Showsight Interviews: Connie Gerstner Miller
BY ALLAN REZNIK continued
Golden Retriever. I worked with Ludell for a long time before she sold me my very first “show” dog. This was BIS SBIS Ch. Malagold Beckwith Big Buff CD, OS, SDHF. “Buff” became the foundation dog for the Malagold breeding program. He was a multiple Best in Show and Best in Specialty winner, and I won the Gold- en Retriever National with him in 1970. I also developed a wonderful friend- ship with the esteemed authority on canine anatomy and movement, Rachel Page Elliott. “Pagey” and I spent many hours discussing the importance of proper structure and its effect on a dog’s movement and overall health. We were both interested in breeding a healthy, long-lived Golden Retriever and she had a significant impact on how I look at dogs and their pedigrees. There are two others whom I have counted on over the years to keep me on point with my vision of the breed standard and for my plans within my breeding program. Marcia Schlehr and the late Betty Gay are/were advocates and historians of the Golden Retriever breed, and I have always respected their determination to keep the Golden Retriever true to what the breed stan- dard calls for. They have always stressed the importance of the Golden Retriever as a moderate sporting dog, with a bid- dable and willing temperament. They have my admiration for their commit- ment to what the Golden Retriever should be and I have counted on them to keep me focused. “‘PAGEY’ AND I SPENT MANY HOURS DISCUSSING THE IMPORTANCE OF PROPER STRUCTURE AND ITS EFFECT ON A DOG’S MOVEMENT AND OVERALL HEALTH.”
Brother and sister duo, “Clover” & “Corey” with Geri & Connie, winning the Veteran Bitch (judge Betty Gaye) and Veteran Dog (judge Ludell Beckwith) classes at the 1988 Golden Retriever National. “Corey” went on to win Best of Breed.
“Stormy” & Connie winning the Golden Retriever Top 20 competition in 1996.
A recent photo of Connie and a young Malagold boy, “Drummer”
Malagold’s foundation bitch, “Bootes”
108 • S how S ight M agazine , D ecember 2018
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