BACKGROUND |
The Beginning... Thorndale began as a few pet Cocker Spaniels and a few litters of Cocker puppies a year, just for the fun of it. Then one day, my wife and I went to a dog show in Shreveport where we lived. I began to notice that the Cockers at the show didn't look just like the Cockers in my back yard. After getting to know Libby Ballard of Candlewick Cockers, I began to understand the differences. Libby insisted that I needed to find homes for the pets and get a "real" Cocker. The rest is history. The Cockers... In the late 1980's we began to try to ease into showing Cockers. We first purchased the bitch, Ch. Sharob's Colorado Rose. Then, with the help of Donna Comella of Mariwink fame, one of "Rosebud's" pups was taken into the ring. Thorndale's Magic Moment tallied 8 single points with Donna and I sharing the responsibilities at the end of the lead, but the day came when I decided that showing was not Magic's "thing," and he was retired from the ring. That's when Chad, Snowcrest Fielder's Choice, was purchased. I showed Chad exclusively and finished him owner-handled. He became the first Champion of any breed for Thorndale. From Chad came other Cocker prospects. Junior Showmanship... In the meantime, my son Michael began to take a real interest in showing dogs. Although he was not old enough at the time to compete in Junior Showmanship classes, a Smooth Fox Terrier, AKA "Edna Mae", was given to him to show. He put a point on her the first time she was in the ring, and he got his start in Juniors with "Edna". When the time came to move to a larger dog, "Ryan", the Champion Vizsla came to Thorndale. An unfortunate accident prematurely took Ryan's life, and finding a new Junior's dog became our main order of business. The Pointers... That's when Bridget, the orange and white Pointer puppy bitch, came into our world. Sweet, fun-loving, intelligent, birdy (even though no one at Thorndale hunts) and easy to groom, all described this wonderful creature. The Hathorn crew was hooked for good. Due to time restraints that prevented me from keeping the Cockers groomed, and the fact that we fell in love with the Pointers, Thorndale Pointers was born. Now, three Pointers reside at Thorndale. The first Pointer pups for our kennel are expected in September 2001. The New Tradition... We are excited about our future in Pointers. We will hope to meet many of you at the shows (you can't miss this 7'2" gray-haired man) and, if you keep an eye on the Pointer ring, you will see what we trust will become a great new tradition in this wonderful breed. |
Ch. Barben's Swinging On A Star "Ryan" |
Normac's Edna Mae "Edna Mae" |
Thorndale's Magic Moment "Magic" |
Artie as a baby |
Bridget as just a pup |