What's New
06/12/14 11:46
This space is for brags and happenings related to Kyleakin, and will include “historical news”.
2021 has brought Kyleakin, at last, two new litters of puppies out of litter sisters Hinga (CH Kyleakin Anhinga) and Kitti (CH Kyleakin Kittiwake BN CD SC). Alas, for my beautiful Vrecka, motherhood and her mark on future generations was not to be. The handsome young Tor (Iadore Torran, bred in Japan from Australian lines by Kaori Senga and owned by Rich Paice) I chose for her made the trek to Kentucky from New York in February, after passing all his pre-breeding screens with flying colors, to contribute instead through Kitti and Hinga to Kyleakin's bloodlines. Each sister bore four puppies, two girls and two boys, who are all now ensconced in their respective homes, from Salt Lake City to North Carolina, leaving one from each litter here to carry on Vrecka's torch. They are Kyleakin Starling (Starly, Hinga's daughter) and Kyleakin Firefly (Kitti's). They are 18 and 19 weeks old at this writing (8/18/21). Stay tuned for their debuts this fall. Below, see Tor.
When the puppies were seven and eight weeks old, I packed up Vrecka and my Veterans Ra and Ica, and one of Hinga's puppies, and headed way out West to Richland, WA, for the delayed SDCA National Specialty Show the first week in June. We drove for three long days, dropping the puppy in Salt Lake City at her new home at the end of the second day and arriving in Washington for a historic heat wave that lasted most of the week, breaking only for Conformation Classes at the end. We got to be big fishes in a little pool, as most of the hotshots opted to do Westminster, a generic show on the east coast for the rest of the breeds! Ra and Ica swept the Veterans Classes, Sweepstakes and Regular both, and Vrecka and Ica won the Brace Class and the beautiful perpetual trophy I've coveted for thirty years. Both Vrecka and Ra ran beautifully in ASFA coursing but didn't come home with the glory there. Nor did we shine in Obedience in the hundred degree heat, at Vrecka's Utility debut. Ra, in Veterans, fell asleep on the Sit Stay exercise! (She still won!)
Not much but Covid has happened in 2020. We managed one Coursing meet and one Conformation show in February, finishing Kitti and Hinga's brother Parker (CH Kyleakin Cormorant at Calaman), co-owned with Carol Vandegriff) and that was it until Fall, when things seemed to be settling into a simmer and a few Obedience Clubs put on socially distanced trials with masking and revised ring protocols. Vrecka finished her GO (that's Graduate Open, a training class used as an intermediary to Utility) title and we hope to be entering some Utility classes in early 2021.
Specialty 2019 at Basin Harbor in Vergennes, VT, brought Vrecka another All Around Hound!
This Spring (2019) was Hinga's spot in the sun (Kyleakin Anhinga). She finished with a third major, 4 points, going BOW in Nashville over WD who also went BOS! Her first weekend out as a special, at the Midwest Regional Supported Entry in Louisville, she was BOS, her brother Parker (Kyleakin Cormorant at Calaman) was WD at the Regional Specialty for five points and BOW for four at the Supported, and their half brother Rocco (CH Kyleakin Scirocco) was Select Dog on Sunday!
The National Specialty Show in Huron, OH, in May of 2018 was a lot of fun—Kyleakin was represented by Ra, Vrecka, Kitti, Hinga, Debbie Cutter's Khamsin, Jennifer & Martin English's Moira and Merida, Lisa and Kevin Dempsey's Shofar, Ann Hammond and Bob Wilkins' Will and Mary Dowden's Drumlie. Ra's girls Kitti, Hinga, and Drumlie, and Torry's daughter Merida all won fourth place in large conformation classes. Shofar, Ra and Torry's sister, ran in every running event and all the obedience and Rally classes she could enter. Vrecka was second in ASFA and AKC Singles Stakes and made two cuts in BOB conformation. She missed her Drop signal in the Open Obedience class after getting the new Signal Discrimination exercise right! Ra was second in the ASFA Veteran Stake and won it in AKC, didn't manage to qualify in Utility, though she almost did, and won second in the Open B class, working with panache. It was enough to catapult her into her second ALL AROUND HOUND! AND KYLEAKIN WON BREEDER AND KENNEL STAKES IN ASFA AGAIN!
Vrecka finished her obedience CDX (Companion Dog Excellent) on the very last weekend before the rules change which removed the Group Exercises (Three minute Sit with handlers out of sight, and 5 minute Down). That was the last weekend in April, 2018.
In November, 2017, little Kitti decided to chase the lure! At her first trial, ASFA in Powell, TN, she won the Open Stake and got her first 1st placement with competition. In the spring of 2018, she picked up her JC in Ohio just before the 2018 National Specialty, won the Singles Stake in ASFA at the Specialty, then moved into Open in AKC coursing and won the five point stake for that big major.
At the OKIGO coursing meet in Yellow Springs, OH, first weekend in October, Vrecka was BOB both days to finish her Dual Championship! The following weekend at the TriStar show in Lebanon, TN, (majors due to the party at Ann Hammond and Bob Wilkins' place in Nashville), Kitti's sister Hinga (Kyleakin Anhinga) went BOW on Saturday for her second major. Khamsin was BOB for the last points needed on Sunday for his Grand Championship!
