Cecily Cox was my first contact with British Deerhounds. In the 60s the Dufault Deerhounds were among the top winners in the breed, and thus I found Cecily through the English dog papers. In 1969 I had moved with my Swedish family from Denmark to Norway, and my first Deerhound import to Scandinavia was a Dufault. That was the start of a long and deep friendship.

I have so much to thank Cecily for. It was she who generously persuaded Phyllis Poyner-Wall to let me have Ch Melchior Minnonie and Nessie Linton to let me have Ch Geltsdale Zenith of Sparrowhall, the two lovely Deerhounds which together produced my Ch Airescot Lazuli, Sweden’s Dog of the Year in 1977. Through Cecily I also got to know and several times visit with Norah Hartley, Anastasia Noble and so many other unforgettable Deerhound people. And through Cecily I got my first judging appointments at Open shows in England in the 70s, the start of a judging career which has given me worldwide experience and so much fun.

Cecily loved and lived for her Deerhounds, they meant everything to her. She was very anxious that they stayed natural, and she would never accept anything but their typical sweet temperament. Her own temperament could be quite hot at times, she could get absolutely furious over things, she could be angry with you one minute and love you the next. This her Deerhounds as well as her friends were very much aware of and learned to live with, even to appreciate. Freda, Cecily’s invaluable right hand for many years, made it possible for her to enjoy her Deerhounds, her garden and her home until the very end.

Thanks to her international background Cecily had a very open mind and enjoyed company and travelling. She had a great sense of humour, which gave us many laughs together.

When I think back, I find that she has, in fact, been quite a backbone in my grown-up life. Just as I was a frequent guest in her houses, first in Horsham, later in Quenington, she was an eqaully frequent guest in my houses. She got to know my children and she loved my family’s island in the Stockholm archipelago. We travelled together to dog shows not only in England, but also in Sweden, Norway and Finland. For many years she was a regular guest at the famous Skokloster Sighthound weekend in Sweden, and thus a well-known and welcome face among the Scandinavian Sighthound people.

Cecily loved to drive her car; I’m sure that she used to be an excellent driver, but for some years now, I think we all preferred to have her as a passenger. She was also a good cook, and we had many excellent meals together, always with a bottle of champagne or a bottle of good red wine. For some reason we always used to say "Rise and shine" instead of "Cheers", and that’s what I would like to do now: lift my glass to Cecily and say: "Thank you for everything. We’ll miss you immensely. Rise and shine!"

Yours etc.
Nenne Runsten,
Airescot Deerhounds, Sweden