Page 132 - ShowSight - September 2019
P. 132

                Breeder Interview: Christine Nethery, Boxwood Poodles
BY ALLAN REZNIK continued
   a hunter with Poodles from Chesapeake, Maryland, told him why straight tails are so important. When the Poodle is in the water, if the tail is carried over the back, it is very difficult to see the dog, especially at dusk. So this is quite dangerous for the dog and handler. As a breeder who has a dog or two with a squirrel tail, I will say it is extremely difficult to get rid of. I have tried. So I see how the fault continues. I think fronts always need to be worked on. I also hate the way people stack their dogs with their heads jammed behind their shoulders. It isn’t correct.
The sport has changed greatly since you first began participating. What are your thoughts on the state of the sport and the declining numbers of breeders? How do we encourage newcomers to join us and remain in the sport?
In my two breeds (Poodles and Belgian Malinois), we are loaded with breeders. I don’t think the Malinois people breed as many litters as Poodle people do. Ohio is a very strong area for good-quality Poodles so I don’t see a decline in breeders but I do see a decline in the numbers at all-breed shows and specialties, too. I do think Poodle entries decline because of the coat work involved. There has been a huge inter- est amongst exhibitors in our breed in the Modified Continental trim. This is where I think we can encourage newcomers. They don’t have to be chained to a table groom- ing all day. They can do other dog sports as well. The trim really isn’t for everybody, so many don’t care for the trim, but the beauty of it all is that you can make the trim fancy or simple. I love the trim. I had cut a dog down before getting his Grand champion- ship. This trim has allowed me to bring him back out in the ring without having to spend the better part of a year growing coat on him. I think the trim can be widely accepted if the right dog comes along with the right version of the trim.
Anytime I have a young person come into my life, I try to encourage them to show the dogs. I have taken many a kid
to shows with me to learn all about our wonderful sport.
Who were some of your most significant Poodles, both in the whelping box and in the show ring?
My significant dogs in the whelping box/show ring started with the breeding of Ch. Romanov Rocketman x Ch. Boxwood Belle Rose. She was a Ch. Dassin Delancy daughter bred to a son of Ch. Maneetas Del Zarzoso Fuego Fatuo, “Gordon.” This litter produced three champions: Ch. Boxwood Belton John and Ch. Arrabelle of Boxwood, both owned and shown by me, and Ch. Boxwood Mirabelle, owned and shown by Alan Waterman.
Belton was a top producer; Arrabelle, a multiple Group winner; and Mirabelle, a multiple Group winner as well as a mul- tiple Best in Show winner, Specialty winner and Best of Opposite Sex at Poodle Club of America. This significant breeding went on to produce sons and daughters that are still in my breeding program. Ch. Ala- man It’s All About Me, “Tina,” was Poo- dle Club of America’s 2012 Best of Breed winner. She was co-bred by me and Alan Waterman. She was sired by Ch. Boxwood Brainteaser, out of Ch. Boxwood Busybody. Her sire and dam were Best Stud Dog and Best Brood Bitch in Show that year as well! Tina, later bred to an Afterglow dog, pro- duced Ch. Gala Lakeridge Reflections of Me, another Best in Show winner, handled by Kaz Hosaka. Tina’s younger sister, Ch. Alaman Boxwood Gossip Girl, won three consecutive 5-point majors at 11 months old! Ch. Boxwood Arrabelle was shown in two trims, English Saddle and Continental. She finished her championship and went to our National as a Special in the Saddle trim. I cut her out into a Continental after- wards, and she continued her winning ways, including a Group First under Mrs. James Edward Clark.
Ch. Boxwood Brainteaser was Best Bred by at PCA, and a great producer of PCA winners. He came from a litter of seven, and
we finished five puppies from that litter, with two puppy champions. Ch. Boxwood Bumbellbee, also out of Belle Rose from her second litter, was my most beautiful, and as I think back about her, she was definitely my favorite! She finished in puppy trim with Group placements, and produced another favorite, Ch. Boxwood BMW. He was my thrill ride! He won a Group First from the classes at nine months of age. He also won the Puppy Group that day, and went on to win Best Puppy in Show. He went on to win two more Groups while still in puppy trim and several additional Groups in adult trim, as well as an Award of Merit at PCA. He was used sparingly as a stud dog, but he and some of his get are still in my pedigrees today. Another son from Bumbellbee was Ch. Boxwood Bee Sting, another Group winner in puppy trim and Ch. Boxwood Beecause, a Group winner from the classes.
Last but not least we have Ch. Boxwood Rocky Belboa, whose frozen semen we used 20 years later. My friend Laurie Maraldo took a puppy from that litter, Ch. Boxwood Back in Black at Versailles, and made him Number 1 owner-handled Poodle for that year, including an Owner-Handler Best in Show and an Owner-Handler Reserve Best in Show. After looking through all these pictures and going down memory lane, I see how many dogs I have left out. I could go on all day about them... but I won’t! I will say that I am extremely proud of my dogs and I hope my good fortune continues!
Where do you see your breeding program in the next decade or two?
I would love to see my breeding program last another decade or two! The older I get, the harder it gets. As much as I think I am tired of grooming and duking it out for the next win, the more I want to continue doing it. I guess the passion is still there. All kid- ding aside, I would love to still be breeding, with a handful of beautiful, healthy dogs to show that are sound in body and mind. I love raising puppies and watching how they change as they grow. I’m always looking for the next “one!”
Finally, tell us a little about Christine out- side of dogs... your profession, your hobbies.
First off I would like to say that I am married to the most generous, wonderful guy ever! For close to 30 years he has put up with all the craziness that showing and breeding dogs entails, so he must love me a lot. I guess I like doing a lot of things, like sleeping, watching TV and overeating (I even have a Golden Corral buffet hus- band!), but those aren’t really things people say they enjoy. I love playing with my dogs, I love to travel, and in the summer I enjoy hanging at the beach on Lake Erie and working on my tan.
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