ESAA MAY 2014 NEWSLETTER

in this issue>>>

2014 National Specialty Information ESAA Awards - Academic Scholarships May Historian Article

Gentle, affectionate, friendly, without shyness, fear or viciousness.

The English Setter Association of America

MAY 2014

PRESIDENT: Mrs Janet Gray 242 Forest Ridge Drive Jacksonville, AL 36265 256-435-9652 jgray_inc@hotmail.com SECRETARY: Coleen Raber 1817 E. Caracas Ave Hershey, PA 17033 Tel: 717/534-1538 odysseyes@msn.com TREASURER: Mrs Mary Coldiron 5225 Squires Ct. Roanoke, VA 24018 540-776-3011 lcoldiron@cox.net MEMBERSHIP CHAIRPERSON Dr. Rhonda Dillman 62 Dillman Road Roundup, MT 59072 406-323-3264 obeddogs@midrivers.com FUTURITY CHAIRPERSON Mrs. Jane Wooding 2 Hemlock Trail Redding, CT 06896 203-938-1199 / hnjwooding@aol.com NEWSLETTER EDITOR Ms. Kathy Cunningham-Roy 35 Booras Lane Milford, CT 06460 203-876-9885 / broy304@aol.com FINANCE CHAIRPERSON Dave Mates - dnjmates@oawl.net WEB MASTER – ESAA Web address: http://www.esaa.com SUPPLIES FROM THE SECRETARY: Decals: $1.00 ESAA Booklet: $4.00 + $1.00 p/h The ESAA Store is about to open under the direction of Tyler Mills.

Watch for further announcements.

If you are interested in purchasing an English Setter Throw or past issue Annuals contact Tyler at vbpaps@yahoo.com.

ESAA Newsletter

UPCOMING EVENTS

NEWSLETTER ADVERTISING RATES Full page - B/W in paper/Color on-line - $85.00 Half page - B/W in paper/Color on-line - $55.00 Small ad - box style - B/W - no photos - $25.00 Full and Half page ad rates are for unlimited photos.

Advertising is for ESAA Members Only Please send payment directly to ESAA’s Treasurer, Mary Coldiron at address to left.

Material from this newsletter may only be re-printed with the permission of the English Setter Association of America. Please direct all inquires to the editor.

Deadline for all material is the 15th of the month for the following month's newsletter. Send all advertising and copy to the editor. This newsletter is published monthly by the English Setter Association of America, Inc. Any opinion voiced herein is not necessarily that of the officers, board of directors or the editor.

New Advertising Specs Available Online in the Members Only Section at: http://www.esaa.com The Visualization of The English Setter booklet is now available! The cost is $12.00 which includes domestic postage and handling*.

Make checks out to ESAA and send to: Sandi McCue 3391 Alder Canyon Way Antelope, CA 95843

MEDALLIONS

In order to receive a medallion, all owners must qualify as members of ESAA. You must have gotten a title on your dog as a member of ESAA with 3/4 of the points or legs or whatever being acquired after you became a member. All orders must be in writing and must be accompanied by a copy of the AKC certificate. Your individual show records are not necessary.

Please send to: Mary Nowak 26251 N. Hill Ave - Wauconda, IL 60084 847-526-8401 - jnowak7@prodigy.net To all Specialty Show Chairmen: All requests for an ESAA Best of Breed Revere Bowl must be sent to the medallion chairman (address above) in writing, at least two months in advance, giving date of show and address to which the bowl is to be shipped. This applies to the National and Combined shows as well.

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ARE NOW LOCATED ON THE INSIDE BACK COVER OF THIS NEWSLETTER

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MESSAGE FROM YOUR EDITOR Payment for advertising in this newsletter should now be sent directly to the ESAA Treasurer: Mary Coldiron 5225 Squires Ct. Roanoke VA 24018 540-776-3011 lcoldiron@cox.net

May

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Don’t forget our ESAA Regional Specialty that is being hosted by our Michigamme English Setter Club. That looks like a great event to be held over the 4th of July weekend. Members have long expressed a desire for Regional Specialties to be held around the country making it possible for more members to attend. This weekend should offer incentives with 4 shows in total and lots of opportunities to get those young English Setters in the ring! See you there!