The Lexington, KY, Supported Entry proved to be a good one again for Kyleakin—little Kitti not only picked off WB and BOW, Ron Spritzer pointed at HER for BOB! That was five points and her Championship—whirlwind career, with one point from the puppy classes, and three majors! Her half brother Khamsin (CH Kyleakin Whirlwind BN JC), owned and handled by Debbie Cutter was BOS. HIS brother Rocco (Kyleakin Scirocco) was RWD Saturday and Sunday. On Monday, their sister Merida (Kyleakin Spindrift Merida) got the major. These majors are built around a party at Harriet Fowler's place—always a great bash with room to run for the dogs.
Kitti
Jennifer and Martin English put on the dog for us again in Tipp City, Ohio, a short jaunt to Troy where we managed a five point major in dogs for our first new Supported Entry in June, 2017. Majors are built around parties in our neck of the woods, and the English's know how to party. Io went WD the first day to finish in style (CH Kyleakin Eye of the Storm SC), and his little cousin Kitti (Kyleakin Kittiwake) surprised me by taking BOW and the five pointer (see Conformation photos). She did it again the next day for four and now has both majors and ten points. Who'd a thunk it? Brother Khamsin (CH Kyleakin Whirlwind at Skyhigh BN JC) was BOB on Saturday, and BOS on Sunday, too! Granddaddy Peter was Select on Saturday with co-mom Margaret at the helm. Good weekend for Kyleakin.
Vrecka finished her CD (Companion Dog) title the last weekend in April, 2017. That makes her CH Kyleakin Corryvreckan CD SC. Then we loaded up our good friend Eleanor's brand new Honda Odyssey (after my Sprinter van expired, luckily temporarily) with Vrecka, Ra and Ibis to make the long trek to New Mexico for our first Western Specialty attended with dogs. It was, after all, no farther than Vermont. We had a great time and an uneventful journey, and Vrecka got second place and her second spare CD leg, and placements in both AKC and ASFA lure coursing. Ibis won the Field Champion ASFA Stake, and Ra had a ball running with the Coursing Veterans, trying for her first Utility obedience leg (and missing it by one half of one exercise, the final jump) and winning the Field Trial Conformation class. The trip home was uneventful, too.
VRECKA'S LOOKING LIKE A STAR! We started the Fall show season with the Supported Entry weekend in Lexington Sept. 3-5, 2016. Vrecka was Reserve Winners at the Supported on Saturday in a big entry, but on Sunday, judge Hutton noticed her in Bred By and gave her the nod for WB and five points. He just about knocked me over with his second nod—for BEST OF BREED! She went on to an Owner Handled Group 2 later in the afternoon. Her brother Khamsin (Kyleakin Whirlwind at Skyhigh, JC BN) was WD, too, for his own five pointer. On Monday, with a slightly smaller group, Vrecka once again took the major and more than enough points to finish her CHAMPIONSHIP in a short and meteoric show career. She finished her SC at her next AKC Lure trial in Ohio, then came into heat and had to sit out most of the running season.
TORRY FINISHED AT ECHO HILLS, in Ohio, the end of June by going BOW for a third major (4 pointer) under judge Gary Doerge. He liked her litter—her son Khamsin (Kyleakin Whirlwind at Skyhigh JC) was WD, his brother Rocco (Kyleakin Scirocco) was RWD, and daughter Merida (Kyleakin Spindrift Merida) was RWB! It was a nice entry with six bitches and five dogs showing, plus three specials.
JENNIFER ENGLISH JUST FINISHED MOIRA'S CHAMPIONSHIP, MAKING HER THE THIRD MEMBER OF FALCON'S LITTER (BY GCH DC ALTNAMARA'S CAPPUCCINO SC) TO ACHIEVE THE DUAL CHAMPIONSHIP on 5/29/16 by going BOB over specials!!
DC KYLEAKIN AN GORTA MOR SC
DC KYLEAKIN LAHAR CDX MC FCH VC
DC KYLEAKIN TEMPEST SC FCH CGC THDX
Torry (Kyleakin Tornado SC) needs two points to finish her Championship, and Shofar (Kyleakin Cyclone Shofar BN RA SC AX OAJ NAP NJP NF CGC) just needs a major.
