Champion Quibbletown Impresario, AKA Impy, and Champion Quibbletown Carlotta, as far a Great Pyrenees breed history goes, are, arguably, as important to contemporary blood lines as there exists. While Impy's influence goes beyond Carlotta, her influence is tied to him almost exclusively. The breeding, actually at least two litters, produced some of the most important offspring in breed history. I will start with Carlotta's background, briefly describe the breeding and offspring's and conclude with Impy's background and some other information on him. He is VERY important. One of the modern keystones of the breed. The names go together almost like "Anthony & Cleopatra" and "Tracy & Hepburn". Definitely a famous pair in the world of Great Pyrenees.
Carlotta was born October 6, 1961. She was out of Beau-Kay Chloe, by Champion Lorvaso de la Colina. Her littermates are Champion Quibbletown Good Time Charlie, Quibbletown Co-Coette, and Quibbletown Rennie. Important ancestors back more than three generations are Champion Ibos du Val d'Aure, Toy de Soum, and Champion Estat d'Argeles. A three generation pedigree follows:
Champion Loramo de la Colina
Champion Lorvaso de la Colina
Vanosa de la Colina
Champion Cote de Neige
Berceuse Beau Kay Chloe
Champion Quibbletown Chloe of Beau-Kay
Remember the words of Edith Smith:" Via our Cote de Neige stock we had the type we wanted, since these early dogs were almost all close to the lovely Estat D'Argeles of Basquaerie."(1) Certainly a breeding plan that was well thought out and history now documents their success and close adherence to the plan. Seaver has told me many times how completely dedicated Edith was to this pursuit. We are all fortunate that she was a lady of immense talent and understanding of the breed. It is because of dogs like Impy and Carlotta that we see in today's dogs of the quality we now enjoy. My study is so biased that I suppose it is possible that another breeding line could have also made similar contributions. Surely the consistent occurrence of these early dogs in the "top" dogs of today with almost unfailing regularity is testament to their genetic importance. Occasionally an individual dog can be generally acknowledged to be important to the breed, but almost never do we see this same quality even one generation later without the "Quibbletown" connection. If my statement is inconsistent with other facts, please bring them forward for us all to enjoy and use in our future breeding programs.
Thank goodness Edith and Seaver used Estat as their model because from him they got the best of de Soum. Personally I feel that the inbred grandson of Estat, Champion Ibos de Val d'Aure was the "rock" in the foundation. Estat is a spectacular outcross of de Soum. No doubt in my mind that his inbred grandson intensified the already very closely linebred "blood" of de Soum. Fortunately Ibos and his get were used extensively here in this country. It could have been that when offspring of Estat and Ibos were used the resulting get came forward because of its quality. Check it out. All these great dogs generally go back to Estat, primarily through Ibos. Many times we see offspring of Estat or even Estat himself used with offspring of Ibos only one or two generations away and vice versa. Both dogs were in the Country about the same time and both apparently very popular. Only Mary Crane could have given us these gifts. They were here for all to use. History now documents for us that Edith and Seaver Smith of Quibbletown used them exquisitely.
The breeding of Impy and Carlotta produced at least two
litters. We see the following dogs:
1. Canadian Champion Quibbletown Bonhomme
2. Quibbletown Daphne
3. American & Canadian Champion Quibbletown Cavalier
4. Champion Quibbletown Neige Deesse
5. American & Canadian Quibbletown White Tornado
6. Champion Quibbletown Bonnie Pandora
7. Champion Quibbletown Cailin Ban
8. Champion Quibbletown Cute Lil' Imp
9. Champion Quibbletown Daffodil
10. Tip'N Chip Quibbletown Impy
Two of the above get are pivotal in contemporary breed history. One we spoke some in Part Three, Tip'N Chip Quibbletown Impy. Champion Tip'N Chip Mont Chanson,the original "Sonny" at Tip'N Chip, is by Champion Quibbletown Chanson de Gueste. She just happens to be the dam of Champion Tip'N Chip Sonny's Reflection and Champion Tip'N Chip Sonny's Image. Most of the Tip'N Chip line descends from either or both Tip'N Chip Mont Chanson or Tip'N Chip Quibbletown Impy.
Champion Quibbletown Cavalier, AKA Kip, went out west to Charles and Marjorie McConnell in Seattle, Washington. Kip, is very important to bloodlines in the west. Kip, was the foundation dog at Cavalier and for whom they named their kennel. He was a great show dog who was also a very worthy Sire. He seemed to embody the essence of the Quibbletown line and was able to pass it along to his get. We see the descendants of Kip in such kennels as VilleVieux, Balekif, Kaskadian, Shandee Hill, Caspry, Euzkotar, Pyr-Haven (the old California Kennel), Costa Lota, Tip'N Chip, Summerhill, Basqmier, Edginbar, Dunhill, Rivergroves, and many others.
