Ringside Thoughts – One Breeder’s Dream

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108 – April, 2024

By Kerrin Winter-Churchill

If I had a million dollars, I’d be advertising my dogs, too. Right now, I have three in the whelping box that I think have launched my breeding program two generations ahead and I’m thrilled. At 64, who knows if I’ll get the chance to breed another ten generations so I have no time to think about the bigger picture of dog show glamor. If I am fortunate, I will finish all three of these pups myself and they will win the coveted Best of Breed ribbon on more than one occasion. That’s my goal. It is a simple one based on my desire to breed the best I can against the standard and be satisfied. But I’ll admit, sometimes I wished my name had been Rockefeller rather than Churchill.

We all get caught up in ratings and the drop-dead gorgeous pictures and advertisements in the magazines; but the fact is, most dog people are like me–strictly middle class and struggling to keep their breeding program alive. This is not new. It has been true since the beginning of dog shows. One just doesn’t hear about the average, dedicated breeders who strive for perfection because we rarely get a chance to shine in anything beyond the breed ring–and even at that level, the wins are few and we are nothing special to write about even for our breed magazines.

In February, the dog world lost one of the most ardent breeders that I have ever known yet her song was not heard by many. She was a lot like me, a dedicated breeder with gorgeous dogs, and very, little money to spend beyond the necessities.

Does anyone remember the ‘80s riff by the Beastie Boys? “You Gotta Fight for Your Right to Party”? That’s how I feel about dog breeding. I have been fighting an uphill battle my entire life to remain a breeder of superb quality dogs. Now, as I am finally getting somewhere, I glance in the mirror and realize that I’m old. You have no idea how philosophical that makes me.

Click here to read the complete article
108 – April, 2024

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Posted by AnthonyA on Apr 14 2024. 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.