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A Little Bit About Cimarron Shepherds Although the German Shepherd breed has been part of my family for much of my younger life, I did not acquire MY first German Shepherd until 1980. Baron Bacardi 'N' Koke OFA became my first shepherd when he was about 10 weeks old. Baron's sire, LeBarland's Nathan OFA , was out of the American kennel owned by Lee and Barb Trapp. Baron's dam, Knotrom's Enkalinne OFA,was out of German / British lines. Several weeks later, Baron and I found ourselves at a puppy match in Northern California. Baron was doing very well until the Best of Breed competition, when he pooped out and eventually wound up getting Best of Opposite Sex. At the time I did not realize that this 10 cent ribbon would wind up costing me thousands in entries, handling fees, travel and lodging expenses in the years to come. A couple of years later, I acquired Baron's dam, Knotrom's Enkalinne ("Deutchess"), from her owner. Neighbor difficulties towards Deutchess had forced her owner to give her up. In 1984, I acquired two more bitches, Kingspride Special Edition ("Termite") and LeBarland's Elke ["Meatball"). A couple of months later, I bred Deutchess to a Kingspride sire, but Deutchess had difficulty in delivering the litter; and my lack of experience caused her to loose the entire litter. So my first attempt at becoming a breeder wound up as a failure. Shortly thereafter, Elke came into season and was left isolated downstairs away from Baron. Upon returning home from work, I found Baron's cage destroyed, the hollow core door at the foot of the stairs was broken through, and Elke's cage was broken open. Needless, to say what the two had been doing for most of the day. Elke whelped 12 pups (10 survivors) two months later. Two girls, out of this litter, I ultimately kept. These two wound up being the most mischievous dogs that I have ever had to date, and their names suited them very well: Von Stefan Haus Double Trouble, OFA and Devil's Delight of VSH, OFA. The initial name that I used for my kennel, Von Stefan Haus, was a short- lived attempt of trying to get a German sounding name. Sometimes this name was shortened to some form of "VSH" in order to meet the AKC's limit on characters for the registered name. Much to my dismay, during Elke's next season, a friend of mine, who was dog sitting, allowed Baron and Elke out together. The result was similar, 14 puppies born in May of 1985. I tried to sell the entire litter, but two from the litter did not find new homes. Of the two, the bitch was kind of a runt as a puppy, so I nicknamed her "Midget". Midget, or Von Stefan Haus Edelweiss OFA, ultimately became my foundation bitch. She OFA'd hips and elbows in 1987; and in 1988, I introduced her and re-introduced myself to the conformation ring. During her show career, she accumulated only a couple of points and a couple of reserves. She hated to show. Her best movement could typically be seen while she was exiting the ring, trying to get as far away from the show ring as possible. In the summer of 1987, I went after a future stud dog. I visited the well known kennel, Covy-Tucker Hill and came home with a Romantico son. Covy-Tucker Hill's Orion had several health problems, so he was replaced with a puppy out of Nike Clayfield All American OFA (Andretti brother) ex Covy-Tucker Hill's Dessa Rose OFA ( excel ). This pup, Covy-Tucker Hill's Saber OFA ("Dinger"), sired two litters out of my Midget. The first litter was born in the middle of a violent storm, and this became my "storm" litter. This was also my first and only use of the kennel name of Kingdom. This was derived from the Missouri county of Callaway, in which I live. Callaway county seceded from the Union and the Confederacy during the Civil War to form an independent and neutral "Kingdom of Callaway". The members of this storm litter included Kingdom's Storm, Kingdom's Hurricane OFA, Kingdom's Cyclone OFA, Kingdom's Tornado OFA (excell), Blackwood's Uptown Girl CD OFA, and my eventual first AKC champion and my first homebred champion, Ch Kingdom's Thunder CD OFA. Storm accumulated minor success, as did her sisters Tornado, and Blackwood's Uptown Girl. Cyclone was never shown. By the time that I realized that Hurricane had potential, she had gotten DQ'd for aggressive behavior toward a judge. Now that I look back at the event, Hurricane could probably have been an eventual qualifier for the German Shepherd Dog Club of America's Register of Merit award for her dam, Von Stefan Haus Edelweiss. The second litter from Saber ex Edelweiss resulted in my second champion, Am/Can Ch Cimarron's Rhiannon CD OFA. During the last weeks that Rhiannon was shown, Rhiannon and her handler, Julie Foster won two 4 point majors, took 6 major reserves, and defeated some 200 plus bitches. She finished during the 8 shows during the December circuit in Biloxi, MS and Jackson, MS. In these eight shows, she was shown in the open class where it was a major in bitches in this class alone ( except one day). Julie and Rhiannon teamed up for a 2nd place and RWB on day 1, no placing on day 2 (no major), 2nd place and RWB on day 3, 2nd place