This blood of Kip bred to other Quibbletown blood on the west Coast along with the blood of such"old California" dogs such as Champion Sunset Knoll Basquaerie Beau, Champion Basquaerie Monte Cristo, Champion La Shan Marc of Basquaerie, Champion Euskaldum Ramuntcho, and many others of primarily Basquaerie breeding just a few generations removed from the original imports that Mary Crane made over the years from Europe gives a very good and unique gene pool.
The blood of these early dogs are still quite evident today and I feel responsible in part for the really great breed type we presently see in the west, more particularly the northwest. Tremendous breeders working together for the good of the breed has resulted in a really great general representation of the breed in this area of the County. Everyone should go the Great Pyrenees Club of America National Specialty being held in Vancouver, Washington (just outside Portland, Oregon) this year. This promises to be a very important specialty in the breed. The Judge, Dr. Robert Brown is an dedicated breed authority. He will be presented with probably the most consistent group of very excellent breed type dogs ever assembled. In addition breeders of tremendous talent and experience will be there from the region, plus the rest of us taking our best to compete with the best in all the classes. This specialty along with the one next year, 1997, in Virginia judged by none other than Seaver Smith of Quibbletown promises two rare experiences for us all. We will have an opportunity to have two of the best breed authorities teach us about the breed by their judging selections. To me this is the essence of what a National Specialty should be. The Judging should and will in many cases influence the breed for years (generations) to come.
Champion Quibbletown Impresario was bred at Quibbletown Kennels by Edith and Seaver Smith. Impy, as I have heard him lovingly called, was born August 25, 1959. His pedigree is given herein. His sire, Champion Lorvaso de la Colina, was a major player in Quibbletown history. Impy has a coefficient of inbreeding of 12.952 percent. When you look at a gene search that gives percentages of ancestors influence on him, one begins to understand why he is so important to the breed. Because Edith and Seaver Smith considered Lorvaso de la Colina so important, we must look at the same information for both him and Impy's dam, Quibbletown April Sunshine.
A three generation pedigree of Impy follows:
Champion Loramo de la Colina
Champion Lorvaso de la Colina
Vanoso de la Colina
Quibbletown Sunburst
Quibbletown April Sunshine
Quibbletown Bouncing Bett
We see a high genetic influence on Lorvaso's side from:
Lawrence of Combermere 31.25%
Basquaerie Houx de Noel 21.9%
Ibos du Val d'Aure 20.3%
Estat d'Argeles 10.2%
On the Quibbletown April Sunshine side we see a high genetic influence from:
Cote de Neige Zephire 14.5%
Lawrence of Combermere 18.75%
Basquaerie Houx de Noel 9.3%
Ibos du Val d'Aure 15.8%
Estat d'Argeles 19.3%
In addition to Champion Quibbletown Carlotta, Impy was bred to Beau Kay Chloe, Beau Kay Heidi (3 times), Champion Quibbletown Ariette, Champion Quibbletown Basquaise (2 times), Quibbletown Co-Coette, Quibbletown Glory Be, Quibbletown Party Girl, and Quibbletown Samantha. It is possible that I have missed some, but at least the above breeding show up as a result of some descendant becoming a Champion or being a top producer or winning at a National Specialty.
From Impy and Beau Kay Chloe we see:
1. Champion Quibbletown Ambassador we see such descendants as
Champion Ville Vieux Le Roi, Champion VilleVieux Limberlost
Barry, American & Canadian Champion Kaskadian's Cover Girl,
Champion Caspyr's Love Lady Love, Champion Pyr-Haven High Drift,
Champion Rolling Hills Keep The Faith, Champion Quibbletown
Justin Time II, Champion Cavalier's One Eyed Jack, and many
others.
2. Canadian Champion Quibbletown Misti Maid we see such
descendants as Celidad de Pastoure, Champion Mistry Tecumseh at
Catalan, American & Canadian Champion Ventisquero Friend of
the Devil, Champion Schnee Bar Der Macht Die Liebe, Champion
Galaxy's Castor, and many others.
3. Champion Quibbletown Duch de Nemours we see such dogs as
Champion Tip'N Chip Sonny's L'Air, Champion Rivergroves For Your
Eyes Only, Champion Rivergroves If Looks Could Kill, Champion
Pyrless Prime Time, Rivergroves Ivory Princess, American &
Canadian Champion Costa Lota's Frosty Snowman, CDX, and many
others.
From Impy and Beau Kay Heidi we see Champion Quibbletown Falstaff who won Best of Breed at Great Pyrenees Club of America National Specialties in 1970 and 1971. Falstaff was a foundation dog at Barqueill. We find such descendants as Champion Barqueill Country Gentleman, English Champion Barqueill Gainesborough of Carabrae, Champion Barqueill Peer of the Realm, and many others.
