One of my most exciting experiences in Cockers came early - with my visit to Stonewalk & Dreamridge in Dec. 1978. That visit was to breed Cherri to Ch. Dreamridge Democrat. Ron Fabis’s Mother was the most gracious hostess, making me cup after cup of her favorite herbal teas & entertaining me with stories. When Tom O’Neal got home from work, he gave me a tour of the fabulous stone mansion, complete with trophy rooms & memorabilia collections. Ron, Cocker fancier since 1957, who bred his first litter in 1961 under the Stonewalk prefix, which was the name of the Historic stone mansion & property. Ron was a professional handler & met Tom through Cockers. Ron handled Tom’s first show Cockers, whelped in 1961. Then out to the immaculate kennels, filled with the most stunning Cockers, the top winning English Toy Spaniel “Charlie”, & a Doberman. How exciting to see, play with & photograph all the Greats - Dominoe, Don Juan, Dandiman, Dinner Date & Democrat. Those 33 year old instamatic photos have faded, but not the memory. I will always appreciate the time, help & kindness shown to a newcomer by Ron & Tom. I will always treasure those memories. (& Ron’s uncanny ability to predict the future of the Cocker, through his drawings.)

Minks Cockers breeding program progressed, based on in-breeding, line-breeding & a few judicious outcrosses, over a span of 30 years.

 

Other breeders I came to know & owe a debt to for their friendship &/or sharing their lines with me, include Phyllis St John, who was breeding Cockers since 1954 under the Creedaire prefix. Phyllis retired from judging when she married professional handler & Cocker breeder since 1961, Ray St John & then bred many fine Cockers, including 3 generations of Best in Show winning Blacks, under his Hi-Fi kennel name. I was privileged to have owned Ch. Hi-Fi’s Little Brassie, a tri outcrossed son of the 3rd generation BiS winner, Ch. Hi-Fi’s Show Stopper. Ray passed away - it must be over 20 years ago now & Phyllis joined him in 2006. I spent many an hour at the kitchen table or on the patio having coffee, watching the planes take off from Indianapolis International Airport & talking Cockers - pouring over pedigrees & photos & trying to soak in all the mentoring she happily shared.  Phyllis’s kind heart & hospitality of the many nights I spent there while attending shows or just weekends to visit . Would sit on the patio in warm weather, surrounded by the fabulous gardens that Ray had lovingly tended. He had a greenhouse & weekends not spent at dog shows were spent at flower shows with Wyman Marsh. His wife, Doris, was Phyllis’s best friend & they would spend those weekends shopping or dining out. Wyman & Doris bred & showed Poodles & Tibetan Spaniels for many years under the Wy-Do-Mar prefix & also were supply vendors at dog shows. Through them & Bill & Ruby Dudley, I met Jeanne & Van Holsapple, whose Tashi lines are the foundation for Zen Tao Tibetan Spaniels. My yearly show trip to the Lebanon, IN dog show to see & stay with Phyllis turned into a 20 year friendship thus far, with the Holsapples. This yearly trip started the gathering of Tibbies, first at the Central Indiana KC shows in Sept, of which Phyllis was the President of that KC for many years & persuaded the Club to offer Tibetan Spaniel trophies, an area for the Tibbie people to camp in & to have the annual meeting & potluck dinner of the Tibetan Spaniel Club of the Midwest, a strictly social club founded by the Holsapples. The Club’s fun matches were FUN & the themes were, for example, to make a hat for your Tibbie & the judging was on which hat was the cutest on the Tibbie! My nearly 30 year friendship with Phyllis, sadly ended with the last few years of her life either being in the Hospital or Nursing Home when I visited. In 2006 I made several trips to visit her at the Home & was with her a short time before her death.

 

Other breeders I owe a debt to, include Gay Ernst of BeGay Cockers. Gay & her late Husband, Bill, had their first litter in 1960 & Gay is still active after over 50 years in the breed. From Gay came one of my heart dogs - Ch. BeGays Hershey Tridition. Raisin was whelped in 1980 & became the 2nd Chocolate tri colored Cocker in Breed History. I believe Raisin is still the only Choc Tri Ch. to be permanently certified clear of hereditary eye defects, hips OFA certified Good & tested normal for VWD & Factor 10 blood deficiencies. Raisin lived to be 14 years old. At age 9 years, Ch. BeGays JR Hershey came to live with me to spend his retirement. JR lived to be 16 1/2.

 

The late Michael Allen, of Baliwick By The Sea, who was a very patient mentor. Her special kindness of all the letters & photography advice she gave to Steve for many years. She also sent him many cards, photos of her vacations visiting horse breeding farms, & tons of encouragement over the years he was struggling with the brain Cancer. Steve would be delighted to find a letter from her in the mail & brag that it was sent to him & not me! My Tibbie Michael (Ch. Zen Tao the Archangel) was named in her memory.

