WINDROCK LLC
Recognized by the AKC as a
PLATINUM LEVEL BREEDERS OF MERIT
The ONLY Greyhound breeders so recognized by the AKC
Honoring Our Departed Loved Ones
Here we honor those who are no longer with us, and we are grateful for the memories and times shared…
BIS/SBIS Ch Shazam’s The Journey Begins JC
Better known as “Bubba,” this remarkable Greyhound was bred by Jack & Maggie Mitchell under the guidance of Joan Dalebout and acquired at four months of age by Kim and Colin Fritzler of WINDROCK Hounds.
Kim remembers that even as a puppy, Bubba was fiercely independent, headstrong, and very stubborn. He was anything but easy to work with! The Fritzlers recognized that they had a beautiful but rebellious young dog that would require special handling. With the wisdom born of years of experience, they slowly and carefully set about the task of revealing the diamond in the rough. This would take an inordinate amount of time, training, and patience. Kim and Colin were not deterred, they saw in Bubba the promise of future greatness, and they believed in him – and in each other.
When the time came, Bubba, expertly conditioned, trained, and shown by Kim Fritzler, was presented to the dog show fancy, and the rest is Greyhound history! Possessing an indescribable charisma and electrifying presence all wrapped up in a male Greyhound’s sinewy grace, Bubba was quickly recognized and awarded by the top dog show judges of the day! The incomparable First Lady Of Dogs, Mrs. Anne Rogers Clark, gave the white and red rising star his first Best In Show! In an amazing two years, totally owner-handled by Kim Fritzler and restrictively shown, highlights of Bubba’s phenomenal accomplishments include:
Bubba is the all-time top AKC Greyhound champion sire, and he is the top owner-handled Greyhound dog in North America! He is one of the breed’s top 5 BIS-winning males. He has sired more BIS and SBIS winners than any other Greyhound, and his get include many top-ranked winners. His lovely daughter, BIS/SBIS Ch Huzzah Molly Malone, is one of the top-winning Greyhounds ever, with 13 BIS wins. Our own BIS/SBIS Ch Greystone’s Barcelona was the #1 Greyhound Dog in 2001 and 2002. From a breed health standpoint, Bubba’s star as a significant sire really shines! Bubba himself was health screened thoroughly for OFA/CERF, thyroid, and heart functions, and we required that females mated to him have OFA/CERF clearances. To the best of our knowledge, out of his 113 children, there have been NO reported cases of ANY eye problems (a concern right now in the breed), NO hip or elbow dysplasia, and the incidence of GDV (bloat/torsion) affecting his get is astounding--less than 7%--the breed average is at 19%! As a whole, Bubba’s offspring have had very few health ailments. Time has proven that Bubba’s genetic influence on the Greyhound breed is a strong and positive one! As outstanding as the dog was, he couldn’t have done it all by himself--after all, the sire is only half of the equation! Credit is due to the lovely females who whelped the puppies and to the breeders who sought him out to enhance their bloodlines.
WINDROCK is well known for our line of winning show and performance Greyhounds, and most of our dogs are descended from this amazing Greyhound. We only need to look at the hounds lounging on the couch to see constant reminders of Bubba’s proponent bloodline.
We were privileged to know and love him, and the journey Bubba took Colin and me on was one Hell of a Ride!
Bubba’s #1 ranked son ~ in the ring and in our hearts
BIS/SBIS/HIT CH Greystone’s Barcelona
(BIS/SBIS Ch Shazam’s The Journey Begins JC x Ch Arborcrest Europa JC) DOB 11/08/1996
WINDROCK acquired Barc as a stud fee puppy from his breeders, Steve and Sharon Heward. A son of the flashy top-winning Ch Shazam’s The Journey Begins JC, Barc was not at all reminiscent of his father! He was a rather understated, compactly built little dog of dusty brown coloring. Not overdone in any way, Barc was easily overlooked--until he moved. Then you couldn’t take your eyes off of him! He was a very clean, balanced mover with a wonderful flowing gait.
Shown by Kim, Barc finished his AKC championship very quickly with multiple BOB wins and group placements from the classes. Shown lightly, he was the #1 Greyhound dog in 2001 and 2002. He won 4 BIS and 2 SBIS and was even High In Trial at the 2004 GCA Eastern Specialty, where his children won SIBS, WB, RWB, and another took the major in lure coursing!
