Mielikki's Hunt Borzoi

How do you know you have the best....
What happens to make the connect...
The eyes meet and your heart is locked...
Never more to be released ...
You helped me with so many first....
First blue, First purple, First sculpted life in my hand...
You gave me joy and you gave me pain but....
Most of all you gave me love unconditional....
Rest well my silk coat of white'n red..
I know that now you run young and healthy again..
Tell Sushi, Schatzi, Races all to hang in there....
We will all someday be one again....
A complete circle of love forever...

Author
Mary Childs

Of all the gifts Kyra gave me throughout the years, the one of going peacefully in her sleep is one I'll thank her for forever. I'd just put down my Siamese, I don't think I could've handled doing the same for her the same day.

Best advice for a novice breeder: Start with a great bitch.

Kyra was one of those great bitches, tho many would disagree due to the controversy surrounding her breeder (They can't see the dog due to the breeder, sad although that is)

Although I no longer respect her breeder nor do I respect her current breeding ethics (and haven't for a long time), I (and others) were able to look beyond that and see what Kyra truly was: a great producer.

She was only bred twice, yet her get sport 22 titles, with many more in the making.

Her first litter sired by a then 10 yr old Am/Can Ch Abidjan's Diamond Sabre JC, CD, produced the awesome Specialty Winning DC Mandolin-Mielikki's the Dance, SC, CD, CGI, TDI one of just a handful best in field & specialty winning DCs.

Her second litter was sired by yet another veteran, DC Silkenswift Blaze of Chaos, SC, LCMIV, SORCII, SGRC, CD and produced the highly successful Queen litter

She may have gone to the Rainbow Bridge, but  her Grandkids from nine different litters have been burning up the field or winning in the ring! Now her great grandkids are hitting the scene and making names for themselves! The quality that started with Kyra has continued on through the generations.

Kyra was my 'test subject' in the show ring :) As my first show dog, and my only show dog for a long while, she was my teacher in many subjects. . .amongst the things she taught were

1. Don't push a dog before they(or YOU) are ready. She was shown at over 20 shows before she was 2. . What a waste of money, but great practice!
2. Being nervous doesn't help you or the dog, and they're more likely to act up when the nerves travel down the lead.
3. Do your research on judges. Just because they have a judging  license, doesn't mean they're worth their weight in gold, or even the  weight of their judging license!
4. Patience is needed when showing in the extremely competitive  areas of the country, especially when you're the 'odd dog out'. Thankfully in the last few years, you're more likely to find different types out and about, even (GASP) IM/Self colored dogs, making it easier to show a different type than it was when I first started up
there in 96.
4. Don't let people get you down and ruin your fun.  Because that's what this is supposed to be, FUN!

When Kyra was ON, she exceeded my wildest expectations:

1997-4th in a HUGE 12-18 month class at the BCOA Nationals-Pat Murphy
(handled by Pat Hardy while Mom sat in a corner with  severe nervous stomach cramps LOL)
1997-RWB Canadian National Specialty-Owner Handled
1998-WB/BOW Borzoi Roundup Supported Entry Judge Al Weinraub Owner Handled
1998-RWB Borzoi Roundup Supported Entry Robin Riel-Owner Handled
June 2002-And our crowning achievement was the Group IV awarded to us by Breeder/Judge Dick Meen(Kishniga Borzoi), OWNER HANDLED!

Due to family losses and a move to my farm in 2000, we didn't get out much once she was ready,  but when we did, Kyra finished quite easily.  But it's not her show record that makes this bitch so important.
 Her true test of quality, was in the quality of her get:

Kyra's Kids' Myriad of accomplishments include:

1 Specialty Best in Show (From BBE class Judge Ms Whitehead)
1 BOS Supported Sweeps Win (Judge: Shen Smith)
1 BOS Supported Match Win (Judge: Mary Childs)
1 Best Puppy in Specialty Show
1 Canadian Group Placement
1 US Group Placement
1st Borzoi to ever become ranked in ASFA, AKC, LGRA & NOTRA in the same year!
2 AKC Best in Fields
1 ASFA Best In Field
1 High Scoring Hound in Show (OB)
2 AKC DC

Details:
Wings
2002
NCC (AKC Lure Coursing Nationals)BOB finalist Winner
#6 AKC Coursing Borzoi
#31 AKC Coursing Sighthound
#10 ASFA Borzoi
2003
#9 ASFA Borzoi
 

Mir
2002
NOTRA Nationals BOB Winner
#19 AKC Coursing Borzoi
#17 ASFA Borzoi
#2 Notra Borzoi
#4 LGRA Borzoi
#20 AKC Borzoi
2003
#7 LGRA Borzoi
2004
2004 Notra Nationals BOB Winner!
#4 NOTRA Borzoi
#4 LGRA Borzoi
2005
2nd Place BCOA LGRA Nats
#7 LGRA Borzoi
#2 NOTRA Borzoi

Eros
2002
ASFA Region 8 BOB Winner
#13 AKC Coursing Borzoi

Oberon
2003
#2 AKC Coursing Borzoi

Brooks
#16 AKC Coursing Borzoi in 2003
SBIS 2002

Races
#10 NOTRA Borzoi in 2004

 At the 2004 BCOA Nationals!
FCH Stakes winner -Oberon
2nd in FCH Stakes-Wings
NBQ in Veteran Stakes-Brooks
4th in Open Stakes-Bob

In 2004, she was awarded the BCOA's new award ROM
for her gets' accomplishments, and they are steadily hunting down those last points for the ROM-X! 
 I'm extremely proud of all of them and their owners!

5 AKC Field Champions
4 ASFA Field Champions
2 Canadian Champions
3 American Champions
1 Peruvian Champion
1 Latin American Champion
2 Lure Courser of Merits
2 Gazehound Racing Champion
1 Supreme Gazehound Racing Champion
1 Companion Dog Title
1 Oval Racing Champion
2 Dual Champions

Her second litter alone has accumulated 15 titles!

Thank you to everyone who made this possible:
Pat Hardy
Greg Gomori
Al & Robin Schemel
Sherita Hogan
&
Bonnie Dalzell

Not bad for only two litters!