As I sit here writing this, I am sitting on my deck. It is a beautiful day - flowers are blooming and dogs are in the yard doing whatever it is that English Setters do on a lovely spring day. It is interesting to speculate on what goes through their minds, but it is clear that they are enjoying themselves! It is so good to finally get to this part of the year. I know many of you are attending specialties, so enjoy yourselves! After a hard winter we all need this.

ESAA is running full tilt on many fronts at the moment. Our National planning is well under way, and you should find needed information each month in the Newsletter or on-line at our Facebook page. By the way, you do not need to get your own Facebook account to see the ESAA page. If you go to our web site, you will see a link to Facebook. You can just choose that option and the postings will be visible to you. I know some of you have not been interested in getting your own page, so it is available to you anyway through our link.

The Board voted to allocate $8,500 dollars from our Purina money to various Canine Health Foundation studies. We will publish the exact nature of those studies in the Newsletter. It always feels so good to disperse our funds for these potentially life saving studies. Our thanks to Michelle Raisor , our Health and Genetics Chairperson, for evaluating all the studies available to determine the ones that most effect our breed. This year she responded to many of your requests to find worthwhile studies on Hemangeosarcoma.

There are several that we have chosen to participate in the funding.

Thanks to all of you who sent in your nominations for Judges for our 2015 National Specialty and our Winter Garden Specialty. You should see a ballot in the near future. This year, for the first time, you will be able to vote by email. We are hoping by making it so much easier to vote, we can expect more voting participants.

Hopefully, many of you have seen the photos of the roll out ceremony of the AKC disaster relief trailer in Maryland that we helped to fund. If not they are available on our Facebook page.

I hope to see many of you as the spring/summer continues. In the meanwhile, take a page from our English Setters outside and loving it have fun!

You should also see a ballot for club officers and Board members in the near future. Because of the change in our Constitution, new terms will begin on July 10th. This is a month earlier than it used to be. The change was instituted to give new Officers or Board members a little more time before the National meeting to familiarize themselves with materials.

Janet Gray

MEMBERSHIP SUPPLEMENT

If there are any objections to a prospective or reapplying member, they must be filed in writing with the secretary within 90 days of the mailing of the newsletter. Also note single memberships are now Individual memberships, family memberships are now Household memberships.

NEW MEMBERS * denotes former member

Bellard, Jeanne, 30 Ottomine Way, Johnsonville, NY 12094, 518/753-4665, MA, jeannebellard@gmail.com Brunton, Jean & Lauren, 129 Plaintree Dr., Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, P6B 5G9, 705/949-6465, CAN, jeanbrunton@shaw.ca Edgehouse, Nancy, 18080 Synder Rd., Chagrin Falls, OH 44023, 440/543-6978, EC, nle@case.edu or gedgehouse@roadrunner.com Grogan, Faith, 25 Tom Sawyer Dr., Gansevoort, NY 12831, 518/587-7502, MA, rownengs@yahoo.com Larkin, Louise & Kearney, Caroline, 66 Rue du Grand Coteau, Sainte-Julie, Quebec J3E 2X2, 450/922-7320, CAN, louiselarkin@hotmail.com Mecs, Jennifer, 101 Algonquin Rd., Pittsburgh, PA 15241, 412/370-8671, EC, jenpm78@yahoo.com Oakes, Chandler (Chip) & Jaylene, 3689 Heatherwood Way, Evergreen, CO 80439, 303/679-8185, SC, chipandjay@comcast.net Radonis, Jennifer, 20 Wildwood Lane, New Hampton, NY 10958, 845/355-9014, MA, jradonis@hvc.rr.com Radonis, Virginia & John, 20 Wildwood Lane, New Hampton, NY 10958, 845/355-9014, MA, jradonis@hvc.rr.com Schwery, Wendy, 544 1800th St., Earling, IA 51530, 712/489-2106, NC, wschwery@fmctc.com Siminske, Thomas & Jane, 1660 Altoff Strasse, Gaylord, MI 49735, 989/858-6791, EC, esetter2264@hotmail.com

CHANGES

Gruzzi, Barbara: change email to barbaragruzzi@gmail.com Johnson, Sue: change membership to individual Lottig, Joanna: change email to joanna.lottig@yahoo.com O’Brien, Mary Ellen: change membership to family – add David Holman as second member Wuetherich, Sherry: change email to lakeside1959@embarqmail.com ESAA Newsletter

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n i t e l bulboard NATIONAL Hotel Update Click here: Matamoras Hotels - Hampton Inn Matamoras/Milford http://hamptoninn3.hilton.com/en/hotels/pennsylvania/hampton-innmatamoras-milford-SCRMAHX/index.html The host hotel is currently sold out of the double and king rooms in our block. They do have a limited number of Whirlpool suites (with King bed) available at $139/night.

