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Twice is nice, but the third time is 'indescribable' We talk with Carolyn Martello, breeder and owner of 2007 GVX Mar Haven’s Black Orchid.
Editor's note: The Martellos have been breeding and showing German Shepherd Dogs nearly 30 years. The couple already had two Grand Victors to their credit before "BO" went Grand Victrix this year under Mr. Ed Barritt. In addition to breeding three dogs that have earned one of the highest honors bestowed by the GSDCA, the Martellos also made history in 2007. BO is the first solid black bitch ever to attain the title of GVX.
GSDbyDesign: How long have you been in GSDs, and why this breed (what interested you)?
Carolyn: I have loved this Breed since I was a kid. All my friends and brothers went to the movies to see Roy Rogers. I went to see BULLET and TRIGGER! I knew nothing about the Breed specifically, but I loved their 'look' and, as a kid, went to every war movie that had a GSD in it. I have never wavered in my admiring and wanting a German Shepherd Dog. It has always been that way. My husband finally bought me one for my birthday when our children were small. She was not a sound dog. We loved her, but we learned what we never wanted again in weakness of character.
GSDbyDesign: What year did your first CH come? Who was it? Carolyn: Our first Champion was in 1980. Her name was Champion Mar Haven's Midnight Lace (LACEY). We never were very involved in showing much and only had an occasional litter and we were actually considering not continuing any involvement in showing in the Breed because we were so busy with our kids when we had that litter and picked out Lacey at 8 weeks. We knew she was 'the one' and a friend of ours, Mr. Ed Riegelhuth, showed her to her Championship. She was an awesome moving bitch and completely sound in all respects. Her daughter was the second Champion we bred, called Champion Mar Haven's Just Right. Another friend, Mr. Bob Grady showed her to her Championship.
GSDbyDesign: Did you have a foundation bitch? If no, is there a more recent dog/bitch who is now prevalent in your lines because of his/her producing ability? Carolyn: I can't say we had any specific bitch that was a dominant force in our lines. We bred LACEY and got a Champion daughter and later bought a male that we finished called Champion Aldon's Quincy. Of course now we can point to our GV AOE CH Mar Haven's Color Guard (BOSS) and say his is a very dominant force in our lines, as everything we have goes back to him now except a bitch we co-own from a Canadian breeding. We've bred tightly on him because we got no serious problems.
GSDbyDesign: Tell us about BOSS - how his breeding came to be, and how you chose him. Can you compare that experience to BO? Carolyn: We leased a Ch. Aldon's Quincy daughter and bred her to UZI. She was a bi-color, beautiful front and rear, but needed his wither and rock hard back and nice coupling. We kept a daughter from that and bred her to CH Hoheneichen's Caisson Avalon for his awesome sidegait and got BOSS. We picked BOSS at 6 weeks as he had everything we had wanted in those breedings – and it was very obvious right away. He had the coupling, wither, depth, carriage, movement and incredible temperament and a brilliant mind already at that age. He never ever took his eyes off me and I couldn't take mine off him even though bi-colors are not my favorite. He gaited all the time with wither, carriage, and beautiful precision movement with tons of correct rear drive, and he was dominant for all that. With our Black Orchid, we closely linebred three times on BOSS and got a good litter. We loved her early on also, but we were not looking to keep a bitch, as we seldom show them. We came close to selling her, but backed out when she went stagy at 5 months. She got 'chunky,' then 'leggy,’ then finally came back together quickly. Last year, we almost pulled from showing her in American-bred at the National because she was completely out of coat - and she ended up winning her class. This year, I agonized again with BO out of coat, but bathed her at the last minute before sending her in the ring in Specials. I would love to have had her shown at the National in her normally gorgeous coat and we will forever be grateful to Mr. Ed Barritt for seeing her anyway.
