Current Breeding Lines 1997 - 2003

by Jonathan Jeffrey Kimes

In this third installment of my analysis of breeding lines, we see some interesting developments. Unlike the second period when we saw different bloodlines rising to the top from the previous period, this era demonstrates an ever blending of the same bloodlines. From a breeding perspective this is good news - it means breeders are making consistent progress from the roots from which the earlier generation of top specimens sprang. For reporting purposes it makes my job somewhat challenging as there is so much intermingling it has become difficult to cleanly describe the influential producers.

To recap my methodology, I look at the top winners of the CWCCA national specialty, including the Sweepstakes, as well as the class winners and reserves. I have chosen this methodology based on my theory that over time the degree of competition at this event, combined with the level of breed knowledge of the selected judges, should provide a roadmap of breed progress. Because these specimens are not subjected to "campaigning" criteria, which may taint other ranking systems, the best dogs have a chance to shine without being subjected to the efforts of their owners to bring them to national attention. It is possible that some top quality animals may be overlooked because they never won at the national and the occasional specimen wrongfully included in the select competition because a judge failed to select the best animal, but my review is intended to examine lines rather than focusing on any particular individual.

The top winner at the '97 specialty, Ch. Phi-Vestavia's Original Sin, CD, went on to win the Megan competition the following year after having been runner-up in that event in '97. Her record of Awards of Merit (AOM) is prodigious. Sired by Ch. Davenitch Peer of Pluperfect, who was Best in Sweepstakes and Best of Winners at 8 months of age ten years previously, she was a link in a long line of specialty winners. Her son, Ch Twinroc Max-in-a-Million, was an AOM winner in '97 after a long list of national and Megan wins himself. Windshyre's Truffles in Rum, a granddaughter of Original Sin through her Best in Sweepstakes winning son, Ch. Twinroc Poet of Pluperfect, was Best in Sweepstakes at the '97 specialty as well. Another Poet daughter, Raconteur Poet's Song, won RWB in 1998. Max-in-a-Million's Best in Show winning daughter, Ch. Trailwyn Mae West, also added luster to the family line by winning WB/ BOW at the '99 specialty. Mae's brother, Ch. Trailwyn Overnight Express, brought home two more AOM wins in 2000 and 2001, and their brother, Ch. Trailwyn Aberdovey Utobnpix, picked up an AOM in 2000.

Ch. Pluperfect Pennywise sired Poet; and a Pennywise brother, Ch. Pluperfect Petersham, sired the WB/BOW in '97, the brindle bitch Heritage Hill's Atadbad. Her niece, Ch. Heritage Hill Allbetsroff, was awarded an AOM in 2002.

The veteran campaigner, Ch. Davenitch Victorian Turret, continued to make his presence felt in this period by winning Best Opposite in '97 and AOMs in '99 and 2001. He was out of the bitch many consider the paradigm of the breed, Ch. Davenitch Shiloh Luca, and a paternal grandson of the influential red sable import, Ch. Salvenik Sea Treasure - more of him later.

Turret's paternal granddam, Ch. I Am Davenitch Mosette, was in the Ch. I Am Chandler's Moses line from which sprang the Sisterwood line covered below. Turret himself sired the red BOB winner in '98, Ch. Nanertak Suncliffe Milbridge, who also won the Megan in 2001, and Fantasy Farm's Water Witch, HS, AOM in 2001. Water Witch produced Fantasy Farm Heart of Gold, WB and AOM in 2003. Ch. Ceara's Pride n Joy was out of Turret's sister and won AOMs in '97 and '98. She also comes under the Sisterwood line through her sire, Sisterwood's Ambler.

The red sable import brought over by Phi-Vestavia, Salvenik Sea Treasure, was mainly of Kentwood breeding, being a brother of Kentwood Luc and Kentwood Lyneth, both also imported into the United States. Sea Treasure made a strong impact through a couple of his successful sons. Head of this list must be his brindle son, Ch. Phi-Vestavia Nautilus, PT.