2016 NATIONAL SPECIALTY IS PAST!
IBIS made off with Best In Meet LGRA (Straight Racing), Reserve High In Trial Obedience, and Best In Field AKC Lure Coursing (for the second time)! VRECKA won All Around Hound, by running fifth in LGRA, fourth in Beginner's Novice obedience, First in her Sweepstakes class, Fourth in ASFA Lure Coursing and Third in AKC Lure Coursing! FALCON placed second in both of her Veterans >9 years classes. Margaret Sudekum's and my PETER (DC KYLEAKIN FITZHUGH TALKEETNA SC FCH), my CH FITZHUGH KYLEAKIN ICARUS and my KYLEAKIN CORRYVRECKAN won the Three Generations Class, though I didn't get to show Vrecka and Ica in Brace because of the overlap between Conformation classes and Lure coursing. RA ran sixth in LGRA and won her Open Obedience Class with a pretty 192 out of 200. She competed in the Field Trial conformation class and ran in both ASFA and AKC lure coursing. Vrecka's brothers Khamsin and Rocco (Kyleakin Whirlwind at Skyhigh and Kyleakin Scirocco, owned by Debbie Cutter and Eleanor Asher respectively) did well, too. They ran in LGRA, Khamsin won the Beginners Novice Class in Obedience, Rocco won his Sweepstakes Class (and Khamsin was third), Khamsin came in Second in his Regular Class while Rocco was Third! PETER won the Field Trial Dog class. SEE THE NEW SPECIALTY PHOTO ALBUM.
MIDWEST REGIONAL SPECIALTY WEEKEND IN LOUISVILLE, 3/19-20/16
Another big weekend for Kyleakin! Vrecka (Kyleakin Corryvreckan) and Io went to Louisville, and on Saturday, Specialty Day, Vrecka's second weekend out, she won BEST IN SWEEPSTAKES!!! Io went RWD in the Regular Classes! The next day at the SUPPORTED ENTRY, Io was pulled for WD and a FIVE POINT MAJOR! Then Vrecka got the nod for WB AND A FIVE POINTER OF HER OWN! In the BOB lineup, after bringing Paula Pascoe's Hallie to the front, judge Luc Boileau called VRECKA out for BOW! Then pointed to little Io for BOS!! Excellent weekend!
BIG COURSING WEEKEND, MARCH 4-6, 2016
We did three days of lure coursing in Columbia, KY, last weekend and came away with a load of loot! Io (Kyleakin Eye of the Storm), Torry and Ica's 15 month old son, made his coursing debut on Friday by qualifying in his QC run with Auntie Ra. He then ran each day for three Senior Courser legs and went Best of Breed on Saturday for a major! Ibis went BEST IN FIELD on Friday! And little Cam got her 25th leg to complete her Master Courser title on Saturday, then on Sunday picked up the final point needed to finish her Field Championship and become DC KYLEAKIN CAMELLIA FROM BRUACH MC FCh!!
NEW PUPPIES AT KYLEAKIN!
DC Kyleakin Lahar CDX MC FCh VC whelped seven healthy babies on November 19—four boys and three girls. The sire is our CH Fitzhugh Kyleakin Icarus. They're all spoken for.
IBIS GETS HER FIRST CD LEG!
At the Nashville Dog Training Club's November 14, 2015 trial, Ibis made her Novice debut and came away with third place and her first CD leg, scoring 190 out of 200 points.
NEW TITLES!
Cam completed her ASFA FCh at the end of October, and Ibis did the same the following weekend! TWO NEW ASFA FCHs!
NEW TITLES! October 3-4 we went to Fairborn, OH, for an AKC Lure trial and came away with a shiny new Senior Courser title for Torry and a Master Courser title for Ra! And Ibis went Best of Breed both days over a field of seven. That makes Torry Kyleakin Tornado SC and Ra DC Kyleakin Lahar CDX MC FCh VC. Ibis is still FC Fitzhugh Kyleakin Ibis BN SC. Torry is now three single points away from her conformation Championship.
September 5-7, 2015—Ibis qualified Saturday and Sunday in Beginners Novice obedience at Nashville Dog Training Club to finish her BN title, then gathered up an extra leg on Labor Day, winning the class with a score of 198 (out of 200)! She's now FC Fitzhugh Kyleakin Ibis BN SC.
June 13, 2015—Echo Hills, OH, show, baby Vrecka and her sister Merida and two of her brothers (Khamsin and Io) made their show debut at just a week over six months old. Vrecka came away with BOW on Saturday for a three point major, and Io was RWD to the same major. They both took the reserves the next day! They are Kyleakin Corryvreckan and Kyleakin Eye of the Storm, by CH Fitzhugh Kyleakin Icarus and out of Kyleakin Tornado.
SDCA NATIONAL SPECIALTY 2015—Kyleakin makes a splash!
Just home from St. Louis on May 3 with an AKC Lure Trial Best in Field with Ibis (FC Fitzhugh Kyleakin Ibis SC), High in Trial in Obedience with Ra (DC Kyleakin Lahar CDX SC FCh VC) from the Open B class, second, third and fourth placements in LGRA (straight racing) with Ra, Ibis and Torry (Kyleakin Tornado) respectively, and All Around Hound in the end for Ibis, who also placed second in the ASFA Open Stake for 30 points and in her Beginner's Novice Obedience class. Torry held it together at the AKC trial to gain her second SC leg.
Jennifer English ran Ra and Torry's sister Moira (FC Kyleakin An Gorta Mor SC) in Thursday's ASFA trial and ended up with Best In Field, giving Kyleakin BOTH of the coursing Bests for 2015! Moira also won third in the Field Trial conformation class.
Margaret Sudekum ran our Peter (DC Kyleakin Fitzhugh Talkeetna SC), too, and in ASFA coursing he won the first Open Stake, losing the runoff for BIF to Moira, who won the second. He won the Field Trial Dog conformation class, too.
