HAPPY 11TH BIRTHDAY TO WILLIE...

I WANT TO SHARE WITH ALL MASTIFF LOVERS THAT MULTIPLE BISS CH.
REGAL HILLS SUDDEN IMPACT AKA 'WILLIE' TURNED ELEVEN YEARS OLD ON SEPTEMBER 19,
2005. HE HAS AGED GRACIOUSLY AND HAS AMAZED OUR FAMILY WITH HIS LONGEVITY.
WE NEVER THOUGHT THAT SUCH A VERY LARGE MASTIFF WOULD LIVE SO
LONG. HE POSSESSES A STRONG PHYSICAL CONSTITUTION WITH THE SWEET TEMPERAMENT
OF A LAMB (WITH THE EXCEPTION OF OTHER MALES ON HIS PROPERTY). HIS SHOW
CAREER HAS LONG BEEN OVER BUT HE HAS BEEN OUR HOUSE DOG AND BELOVED FAMILY MEMBER
SINCE HE RETIRED FROM THE SHOW RING IN MAY OF 2000.

HE IS A CREDIT TO HIS BREEDER, PAM HUSON AND WE KNOW HOW VERY PROUD
SHE IS OF HIM AND ALL HE HAS ACCOMPLISHED.
WE DID NOT RAISE WILLIE. HE WAS RAISED AND FINISHED BY HIS BREEDER
PAM HUSON, ALONG WITH THE CARE OF HIS FORMER CO-OWNER DEB SHOOK. WE HAD NO
IDEA THAT WILLIE WOULD EVER COME TO LIVE WITH US. WE HAD WATCHED HIM SHOW AS
A CLASS DOG AND WE WERE PRESENT THE DAY HE FINISHED HIS CHAMPIONSHIP UP NORTH.
IT ALL BEGAN WHEN I WROTE TO PAM TO INQUIRE ABOUT USING HIM AT STUD
WITH MY PETE DAUGHTER, CH. SOUTHPORTS PRIMA BELLA BRED BY AL AND MURIEL
MEZA. I PREPARED A PACKAGE ON MY BITCH WITH HER SHOW PHOTOS, PEDIGREE AND
HEALTH TESTING. WHEN I DID NOT HEAR BACK FROM HIS BREEDER, I WAS
DISAPPOINTED. I ASSUMED THAT SHE WAS NOT INTERESTED IN BREEDING TO MY BITCH.
A FEW WEEKS PASSED WHEN SHE PHONED AND EXPLAINED THAT ALTHOUGH SHE
HAD SEVERAL INQUIRIES TO USE HIM AT STUD HER WORK SCHEDULE PREVENTED
HER FROM DOING SO. SHE EXPLAINED THAT SHE WAS A SINGLE WOMAN TRYING TO MANAGE TWO
(AND SOON TO BE THREE) BUSINESSES ON HER OWN AND SIMPLY DID NOT HAVE THE TIME
TO MANAGE HIS STUD CAREER.

SHE OFFERED TO CO-OWN HIM WITH US IF WE WOULD SHOW HIM. SHE
EXPLAINED THAT HER REAL WISH FOR HIM WAS TO BE CAMPAIGNED. SHE HAD TRIED TO DO
THIS BUT SOMEHOW WAS NEVER SUCCESSFUL. SHE BELIEVED DEEPLY IN HIM AND
WANTED HIM TO BE ABLE TO SHOW THE WORLD WHAT A GREAT MASTIFF HE WAS...
WE ARRANGED TO HAVE PAM AND WILLIE FLOWN DOWN TO LOS ANGELES
SHORTLY THEREAFTER. WILLIE WAS BEAUTIFUL AND WAS EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED TO
USE IN MY BREEDING PROGRAM. HOWEVER, BEING A SHOW DOG TAKES A VERY OUTGOING
PERSONALITY AND AT THAT TIME, WILLIE WAS SWEET BUT NOT WHAT WE CONSIDERED TO BE A
DOG WHO COULD HIT THE ROAD WITH HANDLERS AND SHOW WEEK IN AND WEEK OUT.
WE AGREED TO SHOW AND HANDLE HIM OURSELVES LOCALLY. WE KNEW THAT
WILLIE NEEDED LOTS OF ONE ON ONE ATTENTION. SO JOE, WILLIE AND I TOOK OFF
IN OUR MOTOR HOME AND SHOWED AROUND SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA IN LATE 1997 AND
EARLY IN 1998.
AN OPPORTUNITY AROSE FOR WILLE TO BE SHOWN BACK EAST WITH DAMARA
BOLTE (OF LONG TIME MASTIFF FAME) WITH HIS NEW CO-OWNER AND OUR LONG TIME
FRIEND, MIKE HOFFMAN. SO WILLIE WENT OFF TO SHOW BACK EAST FOR A SHORT WHILE.
HE WON AN AWARD OF MERIT AT THE NATIONAL THAT YEAR.
ONCE WILLIE RETURNED TO US THAT FALL, WE BEGAN TO SHOW HIM AGAIN
LOCALLY. HE DID VERY WELL AND HIS PERSONALITY BLOSSOMED. HE WAS GLAD TO BE
WITH US AGAIN. OUR INTENTIONS WERE TO SHOW WILLIE OURSELVES IN 1999 BUT OUR HANDLER
WANTED TO SHOW HIM. WE HAD OUR DOUBTS ABOUT SENDING HIM WITH A HANDLER.
GRETCHEN SCHULTZ IS A NATURAL WITH DOGS. THEY LOVE HER BECAUSE SHE MAKES A
TRUE CONNECTION WITH THEM. HOWEVER, WE DID NOT BELIEVE THAT WILLIE
WOULD DO WELL TRAVELING WITH SEVERAL OTHER SHOW DOGS. GRETCHEN AND WILLIE DID
WONDERFULLY TOGETHER. SHE TREATED HIM AS IF HE WERE HER ONLY SHOW DOG. HE WON
BEST OF BREED AT THE MASTIFF CLUB OF AMERICA THAT YEAR AND HE WAS THE NUMBER ONE
MASTIFF ALL SYSTEMS IN 1999.