Nautilus, a notable powerfully moving dog and half brother to Original Sin through their mother, Am./Can. Ch. Phi's Amazing Grace ap Ronel, was a favorite in the group rings, but in the specialty realm he more than held his own with a national win as a veteran in the previous period and an AOM in 2000. His typey daughter, Ch. Phi-Vestavia Good Gracious, much like her relative Original Sin, achieved AOMs in '97 and '98 and capped it off with BOB in '99. Unlike Original Sin, this bitch was recognized immediately by winning RWB from the puppy class in '94. Two of Nautilus' brindle sons, the Best in Show winner Ch. McLea's Admiral took home AOMs in '97 and '99 and Ch. Phi-Vestavia Andrew's Pride took home an AOM in 2000; and a daughter, Twinroc Joan of Bark, was BOS in Sweeps that same year. Ch. Phi-Vestavia Peter Pan, also a brindle Nautilus son, was RWD in 2000 and received an AOM in 2002. Sometimes we see what appears to be an influential stud dog flare up with a number of flashy children, only to quietly fall into the background in succeeding generations. Quite the opposite is true of Nautilus whose descendants went from strength to strength in this time period.

Nautilus' grandchildren include Raconteur Mr. Tambourine Man, WD in '97; Ch. Merrymoon's Firestorm, WD/BW in '98; Ch. Merrymoon Devil Woman, who won the Megan in 2002; Ch. Phi-Vestavia Stork Drop, BOS in 2000; Best in Show winning blue merle, Ch. Coedwig's Carbon Blue, BOS in '99 and 2001; Ch. Grangefield's Inquisitive, BOS in 2003; Ch. Phi-Vestavia It's Me Fiona (daughter of Good Gracious), AOM in '99; Ch. Vestavia's Bryndir Pure Energy, AOMs in 2000 and 2001; Ch. Speckernik Gem O'Shamrock (out of the Nautilus daughter Ch. Spectrum Taxi Dancer, who was BOS to her sire at the '96 national); and Gem's daughter, Ch. Shamrock's Faith Hill, who made a spectacular splash by going BOB from the puppy class in 2000 with two subsequent AOMs in 2001 and 2002.

More Nautilus descendants include Ch. Larchmont's Bogus, who took Best in Sweeps in 2000 and whose son, Ch. Kingsbury I'm Harry P (a grandson of BOB and multiple Best in Show Winner Ch. Kingsbury's Carbon Copy, whose incredible specialty record during this period included 4 AOMs and a BOS), has thus far brought home Best in Sweeps in 2001 as well as BOS in the Megan that year and BOS and Runner-Up in the Megan again in 2002. Also in 2002, Ch. Llynhill Autumn Breeze took an AOM. Carbon Blue's daughter, Ch. Tafarnwr Coedwig Sapphire, garnered an AOM in 2001, and her brother, Ch. Tafarnwr Dreadnought, won an AOM and the Megan in 2003. Carbon's descendant, Ch. Coedwigs Blue Glacier, also won an AOM in 2001, while STs Wyntr Quantum Chkrd Flag took home BOS in Sweeps in that year.

Another son of Sea Treasure who proved to be successful in this time period was the red dog, Ch. Davenitch Sandpiper. His dam was a daughter of Ch. I Am Chandler's Moses, another influential family in this timeframe. Sandpiper sired the litter out of Ch. Davenitch Shiloh Luca that included Ch. Davenitch Victorian Turret and all of those related successes. In addition, his daughter, Ch. Chandler's Remembrance, won an AOM and the Megan in '99 to add to earlier laurels including best in Sweeps in '93. Also down from Sandpiper comes Ch. Phi-Vestavia Inkling, a son of Sandpiper and Good Gracious. Inkling, not a notable winner himself, is nonetheless behind several specialty winners, including Stork Drop, Inquisitive, Peter Pan, and Ch. Shadowalk Trademark, AOM in 2002.

The import, Ch. Kentwood Luc, is related to Sea Treasure being a half brother through their sire, and their dams are also half sisters. Through his sire he is related to Eng. Ch. Joseter Joson. Luc's sister, Ch. Kentwood Lyneth, was a big influence in the Phi-Vestavia breeding program, being behind several of their most influential producers, especially her daughter, Am/Can Ch. Phi-Vestavia Luck Be A Lady, dam of both Ch. Phi-Vestavia Evan Evans, BOS in the Megan in '97 and BOS in '98, and Ch. Phi-Vestavia Good Gracious. Luc himself sired Ch. Bancyfelin Rhydowen Wendy, AOM in 2001 and is also the ancestor of the big winning Ch. Rhydowen Bancyfelin Corwynt, winner of three straight AOMs in her career from 1999 through 2001.