and RWB on day 4, 2nd place and RWB on day 5, 4th place on day 6, 1st place and WB and BOW on day 7-finishing her championship. This was at the expense of many well known handlers such as: Wayne Green, Carol Green, Jimmy Moses, Fran Foster, Scott Yergin, Don Kille, Bart Bartley, Christy Heiman, CJ Favre, Jack Roye, Laurie Jeff Greer, Greg Eschette, Bobby Schoenfield Clint Livingston, and Ted Browning......... In the summer of 1997, Julie put a Canadian championship on Rhiannon. In the fall of 1997, Julie got my third qualifier towards Midget's ROM by getting a 4 point major reserve with Cimarron's Kodiak OFA. Kodiak's hip was subsequently injured during an ice storm the following winter when he slipped and fell onto a pointed object. This brought an end to his show career prematurely . I was now faced with the idea of how I was going to get my fourth qualifier for Midget. She had Ch Thunder, Ch Rhiannon, and major reserve winner in Kodiak. Where was #4 going to come from? An ROM on Tornado, perhaps?.......... At the time, Tornado already had two litters on the ground with a third one on the way. She had two qualifiers out of her first litter sired by Ch Windwalker's Jolly Roger ROM OFA. One champion qualifier is Ch Cimarron's Kracklin' Rosie OFA. The other qualifier from this litter is Cimarron's Krimson Tide who acquired a two point winners dog and a major reserve while he was entered as a 'filler' dog. The other champion qualifier is Ch Cimarron's Leda OFA who is out of Ch Windwalker's Quebec OFA. Tornado's third litter was out of Ch Aztec's Kodak ROM OFA. Here is where I thought her greatest potential of future qualifiers lay because of their side movement. The biggest problem was that they are on small side. In this litter, there are 3 BOYS: Cimarron's Majician who died with 9 pts - no majors - no major reserves - 15 minor reserves; Cimarron's Mach One - 2 pts - 7 minor reserves; Cimarron's Maximum Risk - only a few brief shows since the puppy classes; 5 GIRLS: Cimarron's Margarita - 10 points - no majors -25 reserves - herself a potential ROM-should finish if I ever take her out of the Bred By Exhibitor class, Cimarron's More Than A Feeling - 1 pt - 2 minor reserves - could finish, Cimarron's Maggie Mae - 2 minor reserves - could finish, Cimarron's Unchained Melody - 2 pts - 1 minor reserve - could finish, Cimarron's Marquesa - only shown in novice class-could qualify if she gets her act together. A good deal of the last several years since 1997 has been devoted to getting the 4th qualifier for Midget's ROM. Since all of her progeny are past their prime, I was concentrating on achieving a Register of Merit on her daughter Tornado. With a ROM on Tornado, Tornado would become the 4th qualifier for Midget's ROM. Many people have asked why I did not show other dogs, who they thought would have a better chance of winning rather than my Tornado kids. My number one goal was to put the Register of Merit title on the end of Von Stefan Haus Edelweiss OFA. If that meant that another dog ( that would not help this ROM goal ) would sit and wait, then that dog sat and waited. Another goal of mine is to have a champion all of who's points originated from the Bred-By-Exhibitor class. That potential bred-by champion right now is Margarita, although I may have to forego the bred-by champion for now and put Margarita with a handler to pick up her majors. On March 12, 2003 tragedy occurred at my kennel when a combination of weird Missouri weather, coupled with a loss of electricity and a gross error on my part, cost me the lives of two of my dogs. I loose Magic and one of Rhiannon's brothers. Four others were in grave danger of dieing. Several others were put at high risk of danger. With Magic's death, almost all of my dreams for an ROM would now rest on Margarita.
On May 2, 2003, under a judge that I expected not to do very well under, I
had entered Cimarron’s Margarita to support a major in bitches.
Margarita (aka Coyote) was entered in the Bred By class.
When Bred By Exhibitor bitches were called, I entered the
ring with Coyote almost reluctantly. She was last in line for the
class. During her individual,
she gave me a good performance down and back and also during her lap
around the ring. The judge then proceeded to gait the entire class
around the grassy ring. Coyote's side gait was flawless and she did
it with such little effort as she cruised around the ring. I was
proud of what she had done, but I felt the oncoming disappointment because
I thought her performance would go unnoticed. The judge looked up
and down the line as we set up our girls in the Bred By class. I was
mentally preparing to receive my placing for last place. Then he
points for first place. Is he pointing at me ?!!? Surely my eyes are deceiving
me, so I do a double take. Yes, he is pointing at me to go to
the head of the line. The judge then gaits us one more time and
Coyote again does not disappoint me as her stride opens up, leaving the
other exhibitors behind. She proceeds to take first place in her
class under a judge I had no illusions of winning under.
Hmm, this could be interesting!
I change dogs and enter the ring with my AmBred bitch.
