Gryffindor at Eukanuba

Rose, Best of Opposite Sex, Irish Wolfhound Assn. of the West Coast, July 2012 

Rose and her mother, Verity, are the only mother-daughter Irish Wolfhound Grand Champions. We're thrilled!

Both grand champions were honorees invited to this year's Eukanuba-AKC National Dog Show in Florida. Rose also was invited to Eukanuba because she was ranked among the top 20 wolfhounds.

Florida is far, far away from Gryffindor. Although we didn't go, our Irish Wolfhounds managed to make a cameo appearance anyway.

In the popular Meet the Breeds booth, our Ocho represented the Irish Wolfhound therapy dog in this display by the Florida Irish Wolfhound club:

(Courtesy of Helen Cullum)

 Ocho earned his Therapy Dog title from AKC this year and we couldn't be prouder of his therapy work in Texas with his owners, the Cox family. 

At the Meet the Breeds booth, Ocho's sister, our own Rose, represented the Irish Wolfhound in conformation:  

 

(Courtesy of Helen Cullum)

Here is Rose in the conformation display, shown competing with handler Erin Hines at this year's National Irish Wolfhound specialty judged by Mrs. Jacqueline Carswell.

A wolfhound-sized Thank You to the Irish Wolfhound club members in Florida for including us!

Best of Breed

Best of Breed, Kennel Club of Riverside (Rich Bergman Photo)

Thank you, Judge Mr. Dana Cline, for this highly competitive Best of Breed win for GCH Gryffindor's Wild Rose O'Starry Glen, Kennel Club of Riverside, October 2012. Thank you to handler Erin Hines!

Forward

GCH Gryffindor's Wild Rose O'Starry Glen with handler Erin Hines

Fyre's on Fire

Fyre! Photo by Kevin Peuhkurinen

Fyre, our Gryffindor boy in Canada, won Best of Breed in lure coursing at Canada's National Specialty for Irish Wolfhounds!

Shortly afterward he earned his Canadian coursing championship title.

Fyre is not only outstanding in the field, he also is chasing some ribbons in the conformation ring.

Fyre winning first place, novice dog, at New England specialty,
under breeder-judge John Lewington of Australia. (Mike Wilkinson Photography)

Fyre, who is formally known as Starkeeper Glenamadda Fyrenze of Gryffindor, SC, recently crossed the border into the U.S. and went to his first all-breed conformation dog show.  He won a 3-point major toward his AKC championship title.

The same weekend he won Best of Breed at a lure coursing competition in the United States.

Fyre is owned and loved by his co-breeder, Jocelyne Gagne.

At the Canada national specialty, Fyre's son Jake won honors as the best puppy courser. Fyre's Dad Tate, like Fyre, held a senior courser title ...

So, now it's three generations of coursing wolfhounds.

Two dogs, two specialties, two wins

Photo by Rich Bergman

Gryffindor Colin at Tara Hill, with co-owner Barbara Call (also co-owned by Linda Souza), en route to winning Best of Winners at Irish Wolfhound Association of the West Coast specialty 1, July 2012. 
Thank you to Judge Miss Dorothy M. MacDonald. 
Thank you to handler Bill Buell. 
Colin, pictured here winning the Open Dog class, went on to Winner's for a five-point major and then Best of Winners, quite an exciting day!

Photo by Rich Bergman

 The next day was Irish Wolfhound Association of the West Coast's second specialty. Our GCH Gryffindor's Wild Rose O'Starry Glen, Colin's littermate, went Best of Opposite Sex. 
Thank you to Breeder-Judge Mrs. Beverly Little. 
And thank you to Bill Buell, who has been showing our wolfhounds since 2004!

Rose and Colin were the only two dogs we brought to the specialties. Their mother is GCH Glenamadda Starkeeper Verity, CGC, who won this specialty in 2008. Their sire is CH Taryn Tate of Limerick, SC, who won this specialty twice, in 2002 and 2006, and is the sire and grandsire of many champions.

Gryffindor Rocks the Specialties

At the Irish Wolfhound Association of the West Coast July 26 specialty, our Colin, Gryffindor Colin at Tara Hill, was Winners Dog and Best of Winners! 

Entry was 71 wolfhounds, including 19 class dogs and 29 class bitches, for a five-point major.

Thank you to Judge Miss Dorothy M. MacDonald for finding our young man, co-owned by Barbara Call and Linda Souza, among those in the open dog class. Thank you to handlers Bill Buell and Erin Hines.

The next day, July 27, was another Irish Wolfhound Association of the West Coast show, with an entry of 79 wolfhounds, including 24 champions. Now Colin's lone sister, our Rose, had her turn to shine.

Our new Grand Champion, Gryffindor's Wild Rose O'Starry Glen, won Best of Opposite Sex from breeder-judge Ms. Beverly C. Little. Thank you to Ms. Little and to handlers Bill Buell and Erin Hines.

At the all-breed Lompoc Kennel Club shows that followed, Rose also won very competitive Best of Opposite Sex ribbons both days, for three out of four. 

Rose and Colin are two years old.