From Champion Quibbletown Basquaise we see:
1. The same descendants seen above under Canadian Champion
Quibbletown Misti Maid.
2. Champion Quibbletown Parfait II we see such descendants as
Champion Rolling Hills Keep The Faith, Champion VilleVieux Le
Roi, Champion Cavalier's One Eyed Jack, and many others.
3. Quibbletown Titania we see such descendants as American &
Canadian Champion Sherando's Sundancer, Champion Rivergroves
Ivory Princess, Champion Rivergroves Run For The Roses, Champion
Tip'N Chip's Foolish Pleasure, Champion Pyrfection Winslow Homer,
American & Canadian Champion Pyrfection Henri Matisse, and
many others.
From Quibbletown Co-Coette we see:
1. Quibbletown Judy produced such descendants as Champion Renfield Glory Hallelujah, Champion Tip'N Chip's Ice Capades, Champion Wyndsong's Whitney, Champion Mistry's Ramos Fizz, Champion Tip'N Chip Sonny's Sundance Kid, Champion Maranatha Lady's Man, Champion Riverain Pepa-Mint Pance, Champion Pyr Haven Tonto's Tomahawk, Champion Tip'N Chip Sonny Boy Micjule, Champion Tip'N Chip Sonny Side Up, Champion Trottenfox Gabriel, Champion Rivergroves Bear Essential, Champion Tip'N Chip Pride D'Argeles, Champion Tip'N Chip High Interest, Champion Tip'N Chip TNT Trottenfox, and many others.
2. Champion Quibbletown Patrician was also one of the foundation dogs at Barqueill. He is responsible for such descendants as Champion Barqueill Country Gentleman, and others.
From Champion Quibbletown Glory Be we see:
1. Canadian Champion Quibbletown Valkerie gives us such descendants as Champion Limberlost Valentino, Champion Limberlost Angel of Es-Pyr-It, Champion Schnee Bar Snaft Angel, American & Canadian Champion Le Dauphine of Limberlost, Champion Limberlost Kinnebecasis Beau, American & Canadian Quibbletown Val's Heritage, Champion VilleVieux Le Roi, Champion Rolling Hills Keep The Faith, Champion Kenneview's Grand Slam, American & Canadian Champion Kenneview's Tuff Stuff, Champion Pyr Haven Indian Princess, Champion Starlaxy Duke UFO, Champion Starlaxy Jupitor's Pasiphae, American & Canadian Starlaxy Gauguin Pyrfection, Champion VilleVieux Madame Bovary, Champion VilleVieux Yankee Sunshine, Champion Snowbear Ramona Lisa, Champion Starlaxy Benjamin Indus, Champion Pyr Haven Tonto Indian Summer, American & Canadian Champion Kaskadian's Idyll Gossip, Champion Kaskadian's Whitehope Timber, and many others.
2. Champion Quibbletown Billy Wink was one of the most
important Studs at Quibbletown. Billy Wink produced many
important descendants among just a few are Champion Cavalier's
One Eyed Jack, Champion Rolling Hills Keep The Faith, American
& Canadian Pyr-Haven Buttercup, Champion Kaskadian Shaniko,
C.D., Champion Caspyr's Victoria Secret Echo, American &
Canadian Champion Quibbletown M'Appari, Champion Cavalier
Merechal-Ferrant, Champion Quibbletown Anissa, American &
Canadian Champion Sherando's Sundancer, Champion Barqueill
Scarlet, Champion Rivergroves Ivory Princess, Champion
Rivergroves Crushers Re-Run, Quibbletown Billy Deaux, Ch.
Quibbletown TG of Basquaerie, American & Canadian Euskari's
Kaskadian Everstar, American & Canadian Kaskadian's
Skookunchuk Kid, Champion Caspyr Captain of Shandeehill, Champion
Avancer Amorous Annie, Champion Quibbletown Kyuguot Warrior,
Champion Sesom Lady Natasha, Champion Charbonneau's Morn
Reveille, Champion Quibbletown Step Aside, Champion Maranatha
Space Commander, Champion Jenstin's Noah's Inspiration, Champion
Kobil's Louis Pastoure, Champion Quibbletown Oliver Twist,
Champion Elysee Racquette Ruff, Champion Elysee Eve, and many
others.
Impy bred with Quibbletown Melanie produced:
1. Quibbletown Confection from which we see Champion Quibbletown Step Aside, Champion Sesom Lady Natashia, and other fairly contemporary dogs.
2. Quibbletown Impromptu was a brood bitch at Barqueill and produced Barqueill Rachael Josette, Champion Barqueill Road To Ruin, and others.
Impy and Quibbletown Party Girl produced one of the most
important bitches in modern breed history.
Quibbletown Queeka Bear was the foundation bitch at Karolaska.
