Seize the Opportunity!

Seize the Opportunity!

Blogs have been pretty scarce lately since our schedule has gotten more and more hectic.  Doctor appts. and chemo treatments seem to take over your life at times.  There are things to write about, but not enough time or energy to do it.  The response to our problem has been tremendous!  We have a wicker basket full of cards and the calls and prayers continue to buoy our spirits.  Many thanks to everyone.

Now we’ll talk about a favorite topic of mine:  Seizing opportunity when it’s presented.  To have it work of course, you must be knowledgeable enough to weigh the opportunity and its advantages.  If you don’t know a good dog you won’t know if what you have before you is a golden opportunity or a temptation to lead you to disaster.  You must have done some homework and should keep learning always.  John Buddie’s recent article in Collie Expressions is a good roadmap for any breeder.  Read it!

Opportunity was presented to me as a breeder perhaps more often than most.  I’ve often said that I was blessed with many friends who believed in what I was trying to accomplish.  The fact that I worked hard and treated people decently may have helped me a great deal.  As ye sow, so shall you reap.  Learning to do things the best way possible was my passion and many Collies not of good quality were my foundation, but I kept watching, listening, and learning what caused success or failure.

The first really good dog to come my way became Ch. Windsong Dealer’s Choice.  This blue double grandson of Ch. Gaylord’s Mr. Scalawag (CCA BB) was sired by Ch Cherrivale Darn Minute (CCA BB) and he finished with three majors and a working group first in spite of my handling.  My mother purchased him and our mentor W.R. Van Dyck approved the purchase.  Comanche opened the door to any success I ever enjoyed.

When Comanche finished there were no tri bitches in my kennel and I let it be known I was in the market for one.  Enter John and Ada Giuliano of Bellbrooke who had a well bred tri bitch who just happened to be in heat.  OPPORTUNITY WAS KNOCKING!  A quick trip to Bellbrooke and she was mine and her litter produced the outstanding tri male, Ch. Gingeor’s Patent Pending.

The trip to Bellbrook took on even greater meaning when I saw the nine month old sable male in their basement.  He was gorgeous and available.  OPPORTUNITY WAS KNOCKING !  Two other breeders had first refusal, but didn’t hear the knocking.  He came home with me and became Ch. Gingeor Bellbrooke’s Choice R.O.M. the backbone of my kennel.

Now Patrick wasn’t lead broken when I got him so we went to a local match for training.  While there he was seen by Barbara Woodmancy who owned a great bitch, Ch. Gregshire’s Little Honeycomb.  She obviously thought Patrick was nice and bred the bitch to my unproven young male.  The resultant litter, which I whelped contained Ch.Jadene’s Breezalong  (CCA BB) who I showed for Barbara and bought when he became available.

Honeycomb produced in her second litter (Barbara gave me this lovely bitch - opportunity!) a grand sable bitch with ears a bit low. Van Dyck had a dog on lease with small tight ears and when bred to Gingeor’s Honey of a Choice gave us Ch. Gingeor’s Indelable Ink.  When Inky went res. at CC of A 1967 Breezalong was edged out for BB but Marcia Keller loved Breezy and got the lovely bitch she was showing for a friend bred to him.  I purchased Ch. Sontaw’s Trudy Fair when she became available. (opportunity)

The opportunities were now starting to run wild!  Ch. Sontaw Trudy Fair’s first litter contained the great bitch Ch. Marnus Evening Breeze and the good sire, Ch. Gingeor’s Jack of Tamarack.  Ch. Gingeor’s Indelable Ink bred back to her grandsire, Ch. Gingeor’s Bellbrooke’s Choice produced the notable sire Ch. Gingeor’s Indelable Choice.  He in turn produced the top blue dog Ch. Gingeor’s Indelable Blue who was CCA BB in 1976 my last competitive show.

Opportunity was also seized when Ch. Carla’s Blue Ruin (the dam of Ch. Indelably Blue) was offered as a gift from a dear friend, Carl Andrews.  You can see that opportunity is often out there.  It must be weighed and decisions made, sometimes very quickly.  Do these opportunities always provide the desired results?  Of course not.  If they’re not seized they provide nothing.  If it doesn’t work out, then swallow your pride, say I made a mistake and go back to the drawing board.  In 1976 my time as a breeder was over because of a job change.

My short time breeding and showing Collies was sprinkled with many opportunities.  Some the result of friendships and others of luck or coincidence.  When I thought it made sense the opportunity was seized.  It was my nature to look ahead, plan long range, and seize opportunity that fit the plan.  You’ll have to decide if it works for you.

Think about it!