Ra, Torry and Moira's mom Falcon (CH Kyleakin Gyrfalcon CD) won second in the 9 and older Sweepstakes Veteran Conformation Class and third in Regular Class Veteran. Every one of her five offspring were present (see them in the Photo Album). Two are Dual Champions (Will and Ra), one is a FC (Moira), and one has her SC and multiple Agility, Rally and obedience titles. All three unfinished sisters are major pointed, and all three are running! Torry has two legs on her SC and both majors. Ra, Will and Moira are Best in Field coursers, the two girls have won All Breed AND Specialty BIF!
SEE THE PHOTOS IN THE NEW ALBUM!
*CH Fitzhugh Kyleakin Icarus*
The Bluegrass Cluster's Midwest Regional Specialty on March 14, 2015, in Louisville, KY, gave Ica one more point than he needed to finish, then upped the three point major to five points as Judge Dr. Donna Brown awarded him Best Of Winners! That's a fun way to finish a Champion!
Kyleakin Deerhounds have excelled in all venues over the years. CH Jubalhil Queen Mor o’Dhu Mohr UD, foundation bitch, was the first Scottish Deerhound to receive both a conformation championship and an obedience Utility title. She was the dam of the next two to achieve these honors (CH Kyleakin Cardinal at Skyhigh UDT and CH Kyleakin Corbie UD). She won Winner’s Bitch at the SDCA Eastern Regional Specialty in Leesburg, VA, in 1993. Her daughter by BISS CH Soren Algonkin, CH Kyleakin Cardinal at Skyhigh UDT (owned, trained and shown by Debbie Cutter), was Reserve WB at the National Specialty show in 1998. And she won Obedience High in Trial at the specialty in Vermont in 2001.
Other Specialty HIT winners include CH Dhu Mohr Ayr Tyra o’Jubalhil CDX in 1994 and 1995, Kyleakin Lark CDX in 2004 and DC Kyleakin Lahar CDX SC FCh VC in 2013 and 2015. Lahar (call name Ra) also won Best in Meet LGRA, Best of Breed AKC Lure Trial and ultimately All Around Hound in 2013. CH Kyleakin Talisman (Snake) won the AKC Open Coursing Stake that year, losing the runoff for BIF to his housemate Ra. Ra’s littermate, Kyleakin Cyclone Shofar, co-owned with Lisa and Kevin Dempsey, trained and handled by Lisa, has one conformation major, her Senior Courser title, and a whole list of training titles in Rally and Agility, including BN RA SC OA NAJ NAP NJP NF. Lisa and Shofar continue to rack up titles.
Kyleakin’s Kite at Deermont JC was the ASFA #1 Scottish Deerhound for three consecutive years. He was co-owned, shown and coursed by Mary Beth Grieb.
In 2008, Ken Cheatham and his Kyleakin Peregrine Falcon SC CGC won Winner’s Bitch at the Lompoc National Specialty Show handled by Ken. She also won the LGRA (straight race) meet, coursing, and got a leg in Novice Obedience, bringing her up to All Around Hound that year. See photos in Conformation, Coursing and Obedience albums! Ken's Kite (Kyleakin Life is a Breeze CD RA JC NA NAJ CGC) excelled in Agility and obedience and had many Group Placements. She was Versatile Dog of the Year in 2005 and the very first Deerhound to achieve a Rally title. They live in Alaska, where competition is hard to come by.
More than 30 Kyleakin Deerhounds have finished conformation Championships. Seven have achieved the Dual Championship. Eleven have achieved Field Championships. Five (DC Kyleakin Linnet CDX SC FCh VC, Kyleakin Peregrine Falcon JC, DC Kyleakin Gremlin CD MC FCh VC, DC Kyleakin Lahar CDX MC FCh VC, and now FC Fitzhugh Kyleakin Ibis BN SC FCh) have won All Around Hound at the National Specialty.
Kyleakin has produced seven All Breed Best in Field Deerhounds. The most recent are DC Kyleakin Tempest SC FCh, co-owned with Bob Wilkins and Ann Hammond, and his sister Moira (FC Kyleakin An Gorta Mor SC) who did it in Muncie, IN just before doing the same at the 2015 National Specialty ASFA trial. DC Kyleakin Lahar CDX SC FCh VC won the 2013 National Specialty Best in Field AKC, FC Fitzhugh Kyleakin Ibis SC in 2015 making Kyleakin Deerhounds Specialty Lure Coursing Best in Field three times.
CH Kyleakin Talisman (Snake) was WD at the Midwest Regional Specialty in Louisville in 2013. His nephew CH Fitzhugh Kyleakin Icarus was BOW/BOB from the classes at the Bluegrass Classic Supported Entry in 2014 to his housemate’s WB, Kyleakin Tornado—he was Best Puppy in Futurity at the 2013 National Specialty. And he finished his championship in the Spring of 2015 at the Midwest Regional Specialty in Louisville with BOW!
Icarus and Tornado produced eight healthy puppies Dec. 4, 2014. As of March 2015, they are making their ways through the worst winter weather in history to their new homes.
