A TRUE CHAMPION

February 15, 2000 and CH. Lake Cove That’s My Boy left the Best in Show ring at the Garden in NYC, heading toward his retirement at only four years of age.  The previous day he had shown to perfection in the Breed and the Group rings performing as if he had known this was the fulfillment of his career and a goodbye to all!

The entrance of Treson into the Best in Show ring was breathtaking…an absolute statement of perfection.  What a team he and the handler Dennis McCoy made.

I will never forget the picture as long as I live.  My eyes filled with tears of pride and emotion…clouding my vision…and I quickly wiped them away, not wanting to miss even a split second of this magnificent finishing sight.  Goose bumps piled upon goose bumps and I hesitated to even take a breath, so totally overcome by emotion was I.  I knew this was the last time I would see him in competition and I wanted to treasure every moment, wanted to fill my senses with enough to last me all the rest of the days of my life.

Mixed emotions overcame me.  I knew I was taking My Boy home after he left the ring and that this was the day I had been anxiously awaiting for over two and a half long years.  Yet I and many others would miss seeing this magnificent show dog in competition…for which he seemed to be born…and which he seemed to enjoy each moment and every time during his amazing career.

In two years of showing, Treson had won 169 All-Breed Best in Shows, twenty three SBIS, including Best Of Breed (when less than two years of age) at the Poodle Club of America in 1997, 345 Non-Sporting Group #1’s, which included three consecutive Group #1 at the Westminster Kennel Club.  When checking the BIS wins relative to the Group wins, it is hardly believable that Treson’s every other win was a Best in Show.  Mind boggling, but quite commonplace for this dauntless dog.

He became the #1 dog of All-Breeds in the years 1998-1999 and the top winning Poodle of all time, ever, all varieties.  What an impressive record for a four year old dog now retiring at an age when most of his competitors were just starting.

He represented his variety in the show ring with great dignity and has proven to be a wonderful ambassador for the Standard Poodle breed.  He is Mr. Handsome personified…good looks and brains.

Now his retirement clears the way for someone else’s pride and joy.  And please know, both Treson and I wish them many good times…and may good fortune and exciting times be theirs…as it has been for us.

Treson now lives back on the farm with us and our other Poodles, to his dam’s absolute delight (Ch. Lake Cove Just For The Joy Of It.) She is ten years old and the two seem inseparable, playing and wrestling for hours.  Could one get the notion they had missed each other like humans do?  At any rate, it’s great to see them having so much fun.

Now that he is far from the hustle and bustle of dog show life, he has traded his show coat tuxedo for cut down blue jeans and displays nary a worry about the wear and tear on what, during his career, was so important.

However, he does keep an eye on my car keys…and an ear open for the jingle-jangle…ready to go in a split second.  Is he thinking…just one more show…just one more time in the ring…just…

The night after watching his last performance in the BIS competition at the Garden, my mind couldn’t help but wander…as to how he came to be…and his unbelievably exciting career.  So now, perhaps, I should back up a moment while lost in remembrance.

###

Believe it or not, Treson was conceived in 1995 at the Poodle Club of America at Upper Marlboro, Maryland.  Could it be that’s why the gods smiled on this union?  Joy, his dam, Ch. Lake Cove Just For The Joy Of It, a top winning Poodle herself was in season when we left Florida via motorhome.  I took Joy and a very promising young male I had just finished as a puppy with me on the trip to breed him to Joy.  His pedigree complimented Joy’s pedigree.  It would have been a lovely litter but was not to be, maybe due to the stress of traveling, his young age or inexperience, I just could not get the two bred.  So be it.  Time was running out.

I couldn’t have been at a better place than at PCA to look for THE most suitable mate for Joy.  After a day or two of studying the catalogs, wandering through the grooming area, considering this one and that one, I went back to the motor home which was parked in the center of the race track that year, when I passed Alan Waterman’s set up.  “Bama” was wet on a grooming table, the perfect time to see a Poodle in the raw.  I liked what I saw.  After studying his pedigree it represented a wonderful tight line breeding.  The litter was born August 16th, 1995.  Joy was an excellent mother, no worries there. 

I was deeply involved in the filming of a TV pilot which hired many of my parrots as starlets for the new series.  We were both busy and happy. 

In mid-December, Dennis McCoy, a professional handler, was in Orlando attending shows.  I showed him two of the puppies I had kept.  By this time Treson had his call name.  I had taken the “Tre” from Trelarken and added “Son” for being a son, of course and topped it with a French accent…hence Treson.

At first sight Dennis shouted to his partner Randy Garren, “Come here  quick, you’ve gotta see this puppy…Treson!”

Even at the tender age of 4 months, the instant I slipped a lead over Treson’s head, he would come alive.  He just loved gaiting on a lead.  I took him to the January show circuit, now 5 months old, to socialize.  Every so often I could hear whispers, “Wow…look at that puppy,” or “Look at him move!”  I was really glad I had taken the time to visit the shows as it always makes anyone’s day to hear compliments.

