Valentine Torch of Topbrass

When working at Wisconsin State University, I searched for a breedable female Golden that might be for sale. I found Eloise Enloe, who had a CH bitch in Colorado that she wanted to sell.  The bitch was CH. Goldenloe’s Bronze Lustre. It was late November, so I convinced a good friend, who was also on the University Faculty to make the trip to Colorado and help me drive. It was over the Thanksgiving break at the University, so the timing was good to get there and back in time for Monday classes.

Bronze came in heat shortly after arriving back in Wisconsin, and I bred her to CH.  Rockgold Chug’s Ric O Shay OS. Ric was owned by Connie Lee, who was a friend of mine in Northern, Illinois and well Known breeder of show Goldens using the “Rockgold Kennel” name.

The breeding produced my foundation  bitch (Valentine Torch of Topbrass WC OD) .  Torch was a wonderful bitch that did well in the PUPPY Classes at local dog shows.  Unfortunately she lost her front leg in a fox trap at a year  of age. She was in the trap for 3 weeks, and only survived by eating the grass in a 6 foot radius around her and also got some moisture from light snow during the 3 weeks in the trap.

She was discovered about a mile West of the farm home that I was renting at the time. All of our searches had been to the East, since that was the last direction that she was headed when she disappeared. I even had friends from Illinois come up and help with the search and we also hired a Small plane to search from the air without any success.

 Blog 8 / To be continued