Happy Father’s Day! To celebrate all things paternal, we are featuring eight great sires in AKC history. These studly champions did some of their best work outside of the show ring.
Standard Poodle: Ch. Nunsoe Duc de la Terrace of Blakeen
Ch. Nunsoe Duc de la Terrace of Blakeen, the 1935 Westminster Best in Show winner, was the foundation sire of Blakeen Kennels. The magnificent Standard Poodle import truly was a legend in his own time. “When Poodles were not popular, Duc won the hearts of the public,” owner Hayes Blake Hoyt wrote in the AKC Gazette.
“Through Duc a new love and understanding of the breed came to America, and this is one of the many debts we owe him. He has sired many champions, but his personality begot an undying enthusiasm for his race.”
Boxer: Ch. Bang Away of Sirrah Crest
Named Westminster Best in Show in 1951, Ch. Bang Away of Sirrah Crest was called “the greatest Boxer of all time.” He was the first dog to win more than 100 Bests in Show. Bang Away sired 86 champions and helped define the modern Boxer.
Standard Poodle: Ch. Puttencove Promise
Standard Poodle Ch. Puttencove Promise was a Westminster Best in Show winner in 1958 and a potent sire of great quality. Promise’s influence is stamped on the breed decades after he won his last show ribbon.
Brittany: DC Tigar’s Jocko
This show champion and Hall of Fame bird dog embodied the dual ability prized by Brittany lovers. Jocko passed along the versatility gene by fathering three show champions and six field champions.
Beagle: Ch. King’s Creek Triple Threat
The 15-inch Beagle Ch. King’s Creek Triple Threat, sire of more than 70 champions, is shown notching one of his 84 career Hound Group wins.
Smooth Fox Terrier: Ch. Ttarb the Brat
Smooth Fox Terrier Ch. Ttarb the Brat was a top-ranked show dog of the 1980s. An Australian import, Brat had a permanent and lasting influence on his breed through his more than 130 champion offspring. Brat’s great-grandson, Am./Mex. Ch. Laurelton Now or Never, ROM, SD, sired 99 champions. He is his breed’s number-two top-producing sire of all time, second only to his famous great-grandfather.
Bulldog: Mapo’s Souvenir
Bulldog Mapo’s Souvenir was one of a long line of potent sires out of the Houston-based Mapo Kennels, advertised as “The Best Little Stud House in Texas.” He’s pictured here with owner and Bulldog Club of America Hall of Fame breeder Richard Maze.
Norfolk Terrier: Ch. Max-Well’s Weatherman
Norfolk Terrier Ch. Max-Well’s Weatherman won 23 all-breed Bests in Show. Of the 37 pups sired by the pint-sized patriarch, 29 were champions. Among them was another big winner, multi-BIS Ch. Max-Well’s Rainman.