11/03/2023
The Fabulous Four, by Mrs. Evelyn T. Meis.
Tattertown Kennel, Hamilton, MT
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No compilation of information on Labrador Retrievers would be complete without mention of the only four generation hand-running dual championship line in recorded history of the breed - or of any sporting breed. They were:
DC and 3x Nat FTC ('42 '43, '46) Shed Of Arden
DC Grangemead Precocious
DC Cherokee Buck
DC Alpine Cherokee Rocket
Dr. Samuel Milbank of Earlsmoor Kennel, a prefix long associated with Terriers, became interested in Labradors while talking with a famous Scottish surgeon, Dr. J. Wilson, who was visiting in this country. It was Dr. Wilson who chose the black Labrador imported, by Dr. Milbank in collaboration with the Hon. W. A. Harriman of the Arden Kennels. Dr. Milbank named the pup Raffles Of Earlsmoor. He was by Thatch of Whitmore and out of Task of Whitmore from the English kennel, not the Canadian one using the same name.
Two other English imports, Mrs. Marshall Fields' Odds On, and Harriman's Peggy Of Shipton, bred together produced a litter from which Mr. Harriman kept Decoy Of Arden.
In 1939, FTC Decoy, bred to Raffles, produced the Arden "Fish" litter, so called because each of the pups was given a name such as Bass, Marlin, Shad, etc. As it happened, because of a typographical error on the registration blank, "Shad" turned out to be Shed Of Arden. He went on to become a three time National Field Champion as well as a conformation champion and was number one in the direct line of hand-running dual champions.
Paul Bakewell of the famed Deercreek Kennel acquired Shed soon after the pup's first appearance at the National Labrador club's tenth trial in 1940, when the pup was not yet two years old.
In those days Labrador enthusiasts were very serious about developing good looking animals endowed with the structure and instincts necessary to perform the function for which they had been developed. Intelligence, trainablility, good disposition, and health were also of prime importance.
The national (parent) club had adopted England's rule that no Labrador be allowed to use the conformation title of "champion" until could at least achieve a working certificate. This noble goal was not only encouraged by the US parent club, but wholeheartedly embraced by such fine kennels as Earlsmoor, Arden, Deercreek, Grangemead, Wingan, Bigstone, and others. It is unfortunate that the practice could not have been picked up by all Labrador breeders and perpetuated endlessly.
Bakewell, with assistance from the outstanding trainer, "Cotton" Pearshall, developed the trial-winning ways of Shed, who was destined to be the first in the renowned line of dual champions from which an untold number of fine Labradors would descend.
The deserved prominence of Thomas Merritt's Grangemead Kennel became best recognized through Precocious, a son of Shed Of Arden and the second member of the four-generation dual champion line. It is interesting to note that the name, "Precocious," was chosen for this pup after a most fortunate, though unplanned, breeding at the age of seven months produced an exceptionally fine litter including one later to be Dual Champion Cherokee Buck, the third in the famous dual champion line.
Two others from the [unplanned] breeding were FTC Cherokee Medicine Man and FTC Freehaven Muscles. Unfortunately the dame, Grangemead Sharon, was given away and lost track of before the outstanding quality and accomplishments of that litter came to light. Subsequently, from a litter by DC Cherokee Buck out of Nelgard's Madam queen, came the pup to complete the unique quartet by becoming DC Alpine Cherokee Rocket.
All four of these champions were handled to their conformation championships by Hollis Wilson (no relation to Dr. J. Wilson), well known handler and later a distinguished AKC approved judge.