 

Gay & Bev Scheily of Scheily’s Cockers, who is also still active after 40 years of breeding & exhibiting years, were the source of the Chocolate gene in my breeding program. Bev’s first Choc/W Parti, Ch. Scheily’s Fudge Ripple & her Choc/ W, Ch. Scheily’s Go Browns were sires to a couple of my boys. Without their dedication, the chocolate brown Cocker would not be the evolved competitive dog of today.

 

Dale & Jane Martenson of Touche, who began in Cockers & were the owners of Ch. BeGays JR Hershey & arranged for him to come to me at 9 years of age for his retirement. I also put my Ch. BeGays Hershey Tridition on a co-ownership with Dale for a time, so he could stand at stud in Texas & be used on some lovely bitches. Dale also told me about the possible availability of Dexter, who was bred & owned by Cara Napper Holland.

 

Cara Napper Holland began breeding  under the Caralee name in 1980. Many thanks to her for entrusting me with Ch. Caralee’s Dexter Brown. Cara is one of the most conscientious & honest breeders I am honored to know.

After years of corresponding, Mary & Armand LaChance, of Mel’s Cockers from Maine came to visit for a week in 1998. Mary & I had a blast going to the shows. Armand stayed at my place to “rest”. When Mary & I got back from the shows with Dexter, who had finished that day, we found Armand had shoveled a couple of tons of lime while we were gone. But it wasn’t all work & no play. We spent a day at the Field of Dreams & have the photos of us walking out of the cornfield to prove it. Then drove to Galena, IL for shopping & dining. Besides Cara, pictured on the right, the Choc/W brothers Minks Choco Christmas Cheer & Minks Choco Mel’s Cappuccino went home with them. They were sired by Int. V. Ch. Minks-Taylander Choco Kudos x Shirl-Lee’s Christmas Holly.

 

In 1992, after a long correspondence with Ludmila Fomina, President of the Moscow, Russia Kennel Club, the challenge was to send to her a B/W Parti male. Appropriately named Minks Souvenir From America, Beau was the first American bred Cocker to go to Russia. Ludmila had 3 other Cockers she showed, 2 from Denmark & 1 from Switzerland. After months of trying to find a way to safely get the dog to Russia, he was taken by an Iowa couple who were going to Moscow to finalize arrangements for the adoption of their child & to bring her home with them.  Beau became an important sire in Russia. His offspring include a 5 time Best in Show winner. Ludmila also bred Black Russian Terriers, originally developed for use by the KGB. Only 2 had come to the United States. One, in North Carolina, had also adopted her son in Moscow. The other, a bitch, sent bred, whelped the first litter of Black Russian Terriers in the USA. Ludmila arranged for us to be sent a bitch from that litter. “Little Girl” (NOT) was a favorite of Steve’s & she adored him. The Black Russian Terrier was virtually unknown in the USA 20 years ago. Now is an AKC recognized breed. It was an honor to be invited to judge Cockers in Moscow. I had to decline as Steve needed more care then. Dr Alvin Grossman graciously agreed to go in my place & had a great time.  

 

Minks Cockers have gone to Thailand, Germany, Argentina, & other Countries besides Russia & Canada. The chocolate boy, Solomon, owned by Oprah Winfrey, was co-bred by Marianne & his dam & her parents were also.

Nancy Gallant, who along with her late Husband, Tom, began breeding in  & were the breeders of my Ch. Gallant Mark Lentz, a multiple Sweepstakes & BOB winner who became the sire of 15 Champions. Mark, descends from my Ch. My-Cyn Tri N To Please.  Nancy is now a very popular & well respected Judge.

 

Sharl Taylor, of Taylander Cockers, started with Minks Chocolette Coquette as her foundation. We co-bred a litter in 1992, out of her to Ch. Scheily’s Go Browns. It was the hardest litter to take my pick, as several were outstanding - wish I would have bought a few more! Cujo (so named as he carried on & wailed & tried to eat his way out of the crate on the ride home, became Best in Show Int. V. Ch. Minks-Taylander Choco Kudos. Sharl then fully owned Coquette & in 1995 bred her to Ch. Copyright’s Irish Whiskey, a grandson of my Ch. BeGays JR Hershey. From that breeding, I wanted pick male & hoped for a Chocolate. The litter was all Chocolate girls, except the B/T male who became Int. & AKC Ch. Zen Tao Irish Cream D’Minks.

 

Odile Barrette from Canada, Michody Cockers, had purchased from me a B/W Fresh Paint son in 1988. He became the multi BOB & Group winner, Ch. Minks Michody Jessie. She then purchased a Choc girl, Minks Michody Fancy Choclair in 1992. When Fancy was bred to Ch. Ashleysown Kahlua in 1997, I could not decide between 1 of the dogs & a of the bitches, so bought both. The male became Int. & AKC CH. Michody Minks Kahlua Koffee. His sister was Michody Minks Kahlua Eclair, who didn’t care to show, but became the dam of Champions.