We also have a block of rooms at the Hampton Inn, Matamoras. This hotel shares the parking lot with our host hotel. The room rate for the Hampton Inn is $139/night. Unfortunately they do NOT allow dogs.

I also recommend that you place your name on the waiting list that the host hotel is currently keeping. Those on the waiting list will be called first if and when rooms currently reserved become available.

Kathy Cunningham-Roy

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Schedule

!

IVE T A T TEN

BEST WESTERN Inn at Hunt’s Landing 120 Routes 6 & 209 Matamoras, Pennsylvania, 18336-2056

570-491-2400 ESAA TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

HUDSON TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

October 17 & 18, 2014

October 25, 2014

Skyline Agility Club in Middletown, NY (approximately 20 minutes from host hotel)

October 26, 2014

October 20, 2014

Hudson English Setter Club Specialty

Hunt Test

Hudson English Setter Club Specialty

October 21, 2014

Walking Field Trial ESAA Obedience/Rally ESAA Board Meeting

ESAA NATIONAL

Futurity: Mrs. Chris Walkowicz Maturity: Mrs. Chris Walkowicz Veteran Sweepstakes: Mrs. Gloria Arata Regular Classes

Dogs: Ms. Paula Dempsey

Bitches & Intersex: Mrs. Sue Goldberg Junior Handling: TBA Obedience: Mrs. Patricia Scully Rally: Mrs. Patricia Scully Hunt Tests

MH/SH: Gail Ryan & Kim McVeigh

JH: Dave Branik & Sandy Moody Walking Field Trial

Amateur Walking Derby Puppy - Kevin Culver

Amateur Walking Gundog - Lisa Miller

- Patricia Sanborn

October 22, 2014

Futurity & Maturity

Veteran Sweepstakes (Evening)

Top 20 Competition (Evening)

October 23, 2014

Bitch Classes

October 24, 2014

Judges

Dog Classes Junior Showmanship Competition Intersex Classes Non – Regular Multiple Dog Classes ESAA Banquet

2014 Hudson English Setter Club (host club specialty) Puppy/Veteran Sweepstakes: Ms. Mary Merlo Regular & Non-Regular Classes: Mr. Sid Marx Junior Handling: TBA

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RV Parking Form BEST WESTERN Inn at Hunt’s Landing 120 Routes 6 & 209 Matamoras, Pennsylvania, 18336-2056

570-491-2400 ALL RV Reservations MUST be MAILED to: JACK LANNON - ESAA National RV Parking, 76 Old Northfield Road, Northfield, CT 06778 Make checks payable in US Funds to ESAA RV PARKING RATE:

$35.00 per day

• Spaces are located in the Best Western parking lot near the grooming tent, ballroom, grassy areas and dog wash stations.

• Each space will cost $35.00 per night. If you are a registered guest at the hotel your RV space is free but you will still need to send in a form to reserve your space.

• There are no utility connections however a map to a local dumpsite will be provided. Sites will be assigned in order of arriving on site.

• Questions: email Jack at Mainejack61@gmail.com

When making reservations please include the following: Name Address Cell Phone Email RV Length & Other Info Adjoining Space with Arrival Date Departure Date # Nights @ $35/day = $ or

free if registered hotel guest

There is a full service RV Park just minutes from the National Host Hotel.

Tri-State RV Park, 400 Shay Lane, Matamoras, PA 18336 570-491-4948 - 800-562-2663 - info@tristatervpark.com 40 pull-through sites with full hook-up Water, electric, septic, cable, Free WIFI Access For Sale: Propane, Ice and Firewood ESAA Newsletter

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Trophy Donations BEST WESTERN Inn at Hunt’s Landing 120 Routes 6 & 209 Matamoras, Pennsylvania, 18336-2056

570-491-2400 Help make the

2014 ESAA National Specialty another great event.

We depend on the generous support of our members to put together an outstanding trophy table.

