 2007, where her BIS was the popular Tibetan Terrier Ch/Am Ch Araki Fabulous Willy.                                 Below all 14 are Champions!

                Ch Riff Raff, Ch Rough Stuff, Brown Sugar, Dick Dastardly, Ch Klose Encounter, Ch Scarlet Woman, Range Rover, Ch Kalamity Kate, Ch Yer I Be, from the seventies