A top winner in England, Joson made his way to American shores at a somewhat advanced age, but he was certainly a welcome addition to America's stud force. As the sire of Ch. Phi-Vestavia Evan Evans, his name is associated with all the Pennywise and Petersham progeny noted earlier, as well as with Raconteur Tambourine Man; Ch. Llanbryn's Trailwyn Clenbren, who won an AOM in '97 in addition to her Best in Sweepstakes in '95, and is most notably the dam of Mae West, Overnight Express, and Utobnpix; Ch. Merrymoon's Devil Woman, who won WB in '98 only to have it revoked by the AKC because of an administrative error, AOM in '98 and winner of the Megan and AOM again in 2002; Ch. Mariel's Morgan Evans, WD in '99 and AOM in 2003; Ch. Mariel's Morning Star, AOM and Runner Up in the Megan in 2001; Ch. Mariel's Wish Upon a Star, WB and AOM in 2001; Ch. Kingsbury I'm Harry P; and Harry's son, Kollage's Catch the Magic, Best in Sweeps 2003; Ch. Shadowmark Trademark; and the Best in Show winning Ch. Reese's Bold as Brass, AOM in '99, BOB in 2002 and BOS in 2003. Bold as Brass has made his presence felt through the BOS in Sweeps winner in 2003, Jiwbili's Name that Tune.

The brindle Ch. I Am Chandler's Moses influenced the breed by being the grandsire of Davenitch Peer of Pluperfect and Davenitch Sandpiper (both boys out of Ch. I Am Davenitch Mosette). Yet it is often through the dam line we see his presence, as in the case of Heritagehill's Atadbad; Windshyre's Truffles in Rum; Woodshire's Box Car Willie, BOS in Sweeps in '97; Ch. Nanertak Suncliffe Milbridge; the blue merle Ch. Sisterwood's Starry Night, Runner Up in the Megan in both '98 and 2000 and AOM in 2000 and 2001; Sisterwood's Angel in Disguise, Best in Sweeps in '98; and her brother the Best in Show winning Ch. Sisterwood's Winsome Wil, BOS in Sweeps to his sister in '98, Megan winner in 2000 (a double header for Sisterwood as breeder of both the Megan winner and runner up that year) and a member of the exclusive AOM club with four such wins; the red Wil son, Ch. Cardiridge Sir Braveheart, WD and BW in 2001; the threesome of Mae West, Overnight Express and Uotobnpix; Ch. Phi-Vestavia It's Me Fiona; Ch. Chandler's Rememberance; Ch. Reese's Bold as Brass, Garvin's Lila Can Smila, Best in Sweeps in '99; Ch. Speckernick Gem O'Shamrock; Ch. Shamrock Faith Hill; Ch. Phi-Vestavia Stork Drop; the blue Ch. Sisterwood's Lil Sam's Busyboy WD and AOM in 2000; Ch. Kollage's Summer Breeze, AOM in 2000 and 2003 after winning WB in '94; Ch. Kyle's Beau Maris, AOM in '97; Ch. Zircon's Cascade Avalanche, AOM in '97; and Ch. Sisterwood Aragorn Starlet, AOM in '97.

Given all these names, what can we learn? We know a bitch of the "old" bloodlines, Ch. Phi Amazing Grace ap Ronel, made her mark. Bred once to the lines of Ice Anchor/Pluperfect/Moses, she produced Ch. Original Sin who went on to head a family of influential winners. Bred to Sea Treasure, she produced Nautilus. Joseter Joson was brought in and combined with all these families to increase strength across the breed. And what of Kennebec Ice Anchor, who figured so strongly in the analysis of previous years? Of the 77 individual specialty winners during this time frame, he is the ancestor of 70 percent of them.

Published in the CWCCA 2004 Handbook

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