 

Janice Conrad, who purchased Minks Flaming Cherri, a R/W bitch from my first litter, & throughout the past 35 years has been a great friend & lover of Cockers. Jan didn’t enjoy showing, but did her best with “Brandi”. She has always had a Cocker or 2 in her life & her present 2 are from my final litter, whelped in 2006. Our adventures & misadventures included going to look at “Oreo” Ch. My-Cyn Tri N To Please, & being only able to purchase him if we bought several other dogs in a kennel closeout. We did - & scrambled to groom, vet & find homes for the others. The most memorable was the bitch that Jan called “Puddles”, due to determination to pee wherever she wanted to. We have been through a lot. Jan’s heartbreak of losing her 6 year old R/W to adverse reactions from the Proheart 6 vaccination & her determination to get the word out, to prevent others from such a terrible loss. To our about once a year going out for crab leg eating marathons.

 

Besides Michael Allen, Ron Fabis, Ray & Phyllis St John, Bill Ernst & Tom Gallant, gone, but who made their mark on the breed were Kathryn Erickson of Kay Jo’s who had her first litter in 1960. From her, Kay Jo’s Kalico Kelsey, a Ch. Boyd’s Bite the Bullet son & Dominoe Grandson, was added. Thus began my friendship with John & Miriam Boyd, who began breeding in 1959. Kay was also the breeder of my beloved Peter - Wil-Orion’s Kay Jo’s Kassidy, whom we lost far too young & whose tombstone I walk past every day & still tear up when I think of him. Peter, who was whelped in 1975, was a son of Ch. Minnopa’s Governor Tryon & a 1/2 brother to the sire of my first litter. Kay also started Deb Podratz in Cockers in the early 1980s. Through Deb, from Gay came my BeGays Fresh Paint. Deb later became co-owner of Ch. Gallant Mark Lentz & had the last litter he sired & finished champions from it. So the circle continues......

 

I was just going to mention a couple breeders who influenced me & I keep thinking of more & more.

 

Great friends & who handled some for me were Tim Kernan & John Murphy (McKiernan) who showed Minks Splash of Paint for me after I put a couple points on her from puppy class. She never had much coat & did not get that final Major to finish. She did get her Int. Championship & was a Best in Show winning Veteran. They also showed Minks-Taylander Choco Kudos to a couple of points, but he was a small boy & his competition was right at the top of the standard, so he came home to play & go to Int. Shows, where he was a 3 times Best in Show Veteran.

 

Marcia Joslyn of Gazon finished 3 AKC champions for me after I had them just about singled out. These were Int. & AKC Ch. Zen Tao Irish Cream D’Minks, who I showed to his Int. Championship & Group placements, Ch. Caralee’s Dexter Brown & his daughter, Int. & AKC CH. Minks Chocolette Coated, who I also showed to her Int. Championship.

 

Barbara Lawrence, who bred to my Raisin & introduced her solid Barklee’s breeding into my lines. She then bred a bitch from that litter to the JR Hershey son, Touche’s Brass Knuckles. My stud fee pup was CC. A sister went to Pauline Harrison, whom Barbara had gotten her foundation bitch from, to add to Pauline’s breeding program.

 

Christine McKay combined my lines with her pointed BOB winning Minks Brassie Babycakes & her lines & Linda Sarkasian’s Lin-Mi’s lines. Chris has bred under the San-Cha’s & Parkwood kennel names. Chris also owned Minks Chocolette Charm & a Mark Lentz son.

Many breeders came & went in Cockers during this time. But the number of hard working breeders, who despite such trials, continued to breed & strive to develop the Cocker we know today - sound in mind & body.

 

I began submitting to the American Spaniel Club Health Registry eye exams, blood & OFA hip certifications on a yearly basis. Many of my Cockers have been Permanently Certified free of cataracts & PRA & are noted. I have others who are eligible & need to go through boxes stored in the basement & pull out their last eye exams & OFA certifications & send in & get their permanent status, also . Another project for 2012!

 

On this page & the next, please enjoy with me some of my favorite photos & memories.

But some memories are faded! If anyone can identify some of the Judges & trophy presenters, please let me know & I will add their names.

The Cocker pages will be an ongoing work in progress, so please check back for more pics & info.

 

Due to the incidence of hereditary cataracts, we here in the Midwest were lucky to have Stephen D. Bistner DVM, first graduating class of the ACVO, at the Vet College in Minnesota, to examine eyes. Then Daniel Betts DVM, the next class, came to the Vet College at Ames, Iowa. Eyes were examined by many Midwest Cocker breeders, with many a heart broken in the quest to breed Cockers free of hereditary eye defects.

Dr. Bistner was even doing test breeding trials at that time to attempt to find the mode of inheritance for hereditary cataracts.

 

Later, both VWD & Factor 10 blood clotting deficiencies were found in the Breed.

Then the shock to find hip dysplasia was not just for big dogs & again, many hearts broken, breeding programs abandoned or modified.