Am.Can.Ch. Gwent's Trefor O'Fern Hill

(Ch. Geltsdale Beauly X Ch. Highstone's Gael MacTavish) bred by Cecilia Arnold
Trefor hunted caribou in Labrador and European hare in Manitoba with me. He was too big to course well, but was structurally perfect and it is to him that I attribute the effortless trot our dogs still have more than nine generations later.

Am.Can.Ch. Crannoch's Fenris O' Fern Hill F.Ch. bred by Gerri Akman

Pictured at 3 years, Fen was a grandson of Trefor. Truly a Great in the history of the breed, with a brilliant show and coursing career, but most of all as a sire he left an outstanding legacy of health, longevity and versatility. All our dogs go back to Fen. He was directly incorporated into the breeding programs of Lyonhil, Highstone, Glencrag, Foxcliffe, Thistleglen, Pibroch, Sungael, Christies' and most of today's quality Deerhounds have him in their pedigree.

Am. Ch. Gwent’s Crystal Windracer (Ch. Gwent’s Ifor Hael Ap Beauly X Ch. Gwent’s Deirdre Algonkian). Bred by Cecilia Arnold, Crystal came to us at 4 ½ years and I have never stopped thinking how lucky I was! She proved to be an extraordinary brood bitch with an incredibly sweet personality (though she was quite hopeless in the field…!). But who cares when a bitch produces two SDCA National Specialty Best Puppy in Show winners (Cahalan’s Dairne – 1984; Fernhill’s Esprit – 1989) and in the eight puppies that she produced at Fern Hill (four by Fenris, one by Caliban, and 3 by Eclipse) each litter had multi Group winners and she produced for Fernhill two breed greats Am. Can. Ch. Fernhill’s Kendra  (Fen X Crystal) and Ch. Fernhill’s Esprit (Eclipse X Crystal)…both multi Best in Show and Specialty Show winners. All our Deerhounds come down from Crystal through her son Am. Can. Ch. Fernhill’s Muldoon (by Caliban) and Am. Ch. Fernhill’s Evangeline (by Eclipse). 

Ch. Foxcliffe Eclipse O’Fernhill (Ch. Crannoch’s Fenris O’Fernhill F.Ch. X Ch. Foxcliffe Cailleach F.Ch.) One of our greatest males, bred by Cecilia Dove. Eclipse earned a Best in Specialty Show (and Best Puppy in Show) at 11 months and was a key sire for Fernhill. Pictured at 4 years.

Am.Ch. Fernhill's Evangeline

Sister to our most beautiful Deerhound ever Am.Can.Ch. Fernhill's Esprit, Evie blessed us with lots of lovely puppies and lived to a ripe old age, dying quietly at the farm just after Richard and I got married. She was surrounded by friends and family and was piped out to the tune of "Amazing Grace" played by Gord McNaule. Wyvern, her most illustrious son, is in this photo and pictured below.

Am.Can.Ch. Fernhill's Wyvern

Our all-breed Best in Show winner and multiple Specialty Winner playing "Nessie" for the tourists.

Am.Can.Ch. Fernhill's Wyvern

At 6 ½ years at the peak of his show career, beautifully handled by my close friend Sheila Matheson.

Am.Can.Ch. Fernhill's Somerset J.C.

Is exemplary of our type. With Sheila, his owner-handler, he achieved star status in the U.S.A. and Canada with multiple Specialty and Best in Show wins.

Fernhill's Torquil

(Ch. Lehigh Urquhart J.C. X Ch. Fernhill's Electra at Fitzhugh) at 7 months went Winners Dog at the 1998 SDCA National Specialty as well as Best Puppy in Show and Best in Futurity. He went to three more shows as a puppy and collected a Best in Sweepstakes at the Ontario Sighthound Specialty, Best Puppy in Specialty at the Gazehound Ontario Specialty, and then an all breed Best Puppy in Hound Group, Best Puppy in Show and adult Hound Group 3 at the St. Catherines Kennel Club show.

Then as a three year old, Fernhill's Torquil continues his way to his AKC championship by winning Best of Winners at the 2000 Western SDCA Regional Specialty and Best of Winners at the 2000 Eastern Regional Specialty handled by myself.   :-)

And the tradition continues with Torquil's son…

Fernhill's Tyee a one year old (Fernhill's Torquil X Fernhill's Camille)

Ch. Fernhill’s Turbulent Indigo

Indy, our SDCA National Specialty Winner’s Dog and Group winner

    
Ch. Fernhill’s Roslyn

An all breed Best Puppy in Show winner, Group winner, OSA Sighthound Specialty Best of Breed, SDCA Regional Specialty Winners and brood birch extraordinaire!