Sire of the WINDROCK bred, “ABBA” litter, Barc and Ch Sobers Aquatica SC gave us multiple BIS/SBIS winners, Breed Champions, Field Champions, and Dual Champions, along with multiple #1 winners in both the ring and on the field.
Barc was as good a show dog as I have ever shown. He was a “push button thing.” He would self-stack, respond instantly to the slightest gestures, and he always gave his best. He loved to show and would really turn it on when it counted. He made ME his handler, look a whole lot better than I actually was! I haven’t had the desire to special another dog since Barcelona. He spoiled me by making it look easy. More than anything, Barc was my friend. He would listen sympathetically while I complained about work or expressed concerns about things I found troubling. After hearing me out, he would reach over, touch me with his paw, and stare at me with those expressive eyes, “Hey Kim! You’ve got me! I’ll help you get through this! And he always did…
A kennel accident resulted in his expiring at age 9. We were away at the time and were devasted at the loss of our “bestest buddy.”
Barc was co-owned by our dear friend Marti Bradford. Both of them have long since passed over the Rainbow Bridge. We sure miss them.
Good people and good dogs. Neither of them live anywhere near long enough….
Marti Bradford of Martigra
Marti Bradford with her beloved Beau. 9/29/1940 ~ 11/24/2005
Remembering Marti.will be a simple task because, to me, she hasn’t left. Not a day goes by that I do not fail to savor a quiet reflection of Marti and what she might think or say. Such moments usually come when I am alone contemplating the merits of a gangly youngster out in one of our paddocks. I can almost hear her South Texas drawl, “Yes, he’s loose there in front, but give him time, he’ll come around, ” or “Yes, she’s small, but Sugar, she’s got it where it counts.” Marti’s intuition on such matters was rarely amiss.
Of simple, down-home upbringing myself, Marti’s unwavering honesty and refusal to comprise her personal integrity were a refreshing change from what I had come to expect of many in the dog show fancy. We saw eye to eye on many issues but could disagree without being disagreeable with others. Marti never sugar-coated a thing. I liked that. A person always knew where they stood with her, and she darn sure wasn’t shy about calling you out on the carpet if the occasion called for it.
She bred some wonderful Greyhound dogs, one being the highly campaigned and promoted Ch Gerico’s Chasing The Wind. Pity that so many of that dog’s advertisements failed to credit Marti as a co-breeder. Another white dog of note was Ch Martigra’s Cupid's Beau, a dog that Marti allowed me a co-ownership in, and in return, I gave her a co-ownership in a rather understated, plain little brindle dog that she saw as a youngster and was instantly enamored by what she foresaw.
You know, she was the only person that recognized early on something special about the dog known as Barcelona. It was a source of great satisfaction to Marti when Barc did indeed fulfill her prophecy and became not only a multiple BIS/SBIS winner but the #1 Greyhound dog two years running. I will never forget Marti's unfailing belief in that little dog--or in me.
Upon learning of Marti's affliction with terminal cancer, my husband Colin and I made a point of attending the 2005 Southern Specialty. We knew it would be the last time either of us would ever get to see her alive. How wonderful that the Fates allowed Marti's breeding a resounding success that day – her Greyhounds swept well-nigh all the major awards, SBIS, WB, BOW, RWB, BISweeps, and Brood Bitch!!
Seeing her bask in the glory of that specialty triumph, not yielding to a frail body ravaged by the cancerous demon within her – I know now there is for sure a God, for He allowed Marti that one final victory in the arena that she so reverently adored. That is the memory of Marti I will hold dearest for the remainder of my days.
I know not the author to credit the following, but I think these words are appropriate.
WHAT CANCER CANNOT DO
Cancer is so limited…
It cannot cripple Love
It cannot shatter Hope
It cannot corrode Faith
It cannot destroy Peace
It cannot kill Friendship
It cannot suppress Memories
It cannot silence Courage
It cannot invade the Soul
It cannot conquer the Spirit.
Goodbye, Marti. I was privileged to know you and call you my Friend.