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.

IWAWC Best in Specialty

Rose wins Best in Specialty, Irish Wolfhound Association of the West Coast, July 26, 2013. Thank you to Breeder-Judge Ms. S. Kelly Cromer. Thank you to handler Erin Hines. Thank you to all the people and dogs behind Rose who made this dream come true. There are so many of you!

BISS Bronze GCH Gryffindor's Wild Rose O'Starry Glen (Rich Bergman Photo)

At the Irish Wolfhound Association of the West Coast first specialty the preceding day, July 25, 2013, Hound Specialist Judge Mr. Bo Bengston awarded Grand Champion select to Rose. With this award she achieved the record-setting status of Bronze Grand Champion and made Irish Wolfhound history. Thanks to Mr. Bengston. Thanks once again to handler Erin Hines. Thanks to everyone who worked hard to make this achievement possible!

New Bronze Grand Champion GCH Gryffindor's Wild Rose O'Starry Glen
(Rich Bergman Photo)

Best in Specialty

GCH Gryffindor's Wild Rose O'Starry Glen, Best in Specialty, IWAWC

At the Irish Wolfhound Association of the West Coast Specialty on July 26, 2013, Breeder-Judge Ms. S. Kelly Cromer awarded Best in Specialty Show to our own GCH Gryffindor's Wild Rose O'Starry Glen (Rose). Thank you, Ms. Cromer. Thank you, handler Erin Hines.

Rose, born Feb. 1, 2010, was the only girl in a litter of 8. She is Gryffindor's first home-bred champion, grand champion, and bronze grand champion.

Rose was co-bred by owner Pat Murkland and by Jocelyne Gagne.
Her mother, our own BISS GCH Glenamadda Starkeeper Verity, CGC, won Best in Specialty at Irish Wolfhound Association of the West Coast in 2008. Her father, CH Taryn Tate of Limerick, SC, won Best in Specialty at Irish Wolfhound Association of the West Coast in 2002 and 2006. Thank you to all the dogs and people behind Rose.

There's more! The day before, on July 25, 2013, at the first IWAWC specialty, Judge Mr. Bo Bengston awarded the select Grand Champion award to our Rose. Thank you to Mr. Bengston. Thank you to handler Erin Hines.

We believe this win propels Rose to Bronze Grand Champion.


Rose would be the first Irish Wolfhound girl in California to achieve Bronze Grand Champion status. And she would be the second girl to do so in Irish Wolfhound history!

All in all, a fantastic specialty show weekend!

Fred reads the show catalog (Pat Murkland Photo)

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

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.

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)

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.

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.

BoW, WOW!

© Pat Murkland Photo

We are thrilled to announce that our beloved Rose (Gryffindor's Wild Rose O'Starry Glen) has won Winners Bitch and Best of Winners at the Northern California Irish Wolfhound Specialty.

The entry was 25 class dogs and 36 class bitches. We were excited when she won the open bitch class and then thrilled when she went on to win a five-point major at the Oct. 22 show.
Rosie is only 20 months old!

Thank you to breeder-judge John Lewington of Australia.
Thank you to Rosie's handlers, Bill Buell and Erin Hines.

Glam Girls

Our daughter and mother photos from

the Irish Wolfhound Assn. of the West Coast 2011 specialty.

Thank you to Breeder-Judge Mr. Thomas S. Powers.


Reserve Winner's Bitch at 17 months

Gryffindor's Wild Rose O'Starry Glen
(Vicki Holloway Photo)


Grand Champion Select Bitch

BISS CH Glenamadda Starkeeper Verity, CGC
(Vicki Holloway Photo)

See results HERE.

We'll Have to Pick the Lock ...

© Pat Murkland

Bucking Broncos

© Pat Murkland

Guess Which One

© Pat Murkland

Hey Starbucks ... Guess which one of these is "tall."