The name Chardonee comes from the combination of my childrens names. Charl aged 16 and Donee aged 14 years. For many years I had been involved with horses, and once motherhood entered my life, my interests were to change. I needed to replace horses with an animal that I could combine with my roll of mother at home.

Dogs! I saw in the Great Dane the elegance and movement similar to the horse, on research, the temperament fitted just what I was looking for. The search was on! I found a lovely black bitch "vom Griefenbruch Biru" After our first show I was hooked. After a number of comments from Judges and fellow exhibitors that she was lovely and had a wonderful temperament, I decided to breed her, I choose a local black boy, and this gave me my first litter, out of which we kept (Chardonee Angeleterre) Angie was to become only the 2nd Black Bitch to make Champion in South Africa.

Angie today is 9 and a half, and still looks as if she can give the young girls a go in the showring. When she was three I took her on the train to Johannesburg, a 24 hour trip! She was to be mated to Ch Clydelodge Aziz Bin Sherman of Chapala, the son of World Champion Chapala Sherman. Unfortunately or fortunately which ever way you look at it, Angie did not conceive from that mating (perhaps due to the stress of the 24 hour trip back, ) but I was offered by the breeder a young Harlequin son of this dog. Howbichs Havoc Bin Aziz of Chardonee (Havoc) proved to be one the best thing that happened to us. Six months later, Angie and Havoc produced a wonderful litter. I was now hooked on Harlequin breeding . One of the bitches in this litter went to a friend in Johannesburg who was till this time a Breeder of German Shepherd dogs.

I gave him this bitch, and today he has five Danes. Chardonee Britannique has had two litters, from her first, there was a very lovely dog puppy who won Best Puppy on Show under Nancy Carrol-Drapier at the South African Great Danes show in 1994.

Since these early beginnings, we have now fallen in love with the German type of Dane. I personally like the large bone and heavy head that the German type can give to our South African Danes. I found what I was looking for in an American Publication! The GDR had an advert from LIBERTE Great Danes in Germany. I saw Taliviva LIBERTE and her litter brother Testarossa LIBERTE, and knew, those were the dogs of my dreams. I contacted Barbara Rettig, and a firm friendship was started. I got from her my Black baby Deonsdiamant LIBERTE and a Harlequin bitch Xwatusi vom Schontal. They are still young, but I am sure, will prove to be of great benefit to our South African Breeding programme.

All Pups are from H.D X-rayed parents, SAVA tested, Tattooed & Inoculated,Fully dewormed before leaving us at 8 weeks of age