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Latest Update: July 2001
It has been a while since we updated this section. Our apologies, but "Life"
gets very busy when the warmer weather arrives. So much has happened…
The Scottish Deerhound Book:
The contributors for various regional chapters have been finalized and we are
delighted to have in Australia Deborah Guthrie, Virginia Hawke, Jocelyn Thompson,
Dorita Thomson and Sally Stasytis collaborating on the fascinating history of
Deerhounds on that continent. In Europe, Katrin Hubert and Renée Devaux
are organizing a country by country synopsis of Deerhounds in the early years
(key imports, key breeders, great Deerhounds, the history of the national clubs
and hunting/coursing activities), they will be coordinating special contributions
from Ruth and Helmut Oess, Madame Vinen, and others.
Dr. John Dillberger, health columnist for the SDCA newsletter, The Claymore,
is writing the chapter on health and health problems. Dr. Betty Stephenson and
Debbie Cutter have already submitted a draft chapter on training for companionship
and obedience. Valerie Gillies has given us permission to print her beautiful
poems on hounds and Deerhounds. So, the great opus is progressing and we hope
to have a draft with the publisher by the end of this year. If you have
an authentic/unusual Deerhound print, sculpture, or other objet d'art that may
be appropriate to include in this book, please contact us. We feel a collaborative
effort for such a huge project is going to provide the best results and everyone's
help is appreciated and will be acknowledged.
Shows:
The SDCA National Specialty was held in Vergennes Vermont in May of
this year. It is always a wonderful get-together and this site is particularly
pleasant. Fernhill Deerhounds did well both in the ASFA lure coursing and the
conformation classes. This was Fernhill's Tillicum's (Ch. Fernhill's Torquil
X Fernhill's Camille) first major coursing meet. Unfortunately her Canadian qualification
papers were not accepted by the organizing committee so she was required to run
a full course just prior to the competition. She still managed to win the Open
Stakes, and ended after four courses as runner up for Best in Field to Mary
Snow's Field Champion Lyonhil Lucinda O' Putnam D'Lux, losing by only one point
in one of the finest Deerhound brace runs that Richard has ever seen.
Fernhill's Tillicum, pictured at two and a half years.
Fernhill Torquil's 5 month old puppies out of Paula Pascoe's
Ch. Dunkeld Jihad Emma of Lehigh, did brilliantly in the Futurity (a breeder's
forum) and won for Torquil top Stud Dog over very tough competition. One
of these youngsters, Paula's Yuill, showed two months later in Canada and
won a Hound Puppy Group, a Best in Sweepstakes at the Ontario
Sighthound Association Specialty, as well as Best of Winners. A stunning
black male that simply floats around the ring. Two littermates are with Renée
Devaux in Switzerland.
Ch. Fernhill's Torquil, Ist Stud Dog in Futurity
Then Susan Trow's Fernhill Cameo, sired by our Torquil,
out of Indy's sister Ch. Fernhill's Harvest Moon who is owned by Marion
Woelbing, topped an entry of 35 puppies to win Best in Sweepstakes under
U.K. Deerhound judge Sue Piggott. Happy us!
Fernhill's Cameo at 17 mo. (Ch. Fernhill's Torquil X Ch.
Fernhill's Harvest Moon) owned by Susan Trow winning Best in Sweepstakes at the
SDCA National Specialty Sweepstakes
We were particularly pleased with Fernhill's Turbulent Indigo's win
from the tough Bred by Exhibitor class, topping 37 male class dogs to go WINNERS
for the biggest 5 point major a dog can earn. His two pups Jazz and Grail bred
by Sheila Matheson also earned him a 3rd place in the Stud Dog class, nothing
to sniff at when you have an entry of eight. Indy is sired by our Ch.
Fernhill's Intrepid who also had a daughter Ch. Lehigh Verona (bred
and owned by Paula Pascoe) win one of the five Awards of Merit offered
at the Specialty.
