My husband, Bill, and I started  showing dogs in 1962. Our first show dog was a Doberman Pinscher,
Tara Brandy of Highcrest. Our mentors were Norton and Betty Moore, who taught us good
sportsmanship and to give back to the sport what we learned along the way. We try hard to carry that
banner. We bred and exhibited Dobes for 16 years. We owned Ch. Beowulf von Tannenwald (Kip),
sired by Ch. Ambradobe's Choirmaster out of Ch. Kay Hill's Witch Soubretta (who for a long time
was the top producing bitch in the history of the breed). We also bred Ava Danica Hartmann, U.D.
who was High in Trial at the Doberman Pinscher Club of America National Specialty back in the late
60's.

In 1975 we got our first Schipperke, a male named Ch. Karatchne Zeno of Harvalu (Zeno). He was
intended to be our son's dog, but when time came for Zeno to go in the ring, Billy was usually nowhere
to be found, so our daughter, Sherry, age 6 at the time, started taking him in the ring. The first thing
she did with him was a Group 4 at the Nolan River KC under Maxine Beam. Shortly thereafter we
rescued a Schipperke bitch from going to the pound. She became Ch. Land's Havoc of Harvalu, C.D.
(Windy), Sherry's constant companion for 14 years. Windy was sired by Ch. Skipalong Gadget out of
High Mount's Folly. Sherry finished Windy's championship when she was barely 8 years old, she won
a Specialty with her when she was 9, put a C.D. on her when she was 10 (in 3 straight shows!) and by
the time she was 12, she had bred 5 champions out of her. Over the years, about 20 Schipperkes have
been finished by us. Most were bred by us but several were bred by others. Our line is basically
Skipalong. We owned Ch. Perkie's Piccolo Pete (Pete), bred by Fran Griggs even though he didn't
carry the Skipalong name. Pete and Ch. Chestara's Devils Rain (Damon) were our foundation sires.
Pete was sired by Ch. Skipalong Drum Major and lived to be 15. We also had his half sister, Ch.
Clover Dell's Briquette.

In 1987 Bill fell in love with a little red Pomeranian fluffball owned by Olga Baker and badgered Olga
for a whole year before she and Darrell finally consented to let Bill show him - "Only until he gets 1
point", said Darrell. Well the rest is history. Chief never got that 1 point - he got 2, 3 and 4 points on
his way to his championship, but never that ONE, so he never went home. Chief was our introduction
to Pomeranians and that little 2.5 pound guy hooked us for life. We lost him in 1995 but his legacy
lives on in his kids. To date he has sired 9 champions and several obedience titled offspring. We
dressed him in a new costume (custom-made by my stepmom) at every DFW Pom Club spring
specialty for years.  He became a legend and people drove for hundreds of miles to see what he was
going to be dressed as next!

Naturally we eventually added a Pom bitch to the household. Her name was Chestara's Charming
Rhapsody (Brandi), sired by Chief's very famous full brother, Ch. Great Elms Prince Charming II, who
was Best in Show at Westminster in 1988. Brandi became our foundation Pomeranian bitch.

After many years of professional handling, we both got our AKC judges license. Bill judged Alaskan
Malamutes, Doberman Pinschers and Junior Showmanship. I judged Dalmatians, Schipperkes and
Junior Showmanship. A few years ago I retired as a judge but am still active in the Lone Star
Schipperke Club as Treasurer and with the Schipperke Club of America as President.

Presently I own only one Schipperke, Chestara's Rambling Rose, CGC (Rose). Her grandmother, Ch.
Chestara's Blackout Bingo (Bingo) went to the Rainbow Bridge in 2007.  Rose is sired by Ch. De
Lamer D'Artagnan out of Ch. Chestara's Candle In The Wind. Bingo was sired by Ch. Perkie's
Piccolo Pete out of TJ's Classy Cricket.

Raising a Schipperke puppy in a 37' motorhome was a challenge, but she has been in all of the lower
48 states except for Florida (plus Alaska and five Canadian provinces) - alot more than our daughter -
and has hundreds of friends in campgrounds all over this country and Canada that know her by name.
Now that she has a yard to run in it is much easier for her to run off her energy.

I am happy to announce that Rose, her sire and at least one of her littermates have been tested for
the newly discovered fatal Schipperke disease called MPS IIIB and were found to be normal. Bingo
tested as a carrier. Rose was bred to Ch. Kleingaul's Clown O'Blackjack, who is also MPS IIIB
normal, and whelped 1 male and 1 female on January 6, 2004.  Rose took part in a study to pinpoint
the gene for "fluffs", resulting in a DNA test that is now available. Rose turned out to be a carrier for
the fluff gene.

I am no longer breeding Pomeranians.  If you are interested in a good Pomeranian, contact Lael Ellis
at pppellis@joimail.com. There is a link to her website below, Peter Pan Pomeranians.

Rose's daughter, Chestara's Spirit High Ridge (Molly), MPS IIIB normal. Molly is a certified
Therapy Dog with TDI, earning her certification in Tulsa, OK in March of 2008. She and Sherry  have
a monthly gig at the local library - Sherry reads to little children while Molly plays with them.


NOTICE - If you have a Schipperke and are planning on breeding it or if you are looking for a
Schipperke puppy, please be aware that there is a newly discovered, FATAL disease in the breed
called MPS IIIB. Please do not buy any  puppy whose parents have not been DNA tested and found to
be normal or that the individual puppy has been tested if either parent is a carrier. Do not breed
unless you have tested your dog or bitch and be sure the dog or bitch you are breeding to has been
DNA tested and found to be normal. A normal can be bred to a carrier without producing any affected
dogs, but ALL of the puppies in the resulting litter will have to be tested. Go to
http://www.schipperkefoundation.org/Links.html and click on MPSIIIB for more information on the
disease.
This page last modified on April 25, 2010.
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