2021 has brought Kyleakin, at last, two new litters of puppies out of litter sisters Hinga (CH Kyleakin Anhinga) and Kitti (CH Kyleakin Kittiwake BN CD SC). Alas, for my beautiful Vrecka, motherhood and her mark on future generations was not to be. The handsome young Tor (Iadore Torran, bred in Japan from Australian lines by Kaori Senga and owned by Rich Paice) I chose for her made the trek to Kentucky from New York in February, after passing all his pre-breeding screens with flying colors, to contribute instead through Kitti and Hinga to Kyleakin's bloodlines. Each sister bore four puppies, two girls and two boys, who are all now ensconced in their respective homes, from Salt Lake City to North Carolina, leaving one from each litter here to carry on Vrecka's torch. They are Kyleakin Starling (Starly, Hinga's daughter) and Kyleakin Firefly (Kitti's). They are 18 and 19 weeks old at this writing (8/18/21). Stay tuned for their debuts this fall. Below, see Tor.
When the puppies were seven and eight weeks old, I packed up Vrecka and my Veterans Ra and Ica, and one of Hinga's puppies, and headed way out West to Richland, WA, for the delayed SDCA National Specialty Show the first week in June. We drove for three long days, dropping the puppy in Salt Lake City at her new home at the end of the second day and arriving in Washington for a historic heat wave that lasted most of the week, breaking only for Conformation Classes at the end. We got to be big fishes in a little pool, as most of the hotshots opted to do Westminster, a generic show on the east coast for the rest of the breeds! Ra and Ica swept the Veterans Classes, Sweepstakes and Regular both, and Vrecka and Ica won the Brace Class and the beautiful perpetual trophy I've coveted for thirty years. Both Vrecka and Ra ran beautifully in ASFA coursing but didn't come home with the glory there. Nor did we shine in Obedience in the hundred degree heat, at Vrecka's Utility debut. Ra, in Veterans, fell asleep on the Sit Stay exercise! (She still won!)
Not much but Covid has happened in 2020. We managed one Coursing meet and one Conformation show in February, finishing Kitti and Hinga's brother Parker (CH Kyleakin Cormorant at Calaman), co-owned with Carol Vandegriff) and that was it until Fall, when things seemed to be settling into a simmer and a few Obedience Clubs put on socially distanced trials with masking and revised ring protocols. Vrecka finished her GO (that's Graduate Open, a training class used as an intermediary to Utility) title and we hope to be entering some Utility classes in early 2021.
Specialty 2019 at Basin Harbor in Vergennes, VT, brought Vrecka another All Around Hound!
This Spring (2019) was Hinga's spot in the sun (Kyleakin Anhinga). She finished with a third major, 4 points, going BOW in Nashville over WD who also went BOS! Her first weekend out as a special, at the Midwest Regional Supported Entry in Louisville, she was BOS, her brother Parker (Kyleakin Cormorant at Calaman) was WD at the Regional Specialty for five points and BOW for four at the Supported, and their half brother Rocco (CH Kyleakin Scirocco) was Select Dog on Sunday!
The National Specialty Show in Huron, OH, in May of 2018 was a lot of fun—Kyleakin was represented by Ra, Vrecka, Kitti, Hinga, Debbie Cutter's Khamsin, Jennifer & Martin English's Moira and Merida, Lisa and Kevin Dempsey's Shofar, Ann Hammond and Bob Wilkins' Will and Mary Dowden's Drumlie. Ra's girls Kitti, Hinga, and Drumlie, and Torry's daughter Merida all won fourth place in large conformation classes. Shofar, Ra and Torry's sister, ran in every running event and all the obedience and Rally classes she could enter. Vrecka was second in ASFA and AKC Singles Stakes and made two cuts in BOB conformation. She missed her Drop signal in the Open Obedience class after getting the new Signal Discrimination exercise right! Ra was second in the ASFA Veteran Stake and won it in AKC, didn't manage to qualify in Utility, though she almost did, and won second in the Open B class, working with panache. It was enough to catapult her into her second ALL AROUND HOUND! AND KYLEAKIN WON BREEDER AND KENNEL STAKES IN ASFA AGAIN!
Vrecka finished her obedience CDX (Companion Dog Excellent) on the very last weekend before the rules change which removed the Group Exercises (Three minute Sit with handlers out of sight, and 5 minute Down). That was the last weekend in April, 2018.
In November, 2017, little Kitti decided to chase the lure! At her first trial, ASFA in Powell, TN, she won the Open Stake and got her first 1st placement with competition. In the spring of 2018, she picked up her JC in Ohio just before the 2018 National Specialty, won the Singles Stake in ASFA at the Specialty, then moved into Open in AKC coursing and won the five point stake for that big major.
At the OKIGO coursing meet in Yellow Springs, OH, first weekend in October, Vrecka was BOB both days to finish her Dual Championship! The following weekend at the TriStar show in Lebanon, TN, (majors due to the party at Ann Hammond and Bob Wilkins' place in Nashville), Kitti's sister Hinga (Kyleakin Anhinga) went BOW on Saturday for her second major. Khamsin was BOB for the last points needed on Sunday for his Grand Championship!
