02/11/2025
The journey has not been an easy one but all worthy. Cleo is there because she obviously didn’t took and God had a different plan for her.
Solomon back in the ring now in 2025 and so far 11 Best of Breed, 2 Work Group Placements and 1 Best Opposite.
Cleo only one show 1 Best of Breed, 1 Best Opposite, 2 Select
The Victory, The Struggle and The Comeback...
By: Yohanka Reyes
Amazingly, we will be back to Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in 2025. This is simply UNBELIEVABLE!
You may wonder why it is hard to believe? This is the story of our kennel.
We bought our first Saint Bernard in the Summer of 2021; she is now known as CH Johnson Farms Queen Sheba ATT CGC TKN. Sheba was almost two (2) years old when she made her debut in the ring and after a few shows she finished her Championship. She is a few runs away from her BCAT title and is now expecting her first litter, and we couldn’t be happier!
A month later, we got our second one, who became, BOSS GCHB Thunder Kegs Cleopatra HOF ATT CGC TKN. Cleo exceeded all of our expectations accomplishing, as a female, so much in only a year of showing, including Select Bitch at 147th Westminster Kennel Club Show! Most recently, she also made the cut to participate at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club Show. However, as I write this article we are hopefully (fingers crossed) awaiting her first litter as well.
Needless to say, that like most people who get close a Saint Bernard we fell in love with this breed. Therefore, six (6) months after Cleo, we got our third Saint Bernard, the Mighty GCH Johnson Farms King Solomon. “Da King” as we call him, is everything you can dream of in a Saint Bernard.
As a smooth coated one, which makes him “the underdog” often, he has shown what excellence and Best of Breed should look like in the conformation ring. After just his first year of showing the following are his accomplishments: Championship at nine (9) months old along his first Group Placement, AKC Puppy of Achievement, Grand Champion at 11 months old, Multiple Group Placements including a Specialty Working Group, Saint Bernard Club of America Top Twenty qualifier at 17 months old and an Award of Merit at the 147th Westminster Kennel Club Show at 19 months old.
Imagine our dogs achieving the accomplishments mentioned above considering at the time we were new exhibitors in the sport. Although, there is a temptation to feel lucky and brag, we prefer to be grateful and feel “blessed.” What do you think? Perhaps, now you wonder why we stopped showing? Why did we walk away for almost two (2) years from this sport that our dogs and us, enjoyed so much?
This is why. After losing everything we owned to a historical flood in South FL (Fort Lauderdale), in April, in May 2023, we made it to Westminster. Our home had almost three (3) feet of water inside destroying everything. We lost power for seven (7) days and due to how quickly the massive amount of water accumulated, the city was not able to pump out the water until five (5) days later. Our cars and RV flooded and were declared total loss by the insurance company and the devastation was simply one of the saddest things we have had to experience in our life. Yet, we were not going to give up.
I will never forget Brittany Phelps (our dog’s handler), words when she saw us arriving to New York: “you guys look like hell” and she was right, we
felt just like it, but we are not quitters. To win those two ribbons with such young dogs was clearly one of the best gifts God has given to us. Especially, after so much loss. The glory belongs to the Lord!
Right after that show in the Summer of 2023, I had to undergo a whole year of treatment (which includes cancer medicine) and traveling wasn’t an option. My husband was juggling between taking care of me, giving the best life to the dogs, repairing my house and dealing with insurance claims, contractors, attorneys, adjusters etc. After a year of dealing with that situation, we decided to sell our house where we had lived for 15 years and to move to another state. I needed a change of environment for my health and financial stability, and we were seeking more land for the dogs. On March 2024, we bought our new home with acreage in “Sweet Home Alabama” and a couple of months later I got medical clearance, Hallelujah!
Almost two (2) years away from the ring and all I wanted for Christmas was for Solomon to go back to Westminster. I entered him and Cleo but when everyone received their confirmation email on December 5th, we didn’t. We waited a few days but no emails and so my Christmas miracle didn’t come through, or so I thought. On December 12th, both notices of acceptance arrived in the mail!
“Da King” GCH Johnson Farms King Solomon is now back in the ring floor with his dancing partner, Brittany Phelps, and only a few points away from his GCB Title and Saint Bernard Club of America Hall of Fame induction. Come meet him in New York on February 11th, at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. He is now pretty much fully mature and without a doubt, a beautiful representation of the breed. Tall, Powerful, Intelligent and very Gentle. He is also the Sire of our first expected litter, YEY!
Now that you know our story you may understand the headline: “The Victories, The Struggle and The Come Back...”
It takes a village, and I would be remiss if I do not acknowledge the team who made it all possible.
I am forever grateful to all the judges that found and awarded my dogs in huge lines of beautiful representations of this breed and of working dogs. Special thanks to the Judges that recognized Solomon at such a young age. He clearly did not disappoint you.
Thankful always for lead handler Brittany and her team and for Luiz Abreu, who believed enough in this puppy to show him in Westminster for Brittany, while she was busy handling Cleo to the ribbon.
Blessed by the breeders that trusted us as newbies and to the ones, in their pedigree, that paved the way to such amazing exemplars of Saint Bernards. We truly aim to continue their legacy.
I have to mention my husband who always wanted a Saint Bernard and was the one who led us in this journey. He has done everything in his power to give these puppies the best life they could live and to help them to be successful and happy all at the same time. Without him this would not have been possible.
Above it all, forever humbled for all of God’s granted blessings. We can never forget that with Him ALL things are possible!
Westminster, HERE COMES DA KING!
We are commited to Breed Better for Health &Temperament.
