Gone to the Rainbow Bridge, But Never Forgotten...

Here you will find tributes to my dear, departed Deerhounds and Whippets. Each was special, unique and wonderful and each lives on in my heart and memory.

Emma ~ Gayleward's Silver Wraith
(Sutherland's Merry Lad of Ayr x Ch. Wildwood Ayr of Moray)
January 21, 1979 - March 14, 1985

Emma was my first Deerhound and she taught me an awful lot about this wonderful breed. She was a shy puppy who grew in confidence and grace as the years passed. She had truly come into her own when she died unexpectedly of unknown causes. She had an exceptionally beautiful head and expression with the most soulful brown eyes and she had a very gentle spirit.

Torquil ~ Sungael Torquil of the Fells
(Ch. Lehigh Hollister x Ch. Sungael's Islay of Cauldbrae)
June 30, 1981 - January 9, 1988

Torquil was a lovely puppy of exceptional elegance but, due to my inexperience as a Deerhound owner at the time, he never really developed to his full potential. I learned a valuable lesson with him about the extreme importance of lots of exercise for growing puppies. He was very sweet and totally devoted to me and to Emma and then Ursula. He had some health problems and chronic prostatitis led me to have him neutered in January of 1988. He died a few hours after the surgery due to a pulmonary embolism.

Ursula ~ Highstone's Ursula March
(Ch. Highstone's Northman x Glenrinnes Highstone's Dunne)
March 25, 1980 - December 9, 1989

Ursula was a rescue dog who came to live with us when she was 5 1/2 years old. She was timid and shy at first, but over time her personality blossomed and her sense of humor and fun emerged. She and Torquil were best friends and to my sadness she never really got over his death. Ursula died of bone cancer in December of 1989. Ursula hated to have her photo taken, so this is not a great photo of her.

Pip ~ Sungael's Great Expectations
(Ch. Haystack of Vale Vue x Ch. Sungael Euthena)
August 26, 1986 - January 27, 1996

Pip was my hearthound. His loss is with me every day of my life. Pip was a beautiful puppy who never went through a gawky adolescent phase, he was beautiful his entire life in looks and spirit. He was 34" and 120 lbs in his prime with very solid musculature, but he floated over the ground like a feather. He was the sweetest yet strongest dog I've ever known. Pip developed bone cancer in January of 1995. We made the difficult choice to have his leg amputated and a course of chemotherapy given to him. He came through this, as he did everything in life, with his great heart and spirit and his love of life intact. He was the pack leader of the other dogs and even after his bone cancer surgery he maintained that place. He never bullied or harrassed the other dogs; their respect for him was instinctive and a tribute to the strength of his personality. He lost his fight with cancer in January of 1996, but we are grateful for having had the gift of that extra year with him. Pip was a unilateral cryptorchid so he never was shown, but as a neutered veteran he competed at the St. Louis National Specialty in 1994 and took second in a large class of champion and group placing dogs, showing like he had been a special for years. He did everything I ever asked of him and gave to me and my family memories to last a lifetime.

Rhys ~ Ch. Sungael's The Talisman
(Ch. Sungael's Edward E. x Ch. Highstone's Ayr Tara)
May 2, 1986 - April 12, 1996

Rhys was a dignified and aristocratic gentleman. He loved people, especially children, and was a wonderful ambassador for the breed. His idea of lure coursing was to run like crazy down to the first turn, then circle back to the spectators so he could socialize. He loved dog shows, too, and basically showed himself. All I did was walk into the ring with him- and I'm not sure even that much was necessary; he probably could have done it all on his own. Rhys died of lymphosarcoma just shy of his tenth birthday. He and Pip came to live with me on the same day and were the best of friends their entire lives. My "boys" were very different, in looks and personality, but both were so sweet and gave me so much love. Losing them both in such a short space of time was very hard but it comforts me to think that they are together even now.

Rosie ~ Ch. Brandon's Rose of Chartwell SC, FCh
(Ch. Sungael Glen Ross x Victoria of Brandon)
3/24/90 - 6/11/99

This is my last photo of Rosie, taken in February 1999, one month before she was diagnosed with cancer.

Rosie passed to the Rainbow Bridge on June 11, 1999, three months after being diagnosed with osteosarcoma. Rosie was the most devoted dog I have ever owned. She lived to please me and asked nothing more than to be with me day and night. She had so many cute tricks, bowing and grinning being her favorite, and her tail almost never stopped wagging, even through her illness. She was incredibly brave, too, handling her radiation treatments and other vet visits with immense grace. I grew to admire Rosie so much during the final months of her life. Her dainty form concealed the heart of a lion. If I know anything, Rosie will be the first to greet me when I arrive at the Bridge.

I included the following words in Rosie's memorial ad in the July/August 1999 "Claymore". They are taken (with one small modification) from a song called "My Old Friend" that was sung by Al Jarreau on the album "Breaking Away". For me, they are the best tribute to Rosie I could find.

From the beginning you were
Always there my old friend
True until the end
Of time...

Sophie ~ BIF Ch. Silver Heels of Vale Vue SC, LCM III, VC
(Ch. Sungael's Edward E. x Ch. Pibroch's Rosemary de la Creme FCh)
2/7/88 - 8/2/99


   Photo by Barbara Ewing

Sophie joined Rosie at the Rainbow Bridge on August 2, 1999. She was 11 1/2 and enjoyed a long, full and happy life. Just the week before she died, she was chasing rabbits across our yard. I will always picture her in my mind as she is in the photo above, running wild and free as she loved to do. Her spirit remained strong until the very end, but her body could no longer support that spirit after she suddenly and inexplicably torsioned. There are no words to express the hole left in my life with Sophie gone. She was my first champion, my first field champion and my foundation bitch. For those and many other reasons, she will forever hold a very special place in my heart. I was blessed indeed to have shared my life with such a great Deerhound.

Sophie will perhaps best be remembered as the dam of Rory and Leah, but her own achievements were substantial. She was the #1 ASFA Deerhound in 1989 (tied) and 1990, the first LCM III Scottish Deerhound and for several years, until Rory passed her, the #1 lifetime ASFA Deerhound. She was BOB at the 1990 SDCA National Specialty ASFA trial, BOB at the International Invitational, twice BOB at the Region 8 Invitational and twice winner of the Fling Grande Prix Challenge Cup. She finished her conformation title with 4 majors, the last being Winners Bitch and Best of Winners for 5 points at the 1991 NEDA Supported Entry. She was beautiful, fast, graceful and athletic- everything a Deerhound should be.

On March 27, 2004, Sophie was elected to the ASFA Hall of Fame in recognition of her record both as a lure courser herself and a producer of great coursing Deerhounds. Thank you to the Scottish Deerhound Club of America for nominating Sophie for this great honor!

Niles ~ Chartwell's Blue Nile CR, LCM
(DC Paris Say You Will LCM x FC Fairyfort's Rapid Anne SORC, LCM II, CRX)
1/5/98 - 7/24/02

Niles went to the Rainbow Bridge far too soon. He was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus in May 2001 and just over a year later died from complications of this terrible disease. While we deeply mourn his loss, we are trying to take comfort from the fact that he is now free from pain and suffering.

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Mira ~ FC Chartwell's Silver Miracle LCM II
(DC Vale Vue's Stand Up N'Shout LCM x Ch. Silver Heels of Vale Vue SC LCM III)
July 1, 1993 to November 19, 2002

Photo on right by Shot On Site Photography