Happy 11th Birthday to K-See: one of 2 foundation bitches for Darwyn

Happy 11th birthday to K-See:  BISS Am/Can Ch Saredon Chasing Secrets. 
She's living a wonderful life up in Alaska with a family that runs a fishing lodge.  She enjoys guests in the summer, and runs on the beach (practically her own beach) most of the year around.  I am so happy that I am friends with her lovely owner and I would happily give Katie another retired Darwyn welsh.
K-See's legacy was not only in top show wins (including Montgomery weekend, 2003, and wins with me owner-handled by the late, but great, Annie Clark), but also in her offspring.  Her "kids" that are still either showing, or still in-tact are Dora,  Donny and Zorro (click on their names for details), and up and coming are Jessie and Ella.  She's even represented well by a couple of young boys that are her grandchildren - Java who was very well received at Montgomery 2012 as a 6 month old puppy, and MJ, who is now in Germany.
From all of us at Darwyn, we wish you a wonderful birthday!

Introducing DORA! Am Ch. Darwyn's Dora the Explorer - my 23rd Champion!

NEW Am Ch Darwyn's Dora the Explorer!
Bred/Owned:  Larisa Hotchin
Handled by:  Wood & Jenny Wornall & Andrew Peel (CA, USA)
Montgomery County (WTCA) 2011 - Winners Bitch (5 pts)
Hatboro 2011 - Winners Bitch (5 pts)
California & Arizona (Oct/Nov 2011) - WB x 4 to finish her Am. Ch.!

Dora is Darwyn's 23 champion - of which 16 are also American Champions (remember, I live and primarily show in Canada) AND she is my 12th Welsh Terrier to win Winners or higher at a Welsh Terrier Club of America Specialty! 

For a relatively small kennel, I am shocked at these numbers, given that I got my first bitch in 1999 - a very nice bitch from Saredon Kennels in England.

I haven't written much about Dora, and realistically haven't written much this year on this blog at all (and even less on my main website!  Yikes!).  Bad... 2012 resolution coming up! 
I have written a couple of posts about Dora's beautiful litter whelped in Mar/11 (puppies & lead training).

A couple of mths after the puppies were born, I was playing with her and thought that she would be one that I would really like to see in competition at Montgomery ... so, I stripped off her jacket (and most of her furnishings, which were really beaten up by puppies) and off Michael and I go to the local parking lot, video camera in hand.  I sent the video to my handlers in California (Wood & Jenny Wornall) and ask if they would be interested in showing her this year at Montgomery?
Fast forward to October 2011, the next time I see Dora is when she is in the open bitch, then the Winners Bitch line-up at Hatboro I with Andrew Peel, under Terrier breeder expert judge, Mrs. Connie Clark .... I know I am biased, but Dora looked amazing!  Correct size for the breed and was one of the welshiest looking bitches in the ring (well her and her 1/2 sister who was the #1 Welsh Terrier in the US - Ch Bruhil's First Lady), and another darwyn bred bitch (Ch Darwyn Esmeralda in Sanperpinc) who was WB, to finish, at Devon. 

Then Dora was pointed to!  Her first time shown in breed competition and her first points -- at a WTCA specialty!  WOW!

On Montgomery County day (the WTCA National Specialty), first off her 6 month old daughter, Jessie, wins her puppy class (!!!!wow!!!!) with her co-owner Jane Erdman handling (and doing a lovely job!) and then Dora wins the Open Class, then Winners Bitch!  In the end of the day, Monty (Am/Can Ch. Darwyn Bruhil's Flying Circus) was also pointed to for the Grand Championship Select Dog Points 3 out of the 4 days (including Montgomery day) and an Award of Merit the other day, Dora was Winners Bitch 2 out of the 4 days, and Monty's sister (Emme) was Winners Bitch one of the days!  WOW!

The Montgomery Day wins (Jessie, Dora, Monty) were very special to me.  The judge, Mrs. Carole Beattie from Florida, is a well-respected judged, long-time Welsh Terrier breeder (owned and bred some of the best!).  This day Wood Wornall was able to make the welsh ring and show her.  Mrs. Beattie's nod in the direction for my breeding program (Monty and Dora both bred and raised and trained here and Jessie - their daughter), at an extremely well-attended and competitive show, made me want to cry. 

2011 will be a year at Montgomery that I will never ever forget - and Dora, whom just had puppies recently, wasn't even on the schedule to attend but a few months earlier.

Trophies & Ribbons received from WTCA on Montgomery County Show Day (National Specialty)
Monty (Am/Can Ch Darwyn Bruhil's Flying Circus) = Grand Ch. Select Dog Award!
Dora (New Am Ch Darwyn's Dora the Explorer) = Winners Bitch AND Award of Merit!
Jessie (Darwyn Jesterr's Holding Court) = 1st place in 6-9 puppy class!

I am so happy that I did that parking lot video tape, that Woody & Jenny wanted to show her, that they were able to get her into such awesome condition, and that the judges (and my peers, other exhibitors and friends from all over the world that were there watching!) were so positive towards her, and saw the quality in her that I saw when she was just a baby puppy. 

Dora being handled on Montogmery Weekend by Wood Wornall
New Am Ch Darwyn's Dora the Explorer

Thank you.

We are thrilled with her successful (but very short) US career...
... looking forward to showing her in Canada (even if it is just to finish her CH) ...

... we are happy she is home now. 

This picture, taken an hour after she got home tonight shows how quickly she settled back into home routine.  :-)

Remember Robbie? Here he is 7 years old - still looking great ... clipped for the last few years, but looking good!

I woke up this morning to a truly wonderful email ... a real blast from the past ... my first home-bred BOB Specialty Winner!
My friend (she has headed up the Health Committee of the Welsh Terrier Club of America for years) told me that she had the opportunity to see a very special boy of mine to give him a pet groom.  Obviously by the photo, she does a very nice job (yes, some WTs lose their rich colors over the years if they are clippered ... that's OK, in fact that is normal for some).  Her comment was particularly special for me, as it is how I feel as well ..."I just adore him, he reminds me of so many dogs of days gone by".  Isn't that sweet!

YES -- this is ROBBIE - Am Ch. Darwyn's Heart Throb!  A K-See son! (click on their names to see more!)

Robbie had a very brief show career ... he was sold as a pet to people that wanted a dog that looked really good, good enough to finish his championship in California ... well, he finished in style!  5 point majors at some big shows - including Louiseville KY and Sacramento California .... 2 of his most memorable wins included Best of Breed at the Welsh Terrier Club of America National Specialty (conditioned and presented beautifully by Mr. Wood Wornall) and then about a month later Robbie was awarded Best of Breed with the owner (not a seasoned show handler) in California over a specials dog that Gabriel Rangel had .... BOTH of these wins were extremely exciting for his owners - and me as his breeder!  This past 5 years since he was shown have gone by pretty quick that's for sure!  Thank you Maureen for taking such great care of my boy and thank you Ginny for making him look so pretty in his happy retirement days! :-)

NEXT GENERATION from Robbie has begun .... in Oct/09 KSee (Am/Can Ch. Saredon Chasing Secrets) had her 3rd and last litter and then retired to a life of luxury in a home that runs a fishing lodge in Alaska (I'll write more about that later) ... her next generation is just growing up now in our home - 9 month old Donny and Dora (Merlin is their father ... Paisa's sire, who is also the sire of the winners bitch from the WTCA National Specialty that occured recently at Great Western - Long Beach California) are looking great and are a dream to live with ... happy and spunky, but very settled and easy going in the home (below is a photo of Dora and Michael running on the beach).  I love you guys!