by Lisa Dias
by Lisa Dias
| What a
sad year 1998 has been in terms of losing so many people
so vital to the Great Dane Fancy – including
Canada’s own Bonne Klompstra. I first met Bonne
myself in 1985 when I travelled to New York to see
Westchester. I also had the pleasure of meeting Valdez,
and his son, Sonny. These two harls most impressed me as
to what a good dane in any colour could be. Bonne and
Valdez, and then Sonny, were great teams in the showring.
I am sure Bonne’s contribution to the dane fancy as
a judge would have been valuable and I know many people
share that feeling. My sincere condolences to Gayle and
her family on Bonne’s passing. Too many Danes have crossed the Rainbow Bridge since my last column as well. Sympathies to the owners and breeders of Ch StandbyMe’s Hank Jr. (Johnson/Davey) , Ch Striders Kokomo Kahn (Tait), Ch Valbydanes Viking Garm (Mignon/Wiebe), Ch Allyndanes Crime of the Heart (Dias/Edmunds), Ch Allyndanes Indian Summer (Dias), Ch Richmore’s I Am Sandy (Fuchs/Nahnybida) , Ch Allyndanes Lionheart (Dias). There have also been some great wins for our Danes this summer/fall, including multiple Best In Shows and Specialty wins. Kudos to BIS Ch Strider’s K.C. Kahn v Drogheda, to BIS Ch Drogheda’s Keystone Strider, to BIS Ch StandbyMe’s Good Golly Ms Molly, to BIS Ch Rockingdane’s Ghostly Echo, to BIS BISS Ch Paquestone’s G’Night Graci, to BISS Ch Nikolodeon’s Com’n Around Again, to BISS Strider’s Jagger v Drogheda and to BISS Ch Standbyme’s Believe in Magic. Wow! Congratulations all. Ch StandbyMe’s Believe in Magic and Ch Strider’s Carpe Diem have both been taking home Puppy in Show honours this summer – Honey and Seizer were both at the Credit Valley Puppy of the Year competition, along with Ch Paquestone’s G’Night Graci. Honey, I heard, was third in her age division group. Seizer currently holds the record for the most BPIS wins of a Dane puppy – congrats to breeders Glen & Kelly Tait, and to owners Frank and Linda Davey. Congratulations to Sonia Bernett on being awarded the Pedigree Great Dane Breeder of the Year for the period July 97 to June 98, with five champions – Ch Rockingdanes In From The Cold, Ch Rockingdane’s In A Heartbeat, Ch Rockingdane’s Iron Butterfly, Ch Rockingdane’s Hardrock Café and Ch Rockingdane’s Incognito. The Great Dane Club of Canada’s Breeder of the Year for 1997 was yours truly, Allyndane Perm Regd., Member of the Year was Brian Reinisch of Winnipeg Mb; Obedience Dane of the Year was Ch Allyndanes My Medterranm Playboy, and Puppy of the Year was Ch Allyndanes One Gift From God. The Association of Great Dane Fancier’s Puppy of the Year for 1997 was Deb Lileikis’ Ch Whisper Hill’s Simply The Best. Dave & Vicky Lanyon have good reason to be proud of their spring litter from BIS Ch StandbyMe’s Good Golly Ms Molly, co owned with Scott Johnson. Sired by Ch Alano’s PromKnight, this litter already boasts two champions and four more pointed. And Scott Johnson’s other co bred litter, with D & K Silvester, has three champions from Ch Standbyme’s Love Me Tender sired by Ch Whisper Hill’s Simply The Best. Not to be outdone, on the west Coast, Ray Goldstone’s "G" litter has been successful with a capital "S"! His litter from Ch Paquestone AKA Abby of Knots sired by Am Ch Houssel Warwick’s DoubleDown has five Canadian champions (sorry, Ray, is it 6?), and two U.S. and others pointed in the U.S. The most well known of this group being, of course, Graci. Graci won both specialties held in Cloverdale at the end of June – the Great Dane Club of Western B.C., and the Great Dane Club of Canada. She picked up her first BIS the same weekend. Down to the states shortly thereafter she finished with a major BOB from the classes, and then added another BISS. Many group placing Danes to congratulate too, since my last column – Ch Cilka’s Mr Bates, Am/Can Ch Diamond’s Canadion Style, Ch Riverwood’s Hannibal, Ch Daynakin’s Born to be Bold, Ch Valbydane’s Journey to Infinity, Ch Donvalydania’s Everready, Ch Hope & Dagon’s Baron, Ch Rockingdane’s Iron Butterfly, Ch Whisper Hill’s In Vogue and Ch Mr Baskim’s Joyous Noel. Whew! Hope I havent forgotten anyone, I am doing this mostly by memory which isnt so good once you are past 40, and that was a couple of years back …. Saw a lot of Canadians in Texas at the GDCA National – looking at the snow on the ground here it seems a long long time ago (thanks for the party Texas, it was great as usual – unpredictable weather n’all) - Shelby Cooper , Juanita and Vince Imperiale, Deb Lilelikis, Anne Stewart, Donna Conod Varro, Betty Conod, Glen & Kelly Tait, Irene Kucera, Wes & Cindy Nahnybida, Jan Edmunds, Ray Goldstone, Joanne Kinney, and Carol Stegavig. Canadians did well in the ring too – Glen & Kelly took home a number of class placings from both the Dallas Specialty and National; I managed a placing at the Dallas Specialty and the cut at the National; and Ray’s Graci shone yet again, taking home an Award of Merit from the GDCA National! A number of interesting stories of how some dogs actually made it to Dallas – which we hope will only be repeated ‘verbally’ in the future! Well there is only one show left in Canada this year – Auld Lang Syne in Cloverdale this weekend. It will be interesting to see where the numbers fall and who will be Canada’s Top 5 in Danes (our Canadian Kennel Club only acknowledges the Top 5 in any breed). In the running are the Tait’s "K.C.", Lanyon and Johnson’s "Molly", Goldstone and Kinney’s "Graci" and Spicer’s "Keystone". The late "Siggie" should also have enough points to remain in the Top 5. Hope you have had a happy holiday season and that the new year brings us all good health and prosperity. If anyone has news for the column, please feel free to: Email me at: allyndne@canuck.com or Snail mail
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