The Rose is a Grand Champion

Rich Bergman Photo

Rose finished her AKC Grand Championship title with a Best of Breed win and her seventh major at Kennel Club of Beverly Hills. Thank you to Judge Mrs. Betty-Anne Stenmark, who then awarded Rose a very competitive Hound Group 4 placement. Thank you to handlers Erin Hines and Bill Buell.

Now she's GCH Gryffindor's Wild Rose O'Starry Glen. 

Rose and her mom, GCH Glenamadda Starkeeper Verity, apparently are the only mother-daughter Irish Wolfhound Grand Champions.

Veteran Bitch, Irish Wolfhound Club of America National Specialty Show 2012

Photo by Bill Meyer

BISS GCH Glenamadda Starkeeper Verity, CGC
First Place Veteran Bitch (entry: 16)
2012 Irish Wolfhound Club of America National Specialty
Thank You to Breeder-Judge Jacqueline Carswell!
RESULTS

Photo by Helen Cullum

Photo by Helen Cullum

Photo by Helen Cullum

Verity at Our National Specialty

Photo Courtesy of Helen Cullum

Our own BISS GCH Glenamadda Starkeeper Verity, CGC, won Veteran Bitch today at the Irish Wolfhound Club of America National Specialty.

Classic Hound at the Hound Classic

Handler Erin Hines with CH Gryffindor's Wild Rose O'Starry Glen

Thank you to judges Mrs. Sharron Taylor (Australia) and Mr. Juan Carlos Vasconsellos (Paraguay) for awarding Best Opposite Sex to Rose at the two Western Hound Association of Southern California shows. Thanks to handler Erin Hines.

In only her third weekend out this year, Rose earned major wins five and six toward her AKC Grand Championship title. As of March 31, Rose is the top female Irish Wolfhound in national breed rankings and ranked fourth overall.

Rose

CH Gryffindor's Wild Rose O'Starry Glen © Pat Murkland

Rose is ranked No. 1 female in Irish Wolfhound national breed rankings (February 29, 2012).

Out Standing in Her Field

CH Gryffindor's Wild Rose O'Starry Glen (Photo © Pat Murkland)

Who Has the Dirtiest Beard, Brother?

© Pat Murkland

Tracks

 © Pat Murkland

Coyote tracks, left.
Irish Wolfhound footprints, right.

In the Ribbons at Silver Bay

CH Gryffindor's Wild Rose O'Starry Glen in January,
winning Best of Breed at Inland Empire Hound Club © Kit Rodwell Photo

Thank you to Judge Mr. Luc Boileau for awarding our young Rose Best of Breed at Silver Bay Kennel Club on Feb. 25, 2012. Entry was 15 Wolfhounds, including 5 champions. 
Rose is forging ahead toward her Grand Championship title; in just two show weekends she has now amassed 16 points, including four majors. All were wins over other champions.

Gryffindor Colin at Tara Hill. © Pat Murkland

At Silver Bay, Rose's littermate brother Colin also won Winners and Best of Winners for a three-point major. Thank you again to Mr. Luc Boileau and as always, to handlers Bill Buell and Erin Hines.

Gryffindor Art and Artist

Gryffindor's Patronus (Gryff) © David Fairrington

Artist David Fairrington with Gryff.

Artist David Fairrington painted this stunning portrait of Gryffindor's Patronus (Gryff). Gryff went to a recent exhibit of Fairrington's works to check out his portrait in the gallery. 
Discover more of David Fairrington's art at http://www.davidfairrington.com.

Gryffindor's Big Reader

Photo courtesy of the Cox family

Ocho, our favorite therapy dog in Texas, likes going to the library and helping kids read. WATCH HERE.

Gryffindor Colin

© Pat Murkland

Rose, Best of Breed

© Kit Rodwell Photo

Rose winning Best of Breed at
the Inland Empire Hound Club of Southern California.
Thank you to Judge Mr. Wayne Burton of Australia.
Thank you to handlers Bill Buell and Erin Hines.

What a Weekend!

The January dog shows in the balmy desert sun of Indio, CA, are among the largest in the United States. The hound show preceding the all-breed shows always attracts Wolfhound people from near and far...a wonderful time for visiting, learning, and seeing all the puppies competing in sweepstakes and the rest competing to be recognized as the best. We are deeply honored that among an entry of 34 Wolfhounds, Judge Mr. Wayne Burton of Australia chose our new AKC champion, Gryffindor's Wild Rose O'Starry Glen, as his Best of Breed winner at the Inland Empire Hound Club of Southern California show. Rose is our first homebred champion and this was her first show as a champion. Rose went on to win Best Opposite Sex and Grand Champion Select at the two all-breed Kennel Club of Palm Springs shows in large entries also supported by the Irish Wolfhound Association of the West Coast. Thank you to handlers Bill Buell and Erin Hines and to the many, many people who have helped us.

Grand Champion

BISS CH Glenamadda Starkeeper Verity, CGC, is now an AKC Grand Champion!



(pictured winning Grand Champion Select Bitch at Irish Wolfhound Association of the West Coast 2011 specialty show, Breeder-Judge Thomas Powers.)