GSDbyDesign: Please compare these three experiences: Watching BOSS go GV; watching Bono go GV; and watching BO go GVX. Carolyn: We go to the National with a dog we think is competitive but we don't think in terms of Grand Victor or Grand Victrix! When Jerry worked BOSS Friday night at Perry (GA), we felt we had a good chance for a high Select, but never thought of Grand Victor! My husband was told to sit way up in the bleachers and not double, and I was told to just hang out on the one end to get his ears up when he was standing. BOSS literally did that all by himself with almost no doubling. Frank got to watch it all unfold from the stands. I was stunned when he went to first place and began to talk to myself, telling myself I should at least DO SOMETHING! I managed to control myself to a couple of whistles and when the Judge pointed to him, I fell against the wall in tears. Thanks to Linda Kury, I did not go all the way to the floor as she let me sob on her shoulder for a while. I found Doris and Herb in the stands and we all found Frank already down there with BOSS. It is literally an overwhelming indescribable experience! With BONO it was extremely exciting also, but I didn't collapse. We had placed him with Bob and Edie Trocki at 4 1/2 months and I had told Edie he should go high Select some day. BONO has never forgotten us and that made it really special to see him win. There is still a part of him that belongs to us, and he is so much like BOSS in masculinity and mentally. BONO is double BOSS. BONO always touches my heart when I see him again. A great German Shepherd Dog. With BO, because of her lack of coat, we had no expectations. We just hoped for a great performance and possibly get a Select. Again, Frank was sitting on the one end, and just had to whistle if BO needed it. After Mr. Barritt said "these 17 would go Select," we were thrilled. Later, when Mr. Barritt pulled her from way in the back and Bill Basu started up toward the front, I was overwhelmed just to know she would go higher. And when he went directly to the front, I almost fell and started talking to myself again! I kept thinking she would get at least one or two passes leading and that it would be a thrill to see her in front for a minute. When the Judge pointed at her, I didn't see it. I was behind several people, but I heard the crowd and asked someone who won. When she said "you did," I started bawling again. And thanks to Ileana Nogueras, I didn't fall to the ground this time either. I sobbed onto HER shoulder. I love GSD friends! All I can say is that it is indescribable. The amount of work and training and planning and conditioning and hopes that we all put into these great dogs – it is just indescribable when it all comes together. By the way, BO is three times BOSS. So we started with BOSS, then double BOSS and now TRIPLE BOSS. That pretty much answers the question about a dominant force prevalent in our lines. <G>
GSDbyDesign: At the National this year, how well did think BO might do under Ed Barritt? Carolyn: She had just finished (her championship) in late June in beautiful coat, and with her so out of coat, we actually almost didn't show her. I bathed and blew her dry just before they went in the ring and literally didn't give myself much time to think, just HOPE that he could see she was out of coat and that her movement and performance would get her in there SOMEWHERE! I need to say here that Bill Basu was our inspiration with BO. A few times we got discouraged when she blew coat and was at her worst and we considered not showing her. We always had many people rave about her after watching her move, but always in full coat. Bill has always said "when BO goes Grand VIctrix," as he laughed and watched me squirm over my insecurities. He has always been confident and encouraged us that she would some day become one if we found a judge who didn't care what color she was or if she was in full coat. I had told Bill this year that she would never be a "National dog," as she will always be out of coat at the National, as she is always due in season in November. Funny part is that after this huge honor, Bill Basu would occasionally drift off and say "did that really happen? Did we go Grand Victrix with BO, or did I just dream that?" <G> THANK YOU Bill!
GSDbyDesign: Who has influenced your breeding program the most? Carolyn: We have been influenced by no person. The only thing that ever influences us is my "visual" understanding of the Standard and what we like to see when we see a dog moving and standing. i.e. the outline, the athletic precision movement. We pay attention to the details also. A good mind, good feet, full mouth, good back, clean coming and going, powerful ligamentation, correct proportions, impressive presence, strong work ethic, etc. In other words, a really good German Shepherd Dog is our major influence.
GSDbyDesign: What is it with you and "B" names? Carolyn: Hey, IT WORKS! Actually they are just the call names: BOSS ....he always knew he was! BONO....Sonny Bono of "And The Beat Goes On.” And BO, well, it's a take on the first two letters of her name, “BLACK ORCHID,” and we couldn't call her B. O.
GSDbyDesign: Who is the next dog you have your eye on as "extra special"? Carolyn: Our 12 - 18 dog at the National, Mar Haven's Last Cowboy Song (COWBOY). He is out of a BOOKER daughter (granddam of BO) and his sire is GV ARMY OF ONE.
This interview was conducted by Rebecca T. Dickson, Editor. Thank you to the Martellos for their gracious acceptance of our interview
request and for providing us with gorgeous photos of their dogs.
The German Shepherd by Design will be conducting similar interviews of notable breeders and handlers throughout 2008. If
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