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VEN

The story of a great kennel - Part two.

By Jane Saunders

every thinking breeder, when
possible, uses him. Eventually
one finds all are closely related and
therefore a distinct outcross is
indicated. Inquiries overseas
produced the fact that American
champion Ruttkay Moerdaag, seemed
to be the answer to our problems. He
is therefore arriving from America on
September 25th. I am particularly
pleased to say that his pedigree
contains a number of dogs bred by
me before the war containing
Evenlode blood and also offering a
strong outcross to breeders of today.”
So, Bertie returned to the ‘land of his
fathers’. He made his first show
Ch. Merry Christmas of Ven winning her appearance as an onlooker at the
first CC under Joe Bradon at Chester 1960 Keeshond Club championship show of
1964, apparently not in health after
New Imports. his stay in quarantine, but well on the
road to recovery.
Despite all the successes, Mollie felt
that new blood would benefit the Bertie quickly made himself useful
breed so she set about importing a and the summer of 1964 saw
young American Champion who had Vanessa, Ch. Saskia, and Aunt Susan,
been the youngest dog to go Best of all with litters by him.
Breed at the Westminster Show,
(New York). He made history in the One of his first show appearances was
breed by becoming the first stud dog at LKA that year when Miss Hastings
to cross from America to Britain. In gave him second in open and wrote
his native America, Mollie Collins the following critique. “Rather well
wrote of him in 1963: “There is a made. Good boned, excellent legs
saying, the strength of a breed is in and feet. I liked his carriage with
its stud dogs. But the strength of the head well up standing and showing
kennel is in its brood bitches. And very well. Coat profuse but rather
that has been our good luck in having rusty. When the real show forms
Miss Hastings’ famous champion should go long way because he has
Big Bang of Evenlode as our that ‘presence’ which is necessary in
outstanding post-war sire. When a champions.”
dog proves to be such a force for Moerdaag never made his English title
good and sires such lovely puppies, but as a sire he made his mark on
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