The Lexington, KY, Supported Entry proved to be a good one again for Kyleakin—little Kitti not only picked off WB and BOW, Ron Spritzer pointed at HER for BOB! That was five points and her Championship—whirlwind career, with one point from the puppy classes, and three majors! Her half brother Khamsin (CH Kyleakin Whirlwind BN JC), owned and handled by Debbie Cutter was BOS. HIS brother Rocco (Kyleakin Scirocco) was RWD Saturday and Sunday. On Monday, their sister Merida (Kyleakin Spindrift Merida) got the major. These majors are built around a party at Harriet Fowler's place—always a great bash with room to run for the dogs.
Kitti
Jennifer and Martin English put on the dog for us again in Tipp City, Ohio, a short jaunt to Troy where we managed a five point major in dogs for our first new Supported Entry in June, 2017. Majors are built around parties in our neck of the woods, and the English's know how to party. Io went WD the first day to finish in style (CH Kyleakin Eye of the Storm SC), and his little cousin Kitti (Kyleakin Kittiwake) surprised me by taking BOW and the five pointer (see Conformation photos). She did it again the next day for four and now has both majors and ten points. Who'd a thunk it? Brother Khamsin (CH Kyleakin Whirlwind at Skyhigh BN JC) was BOB on Saturday, and BOS on Sunday, too! Granddaddy Peter was Select on Saturday with co-mom Margaret at the helm. Good weekend for Kyleakin.
Vrecka finished her CD (Companion Dog) title the last weekend in April, 2017. That makes her CH Kyleakin Corryvreckan CD SC. Then we loaded up our good friend Eleanor's brand new Honda Odyssey (after my Sprinter van expired, luckily temporarily) with Vrecka, Ra and Ibis to make the long trek to New Mexico for our first Western Specialty attended with dogs. It was, after all, no farther than Vermont. We had a great time and an uneventful journey, and Vrecka got second place and her second spare CD leg, and placements in both AKC and ASFA lure coursing. Ibis won the Field Champion ASFA Stake, and Ra had a ball running with the Coursing Veterans, trying for her first Utility obedience leg (and missing it by one half of one exercise, the final jump) and winning the Field Trial Conformation class. The trip home was uneventful, too.
VRECKA'S LOOKING LIKE A STAR! We started the Fall show season with the Supported Entry weekend in Lexington Sept. 3-5, 2016. Vrecka was Reserve Winners at the Supported on Saturday in a big entry, but on Sunday, judge Hutton noticed her in Bred By and gave her the nod for WB and five points. He just about knocked me over with his second nod—for BEST OF BREED! She went on to an Owner Handled Group 2 later in the afternoon. Her brother Khamsin (Kyleakin Whirlwind at Skyhigh, JC BN) was WD, too, for his own five pointer. On Monday, with a slightly smaller group, Vrecka once again took the major and more than enough points to finish her CHAMPIONSHIP in a short and meteoric show career. She finished her SC at her next AKC Lure trial in Ohio, then came into heat and had to sit out most of the running season.
TORRY FINISHED AT ECHO HILLS, in Ohio, the end of June by going BOW for a third major (4 pointer) under judge Gary Doerge. He liked her litter—her son Khamsin (Kyleakin Whirlwind at Skyhigh JC) was WD, his brother Rocco (Kyleakin Scirocco) was RWD, and daughter Merida (Kyleakin Spindrift Merida) was RWB! It was a nice entry with six bitches and five dogs showing, plus three specials.
JENNIFER ENGLISH JUST FINISHED MOIRA'S CHAMPIONSHIP, MAKING HER THE THIRD MEMBER OF FALCON'S LITTER (BY GCH DC ALTNAMARA'S CAPPUCCINO SC) TO ACHIEVE THE DUAL CHAMPIONSHIP on 5/29/16 by going BOB over specials!!
DC KYLEAKIN AN GORTA MOR SC
DC KYLEAKIN LAHAR CDX MC FCH VC
DC KYLEAKIN TEMPEST SC FCH CGC THDX
Torry (Kyleakin Tornado SC) needs two points to finish her Championship, and Shofar (Kyleakin Cyclone Shofar BN RA SC AX OAJ NAP NJP NF CGC) just needs a major.
2016 NATIONAL SPECIALTY IS PAST!
IBIS made off with Best In Meet LGRA (Straight Racing), Reserve High In Trial Obedience, and Best In Field AKC Lure Coursing (for the second time)! VRECKA won All Around Hound, by running fifth in LGRA, fourth in Beginner's Novice obedience, First in her Sweepstakes class, Fourth in ASFA Lure Coursing and Third in AKC Lure Coursing! FALCON placed second in both of her Veterans >9 years classes. Margaret Sudekum's and my PETER (DC KYLEAKIN FITZHUGH TALKEETNA SC FCH), my CH FITZHUGH KYLEAKIN ICARUS and my KYLEAKIN CORRYVRECKAN won the Three Generations Class, though I didn't get to show Vrecka and Ica in Brace because of the overlap between Conformation classes and Lure coursing. RA ran sixth in LGRA and won her Open Obedience Class with a pretty 192 out of 200. She competed in the Field Trial conformation class and ran in both ASFA and AKC lure coursing. Vrecka's brothers Khamsin and Rocco (Kyleakin Whirlwind at Skyhigh and Kyleakin Scirocco, owned by Debbie Cutter and Eleanor Asher respectively) did well, too. They ran in LGRA, Khamsin won the Beginners Novice Class in Obedience, Rocco won his Sweepstakes Class (and Khamsin was third), Khamsin came in Second in his Regular Class while Rocco was Third! PETER won the Field Trial Dog class. SEE THE NEW SPECIALTY PHOTO ALBUM.