In February, our local dog club had a match and guess what?  We won a Junior Best in Show.  Two weeks later, we entered another match where we won a Group #1.  “Hmm…now this is beginning to be fun,” I thought to myself. More matches and several World Wide Shows with Junior BIS and Group wins and lots of compliments here and there especially from judges.  By then, I really knew I had a very special puppy.

I have always show-trained my puppies just as I did with Treson.  But when it came to sanctioned AKC shows, I left the showing to the professionals and for many years usually had an adult Poodle in the ring.  But this time, all fired up, I thought I would try my luck at a few AKC shows.  Treson now being 7 months of age, I entered him in four easy to reach Florida shows.  His very first show under Lamar Mathis resulted in his winning Winner’s Dog for 2 points, with the judge commenting, “What a beautiful puppy…some day someone will have lots of fun specialing this one.”  No truer words were ever spoken.

At the following weekend shows Dennis and Randy were here in Florida and extremely busy with their string of dogs.  I competed on my own, grooming, scissoring and showing.  I was awaiting my turn to enter the ring with My Boy when Dennis came out of the toy ring, saying, “I can take him in for you, if you wish.”  It was then they made their debut into the ring together.  It didn’t bother Treson one bit to leave my side so he could show his stuff.  And show it he did, winning a 3 point major BOW both that and the next day.  He was on his way.

In the first 3 shows he had gathered 8 points including both his Majors.  Needless to say, I was thrilled that his career had started in earnest.

At nine months of age it was PCA where he won the huge American Bred class.  After choosing Winner’s dog, three dogs remained in the ring, Winner’s dog, Reserve Winner’s dog and Treson.  Judge Frank Sabella said, “Now ladies and gentlemen, that’s quality.”

The Orlando Poodle Specialty, a week later, turned out to be the best yet.  His full litter brother, Lake Cove A Toast To Cabernet won BOB.  Treson went WD and BOW, while Lake Cove’s Pleasures, his litter sister went WB under Judge Jean Lade.  A couple of shows later…and Treson was a Champion.

Handlers, Dennis McCoy and Randy Garren, agreed to special him occasionally, since they were tied up with a special’s dog in the Non-Sporting group…Mrs. Alan (Isabel) Robson’s Dalmatian, named Penny.  Many times Randy would take Treson into the Group ring, while Dennis had Penny on his lead.  Frequently, Randy and Treson placed first over the dog who had won top recognition in the Group ring at Westminster…or gathered, at least a Group 2.

On July 14, 1996 the very thing we all hope for happened.  While still a puppy, he won his first All Breed BIS at the Tampa Bay Kennel Club under Dorothy Nickels.  It was a large show with a 2,500 dog entry.  I thought my heart would stop I was so excited.  Proudly, Treson, his BIS ribbon and I, went home.  There were no more shows in Florida for the hot summer and in August he would turn a year old anyway.  It was time to stay home for me to grow his special’s coat.

I was severely ill in September and Treson ended up in Dennis’ kennel until mid October when I was able to resume the responsibilities of growing his show coat.  After all, that was now one of the most important things in my life.

It wasn’t until late Spring of the next year when Dennis informed me he had several people interested in buying or sponsoring Treson’s career as a special’s dog.  I knew in my heart I could never sell him.  He being the very one I had waited a lifetime for.  I have enough trouble parting with my babies at 8-12 weeks of age, one of the reasons I don’t breed often.  I get too attached to the little ones.

Somewhere in this time frame, Mrs. Alan (Isabel) Robson and I entered into an agreement to go ahead with Treson’s career.  Isabel became Treson’s owner, which allowed him to fulfill his destiny, for without her, this dream would not have become a reality.  She is the one who gave Treson the opportunity and had complete faith in him and his handlers.  I don’t believe Isabel has ever been disappointed, even for a single moment.  Now, in his retirement, we own him together.

Two weeks after leaving home for RanDenn, the handler’s residence in Raleigh, NC, Treson started his record breaking career by winning 3 All Breed BIS in one weekend.  The care of a white Standard Poodle is unbelievably time consuming and must be the number one priority in a handler’s life.  Randy took over and was doing an incomparable job, a true perfectionist.  He was heard to say he was, “practically married to Treson.”  Grooming is a task which is never done and is a must, day after day, week after week, with no such thing as time out.

When specialing a Poodle, you are the first one in the show building and the last one out with hours of washing and spraying out of the coat and drying it again, while other handlers have time for play and fun.  However, luckily, Treson loved to be groomed since a little puppy.  He was good as gold and very, very patient.  He never resented the hours and hours it took Randy to make him look like the epitome of show Poodle perfection.  It was worth it to Treson, for from the moment he stepped into the ring, he would grab the spotlight and sparkle.  Together they effectively obliterated the competition with their presence, so totally composed, in control, presenting one fluid movement.  I am convinced Dennis will miss these spectacular moments and that Randy is glad the constant coat care and responsibility, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week is over.

Both Isabel and I will miss the weekly phone calls from Dennis, that got our adrenalin flowing, weekend after weekend for over two years.  We knew what the team thought about their brightest star…especially when we saw him lying on a mink crate pad. 

What a superb team they were…Treson, Dennis, Randy, Miyuki and the Randenn staff.  The rest is history….

Doris Lilienthal
Lake Cove Farms