Proud of Our Veterans

GCH Glenamadda Starkeeper Liberty, 

born July 4, 2008, will be 10 on July 4, 2018.

GCHS Gryffindor's Wild Rose O'Starry Glen CGC

turned 8 on February 1, 2010. 

The Rose retired the Irish Wolfhound Assn. of the West Coast female veteran trophy in 2017. 

So, starting this year, the new trophy will celebrate the Rose.

A Walk in the Old West

GCH Glenamadda Starkeeper Liberty (© Pat Murkland)

Miss Liberty is a dual citizen.

She was born in Canada but was born on our U.S. Independence Day, July 4.

This year she'll be 3 years old, and in honor of her birthday, we traveled together back in time.

We went to the Old West.

(© Pat Murkland)

This is Gilman Historic Ranch & Wagon Museum in Banning.

James Gilman came here in 1869 and began running cattle, along with a stagecoach stop.

Later the family harvested apricots, peaches and other crops, and was especially famous for olives. Their ranch is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Since the 1970s, it's been a historic park that showcases California ranch life in the 1800s.

Unfortunately, recent budget cuts have severely limited its public access, starting today, July 1.

So, the other day Liberty and I took a walk in the Old West, a farewell for now.

We walked on the Bradshaw Trail together.

Walking on the Bradshaw Trail (© Pat Murkland)

I closed my eyes and imagined the dust and noise of arriving coaches at the Gilman Station.

Stagecoaches, freight wagons and prospectors traveled this old route from Los Angeles to the Arizona gold fields in the 1860s.

Overland Stagecoach used in Southern CA (© Pat Murkland)

We passed the ruins of the oldest permanent, non-Indian structure in the Banning area, the Jose Pope adobe building from 1854.

But before then, Native Americans lived near the spring here, and throughout San Gorgonio Pass. Archaeologists found a Native American hearth and other artifacts under the adobe ruins.

And although the stagecoaches are most famous for traveling this road, they were not the first travelers.

Imagine!

Here is the terrain that travelers saw in the Pass:

White sage blooms in foothills (© Pat Murkland)

We are thankful that we still see this beauty, Liberty and I, when we travel back to 2011. Happy birthday, sweetie!

Black and White and Red All Over

© Pat Murkland Photo

Liberty is a red wolfhound.

That color always reminds us of apricots.

Above is a black and white photo of Liberty we submitted to the Irish Wolfhound Association of the West Coast 2010 yearbook. The yearbook honored hounds' achievements.

Here is the text:

GCH CH Glenamadda Starkeeper Liberty

With limited showing ...

AKC Champion: January 30, 2010

AKC Grand Champion: October 30, 2010

Special AKC Award: One of the first 10 Grand Champions in the history of the Irish Wolfhound breed.

Breeders: Susan Prokopenko & Jocelyne Gagné

Handlers: Bill Buell & Erin Hines

Owner: Pat Murkland

Proud of Our Family

Rich Bergman Photo

We were thrilled when our Liberty became one of the first 10 AKC Grand Champion Irish Wolfhounds in the breed history.

On the same day she won a Hound Group 2.

Thank you to Judge Mrs. Lowell (Arlene) Davis.

In January this year, Liberty's Dad, American and Canadian CH McEnroe of Limerick, also became an AKC Grand Champion.

McEnroe was bred by Limerick and is owned and loved by Liberty's co-breeder in Canada, Jocelyne Gagne of Starkeeper. (Go here to visit his page.)

We believe the father-daughter duo of McEnroe and our Liberty are the first two-generation wolfhound Grand Champions!

There's more. McEnroe's brother Cash, owned and loved by the Souzas of Limerick, recently (unofficially) finished his Grand Championship title.

While we await the official word from AKC, we believe the brothers probably will be the first two wolfhound littermates to become Grand Champions.

Congratulations to Limerick, and to our Liberty's co-breeders, Starkeeper and Glenamadda.

We're so proud of our family.

Excellent!

© Pat Murkland Photo

Liberty says:

"Snow-enhanced toy ball ... Excellent!"

In the Mail

Got a letter from the American Kennel Club today.

And a little padded envelope held something inside!

It was this medallion!

The letter:

RE: GCH CH GLENAMADDA STARKEEPER LIBERTY

"Congratulations to you and your dog for completing the new AKC Grand Champion title!

"The American Kennel Club is proud of your accomplishment and wants to recognize your dog as one of the first 10 Grand Champion title holders in its breed ...

"In honor of this distinction, the American Kennel Club is pleased to award you with a special AKC Medallion to commemorate your dog's place in AKC history ...

"Your dog's name will also be listed on the AKC website for its accomplishment.

As a Grand Champion, your dog will be automatically invited to attend the 2011 AKC/Eukanuba National Championship."

WOW! Miss Liberty is one of the first 10 Irish Wolfhounds in the history of the breed to win an AKC Grand Champion title!

Thank you to her breeders, Susan Prokopenko (Glenamadda) and Jocelyne Gagne (Starkeeper), and thank you to our handlers, Bill Buell and Erin Hines.

Grand Champion

AKC has recorded our Miss Liberty's wins and she is now officially our first GRAND CHAMPION!

