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When
I was twelve years old
my mother and I went to
our first dog show. As
we walked about and were
taking in all the
breeds,
I spotted a woman with a
cute small dog outside
of the obedience ring.
(Turned out it was
Arlene Czech!) When I
asked her
what kind of a dog it
was (sound familiar?),
she replied “A
Papillon”.
And with those
two words, my life was
forever changed.
I
was lucky enough to
start up a long-term
correspondence with the
Secretary of PCA, Mary
Black.
She introduced
me,
via mail, to George and
Ceil Farner.
That was the only
way to obtain any
information on the breed
back then as books were
non-existent ( although
Tom Wells of Galphay
kennels in Canada was
kind enough to send me
the Papillon Handbook
by
Peggy and Bob Russell
Roberts, a gift I
treasure to this day ),
computers were virtually
unheard of and I had
homework !
After
what seemed like a
century, I bought my
first Papillon in March
of 1966, joined PCA and
have been actively
involved
with the breed on a
continuing basis since
that time.
As well as PCA, I am a
member of the Papillon
Club of Canada, The
Greater Chicagoland
Papillon Club and the
Great Lakes
Toy Club.
For nine years I served
as Secretary of PCA,
I’ve been regional
reporter for the
national newsletter – Pap
Talk, have
served
on
and Chaired the
Nominating Committee,
served on and Chaired
the Pap Talk Committee,
was chairman of the 1977
PCA
National Specialty (
first entry to reach 100
) and have worked on
various committees since
joining PCA. Currently I
am the
Club
Historian – a position
that has given me the
opportunity to plan,
organize and execute the
PCA Historical Website.
In 1982 I was the
recipient of the Award
for Outstanding Service
to Dogs presented by
PCA.
I enjoy writing,
and articles I
have written pertaining
to the breed have
appeared in publications
worldwide.
Showing Papillons has
always been my passion
and I have been blessed
with many a ‘great’
one over the years. I
have been
fortunate to handle
seven different Papillons to a
total of fourteen All
Breed Best in Show
awards in the States and
Canada.
I
have co-bred six Best in
Show winning Paps with
Pearl George ( Kvar )
– handling four of
them to their Best in
Shows.
I
have finished Champions
in both Canada and
Bermuda and handled
Lurich Betsy, the first
Pap to ever win Groups
in the
United States, Canada
and Bermuda. Three times
I have had the privilege
of winning Best of Breed
at the National
Specialty.
Sweeps, Bred By,
Winners and BOS at both
National and Regional
levels have also been
exciting wins - even to
this day !
Over the years I
have had the pleasure of
handling Papillons to
well over a hundred
group placements not
including over fifty
group wins.
In partnership with
Pearl George our Paps
have won both the Golden
and Silver Butterfly
Awards – the highest
breed award
presented by PCA.
Our Papillons
have also won the
coveted Tournament of
Champions award of
"Top Toy Breeder of
the
Year" both in 1989
and 1990 – the only
years they were
exhibited.
I have also trained and
handled paps to four
High in Trial awards and
finished both CD and CDX
degrees on my paps (
though
I
haven’t been active in
the OB ring for a number
of years ).
One of the
greatest honors I have
had in this breed is
that of
owning, training and
handling Am/Can Ch.
Jaclair’s Doodles of
Josandre, CD, Amer. CDX
to Best in Shows while
carrying
these titles.
He was the first,
and is to date, the
highest obedience titled
Papillon to win a BIS.
Josandre’ Papillons
that are owned by others
have excelled in both
the obedience and now
the agility rings –
the most recent,
MACH Josandre’ Stars
at Ivy Hall is owned by
my dear friend Jane
Attaman - a team I am
extremely proud of.
One day I may look up
and find out the exact
number of Papillon
Champions I have bred or
co-bred.
But to me the
quantity
is not nearly important
as the quality.
I can tell you it
won’t be a record or
maybe even any great
number, but if, when I
die,
people will say of me
"She bred lovely
Papillons – sound in
both body and mind"
– I will have
accomplished my goal.
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