Indy at home, our classic Deerhound
Indy reminds us very much of his grandsire Ch. Foxcliffe
Eclipse O'Fernhill (Ch. Crannoch's Fenris O'Fernhill X Ch. Foxcliffe's Cailleach),
pictured below. Bred by Scott and Ceil Dove, we have always considered Eclipse
to be one of the loveliest Deerhounds we have owned.
Puppies: The "Gordy X Camille" Triad
Roslyn, Reiba, Reinagle (Ch. Lehigh Urquhart X Fernhill's Camille)born Oct.16,
2000
Meanwhile at Fern Hill the puppies continue to grow. Roslyn
at the age of 71/2 months won Best Puppy in Specialty at the Gazehound
Ontario Specialty. She is 6 months in the following photo.
Her sister Reiba is developing nicely too. Eventually I
will have to choose between these two and it isn't going to be easy. We think
that she is pretty special…here she is at 9 months.
Reinagle is maturing well and is pictured below at 6 months.
Our Latest Quintet:
Holly Golightly, Havoc Chace, Hawkeye Pierce, High Glamour, Hal O'Kintour
(Fernhill's Turbulent Indigo X Fernhill's Dulcinea) born Feb. 15, 2001
The latest "smallies" aren't so small any more. When I look at this
photo pictured at 5 weeks I again marvel at the protoplasmic explosion that takes
place in growing Deerhound puppies.
Susan Trow took the picture that follows, of Havoc at 6
weeks, and won the photo contest at the SDCA National Specialty…it has to
be titled "Milkshake? Spoiled for choice."
Here is another super photo that Susan took… titled: Practicing
for the Specialty
"OK son, that's a perfect show stack…now just lower your tail…"
Its hard to believe that in this picture with his dam Fernhill's
Dulcinea (Ch. Lehigh Urquhart J.C. X Ch. Fernhill's Electra at Fitzhugh F.Ch)
who is owned by Simone and David Ross of Barrie, Ontario, Fernhill's High Glamour
is only 7 weeks. He is now owned by Petra and Rolf Pfenninger who live in Switzerland,
and he's 3 months in the photo below.
Below are two of the boys…on the left is Hawkeye Pierce
the"Little Prince" in Sharlene Lazin's life out in British Columbia
and High Glamour on the right, pictured just before they ended up in different
parts of the globe.
We ended up keeping the only female Holly Golightly and
a lovely black boy Havoc Chace. His name tells all. He is pictured below
at 3 1/2 months.
The following pictures show Havoc at 5 months
We think that Havoc and his sister Holly (pictured
below at 5 months) show great promise.
Puppies are so much work that we hesitate to commit ourselves
to another litter. However, we are thinking of breeding our Fernhill's Elvira
(Can.Ch. Fitzhugh Eiryn O'Fernhill X Am.Ch. Fernhill's Odile), co-owned with Nancy
Gimblett to a male that we imported from England bred by Mary Girling and now
owned by Susan Trow, Ch. Pyefleet Niall. For the past two years Elvira
has dominated the coursing scene in Canada, being top coursing Deerhound. This
is ironical because a broken rear leg (in 2 places) at 5 weeks of age has kept
her out of the show ring but not out of the running. She is a certified therapy
dog and is busy on weekends straight racing, as well as doing the rounds of community
group living homes. Niall won the large Open Dog class at the 2001 SDCA
National Specialty and has beautiful shoulders and light sound movement. Sired
by Br.Ch. Beardswood Garvan out of Pyefleet Loyal, I was with Mary
Girling when Loyal had this litter and spent a great deal of time reviewing puppy
structure before selecting the two males that I eventually imported, Niall
and his brother Ch. Pyefleet Nonesuch ("Gryphon") owned by Judith
Bowman. While I like to fancy that after thirty years experience I can pick out
the best of a litter in a pile of day old pups, the reality is that my eye was
likely caught by the fact both these males had no white on them! They have done
very well in the show ring and are a credit to their excellent bloodlines. I hope
they will compliment and add to what we have here at Fern Hill. Niall is
pictured below.
That's the latest news from Fern Hill…contact bh@fernhill.com
if you have any comments or questions. Our Best Wishes….Barbara and Richard
Previous What's New photos follow on the next page.
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