Looking Around with Lee – Coming Home Again

By Lee Canalizo

This month I write the saga of a long ime friend and prominent Borzoi breeder and exhibitor. Darcy Lampe was a familiar sight in the Northeast show rings with her beautiful Borzoi during the ‘70s and ‘80s, but situations change. This is the story of Darcy, her missing twenty-eight years of showing dogs, and her return to the sport. It is a story of YES! YOU CAN COME HOME AGAIN!

One of my earliest memories is always wanting a dog. The day finally came on my fifth birthday. There it was, a wire-haired fox terrier puppy. Tuffy lived to be 18 years old and was my foundation in a love for all dogs. My next venture was my start as a breeder when I was in my teens. A black miniature poodle caught my eye and was my constant compan- ion well into my adult life. She passed away quietly at an advanced age.

By this time I was married and had children and was, of course, looking for a good family dog. We found an Irish Setter puppy that was from show stock and was a good learning tool in what not to do. I decided to open a grooming shop in the neighborhood and developed a successful business quite quickly. I had a knack for getting along with dogs that no one else could groom. No, I wasn’t a dog whisperer. I needed the money and it is amazing the skills you develop when you have no other choice.

The next step was to expand and find a kennel. We searched high and low from New York state to Maryland and settled on a beautiful kennel in the picturesque town of Long Valley, New Jersey. I put my house on the market, sold it within a week and packed up my kids and husband and moved to what were to be some of the happiest years of my life.

I knew by this time how to choose a good dog. I researched for months and contacted Jon and Nancy Reimer of Windrift Kennels in Indiana. They had a red and white Borzoi bitch puppy for sale. Her name was Windrift Maya and she became my foundation bitch. This was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my world of dogs and in my life. She was my shadow. She was also the matriarch of a line of Borzoi that I am proud to have bred.

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Posted by Alex on Sep 10 2018. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.