THE YEAR 2000 BEGAN WITH A BANG FOR WILLIE. HE HAD BROKEN THE
MASTIFF BREED POINT RECORD WITH OVER 2000 BREED POINTS FOR 1999. A RECORD HE HOLDS
TO THIS DAY. HE WAS NOW BEING HANDLED BY BRUCE SCHULTZ AS GRETCHEN
RECOVERED FROM KNEE SURGERY. HE WON THE WORKING GROUP AT THE KENNEL CLUB OF PALM
SPRINGS IN THE FIRST DOG SHOW OF 2000. HE WAS THE BEST OF BREED WINNER AT
WESTMINSTER. WILLIE WAS AGAIN THE NUMBER ONE MASTIFF IN 2000 AT THE MASTIFF
NATIONAL THAT MAY. WILLIE WON HIS SECOND NATIONAL SPECIALTY AND THEN
RETIRED FROM BEING CAMPAIGNED. HE DID MAKE ANOTHER APPEARANCE AT THE NATIONAL IN 2001
AND WON BEST VETERAN AND AN AWARD OF MERIT.

HE HAS BEEN LOVED AND CHERISHED BY OUR FAMILY FOR ALL OF THESE MANY
YEARS. I KNOW THAT ALL OF YOU WILL RELATE TO THE FACT THAT THESE NOBLE
DOGS NEVER LIVE LONG ENOUGH. EACH OF US MUST FACE THE SAD FACT THAT LIFE WITH
THEM IS NEVER LONG ENOUGH. MANY OF US HAVE HAD TO FACE THAT DIFFICULT
CHOICE THAT BREAKS OUR HEARTS. I AM HAPPY TO SAY THAT I HAVE LIVED WITH A FEW
MASTIFFS WHO HAVE MADE IT TO THEIR ELEVENTH BIRTHDAYS BUT SADLY NONE OF THEM
HAVE LIVED TO TWELVE. IT SEEMS THIS IS ONE MILESTONE WE HAVE NOT PASSED,
ALTHOUGH WE HAVE COME CLOSE.

WHO WOULD HAVE EVER GUESSED AT AN INQUIRY FOR A STUD SERVICE WOULD
BECOME A BELOVED FAMILY MEMBER. CH. SOUTHPORTS PRIMA BELLA AND WILLIE
PRODUCED A BEAUTIFUL LITTER OF PUPS...SEVERAL OF THOSE PUPS WENT ON TO FINISH
THEIR CHAMPIONSHIPS:

BIS CH. SOUTHPORTS PRIME IMPACT
CH. SOUTHPORTS SLICK WILLIE aka CLINTON*
CH. SOUTHPORTS NORTHERN LIGHTS aka LITTY**
CH. SOUTHPORTS ILLUSTRIOUS SAPPHIRE
CH. SOUTHPORTS VADAR

AND ONE LITTLE LADY WHO GOT HER CD TITLE IN THREE SHOWS:
SOUTHPORTS BAILERINA, CD


BISS Ch. Regal Hills Sudden Impact is owned by Joe and Carla
Sanchez, Mike Hoffman and his breeder Pam Huson.