We All Have Heroes or
Something
Most of us have heroes as we grow up and some continue to
have them even as adults.
Qualifying as a hero to me requires not only requirements, but longevity
of excellence in a given field.
There’s a tendency at present to jump to conclusions and label someone
as a hero or superstar somewhat prematurely in my opinion.
My childhood heroes included General Douglas MacArthur who
commanded our troops in the Far East in World War II. A brilliant soldier with a great understanding of the people
in that part of the world he was also something of an egotist. My old grandpappy always said, “it
ain’t braggin’ if you can do it!”, but MacArthur lost his job in the Korean
“Police Action” because he couldn’t handle politicians telling him how to
fight.
One of my other heroes was Joe DiMaggio who played for the
New York Yankees. I’ve been a
Yankees fan all my life having been born in the Bronx, NY and Joe was the best
all around player I ever saw. He
could hit for average and power, had a great arm, and was fast enough to make
hard plays look easy. He did all
these things for years in spite of taking time off to be in the military, was
an easy Hall of Fame pick, played sometimes in severe pain, and besides he
married Marilyn Monroe. What’s not
to like?
In dogs there are several categories that one might explore
to find our heroes. Breeders,
judges, handlers, and writers come to mind. Obviously you can name more than one in each category but
since we’re talking about my heroes, we’ll make one of each suffice. Since I’m an old dinosaur you’ll find
that these folks have all gone to their reward. That fact will also preclude some jealousy that can arise
when you deal with living people.
My hero as a breeder is hands down my old friend Steve Field
of Parader fame. There are folks
today who have bred more champions but it’s like comparing apples to oranges
with all the shows we have today and people who show year around. Steve had the best stud dogs of his
time, the best show dogs were owned or bred by him, he was in great demand as a
judge, and though not given to a lot of writing, it always made sense. He gave credit to the people who helped
him attain his success such as Ed Pickhardt and Bill Van Dyck and he was the
soul of modesty regarding his many accomplishments. I miss him and the times we spent together talking dogs,
wildlife, sports and politics more than I can say.
Though Steve was a great Collie judge, my hero as a judge
falls to an all-rounder who judged shows almost every week and seemed to know
the breeds very well. Alva
Rosenberg knew Collies and what made a good one better than many
specialists. He was in great
demand, but always made time to say hello and often shared some ideas about
different aspects of judging. He
also had a sense of humor as evidenced when he gaited the buxom ex-stripper
showing a corgi over and over.
Each time she stopped and bent over he looked over at me and
winked. In those days they started
an award given to the best judge in the country. After Alva won it the first three years running they
stipulated that you couldn’t win more than three times. He like Steve Field taught me a lot.
My hero handler would have to be Bill Trainor. I’d learned much from watching other
handlers before I met Bill. I
first saw him showing StoneyKirk Reflection when the dog was still in the
classes and owned by his breeder, Priscilla Alden, Bill had great success
showing Reflection after he was purchased by John and Evelyn Honig. The dog was always groomed immaculately
and Bill was completely unflappable.
Over the years I saw Bill show many Collies and sometimes we
competed. Win or lose he was
always the consummate professional.
His success in other breeds was also well known and he was admired and
respected for his treatment of the dogs in his care and his skill in their
presentation.
There are many people who have written well and served the
dog press in general and Collies in particular. Some have been doing it for years and achieved great
success. Gus Sigritz classic “The
Degree of Fault” comes immediately to my mind. My hero, however, comes to us from a different
persuasion. Albert Payson Terhune
was an author of fiction about dogs, mostly Collies, and sometimes based on
fact. His writing drew me to this
breed as well as legions of others.
His ability to describe dogs and their exploits made many friends for
our breed and made him a household name.
Though he bred some fine dogs including some who finished their
championships, it was not as a breeder that this man would carve his
niche. He was not incidentally
beloved by all he encountered, but we all know that’s not a surprise in
dogs. Terhune was bigger than
life, famous, wealthy, and a rather private person in many ways. He had a close circle of friends whom
he valued, but showed little liking for dog shows or impromptu visitors to his
home. It’s not surprising that his
personality didn’t endear him to everyone, but his books made up for it. There have been many fine dog novels
written over the years including some about Collies, but no one comes close to
the number or warmth of those by Terhune.
There you have my list of dog heroes. I could include many others in each
category, but then you dilute the final product. It seems to me that heroes can be healthy in helping us to
mold our own lives.
Think about it!!