Over the years some of the Deerhounds we have bred or owned were…

• World Champion …Ch. Fernhill's Thor O' Maropa's Arran (Dictus)
• the first Scottish Deerhound ever to win the Hound Group at the Westminster Kennel Club Show at Madison Square Gardens … Ch. Fernhill's Phantom (Levin & Heidenreich) in 1991
• the top winning Deerhound of all time in Canada ...Ch. Fernhill's Kendra (Baltzer & Heidenreich)
  
  
• All Breed Best in Show winners in Canada, the U.S.A. and Mexico :
• Ch. Carrera Glenoble O'Fern Hill (Cremer)
• Ch. Fernhill's Kendra (Baltzer & Heidenreich)
• Ch. Fernhill's Esprit (Matheson & Heidenreich)
• Ch. Fernhill's Wyvern (Heidenreich)
• Ch. Fernhill's Somerset (Matheson & Heidenreich)
• Ch. Glencrag's Tyler O'Fernhill (Giles)
  
  
• All Breed Best Puppy in Show winners:
• Fernhill’s Esprit (Heidenreich)
• Fernhill’s Pennant Panache (Matheson, later Wozniak)
• Fernhill’s Torquil (Heidenreich)
• Fernhill’s Roslyn (Heidenreich)
• Fernhill’s Solar Flare (Heidenreich)

• Sighthound Specialty Best in Show winners:
• Ch. Foxcliffe Eclipse O' Fernhill (Heidenreich) (Best Puppy in SS and BISS)
• Ch. Fernhill's Kendra (Baltzer & Heidenreich)
• Ch. Fernhill's Esprit (Matheson & Heidenreich) (Best Puppy in SS and BISS)
• Ch. Fernhill's Wyvern (Heidenreich)
• Ch. Fernhill's Somerset (Matheson & Heidenreich)
• Ch. Fernhill's Roslyn ( Heidenreich) (Best Puppy in SS)
• Ch. Fernhill's Atticus (Sutherland)
• Fernhill's Dulcinea (Ross) (Best Puppy in SS)
  
  
• Hound Group Wins or Placements: Trefor, Tiree, Fenris, Kelpie, Kestrel, Carrera ("Spyder") (Cremer), Caliban ("Basher") (Benning-Matheson), Restless Spirit ("Friday") (Benning-Matheson), Raven, Kendra (Baltzer), Phantom (Levin), Phoebe (Fisher), Drayton O’Muldoon (Winet), Wyvern, Deirdre, Electra (Sudekum), Somerset (Matheson), Intrepid, Torquil, Turbulent Indigo (“Indy”), Roslyn, Atticus(Sutherland), Mersey (McPhail), Skylar (Gimblett), Azure (McPhail); Valor of Big Sky (McPhail), Camille (Heidenreich-Sutherland)
  
  
• Scottish Deerhound Club of America (SDCA) Best Puppy in National Specialty wins:
• 1989 Fernhill's Esprit (Matheson & Heidenreich)
• 1997 Fernhill's Bravehart (Winet & Grant)
• 1998 Fernhill's Torquil (Heidenreich) & Best in Futurity
  
  
• Scottish Deerhound Club of America (SDCA) National Specialty Winners (excludes class wins):
  • 1980 RWD – Gwent’s Trefor O’Fernhill
  • 1985 BOS - Ch. Crannoch’s Fenris O’Fernhill F. Ch.
  • 1986 WD – Fernhill’s Caliban
  • 1987 RWD – Fernhill’s Taliesin the Raven
  • 1989 AOM – Ch. Fernhill’s Kendra
  • 1992 RWD – Fernhill’s Wyvern
  • 1992 BOS - Ch. Fernhill’s Esprit
  • 1994 WD – Fernhill’s Wyvern
  • 1995 AOM – Ch. Fernhill’s Wyvern
  • 1998 WD & BPIS - Fernhill’s Torquil
  • 2000 RWD – Fernhill’s Torquil
  • 2000 WB, BW – Fernhill’s Demelza at Fitzhugh
  • 2000 AOM – Ch. Fernhill’s Somerset JC
  • 2001 WD – Fernhill’s Turbulent Indigo
  • 2004 BV – Ch. Fernhill’s Demelza at Fitzhugh
  • 2007 WD – Fernhill’s Lyric
    
    
• Four of the only five Deerhounds in Canada to achieve a Field Champion EXCELLENT
  ... Can.Ch.Fernhill's Kirsty F.Ch.X (McNaule)
  … Fernhill's Elvira Am. F.Ch, Can. F.Ch. (Gimblett)
  …Ch. Fernhill’s Gabriola F.Ch. X (Lazin)           
  …Ch. Fernhill’s Hawkeye Pierce, F.Ch.X (Lasin)

• The first (and only) Deerhound American and Canadian Canine Good Citizen
  ... Fernhill's Elvira Am.F.Ch. Can. F.Ch.X Am.Can. C.G.C. (Gimblett)

• SDCA National Specialty ASFA Coursing Best In Field wins:
• 1983 Crannoch's Fenris O'Fernhill (Heidenreich)
• 1993 Fernhill's Hagar (Bays, Doyle, Heidenreich)
• 1998 Fernhill's Demelza at Fitzhugh (Heidenreich, Bowman, Sudekum)
• 2000 Fernhill's Pennant Quest (Heidenreich)
  
• Hound Group Winners AND Best in Field winning Deerhounds:
• Ch. Crannoch Fenris O'Fernhill (Heidenreich)
• Ch. Crannoch's Epic Na Tiree (Heidenreich)
• Ch. Fernhill's Caliban (Matheson & Heidenreich)
• Ch. Fernhill's Phoebe (Fisher)

Am.Can.Ch. Fernhill's Kendra
(photo Linda Lundt)