SEE AKC GCH RANKINGS HERE

Show Hound

Two more shows, two more Best of Breed wins for Liberty.

Thank you to Judge Mr. Ralph M. Lemcke at the San Gabriel Valley Kennel Club show and Judge Mr. James E. Frederiksen at Antelope Valley Kennel Club.

Wahoo, Liberty!

We believe our Fourth of July firecracker, Miss Liberty, finished her AKC GRAND CHAMPION title with a Best of Breed win on Oct. 30 at the Kennel Club of Riverside show at Lake Perris, CA.

She then went on to win Hound Group 2!

With deep appreciation we thank our breed and group judge, Mrs. Lowell K. (Arlene) Davis.

The following day, Oct. 31, she won Best of Breed again.

Thank you to our judge, Mr. Walter Pinsker.

And on Nov. 1 she celebrated Halloween a bit late ...

Treat, check.

As for Trick:

Time to toilet-paper the living room!

Liberty

© John Mechalas

Handler Bill Buell with Liberty at Lompoc.

Our Fourth of July Firecracker, Liberty, is 2 years old!

And she's blazing toward her AKC Grand Championship, with limited showing.

At the all-breed shows on a Lompoc specialty weekend, she earned select bitch on both days (two majors toward her AKC Grand Champion title) and an award of merit.

Extremely rainy days

©Pat Murkland

We've been having extremely rainy days and flooding in Inland Southern California.

We advise all: Buy stock in towel-making industries!

Meantime, sometimes a wolfhound just needs a good raincoat.

Here Miss Liberty models ours.

It was made by Alexis Montgomery, Montshire Irish Wolfhounds.

©Pat Murkland

Before we got this raincoat, we tried blankets made for miniature horses.

(But no, we don"t have that saddle anymore, in case you wanted to ask.

Hunter ate it.)

Resistance is Futile

A passer-by at the Eukanuba dog show fell in love with Miss Liberty and was kind enough to share this photo with us.

Catching up

© Pat Murkland

It's been a while.

Time to catch up!

© Pat Murkland

Baby Hunter celebrates

his first birthday on Feb. 23!

© Pat Murkland

He's a baby no longer.

And Miss Liberty, running slightly ahead of him here, is now an AKC champion!

Eukanuba AKC National Dog Show

We attended the national dog show in Long Beach.

We didn't win, but we're very happy for everyone who did! (See results here.)

Liberty genuinely had fun in the show ring. She showed beautifully. We thank our handlers Erin Hines and Bill Buell for all the hard work and training that led to the smile on Liberty's face.

At the shows leading up to the national dog show, Liberty won another point toward her AKC Championship title.

So now one point remains!

Countdown ...

Then there were just two points remaining ...

Catalog

Sincere thanks to our handler Erin Hines and to our judge!

And then there were three ...

Liberty won another two points toward her AKC CH title over the weekend, leaving her three single points remaining to finish. There were seven girls competing. Thank you to handlers Erin Hines and Bill Buell and thank you to Judge Ms. Nikki Riggsbee.

A Second Major Win for Liberty!

Wolfhound entries at the all-breed Santa Barbara Kennel Club shows on Aug. 30 and 31, 2009, were supported by the Irish Wolfhound Club of America. To support the club, we entered.

We had no expectation at all of winning. Yes, honestly! We just wanted to be part of the fun. The day was so hot, we nearly didn't go. But Liberty was keeping cool in the air-conditioning, so off we went. We wanted the fun of showing our beautiful girl to esteemed wolfhound breeder-judge Joel Samaha.

She was the youngest girl there, still considered a puppy, in the 12-18 month-old class. So we didn't think she would be a contender.

We were wrong.

She went Winner's, with 4 girls present, for one point toward her Championship title. We were so thrilled!

It only got better.

The winner's dog had earned two points (there were five dogs). So when we went in the Best of Breed ring we thought we were competing for Best of Winners, two points.

It only got better.

The Winner's Dog beat three male champions to earn Best Opposite Sex to the beautiful Best of Breed winner. Eight dogs! A three-point major for him! Wow!

Then our Liberty beat the Winner's Dog, for Best of Winners.

A three-point major for her!

Thank you to Judge Mr. Joel Samaha. Wow!

Playing Around

Liberty (left) enjoys playing with her Uncle Blake!

© Pat Murkland

Not sure who is calling "Uncle" ...

© Pat Murkland

Blake (rear) demonstrates a new look

for Wolfhound ears ...

© Pat Murkland

The Journey Continues

Liberty's journey toward her AKC championship title continued at the Channel City Kennel Club show over the July 4 holiday weekend. Thank you to Dr. Eric Liebes for awarding her WB and Best of Winners in a tough competition.

She earned another point. 

Thank you to handler Erin Hines!

The tally so far:

3 points, Judge Elliott Weiss.

1 point, Judge Lee Canalizo

1 point, Judge Eugene Blake

1 point, Dr. Eric Liebes.

Liberty is our resident firecracker and she celebrated her first birthday on July 4.

And we're still celebrating!

Liberty at 11 months

Rich Bergman Photo.

Thank you again to our judge Mrs. Lee Canalizo.