During the subsequent gaiting of the AmBred class, my AmBred girl
hits a depression in the ground and aggravates a wound from a cut. I
can feel her favoring her gait to one side. I am anxiously awaiting
the conclusion of this class so she does not get excused. While I am
in the ring, I watch the judging of the rest of the AmBred class. The
AmBred bitch class concludes and I exit the ring. Outside the ring,
I watch the open class. My heart rate starts to race a little, as
the thought crosses my mind.....Coyote can beat these girls. Before
the placements are awarded in the open class, I get Coyote out of the
crate. She is very fidgety. I quickly take her to potty.
Arrgh, what a pile! What
a smell! No wonder she was fidgety!
The Open bitch class completes, and Winner's bitch competition is
being called into the ring. The 7 class winners set up their bitches
and Coyote is third from the front. The judge looks down the line
from the open bitch on back. As he looks at Coyote, she moves her
left rear leg. I reset her leg back to the extended position and I
whisper into her ear about all the "horrible" things I am going
to do her should she move a foot again. She then eyeballs back at
me, as if to suggest, "Get bent,- I can do whatever I want to out
here!". The judge gaits the class around the ring. Coyote
is awesome! So Smooth! So little effort expended! So
much ground covered! The judge has each class winner do the down and
back again. During Coyote's turn, she was more than adequate. The
judge gaits the entire class around the ring. Coyote is having an
exceptional day. She is giving me the best performance of her life.
The judge moves Coyote up behind the open bitch. My heart rate
increases with anticipation. He gaits the class again. I see
that the open bitch is slowing Coyote down, and in the back of my mind, I
would like to pass the open bitch. The judge points at the open
bitch and I gasp from the disappointment. Now the second place open
bitch returns to the ring and much of the process is repeated.
Coyote continues to smoke the competition. The judge then points for
the 4 point major reserve. It's........Coyote! Oh my gosh!
It has finally happened! Although Coyote has gone Best
of the Losers for the 21st time, this one is special - it
is a 4 point major reserve. Coyote has become the final qualifier towards
her dam's Register of Merit title. Her dam is now Kingdom's Tornado
ROM OFA (excellent). And with the ROM on Tornado, Tornado becomes
the final qualifier towards her dam's Register of Merit title. Her
dam is now Von Stefan Haus Edelweiss ROM OFA. My dream for a
Register of Merit title that had started over ten years ago, has now
become a reality with TWO ROM titles in the same day! After I had met
my decade long goal for the requirements for my ROM, I was now tasked with
what direction I wanted to proceed with showing dogs. A championship
on Coyote is still a goal. Her lack of hair has made it difficult to
get those majors when the competition in bitches can be so exceptional. So
far, twenty-five times she has been chosen for Reserve Hairless
Bitch! I have purchased a very plush sable bitch who is a real
easy side gaiter, has hair, but she lacks show attitude. She had
spent several years in her prior owner's back yard with little attention.
Then one
day on the way to a dog show, Jack Reed stops by my place. He
notices a 3 year old black and red male (with one whopping point). I
had been waiting for this male to mature. Jack tells me he is ready
to win and to enter him and Coyote in some shows, but since they do not
draw majors, they do not go. Two weeks later, Jack takes this male
(Cimarron's Cold As Ice, aka Pooper) to Topeka for 3 shows and gets
a reserve, a reserve, and another reserve the first 3 times in the ring
with Jack. The following weekend, I show him one day only in Bred By and
he receives his second point in late April of 2003. The following weekend
Jack and Pooper team up for another reserve in Gray Summit where it was
one dog short of a major. The second weekend in May, they head out
to New Mexico and get Winner's Dog for 2 pts one day and RWD the next.
They take the third weekend in May off. Over the four shows in
Oklahoma on the Memorial day weekend, they get winners dog two more times
and reserve winners dog two more times. The first weekend in June in
North Dakota, was uneventful and a waste of time. In Kentucky for
the next weekend was also uneventful as I wasted my time with Pooper in
Bred By. In mid June Jack and Pooper teamed up for back to back
majors in Arkansas. Pooper now had a total of twelve points and both
majors. The next weekend, we head up to Iowa for yet another
reserve. The last weekend in June was spent in Champaign, Ill where
they team up for winners dog the first day, nothing on the second day, and
on the third day, winners dog and best of winners for his third major and
also his championship. Fifteen points, including 3 majors, in a
little over two months, along with eight states in 9 show weekends.
Pooper becomes Rhiannon's first champion qualifier and was the easiest dog
I have ever finished. Maybe an ROM on Rhiannon is also a
possibility. During all this time, Pooper's sister, Molly's Cimarron Heart has been racking up obedience and performance title after title. She has recently acquired her UD title and Molly and her owner Jennifer are now going after an OTCH . Molly (at last count) was now Molly's Cimarron Heart UD AX OAJ CGC, ASCA-CDX, TC HIC, TDI, VCCX OCX .
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