Ch.
Gingerbread's
Highland Fling (Cecilia)
1970
Wh. March 23, 1970
Ch. Houndsville
Gingerbread Boy X Pollyanna Chloe |
Little did we know that our
"family pet" was not only destined to become a Champion,
but the foundation of Desiree Acres.
Cecilia was a beautifully sound
girl with correct shoulders and
forchest, as well as lovely
feet, ribs and topline -- combined with an absolutely unflappable
temperament
.
Throughout the 70's I spent Tuesday
nights in
West Covina at Barbara Dunning's
handling class.
Barbara was something of a legend in So. California,
having taught basset handlers for over 4 decades
.
Cecilia was a particular favorite
of Barbara's and she
handled her to
most of her championship points |
1972 ~
Cecilia is
being handled by my mother, Kati
|
|
|
Barbara Dunning
is
pictured winning
our very first major That's
me on the right handling Cecilia to a
Specialty reserve |
Ch. Houndsville
Melody in D Major (Melody)
1971
Wh.
December 2, 1971
Ch. Houndsville Major Who Dunnit
X Ch. Gingerbread's Highland Fling |
|
Melody
was my pick from
our very
first litter. She and I grew up
together, and together we became champions
.
I was 16 years old
when I finished Melody with 3 majors (including a 5
point Specialty win) -- completely
Breeder Owner Handled. I missed my High School Graduation Party
to
help deliver her first litter (which produced our foundations studs,
Wizard and Benny).
Melody
was a stylish and typy girl with beautiful lip
and LONG ears (which was still rare for a bitch in the 1970's) She was
one of the most intelligent dogs I have owned -- absolutely packed with
personality
Pictured
winning her 2nd
Major at the 1974 Santa Ana KC show under breeder
judge Hub
Robinson. |
|
The photo above
pictures me at the
age of 14 winning our very first
match
trophy Melody at 4
months
~~~~
and 11 years
|
| Ch. Desiree Acres Pinball Wizard
(Wizard)
1975 Wh.
June
6,
1975 Ch. Oranpark Grover X Ch. Houndsville
Melody In D Major |
For Melody's mate we chose
to breed to Ch. Oranpark
Grover. A Best in Show
winner, Grover was line bred on
the
legendary Santana
Mandeville bloodlines.
We
kept two males from this litter, Wizard
and Benny.
I finished Wizard with 4
majors, entirely from
the Bred by Class. During this
stage in my life I was also
attending school to become a Registered
Veterinary Technician.
Wizard
had
beautifully classic
head type, (reminiscent of his famous
grandsire, Ch. Santana
Mandeville
Ichabod), lovely lip, ears,
bone,
and substance, all packaged in a deep mahogany color.
A truly glamorous dog,
Wizard was to stamp his type and temperament
onto
generations to come. |
|
|
| Litter mates
Wizard and Benny are shown together at 3 months ~~~ and at 2 years |
Ch.
Desiree Acres Ragtime
(Benny)
1975
Wh. June 6, 1975
Ch. Oranpark Grover X Ch. Houndsville Melody
in D Major |
|
Benny
is the only dog I have owned
(or have ever heard of) who finished with Five Majors, all Breeder Owner
Handled. (His show
record -- one 5-point
major and four 3-point majors)
.
Benny was my Mom (Kati's) favorite from this litter (Wizard was my
favorite). This was to
become a pattern with each breeding -- we usually kept two littermates,
one that I liked and one that Kati fancied.
Though not as glamorous as his littermate, Benny
was a rock-solid hound with beautiful head type, feet and chest.
This
1977
photo shows Benny with
breeder judge Paul Moore, winning
one
of
his 5 majors. |
|
| B B B Benny and
his get (sorry, I couldn't resist!)
pictured at 6 years ~~and at 6 months (with me and my mom Kati) |
Ch. Desiree Acres Day Dreamer
(Dream)
1977
Wh. March 17,
1977
Ch. Desiree Acres Pinball Wizard X Ch.
