Kaston proudly stands as the home of the world‑renowned Vanitonia Show Kennel. Established in 1962 by Roger Stone and Graham Thompson, the kennel began with Miniature Poodles and quickly flourished. Over the decades, Vanitonia has earned the title of UK Top Breeders many times.
Their first Champion emerged in the 1970s—a Standard Poodle—and by the early 1980s, the foundation of what became known as the Vanitonia Toy Dynasty was firmly in place. Although Roger and Graham are no longer with us, their legacy endures. Their guidance, generosity, and trust shaped everything that followed, and their influence will always be deeply appreciated.
Lee Cox
Lee became part of the kennel in 1992, having grown up in a family deeply involved with dogs and stepping into the ring for the first time at just four years old. By the age of ten, he had already bred his first CRUFTS Best of Breed winner, and at thirteen he began his judging career, eventually qualifying as a championship show judge at twenty‑four. Both of his parents are championship show judges as well, and his father also served as a member of the UK Kennel Club.
Lee is an International Championship Show Judge. Please see the judging page for breeds licensed for. Lee is also a member of the UK Kennel Club and Breeder Manager for Nestle Purina Petcare UK.
Ragdoll Cats joined us in 2016 and are owned, bred and exhibited in partnership with Lee’s partner Adam Gardner. Ragdolls have become quite a passion for us both and we are super excited about the future . Please see the RAGDOLL Page for some our our kids.
The Boarding Kennel at Kaston IS NOW CLOSED.
Vanitonia is proud to have ALL BREED Championship Show BEST IN SHOW winners in Standard Poodles, Toy Poodles, Chinese Crested and Clumber Spaniels
The Vanitonia Kennel, to date, have made up 101 UK Champions.
These are made up from:
- 22 Champion Standard Poodles
- 3 Champion Miniature Poodles
- 44 Champion Toy Poodles
- 16 Champion Chinese Crested
- 12 Show Champion Clumber Spaniels
- 1 Champion Bichon Frise
- 1 Champion Papillon
- 2 Champion Briard
The Ragdoll Cats are bred in Partnership with Adam Gardner under the Vanitonia Prefix and have become a passion here at Vanitonia. We are delighted to have made up our first Grand Champion Ragdoll
All VANITONIA Dogs and Cats are fed exclusively on
The House and Gardens of Kaston
Home of the Vanitonia’s