All donations are inherent in staging a National, but cannot be covered by entry fees alone.

Donations can be made by check and mailed as directed below or by PayPal at the link on the left hand side of the home page by going to http://national.esaa.com.

This year’s Trophy Committee is being headed up by The English Setter Club of New England.

Please make checks payable to ESAA and mail to:

Paula Helming 134 Silver Beech Rd Southbury, CT 06488 sparkypph@charter.net

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Raffle Donations BEST WESTERN Inn at Hunt’s Landing 120 Routes 6 & 209 Matamoras, Pennsylvania, 18336-2056

570-491-2400 The 2014 National Specialty is only 5 months away and each year we ask all of our members and clubs for their support by making a donation for the raffle.

National Capital English Setter Club is chairing the raffle this year and we are asking all clubs to please make a cash donation or bring a basket to the raffle with goodies or items that represent your state or are unique to your club area. Each year we look forward to the club baskets and their special treasures to entice ESAA members to participate in the raffle by purchasing tickets for a chance to win.

We are once again going back to the Chinese raffle and are hoping your club will consider a cash donation or a basket to add to the success of the 2014 National.

We also encourage all ESAA members individually to make a monetary donation or donate an item with their names on it so that we can let them know our appreciation in our future publications.

Please make checks payable to ESAA and mail to:

Donna Richardson 722 Steps to Heaven Rd Linden, VA 22642 Huntreese@aol.com 540-631-9176 Please let us know if you will be bringing a basket or cash donation to be included in our raffle and we will include it in all publications prior to the event.

We would appreciate any support you can provide and look forward to a successful 2014 raffle and National!

Thank you so much,

National Capital English Setter Club

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HISTORIAN’S CORNER THIS MONTH IN ENGLISH SETTER HISTORY:

May May is another important month for English Setter history as this was when the annual Morris and Essex show was held. A win at this show was a signature win as were wins at Westminster and the parent club specialty. We remember a special event held at the Morris and Essex show with May’s Photo of the Month below. Three recurring themes for English Setters run through this month’s column: The Futurity, coat color, and our breed’s characterization as a “gentleman by nature.”

The Futurity: In her May 1944 Gazette column, Priscilla (Duke) Ryan announces that the association “has given up its annual Futurity,” making the 1943 event the last of the original futurities. The demise of the Futurity can probably be blamed in part on low entries (and interest) in recent years because of breeding restrictions during World War II. Although there were discussions on reviving the Futurity during the 1950’s, the Futurity was not reinstituted until 1976. Even then, the start of the “new” Futurity was not without confusion – and controversy – over the selection of the first Futurity judge. It was reported in March that the judge for the 1976 event was selected from nominations provided by the Futurity Chairman and then voted on by the Board of Directors. This announcement set off a firestorm of complaints about the right of the membership to vote on the Futurity judge. The leadership of the California English Setter Club formally requested a membership vote. In her President’s Note published in the May 1976 ESAA Newsletter, association president Jane Slossen acknowledged the “legitimate complaints from both sides.” She reported that, in fact, the Board had

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approved such a membership vote on a slate of candidates provided by the Futurity Chairman at their August 1975 meeting. All parties involved, including the judge, the AKC, and the CESC – among others, agreed to “set the record straight.” An emergency ballot was sent to the membership and a new judge was selected. President Slossen wrote, “ It would have been less embarrassing and less controversial to let the (original) election stand but, breeders all over the country have a part in this Futurity and I felt that the August 1975 ESAA Board of Directors vote should be upheld and the ESAA membership should have a right to make a decision on who passes on their Futurity nominees.“ When Slossen also wrote that, “This is the first Futurity and will be the most difficult,” she wasn’t lyin’. This brings us to our May Trivia Question. Can you name the 1976 Futurity judge? The answer is below.

