The Foundation Chesapeakes of Sandy Oak
Our first Chesapeake, Sandy, who went on to become known as Ch. Baron’s Sandy Bay CD WD, was purchased in 1983 from a duck hunting friend as a hunting dog for my (now ex) husband, Dave. Sandy’s father, Baron’s Mike II, was out of Mt. Joy’s Eastern Shor Belle (by Dual Ch. & AFC Mt. Joy’s Mallard***) and was one of the last living sons of the famous FC AFC CGC Nelgard’s Baron CD. Sandy’s mother, Riptide’s Leaping Leah** WDQ, was a two-star qualified field trial bitch whose career was cut short when her owner tragically drowned in the Eel river trying to save his other hunting partners when their boat capsized. Leah also had a fantastic pedigree as she was a grand-daughter of Dual Ch. & AFC Tiger’s Cub CD and went back to FC AFC Atom Bob on her father’s side. Sandy also had a litter brother, Riptide’s Brown Brick WDX**, who was also successful in the field trial game.
Our Sandy was a classic Chesapeake....beautiful and a wonderful worker with a great temperament! She finished her conformation championship in just a few months handled by professional handler, Doug Bundock, and earned her CD and WD despite all the mistakes we made in her training. I wanted to get out of showing horses and into something else and Sandy seemed to fit the bill for my entrance into the world of showing dogs!!!
Sandy was bred 4 times, and two of those offspring went on to form the foundation for all of my Sandy Oak offspring. Ch. Sandy Oak’s Russia CD WD (by Dual Ch. & AFC Capital City Jake***) from Sandy’s second litter went on to produce my Sandy Oak’s Bit O’ Russia, aka Rita who in turn produced my Am* & BIS/BBE Int.* Ch. Sandy Oak’s Rainbow Rider UD JH NA NAJ WD CGC ROMQ, aka Rusty, and his litter sister Ch. Sandy Oak’s Racing Reverly CDX JH NA OAJ WD (both sired by Ch. Eriez Marsh Hawk UD TD WD). Rusty is behind everything at Sandy Oak today either directly or through the Meadowood Chesapeakes (www.meadowoodcbr.us), and he and Rev are both behind my Sandy Oak’s Ring of Fire (“Lacey”) (by Ch. Meadowoods Quiet Riot NA NAJ CGC).
Ch. Sandy’s Hi-Ho Shooting Star UD JH WDX ROM (by Am* & Can* Ch. Hi-Ho’s Guns of Canton CD WDQ**) was from Sandy’s fourth litter and was the foundation bitch for what we often refer to as the Star line. Star produced Sandy Oak Bit O’Honey Tess JH WDX (major ptd.) who produced both my Sandy Oak Touch O’Honey Jazz RN CGC (by Ch. Meadowoods Home of the Brave UD MH AX WDQ**) and Ch. Sandy Oak’s Bit O’Starlite CD RN WD CGC, aka “Shaina” (by Ch. Happyfeet’s Governor CDX WDQ***). Jazz, in turn, is the dam of Sylvia Holderman’s Ch. Meadowood’s Quiet Legacy, and Shaina went on to produce Ch. Sandy Oak’s Starlite Starbrite CGC (by Ch. Meadowoods Quiet Riot NA NAJ CGC) who is the dam of my Annie, aka Ch. Sandy Oak Wish Upon A Star RN CGC and her older sister Halley, aka Ch. Sandy Oak Starlite Wishes CD RE CGC both sired by Ch.* Redlion’s Western Wishes CD RN CGC.
Some years ago Sylvia Holderman of Meadowood Chesapeakes bred her Ch. Willow of Meadowood CD to my Rusty and that produced the litter we frequently refer to as the famous 5 litter consisting of Ch. Meadowoods Home of the Brave UD MH AX WDQ**, Ch. Meadowoods Flyway Scout MH WDQ, Best In Show Ch. Meadowoods Close Encounter CDX JH WD (“Target”), Ch. Meadowoods Zippy Delivery CDX OA OAJ, and Ch. Meadowoods Wind Wing CDX NA (2 legs/UD). Brave, Target and Zippy have gone on to produce subsequent generations of titled dogs and have also been bred back to my Sandy Oak bitches either directly or through their offspring.
Star and Rusty were my two CH/UD/JH titled chesapeakes and are both written up in the obedience sections of two of the Chesapeake History books. Star is in “The New Complete Chesapeake Bay Retriever” by Janet & Daniel Horn and Rusty is in “The Chesapeake Bay Retriever” edited by Dyane Baldwin for The American Chesapeake Club. They were very high in the stats in obedience when I was competing with them and also were published in The American Chesapeake Club calendar of Champion Chesapeakes with obedience and hunting titles one year. Rusty was also the recipient of the Ch. Chesareid Amber Hue Perpetual Trophy for High Scoring Novice obedience dog in the year in which we earned his CD together. Both of them were incredible dogs to train and to compete with and were also my closest companions. Rusty was retired from conformation and obedience competition at the age of 10 at our ACC National Specialty in Washington State with a Best of Opposite win to the Best of Breed at the supported entry that same weekend after having some fabulous wins at the specialty along with two of his sons, and he ran test dog at his last hunt test at the age of 12. Rusty lived to a ripe old age of 14 and I still miss him dearly today! Rusty is also a top producer and his offspring and their subsequent generations are still producing incredible Chesapeakes! Star came out of retirement at the age of 9 to earn her AKC Junior Hunting title and was tragically killed in an automobile accident at the age of 11 along with the driver of the car. They both leave an incredible legacy in ongoing Sandy Oak generations and in the breed.