Gingerbread's Highland Fling |
The
product of one of our closest
line breedings (Grandmother Cecilia X Grandson Wizard) I always felt Dream
was one of the finest
dogs I have bred.
.
A
perfectly sound girl,
she combined the correct front, ribs topline and rear, with beautiful
type (even surpassing her half sister Melody's deep lip and exceptionally long
ears!)
.
Dream was also a BIG girl -- 73 pounds - but she could MOVE
She was as sweet as she was stylish, and I am tremendously proud to
have bred her. In 1985 she (and Ron's dog Goofy) accompanied us on our
honeymoon, then came to live with Ron and me at "Desiree Acres
North".
Her soundness held her
in good stead -- she took Best of Opposite Sex at the BHCSC and NCBHC
Specialty shows, both from the Veterans Class.
Dream
is shown finishing
her championship under
breeder
judge Wilton Myer at the 1980 Conejo KC show
|
|
|
| Dream in
all her glory. I only regret that I did not produce about 12 more just
like her |
Ch. Desiree Acres Alabama Girl
(Bama)
1979
Wh. October 23, 1979
Ch. Desiree Acres Ragtime X Desiree Acres
Sunshine |
|
Bred
and owned by Barbara Humphrey of
Sunshine
Bassets, Bama's
mother, Desiree
Acres Sunshine, was
a
littermate to Dream
.
Bama
is the product of an uncle/niece breeding (a Wizard daughter
bred to her
full uncle Benny) this is the way we doubled up on the Santana
Mandeville
blood and stamped in our type
.
Another stylish girl
with a beautiful front and lovely type, bone and temperament -- she was
simply the apple of her
mother's eye. Bama was a Specialty winner with multiple Best of
Breed wins.
She also produced several champions
This
1984 photo shows Bama
with breeder/owner Barbara Humphrey |
|
| Bama on Ventura
Beach with littermate
Georgia
Peach &
breeder Barbara
Humphry ~~ Mary winning points from the
puppy
class |
Ch. Desiree Acres Praline N Cream
1982
Wh. November 19, 1982 Ch. Rebleglens
Frosty Too X Desiree Acres
Jelly Bean |
We
took an different path to
double up on the Santana Mandeville blood when we bred the Wizard
daughter, Desiree Acres Jelly Bean. This time we used Jo NewMeyer's Ch.
Rebleglen's Frosty Too.
Frosty was a half brother
to Wizard and Benny, being a Ch. Oranpark Grover son
.
Praline
was the first born of
7 puppies and we were very surprised
that
she had a pure white ear. It quickly developed a speckled pattern,
which led to her name
.
Her distinctive coloring was
matched only by her beauty, style and
personality. Praline
was my full time lap dog and completely stole my heart
.
Praline
is pictured taking Best Of
Breed in 1986 at the age of 3 years
|
|
|
Judges always
commented on
Praline's speckled ears. She had no problem
with that, she KNEW she was
special
|
Desiree Acres English Toffee CD
1982
Wh.
November
19, 1982
Ch. Rebleglens Frosty Too X Desiree Acres
Jelly Bean |
|
A
Litter mate to Praline, Toffee was
destined to shine in the Obedience
Ring. Ron was training his basset, Goofy, for her CD title when we
met, and
he trained most of our dogs in basic obedience.
Toffee
also came to live with Ron and me at "Desiree Acres North", and
was our beloved traveling companion.
Toffee
and Ron are
pictured winning High in Trial at the 1988 BHCSC Specialty with a
score of 180. |
 |
You each brought us the joy in
knowing
you,
the fun of winning with
you
and the ultimate
achievement
in knowing we had produced
such beauty and devotion.
A little bit of each of you live on
in
our hearts, our
memories,
and in
the dogs we know and love today.
I miss you all and look to the day
I
will see you again at the
Rainbow Bridge
|
Desiree
Acres
Bassets
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mary
Netzley Lukins, Ron Lukins and Kati Netzley
|