Coat Color Again: In her aforementioned May 1944 Gazette column, Priscilla (Duke) Ryan also registered her disappointment in the quality of the English Setter entry at Westminster for the second year in a row. She wrote that, “At the Garden show, which is a pretty good barometer of what is going on, there wasn’t anything in the classes for which you could predict great things.” She blamed the lack of overall quality on the fact that all of the top dogs were five years old (more or less) and were all line-­‐bred descendants of Rummey Stagboro. Her own opinion was that the breed urgently needed “to find an outcross of some sort.” Continued line breeding without finding another “dominant stud force” would yield “very dire results.” Interestingly, she also observed that “we have lost the beautiful

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HISTORIAN’S CORNER THIS MONTH IN ENGLISH SETTER HISTORY:

blue belton color almost entirely – with a very few exceptions.” I have written elsewhere about how Rummey Stagboro’s prominence as a sire probably helped to alter the color balance in the breed in America. (See “The Coat Color Question” in your 2007 ESAA Annual.) Fourteen years later, Elsworth Howell reported on his trip to England, where he acquired his Ch. Ernford High Flier, in his May 1958 Popular Dogs column. While in England, Howell attended the prestigious Cruft’s Dog Show where he observed an entry of 77 English Setters. He wrote about his impressions of the English bred dogs as they compared to American bred dogs.

Howell’s observations would confirm that the color balance in America differed than that in England.

With respect to coat color he wrote:

The most amazing aspect to an American is the preponderance of tricolors, which made up a good 75% of Cruft’s entry. True blues came next numerically, with oranges – or lemons as they are called here – in a very small minority. This color situation is a natural result of relatively rare breedings of orange to orange.

Gentlemen by Nature: It is often said that people resemble the dogs they own. If that is true, then we as English Setter owners are luckier than we know.

Have the best qualities of our dogs rubbed off on us? Are we indeed “gentlemen and gentlewomen by association?” Here are a couple of thoughts

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inspire us “to be touched the better setters of our nature.” Newly elected ESAA President Rebec Pusey wrote this in her letter to the membership in the May 1962 ESAA Newsletter:

We are a small group of individuals striving to breed and show outstanding dogs. I hear our Association complimented on all sides as being one with no internal politics and one in which the private exhibitor is on equal footing with the Professional, who is our friend, helps us, shows for us, beats us and loses to us.

One newcomer to the breed and the sport who was appreciative of the help and kindness she and her husband received was Jeannette Ward Brady Jr.(Frenchtown). After the Bradys finished their first English Setter, Ch. Frenchtown Favorite Son, this quote from Mrs. Brady’s letter to the ESA Gazette columnist appeared in the May 1947 issue:

We feel that we have chosen an all-­‐absorbing hobby, in common with a great many fine and gracious people. The courtesy shown us and the advice and encouragement given us by other exhibitors, by handlers and judges has been a great source of satisfaction to us.

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HISTORIAN’S CORNER THIS MONTH IN ENGLISH SETTER HISTORY:

May

Thus inspired by their experiences, both women served the association and the breed in many important ways. Now, let’s get out there and make our setters proud.

ENGLISH SETTERS EARNING AKC CHAMPIONSHIPS THIS MONTH

1944: Ch. Fern Of Blue Bar, Ch. Meta of Blue Bar, Ch. Rusty of Haon.

1954: Ch. Claybanks M ighty Fetchin.

1964: Ch. Cedar Retreat's Nimrod, Ch. Governor George of F ar-­‐Rae, Ch. Lo-­‐Erls Country Gentleman, Ch. Phantom Brook's Fancy Free, Ch. Prince Tuff of Button Ball, Ch. Rocky Nevada's Shoshone Belle,

1974: Am./Can. Ch. Fivesmith's Heidi, Ch. Gal's Tough Enough, Ch. Suki of Blackcap Run CD.

1984: Ch. BJ Bramblebush Champagne Jam, Ch. Guys 'N Dolls Smooth Talker, Ch. Haliburton's Lady Olivia, Ch. Our Gang Moonlight Magnolia, Am./Can. Ch. Sunstone's Tri City Bank.

1994: None.

2004: Ch Bayside Darnelle Break'in Even, Ch Baysides Darnelle's Raz'n Cain, Ch Chebaco Circle of Friends, Ch Set'r Ridge Fireside Hunter, Ch Set'r Ridge's Vision, Ch Sevenoaks Birchrun Desert Rain, Ch Wildwood's Full Metal Jacket.

