Remembering Cecil Creech, CeBar Greyhounds

By Patricia Princehouse

A great loss to the fancy this week was Cecil Knight Creech, 85, husband of Eleanor Tinkham Creech, of CeBar Greyhounds, Annapolis, Maryland. A founding member of Chesapeake Kennel Club and driving force behind the coursing club DASH (District Area Sighthound Association), Mr. Creech’s vision played out through a very limited breeding program that produced over 60 Cebar champions.

His legacy in the sport includes daughter Dani Creech Edgerton, proprietor of a highly respected raw food processing company and “A Place for Paws” day care in Columbiana, OH, and by granddaughters Serena (10) and Elizabeth Knight Edgerton (14). Like their mother, both young ladies are skilled dog persons of the highest caliber, Liz piloting Pyrenean Shepherds and her very own Greyhound bitch to Group wins and, as protégée of Nina Fetter, frequently seen in the BIS ring.

Dani explains that her mother began in Afghans in 1969 and after watching Ellie groom Afghans day and night, Cecil started hunting for a new breed. Taking in the various breeds around the shows he decided the Greyhound had the classic beauty he admired –with the added plus of easy coat care! He was able to buy the lovely Greyhound bitch CH Firebrand of Aroi, bred by Georgiana Mueller in California and she finished right away –no easy feat in those days! Cecil was good friends with Barb Henderson of Whippoorwill Whippets in Laurel, MD and when she next went to England the two decided to buy a Greyhound together (the prefix CeBar is actually a combination of Cecil and Barb!). Ellie went along to pick the dog and they brought back CH Shaunvalley Anton, a son of the top dogs of the day. They bred a couple litters together & then Barb went back to Whippets and Ellie threw her lot in with the Greyhounds and the rest is history!

Cecil enjoyed being able to watch his dogs in the ring and was not put off by handlers and family members who begged him to stay further from the ring so as not to distract the dogs. “He came to see them and he meant to see them!” Dani remarks. When it came to handling, “Mom was a great handler and showed most of the dogs but Dad liked brace class.“ Cecil loved the artistic depth of seeing two exquisite dogs together and, even above the achievements of their individual dogs, he was especially proud of the brace Best in Shows.

Echoing his taste for consistency and quality in numbers, Cecil’s interest in producing few litters but with tremendous depth of quality was especially gratified by one litter of 9 males –all finished! An accomplishment that would be startling today, much less in the days of few shows and fewer clusters! He also had a distinct soft spot in his heart for Westminster.

No less a character in his professional life, Mr Creech was an entrepreneur with diversified interests. Dani recalls he once set up a passport photo studio across from post office in Georgetown. No small number of public figures enjoyed the convenience of stopping by for their photos before popping their passport renewal in the mail. It was so successful that he modeled another venture on it: He set up a high risk insurance office across from DMV!

Cecil’s wisdom and enthusiasm fortunately will live on in his children and grandkids. But the sport will long grieve the loss of his wisdom, sportsmanship and spirit.

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Posted by chesliepickett on Nov 11 2013. Filed under Breaking News, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.