A Very Personal Farewell & Tribute to
Audrey Gerhardy
by Virginia Zurflieh
My husband, Jason, and I first met Audrey Gerhardy in the 1970s, when she wrote
to us about purchasing a foundation bitch for the new beginning of Gerhard Boxers, which
Audrey hoped to re-establish after several years of absence from the boxer showring. At
the time, we had a pointed 18 months old flashy brindle bitch from the second breeding of
Ch. Gray Roys Minstrel Boy to our beloved Ch. Scher-Khouns Tarantella. We had
just finished a dog from the first breeding plus a bitch that we had purchased, and
couldnt afford to do justice to this new bitch, too. So we sold "Teddy" to
Audrey, and she flew to Iowa and her proud new owner. Audrey was as good as her word, and
Teddy was finished in short order. From that point on, Gerhard Boxers was a force to be
reckoned with in the Mid-Western show rings.
While
waiting for Teddy to come into season, Audrey decided to get a little experience in the
showring herself, and started specialing her new champion. By the time Teddy was ready to
be bred, Audrey had won 22 BOBs, a specialty BOB, and three Group Firsts (at a time when
the Working and Herding Groups were still combined) - all owner-handled!!! Audrey bred
Teddy three times. She produced three champions, including the ABC SOM, Ch. Gerhards
Lamplighter. Audrey owner-handled all her home-breds from then on, working from her old
motor home with her son, Rod, always at her side. Audreys special favorite, with a
breathtakingly beautiful head, was her Ch. Gerhards Sparkling Cascade -
"Wendy" - with whom she also won several groups and specialties. Despite a very
limited breeding program, Audrey produced another SOM, Ch. Scarborough Norman Knight, and
a DOM, Ch. Gerhards String of Pearls, the foundation bitch of Vancroft Boxers.
In
latter years, Audrey applied for her judging license, and was soon judging all over the
U.S., until her health began to fail. Even so, she judged at a local show a week before
she died, and was slated to judge dogs at the 2000 ABC Specialty.
Although
she will not fulfill that coveted assignment, I know that Audrey will be present at that
ABC in the hearts and minds of the many fellow breeders and exhibitors who knew and loved
her, with Teddy and Wendy on the other end of her lead again, forever young and beautiful
and full of Boxer Spirit - the eternal image of the breed Audrey loved so much. |
![Audrey](photos/audrey3.gif)
Audrey winning BOB from the 6-9 puppy class under judge John
Connolly with "Wendy" - Ch. Gerhard's Sparkling Cascade.
|
![Audrey](photos/audrey2.gif)
Audrey and Wendy - Group I. Judge: Bob Forsyth. July 4, 1982
|
![Audrey & Teddy](photos/audrey1.gif)
Audrey and "Teddy" - Ch. Scarborough City Lights
taking a Group I, owner-handled! 6/23/1979
|
|