Showsight November 2020

ELIZABETH TOBIN, BLUESTONE SMOOTH FOX TERRIERS

Ch. Bluestone Campaign Promise “Spencer”

Am Eng. Ch. Bluestone Hold All Tickets “Tip” at age 12 years.

Joe and I have bred many Montgomery KC and Specialty cham- pions/winners, and also two English champions. We are very proud of these. Am. and Eng. Ch Bluestone Hold All Tickets, sired by our import, Ch. Gaybryl Goldman, from the late Malcolm and Mary Gabriel, Wales, goes back to Paper Moon. “Tip” was the first dog to make up an English championship by traveling three times in the same year to the UK, winning three consecutive tickets, two of them under breeder judges. He also won many specialties. More than he won, he was a superb producer, giving us a leg up on future generations, giving us MCKC and Crufts winners, present in our pedigrees today. Blended with our older stock, he gave us a very important sire, Ch. Bluestone Campaign Promise, who is behind some of my best producing bitches. One of his daughters, Am. and Eng. Ch. Bluestone Snow Angel, a National Specialty winner from the classes, was also a three-time Crufts ticket winner, the only dog outside of England to win those tickets coming from the States, consecutively. In return, Snowy gave us two litters, both being bred to our only Witchy son, Ch. Bluestone Ghostzapper, WD MCKC, the year Witchy was BIS. Both litters produced specialty winners, and their get have produced MCKC winners, as well as a performance champion. Continuing generations has proven fruitful. Joe and I have never kept track of how many dogs we have finished, but more importantly, we tried to stamp our type, keep the good type we had, and carry on forward. We focus more on specialties and Montgomery County to showcase our breeding to the fancy. Please comment positively on your breed’s present condition and what trends might bear watching. It is great to watch this breed become such great show dogs! SFT are not an easy breed to show. I believe this breed, thanks to the breeders, has become more versatile, and can do much more, whether it be showing, performance or obedience. I think as breeders we should concentrate on heads and expres- sion, with higher placed ears, and work on our fronts. Overall, how- ever, the breed is in good shape.

The sport has changed greatly since you first began participating. What are your thoughts on the state of the fancy and the declining number of breeders? This is the million dollar question. Twenty-five years ago, it was nothing to see 175 SFT at MCKC. The 9-12 Puppy Bitch Class typically had 20-plus competing. Now, we are lucky to see 50 SFT overall this same weekend. What is the solution? It is hard to get folks interested in showing—many just want a good, healthy pet. We have lost many breeders to old age, location, and the difficulty of travel from other locations via plane. We have sold a few show and performance puppies, but are mostly thankful for the great homes our puppies are placed into. How do we encourage newcomers to join us and remain in the sport? We encourage showing, performance, and breeding with a pur- pose, but good homes to us are more essential. Perhaps we can try to encourage the children of puppy buyers to take their children to 4-H, to get them interested in competition. Where do you see your breeding program in the next decade or two? Joe and I just had milestone birthdays this year, but we hope to continue doing what we love; breeding good type SFT, to con- tinue to contribute to this breed and the sport we so love. Finally, tell us a little about Liz outside of dogs... your profession, your hobbies. Well, personally I have come full circle, and after a lifetime in dogs, showing professionally, then breeding our dogs, I went back to riding about 10 years ago, and totally loving it! I am also a Certified Advanced Diver, and would like to finish working toward my Master Diver Certification. When I have the time, I also love cycling—it keeps me fit to ride and dive. Both Joe and I are avid cooks and gardeners, and have enjoyed travel. I might also mention, he is the best midwife any breeder could hope for, spending those nights on the couch whelping puppies. It’s been a great life together, and we look forward to each day. We are thankful for all the wonderful people we have met through dogs, many of them lifetime friends. We wish peace and good health to all.

SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, NOVEMBER 2020 | 87

Powered by