PHOTO OF THE MONTH

This month’s photo celebrates the last of the great Morris and Essex shows, held on May 23, 1957, where Am./Can./Cuban Ch. Rock Falls Colonel’s astounding show career was commemorated with a retirement ceremony. He was exhibited in the “For Exhibition Only” class and, at nine years old, still demonstrated the top form that made him the great champion that he was. Over 100 English Setter breeders and fanciers were in attendance at the luncheon held in the Colonel’s honor. They presented him with an engraved silver platter that read in part: “In Honor of the Retirement of Int. Ch. Rock Falls Colonel from the English Setter Breeders and Exhibitors of America.”

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ANSWER TO TRIVIA QUESTION: The judge for the 1976 Futurity was Elsworth Howell.

Carl Sillman ESAA Historian ces3@psu.edu

HISTORIAN’S CORNER ESAA Newsletter

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ESAA Awards

Academic Scholarships The English Setter Association of America is pleased to announce the first recipients of the ESAA Academic Scholarship.

Daniel Fabelo and Tory-Jo Bauer-Pisani will each receive $1000 scholarships toward their college educations.

Daniel

, a freshman majoring in Forensic Science at Defiance College in Ohio, participated in junior showmanship where was a finalist at Eukanuba in 2012. He is also a breeder/ owner/handler, having finished several of his dogs. He looks forward to continuing his breeding program and one day becoming an English setter breed judge.

Tory -Jo

, a freshman

majoring in Biology at Colby-Sawyer College in New Hampshire, participated in junior showmanship and has been awarded several best junior handler awards with her English setters. She has also finished championships on several English setters. Tory-Jo is an accomplished equestrian and writer who is considering veterinary medicine as a career.

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ESAA Academic Scholarship Essay by Daniel Fabelo My name is Daniel Adam Fabelo; I am a freshman at Defiance College with a major in Forensic Science. Once I have completed my college education my goal is to return to dog shows as a breeder, handler and eventually, a judge. My education is the most important thing to me and I always do my very best when it comes to achieving my goals. Just like in dog shows, I always give one hundred and ten percent.

Once I have graduated from college, I plan to return to dog shows. I love handling dogs because I feel the connection with my dog in the ring, at that moment is all about you, the dog and the judge. I love handling because it really is something I have always enjoyed and it is something I find to be very captivating.

Handing at dog shows is something I have been around since I was little, admiring my dad, sister and other handlers. I started showing at the age of nine and have been showing since. I have grown watching and learning from handlers like, Eileen Hacket and Carols Puig. This past summer I had the opportunity to travel and shadow with Eileen Hacket to shows and I was humbled to have received such an amazing opportunity from a handler of such status like Eileen. I have been lucky enough to qualify for Eukanuba eight times and Westminster four times. Out of the four times I have qualified for Westminster, I have competed three times as a Junior Handler in the finals. I’ve had the opportunity to attend the English Setter Nationals and compete multiple times. Dog shows is something I don’t want to ever not be a part of my life, I love being at the shows and hanging out with all the friends I have made over the years. I have made some truly amazing friends and couldn’t imagine life without them.

Dogs are an important part of my life and one of the hardest things during my college stay; I miss having my dog with me. Growing up, I have been blessed to have a family that was always providing me with unique opportunities. About thirteen years ago my family got our first English Setter, and my dad and my sister began their involvement in dog shows. At the young age of 9, I became involved in shows and I have stuck to it and have continued with my show career ever sine. I have worked very hard setting goals and achieving all except one, bringing home a Best Junior from Westminster. Being able to go back to Westminster to show one more time in Juniors with a dog that I raised, and my dad bred, was the best memory of my junior show years, one that has meant a lot. I traveled to New York City in 2013 one last time to show in the junior’s competition with the goal of coming home with the Best Junior Ribbon. Although, that win did not happen, in my heart I know that both me and my dog did everything on point and allowed me the opportunity to make the final cut. I was very happy with my team of four juniors that made it to the final and those memories will last forever.

