Judges: Wilma Parker

My introduction into the world of Show Dogs began with an Old English Sheepdog who was on the way to her title when she broke with inherited cataracts. At the time, I owned two companion cockers from the local pet store. We enjoyed a great love for the breed but not until Annette Davies sent a r/w parti bitch, Feinlyne Firefly, did the Triannon prefix become a reality. With her help, I bred my first litter in 1978, joined the American Spaniel Club and along the way became a member of the Ohio Valley CSC. In my first litter we had the cutest little bitch whose career was cut short when she came into her season, losing coat which never came back well enough to continue as a showdog. It was Christmas Eve when I sent her to Alice Swiderski, of Rexpointe fame, to be bred to Ch. Rexpointe Top Banana. Imagine my devastation when the airport lost Tribaby. Alice was having a very large Dinner Party that evening and two trips to the airport were creating havoc with the festivities. On her return home the second time she reported to me that nothing was worth the stress she had been through in locating Tribaby. Later on it would give me great pleasure to tease Alice at every opportunity saying, "Do you remember what you said when the airport lost Tribaby?" Alice would grin and reply "You sure enjoy rubbing this in, don’t you?" From the mating came a tri color bitch that loved to show off. As she was still without a name at 10 weeks, Mike Kinchsular dubbed her "Wilma P". I don’t recall the number of Sweepstakes she won but I remember sitting ringside at my first ASC National when the 3 Futurity Variety winners came to the ring. Mike was last, carrying Wilma P in his arms. As he walked to the gate of the ring he gently tossed her into the middle of the arena. She stood there stiff, her tail up, at attention. Nothing on her body moved. Then, nose in the air, she ever so slowly turned her head from side to side, surveying the ringside. I could "hear" her and knew she was saying, "Move over boys. This is my ring today!". The Futurity Party that night introduced me to the cocker fancy and at the time, I thought I knew what it meant to win such a honor but frankly, looking back, it took 5 more years before I truly realized the enormity of such a win. Wilma P was titled at 9 months of age. She was the first tri color, in breed history, to win an ASC Futurity. She went on to become the first tri color bitch to win a Best of Breed and the top winning parti for 1981. Through the years I have finished many partis and some browns. The ones that stand out most in my mind are my brown bitch, Ch Triannon Godiva and her dam, Ch. Triannon Monkey Business, who would become the foundation for the Sta-Mar browns. Also, Ch.Triannon Wilma P. Last but not least, the r/w parti bitch, Am.Can. Ch. Yerly’s Lady In Red. She was a gift to me by her breeder at 6 months of age and I promised Mike Kinchsular she would be his next open bitch. However "Scarlett", as we called her, had a plan of her own and while still a puppy, claimed her title as a Champion with me at the end of her red lead. She won the Parti Variety at ASC Nationals in 1987 and was the top winning parti bitch, (Breed Systems) for that year which would give her the rank to win the prestigious Pedigree Award. She did not conceive her first litter until she was 5 years old. That mating produced 6 Champions, making "Scarlett" the top producing bitch of 1991. As a breeder/judge my greatest joy is in discovering that next "Great One" and I delight in finding a good dog who is presented by it’s owner/handler. I don’t "pick parts" when I judge. The dog in my ring has to move correctly and I look at the whole dog ..keeping in mind 3 things... Type, Style and Balance. A long time ago, at one of the Midwest’s largest Specialty Shows, Henry Burson was passing out the ribbons. I observed the anger of a fellow breeder as she complained bitterly. Her dog did not win although he was a good representative of the breed. It was quite obvious he was not having a good time, that day, as he had gone around the ring with his head and his tail down. Later that evening, I spoke with Henry about the dog. I will never forget his words. He said "Wilma, when you walk into the building the sign over the door says "DOG SHOW." I agreed with Henry then and my feelings are still unchanged today...the dog has to show!