Queeka produced Champion Karolaska Polar Nero, Champion Karolaska
Glacier, Champion Karolaska Polar Bonni Bear, Karolaska's
Kuskowim Kid, and many, many others. We will do Queeka Bear
later, so I will save the work for then. Queeka Bear is one of
the most important brood bitches in breed history.
In addition to Queeka Bear, Impy and Party Girl produced Quibbletown Suzette Soloman which resulted in descendants such as Champion Quibbletown Ambiance, Champion VilleVieux Le Roi, Champion Rolling Hills Keep The Faith, and many others.
Impy and Quibbletown Samantha produced:
1. Quibbletown French Doll whose descendants include Champion Kobils Louis Pasteur, Quibbletown Crystal Del Rey, Champion Pyr-Laynes Beau de Chesky, Champion Barqueill Peer of the Realm, Champion Quibbletown Step Aside, Champion Quibbletown Sock It To Em, and many others.
Impy is one of those dogs you could continue on forever making associations to important dogs and events in breed history. He is one of the very most important Studs in breed history and himself a gorgeous dog. We will visit his father Champion Lorvaso de la Colina at another time and will cover him some more along with his very important full and half siblings.
Impy is only five generations removed from the best French stock from de Soum, Val d'Aure, and de Langladure, but primarily de Soum lines. Even though the single most important ancestor is Ibos du Val d'Aure, when you look closely at Ibos you see inbred de Soum. His influence on the breed is staggering. You are the judge. I have included a list of Great Pyrenees Club of America National Specialty Best of Breed and Best of Opposite Sex winners, and some of the top producing dogs and bitches in breed history. When you see the percentage of genetic influence on these dogs, one begins to see the importance of Champion Quibbletown Impresario on our present day dogs.
Dog percent genetic influence from Impresario
Conestoga Echo of Starmont 24.2%
Euskari's Kaskadian Everstar 10.9%
Karolaska An Annie Moose 25.4%
Karolaska Bolshoi Baranov 25%
Karolaska Bristol Bay 25.4%
Karolaska Glacier 25%
Kobil's Louis Pastoure 18.75%
Maranatha Space Commander 21.9%
Quibbletown T.G. of Basquaerie 12.5%
Renfield's Autumn Glory 25%
Rivergroves J.A. Wonder Woman 12.5%
Shadowrun Chance 18.2%
Tip'N Chip K-Pyrs Sera Sera 13.6%
Tip'N Chip Sonny's L'Air 31.25%
Tip'N Chip Sonny SideUp 12.5%
Tip'N Chip's Ice Capades 17.2%
Kaskadian's Idle Gossip 10%
Kaskadian's Whitehope Timber 10%
Rivergroves Run For The Roses 18.2%
Pyrson K'Laska of Summerhill 18%
Karolaska Honey's Abby 23.5%
VilleVieux Le Roi 25%
Rolling Hills Keep The Faith 22.2%
Rivergroves Ivory Princess 17.2%
Many others
At this point it should come as no surprise that Impy is on the top producer list for AKC champions with eighteen AKC champions and to this writer an unknown number of Canadian champions. He is sire of three Great Pyrenees Club of America Specialty winners. Champion Quibbletown Falstaff won Best of Breed in 1970 and 1971. Champion Tip'N Chip Quibbletown Impy won Best of Opposite Sex in 1967. Champion Quibbletown Duch de Nemours won Best of Opposite Sex in 1966 and 1968. A total of at least 49 separate descendants have won either Best of Breed or Best of Opposite Sex at Great Pyrenees Club of America National Specialties.
Out of a total of 120 top producing dogs and bitches as recently published in the Bulletin of the Great Pyrenees Club of America, 76 dogs and bitches are descendants of Impy. Even more stunning is the fact that of the top 50 winning dogs in breed history, 40 are descendants of Impy.
On a personal note, back in about 1973, Carol Kentopp of Karolaska Kennels, then still in Alaska, wrote me about the greatness of Impy. She was writing about a prospective puppy that turned out to be Champion Karolaska Black-Eyed Susan, littermate to Champion Karolaska's Captivator that we acquired some three years later.
Seaver told me most recently that Impy was "a stud dog you would die to have"; he would breed under almost any circumstances. To quote Seaver, "If the bitch lay down, Impy would still breed her." Certainly a dog of breed destiny! The picture Seaver supplied is/was special to him and Edith. It came from the frame on his piano. It was taken the day Impy won the Veteran Dog class at the 1968 Great Pyrenees Club of America National Specialty. Seaver is convinced that Impy should have won the breed that day.
It is certain that his descendants have "won the breed" many other days and will continue for as long as there are Great Pyrenees here in North America.
1. International Great Pyrenees Review, Volume 5, Number 1, February, 1976, Quibbletown, Edith K. Smith, Page 4.