I also plan on getting into the breeding/judging part of dog shows. I want to continue my own breeding program with English Setters which is my first love of dogs. I have one breeding on the ground right now with my dad from my junior’s dog and can’t wait till I have my own breeding someday. The idea of working to improve your own line is fascinating to me. I want to pursue the goal of becoming a judge as well, once I have completed my college education. I would love to become a junior’s judge because I love showing in juniors and for the past eleven years of showing I have come to love it so much I couldn’t imaging dog shows without juniors. I also want to become a sporting judge, starting with English Setters and eventually becoming an all-breed judge being able to judge best in Show one day. Therefore, becoming a judge would be a great way to stay connected with juniors.

I have had an amazing time these last few years in dog shows. While in college pursuing my degree, I plan on focusing my summer breaks on breeding, and showing. I am looking forward to what life will bring me in the next four years attending college to pursue my degree and I can’t wait for the next stare of my dog life to start.

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ESAA Academic Scholarship Essay submitted by Tory-Jo Bauer-Pisani I remember opening and closing the gate to the run and sitting down on the concrete with the swarming of a dozen little white hippopotamus puppies pouncing my thighs and tearing my shoelaces. I was thirteen, a little less muscular, a little less outspoken, but not far from who I am today. I picked up each English Setter puppy and let them lick every inch of my face until it was raw with puppy milk breath. At that time, I had been dealing with the stress of my family, starting high school, and just being a teenager. Being surrounded by tiny helpless bodies, which were neither judgmental nor mean meant the absolute world to me. What made it even better was that one of those little puppies graced my lap on the ride home. He later became known as Ch. Huntly’s Nottingham Archer aka “Flynn”. I had never shown a dog before Flynn.

I began showing in juniors and breed with Flynn as a 6-month old puppy, which was in a word: entertaining. Most of the juniors I was competing against had seasoned champions that free-stacked with no questions asked. I on the other hand, had a gangly-legged puppy that could barely keep all four feet on the ground for more than two seconds. But I was patient and I tried my absolute best. To my surprise, I placed in some extremely large and competitive classes for the fact that I never once took anything out on my goofy puppy and never sighed when I had to reset Flynn’s back feet about a dozen times before the judge cracked a smile and came over. I had to start somewhere. By the time he finally figured out how to be a show dog, Flynn finished with 3 majors, a huge Best of Breed over Specials, and the happiest handler. It was then that I caught the major dog show bug. I began assisting a few handlers between competing for my high school equestrian and track team, by having the opportunity to show and groom Irish and Gordon Setters, German Wire-haired Pointers, and Pointers and compete avidly in juniors. But my heart was always with my spotted wonders.

By the time I was a senior in high school, I knew that it was my dream to dance the Westminster ring as a breeder-owner-handler of my English Setters. After an arduous search, I called Conny Helms and Karen Corey in hopes of picking up one of their precious Bikini X Stoli puppies. Not only did I get the puppy of my dreams, but I also got my best friend. My mom and I trekked to North Carolina to pick up Ch. Editions Castle Bravo aka “Indigo”.

Not only has Indigo proved herself to be an amazing show dog, finishing her championship at eighteen months with four majors, a Best of Breed over specials at a year old, a Best of Opposite over top ranked specials, Best in Sweepstakes, and placing at the 2013 ESAA National, but she stuck by me through thick and thin. She stood there with me while I put two of my horses down this summer, when my grandparents died, and when I walked from the car to my college dorm. It’s hard for me not cry while I’m writing this because I currently am sitting in my college dorm relying on pictures from my mom of her and Flynn standing next to the door waiting for me to come home. It’s hard for me to sleep at night sometimes, knowing that the familiar warm bodies aren’t snuggling next to me telling me that growing up and becoming an adult is going to be okay. I’m going to make it.

Indigo has always been there to protect me. Over Thanksgiving break, I went hiking in the woods with her to clear my mind. I accidently veered off the trail and got caught alone in the middle of the woods in the dead of the night and cold. I curled on the forest floor waiting for the rescue team as Indigo wrapped her body around me, trying to keep me as warm as possible before I became hypothermic. When the rescue team came, without hesitation she braced herself in front of me and went to nail the strange men. Without her I would have become completely frozen and alone. But I know that I never am. I don’t just love and want my show dogs, I need them.

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KATHRYN CUNNINGHAM-ROY 35 BOORAS LANE MILFORD CT 06460

FIRST CLASS MAIL

PRESORTED 1ST CLASS U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit #12 Indiana PA