MIDWEST REGIONAL SPECIALTY WEEKEND IN LOUISVILLE, 3/19-20/16
Another big weekend for Kyleakin! Vrecka (Kyleakin Corryvreckan) and Io went to Louisville, and on Saturday, Specialty Day, Vrecka's second weekend out, she won BEST IN SWEEPSTAKES!!! Io went RWD in the Regular Classes! The next day at the SUPPORTED ENTRY, Io was pulled for WD and a FIVE POINT MAJOR! Then Vrecka got the nod for WB AND A FIVE POINTER OF HER OWN! In the BOB lineup, after bringing Paula Pascoe's Hallie to the front, judge Luc Boileau called VRECKA out for BOW! Then pointed to little Io for BOS!! Excellent weekend!
BIG COURSING WEEKEND, MARCH 4-6, 2016
We did three days of lure coursing in Columbia, KY, last weekend and came away with a load of loot! Io (Kyleakin Eye of the Storm), Torry and Ica's 15 month old son, made his coursing debut on Friday by qualifying in his QC run with Auntie Ra. He then ran each day for three Senior Courser legs and went Best of Breed on Saturday for a major! Ibis went BEST IN FIELD on Friday! And little Cam got her 25th leg to complete her Master Courser title on Saturday, then on Sunday picked up the final point needed to finish her Field Championship and become DC KYLEAKIN CAMELLIA FROM BRUACH MC FCh!!
NEW PUPPIES AT KYLEAKIN!
DC Kyleakin Lahar CDX MC FCh VC whelped seven healthy babies on November 19—four boys and three girls. The sire is our CH Fitzhugh Kyleakin Icarus. They're all spoken for.
IBIS GETS HER FIRST CD LEG!
At the Nashville Dog Training Club's November 14, 2015 trial, Ibis made her Novice debut and came away with third place and her first CD leg, scoring 190 out of 200 points.
NEW TITLES!
Cam completed her ASFA FCh at the end of October, and Ibis did the same the following weekend! TWO NEW ASFA FCHs!
NEW TITLES! October 3-4 we went to Fairborn, OH, for an AKC Lure trial and came away with a shiny new Senior Courser title for Torry and a Master Courser title for Ra! And Ibis went Best of Breed both days over a field of seven. That makes Torry Kyleakin Tornado SC and Ra DC Kyleakin Lahar CDX MC FCh VC. Ibis is still FC Fitzhugh Kyleakin Ibis BN SC. Torry is now three single points away from her conformation Championship.
September 5-7, 2015—Ibis qualified Saturday and Sunday in Beginners Novice obedience at Nashville Dog Training Club to finish her BN title, then gathered up an extra leg on Labor Day, winning the class with a score of 198 (out of 200)! She's now FC Fitzhugh Kyleakin Ibis BN SC.
June 13, 2015—Echo Hills, OH, show, baby Vrecka and her sister Merida and two of her brothers (Khamsin and Io) made their show debut at just a week over six months old. Vrecka came away with BOW on Saturday for a three point major, and Io was RWD to the same major. They both took the reserves the next day! They are Kyleakin Corryvreckan and Kyleakin Eye of the Storm, by CH Fitzhugh Kyleakin Icarus and out of Kyleakin Tornado.
SDCA NATIONAL SPECIALTY 2015—Kyleakin makes a splash!
Just home from St. Louis on May 3 with an AKC Lure Trial Best in Field with Ibis (FC Fitzhugh Kyleakin Ibis SC), High in Trial in Obedience with Ra (DC Kyleakin Lahar CDX SC FCh VC) from the Open B class, second, third and fourth placements in LGRA (straight racing) with Ra, Ibis and Torry (Kyleakin Tornado) respectively, and All Around Hound in the end for Ibis, who also placed second in the ASFA Open Stake for 30 points and in her Beginner's Novice Obedience class. Torry held it together at the AKC trial to gain her second SC leg.
Jennifer English ran Ra and Torry's sister Moira (FC Kyleakin An Gorta Mor SC) in Thursday's ASFA trial and ended up with Best In Field, giving Kyleakin BOTH of the coursing Bests for 2015! Moira also won third in the Field Trial conformation class.
Margaret Sudekum ran our Peter (DC Kyleakin Fitzhugh Talkeetna SC), too, and in ASFA coursing he won the first Open Stake, losing the runoff for BIF to Moira, who won the second. He won the Field Trial Dog conformation class, too.
