Having grown up
on a small farm in Eastern Washington, I was exposed to American Saddlebred
show horses. I can recall being as young as 7 and being taken with
their extreme beauty and athletic ability. I was soon given my first
show horse and thus exposed to the world of showing horses. At age
14 I had a freak accident with a horse which resulted in reconstructive
surgery to my ankle, thus ending my 7 years in horse showing.
At 15 I purchased
my first show dog, an Afghan Hound. I played in the Afghan Hound breed
for a few years until I was introduced to a now very dear friend of mine,
Gloria Busselman of Pen Sans Shih Tzu fame. Her dogs were so wonderful
that it was not long until I gave up my Afghans and the Shih Tzu became
my passion. Gloria and I formed a friendship of work and love that we enjoyed
for many years. I took in all that she had to teach, much like that of
a young apprentice. Over the years we had many winning dogs that we bred
and showed together.
In 1993 I decided
that I was finished with caring for the long coated breeds. Since I am
a hairdresser by trade, I felt as though I was doing hair all day and all
night, so I decided that my life in dogs had run its course. I took a break
from it all for a couple of years and then realized that it must truly
be in my blood. I missed it so much - not only having dogs but the sport
of it all. Over the years I always had a Whippet or two for a pet, so it
was a very natural decision that Whippets would be my next focus.
I purchased two
Whippets in early 1995. I finished one and the other turned out to be a
pet. I soon set out to find what I would consider to be my foundation,
a great bitch, for which I could use as the cornerstone of my breeding
program. I soon had the opportunity to purchase Select
Ch Watch Me Shape of My Heart, from Jeanne Thomas William's of "Watch
Me Whippets." Basia has proved to be a valuable bitch and a key element
in producing the Windigo look.
All graphics are originals and were
created by Susannah Pincheira expressly for Windigo Kennels and may not
be copied. Photographs are the property of Windigo Kennels and may not
be copied without consent from Windigo Kennels.