My mother gave me a $35.00 Collie puppy for Christmas the year I was twelve. The following Fall, the Birmingham Kennel Club held its show at the Boutwell Auditorium. I entered my year old tricolored Collie "Jinx" in Novice, American Bred, Open Any Other Color, and Local. Amazingly he won every class and then went on to win a 3 point major. Boy was I hooked. Since I was a child and had to rely on my mother taking me to the dog shows, I wasn't able to attend many, but Jinx did garner around 9 or 10 points.

When I married in 1958, my husband welcomed Jinx and Belle, my two Rough Collies, and Spooky and Sabre, my two Smooth Collies into the family. However, although he liked the dogs individually, he did not like their constant barking. I agreed to find a home for Belle and Sabre, but kept Jinx and Spooky. Spooky would become the dam the top winning (over the Roughs at Specialties) Ch. Gloccamora Misty Morning, and her sister Hi-Fi's Smooth Sugar (the top producing smooth bitch in the 1960's).

My husband gave me a Toy Poodle puppy. This was to be my first experience with toy dogs. I quickly came to realize that Jacque was definitely not "show quality" and purchased a little silver toy to show. She turned out to be a "phantom" but was a great dog to learn with. My husband was reading a copy of Dog World one afternoon and asked me if we had to continue to have dogs would it be possible to have another breed instead of Collies. I asked him which breed he meant. He quickly showed me a picture of an Afghan Hound, and I agreed that it's head somewhat resembled a Collie, so I agreed. This was the start of a 40 year association with the Afghan Hound breed.

Neither my husband nor I had ever seen an Afghan Hound puppy. I assumed that it would look like a miniature of the adult....boy was I wrong!! We purchased our first Afghan, a male, Kahaba Rha Rhan of GraMur from the Afghan and Collie judge, Mr. Leo Murphy, and had him shipped to us at 8 weeks of age. When I saw Rhan, I was certain that we had been cheated. That had to be the ugliest puppy I had ever seen...huge feet, knobby knees, a curled rat tail, protruding hip bones, ears sitting right on top of his head, no muzzle length and no coat. But, as he grew he developed into a nice dog, but definitely the scourge of our neighborhood because we could not keep him in any fence. Our third Afghan we purchased from Charles Trotter. She was to become Ch. Silverstone Stardust (Dutchess) our first Afghan champion, and although she only had two litters, the foundation of my line through her granddaughter, Tajik's Bella (pointed).

I purchased an 8 week old oyster brindle puppy from the Sandina Kennels in New York, that would become the two times #1 Afghan Hound, BIS American & Canadian Sandina Sparking Champagne "Pinky". Bella was bred to him and would produce two champions, one our first homebred and #10 in the nation with limited showing, Ch. Highfield Lambrusco, finishing his championship on the prestigeous Florida Circuit by going Best of Breed over some of the top Afghans in the country and then winning the Hound Group, and his sister, Ch. Highfield Perrier. There were at least three others in the litter pointed. During forty years of showing and limited breeding, I bred and/or finished thirty Afghan Hound champions, including my first homebred SBIS & BIS Ch. Highfield Magnolia, #1 Afghan Bitch.

During this period, I lost my Toy Poodle, and purchased a Pembroke Welsh Corgi from a local breeder. Ch. Highfield Moonlight Gambler finished his championship by winning the Working Group from the classes and two legs on his CD the same weekend. He sired several champions, including, Ch. Highfield Buttercup who was a multiple breed winning and group placing bitch, and Ch. Highfield Tiger's Eye. I have dabbled in other breeds along the way, either finishing and/or breeding champion Salukis, Bassenjis, Lhasa Apsos and Chinese Cresteds.

The last litter of Aghan Hounds I bred had 4 outstanding puppies, Ch. Highfield Slight of Hand, Ch. Highfield Crystal Ball, both multiple breed winners, near champion Highfield Abracadabra, JC (Best In Trial Coursing Champion), and Highfield Hocus Pocus, JC. My daughter purchased a Pom puppy from Rodger Beaty, Ar-Bee's The Beep Goes On, but gave her to me. I started showing her when I went to the shows with my Afghans. She got 12 points, but the vet pulled too many of her teeth during a routine dental, so she never finished. She is still with us at almost 13 years of age.

Ten years ago, my husband's health had deteriorated so much that I gave up showing dogs to be with him. He passed away in March, 2006. After his death, the doctor suggested I do something to take my mind off of my loss, and suggested anything I didn't do with my husband. The only thing I could think of was showing dogs. I called Rodger Beaty about getting another Pom, but he didn't have anything available and recommended Ken Griffith, of Lenette Kennels. My daughter and I drove to Kannapolis, NC to get a Pom, but instead came home with two, Ch. Highfield Ring of Fire of Lenette and his half sister, Highfield Honeybee of Lenette (major pointed). Cash got his first major at 6 months, and Itty got hers at 7 months. Itty also placed 4th at the American Pomeranian Club Specialty in Louisville, 2007 in a class of 22. Her brother, Drummer, Highfield Strike the Band of Lenette, acquired after Cash and Itty, made the cut in both the Sweepstakes and Regular classes at the same national specialty. He also is major pointed.

I've been told that Poms are like potato chips....you can't have just one....I believe it because I now have added 4 more, plus a litter of 3 puppies. Sometimes I feel like I am a glutton for punishment, but my Poms are therapy dogs....my therapy....and I love them all.