Ra, Torry and Moira's mom Falcon (CH Kyleakin Gyrfalcon CD) won second in the 9 and older Sweepstakes Veteran Conformation Class and third in Regular Class Veteran. Every one of her five offspring were present (see them in the Photo Album). Two are Dual Champions (Will and Ra), one is a FC (Moira), and one has her SC and multiple Agility, Rally and obedience titles. All three unfinished sisters are major pointed, and all three are running! Torry has two legs on her SC and both majors. Ra, Will and Moira are Best in Field coursers, the two girls have won All Breed AND Specialty BIF!
SEE THE PHOTOS IN THE NEW ALBUM!
*CH Fitzhugh Kyleakin Icarus*
The Bluegrass Cluster's Midwest Regional Specialty on March 14, 2015, in Louisville, KY, gave Ica one more point than he needed to finish, then upped the three point major to five points as Judge Dr. Donna Brown awarded him Best Of Winners! That's a fun way to finish a Champion!
Kyleakin Deerhounds have excelled in all venues over the years. CH Jubalhil Queen Mor o’Dhu Mohr UD, foundation bitch, was the first Scottish Deerhound to receive both a conformation championship and an obedience Utility title. She was the dam of the next two to achieve these honors (CH Kyleakin Cardinal at Skyhigh UDT and CH Kyleakin Corbie UD). She won Winner’s Bitch at the SDCA Eastern Regional Specialty in Leesburg, VA, in 1993. Her daughter by BISS CH Soren Algonkin, CH Kyleakin Cardinal at Skyhigh UDT (owned, trained and shown by Debbie Cutter), was Reserve WB at the National Specialty show in 1998. And she won Obedience High in Trial at the specialty in Vermont in 2001.
Other Specialty HIT winners include CH Dhu Mohr Ayr Tyra o’Jubalhil CDX in 1994 and 1995, Kyleakin Lark CDX in 2004 and DC Kyleakin Lahar CDX SC FCh VC in 2013 and 2015. Lahar (call name Ra) also won Best in Meet LGRA, Best of Breed AKC Lure Trial and ultimately All Around Hound in 2013. CH Kyleakin Talisman (Snake) won the AKC Open Coursing Stake that year, losing the runoff for BIF to his housemate Ra. Ra’s littermate, Kyleakin Cyclone Shofar, co-owned with Lisa and Kevin Dempsey, trained and handled by Lisa, has one conformation major, her Senior Courser title, and a whole list of training titles in Rally and Agility, including BN RA SC OA NAJ NAP NJP NF. Lisa and Shofar continue to rack up titles.
Kyleakin’s Kite at Deermont JC was the ASFA #1 Scottish Deerhound for three consecutive years. He was co-owned, shown and coursed by Mary Beth Grieb.
In 2008, Ken Cheatham and his Kyleakin Peregrine Falcon SC CGC won Winner’s Bitch at the Lompoc National Specialty Show handled by Ken. She also won the LGRA (straight race) meet, coursing, and got a leg in Novice Obedience, bringing her up to All Around Hound that year. See photos in Conformation, Coursing and Obedience albums! Ken's Kite (Kyleakin Life is a Breeze CD RA JC NA NAJ CGC) excelled in Agility and obedience and had many Group Placements. She was Versatile Dog of the Year in 2005 and the very first Deerhound to achieve a Rally title. They live in Alaska, where competition is hard to come by.
More than 30 Kyleakin Deerhounds have finished conformation Championships. Seven have achieved the Dual Championship. Eleven have achieved Field Championships. Five (DC Kyleakin Linnet CDX SC FCh VC, Kyleakin Peregrine Falcon JC, DC Kyleakin Gremlin CD MC FCh VC, DC Kyleakin Lahar CDX MC FCh VC, and now FC Fitzhugh Kyleakin Ibis BN SC FCh) have won All Around Hound at the National Specialty.
Kyleakin has produced seven All Breed Best in Field Deerhounds. The most recent are DC Kyleakin Tempest SC FCh, co-owned with Bob Wilkins and Ann Hammond, and his sister Moira (FC Kyleakin An Gorta Mor SC) who did it in Muncie, IN just before doing the same at the 2015 National Specialty ASFA trial. DC Kyleakin Lahar CDX SC FCh VC won the 2013 National Specialty Best in Field AKC, FC Fitzhugh Kyleakin Ibis SC in 2015 making Kyleakin Deerhounds Specialty Lure Coursing Best in Field three times.
CH Kyleakin Talisman (Snake) was WD at the Midwest Regional Specialty in Louisville in 2013. His nephew CH Fitzhugh Kyleakin Icarus was BOW/BOB from the classes at the Bluegrass Classic Supported Entry in 2014 to his housemate’s WB, Kyleakin Tornado—he was Best Puppy in Futurity at the 2013 National Specialty. And he finished his championship in the Spring of 2015 at the Midwest Regional Specialty in Louisville with BOW!
Icarus and Tornado produced eight healthy puppies Dec. 4, 2014. As of March 2015, they are making their ways through the worst winter weather in history to their new homes.