Pat and I first met
Mary Jackson on the "net," on the Showboxer-List. When I saw her signature line
for the first time, I couldn’t believe my eyes! This was a kennel name I’d read
about in John Wagner’s and Dan Gordon’s boxer books. I don’t remember the
subject under discussion that day, but I immediately fired off a private post that said,
"Marjack? As in Ch. Marjack’s Golden Windjammer?!" Mary replied in the
affirmative, and we’ve been corresponding ever since. As you will see, Mary is not
only a walking boxer history book, she also has a wicked sense of humor and some pretty
strong convictions about the breed. Enjoy!
A BRIEF HISTORY OF MARJACK
KENNELS...
Plus a Couple of Interesting Propositions
by Mary Jackson
Most of this info is on my web page, but here it is in a nutshell.
I got my first boxer in 1950. She was a daughter of Enzian vd Alpenrose,
a dog bred by Frau Stockmann and sold to an Army Sergeant during WW2 for food supplies by
the Princess of Alpenrose Castle. At least that is what I am told. Her dam was a Berolina
bred bitch, which according to Mazie Wagner, gave me the much wanted "Dorian-Utz
cross" which was so successful. Her name was Marjack's Golden Girl.
We bred her to Ch. Salal's Sure Conceit, who was a Ch. Adonidin v.
U-Chetnik son out of Bladan's Hellcat who was also the U-Chetnik line. Dr. Dan Gordon had
Bladan kennels and I personally think he is the reason this elegance has come on down the
line for lo these many years. Ch. Bladan's U-Chetnik was clean, smooth, elegant, sturdy,
excelled in shoulder layback, rear angulation and stifle combined with a body that was
full with correct brisket and barrel. Can you tell I liked this dog? <LOL>
We had Misty (Ch. Marjack’s Golden Mist), who became an
International Champion as it was called in those days (both Am. & Can.). Misty was
shown by Larry Ingalls, who had just gotten his handlers license and wanted to take Misty
on the first circuit he was going to as a pro. He had a group of five dogs. The circuit
started at Wichita, KS and Misty went BIS from the classes under three different judges,
A.A. LePine- breed; Percy Roberts-group; and Louis Muir - BIS. She garnered most of her
points on that circuit but Harry Sangster came in from CA when the shows went on down to
TX and that was the end of Larry and Misty other than to get all the points from the
classes and go BOS. She came home and the following spring, she was shown at the Pacific
Northwest Boxer Speciality under Dan Gordon and won BOS and finished with her second 5
pointer. Over 100 boxers in that show. Lots of boxers shown in all breed shows in those
days, but then the shows were not as often, either. Mainly fall and spring.
Ch. Marjack’s Golden Mist |
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We bred Misty to Ch. Captain Lookout of Thorhall and
again accomplished the "Dorian-Utz cross" and got Windjammer and his 4 siblings,
all of whom finished. Another male had 13 pts. but lacked the final major when his owner
wouldn't let him go on the road again. A plain bitch was Golden Wit who was the foundation
bitch for Earl Overstreet. Windigo (one of the Chs.) was the foundation bitch for Barbara
Berkson who sold Eileen McClintock her foundation bitch if I remember correctly. Sarazan's
Love Story was the dam of Ch. Holly Lane's Cookie.
Ch. Marjack's Golden Windjammer |
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I showed Windy (Ch. Marjack’s Golden Windjammer)
myself for his first shows at theTidewater KC where he went BW to his mom, Misty, who went
BB. His sister, Witch, went WB. At that show, Don Starkweather told us we had a
"really good one." We, the LaLaLand folks, said "Oh thanks." Realizing
that we were clueless, Don made the effort to call Jay Stead and said in essence,
"Get the good dog into proper hands." So Jay called Phil Marsh who called the
Wagners and they said "Buy him." Jay called us and told us that he was entering
Windy in the GA/KY circuit and that Phil Marsh would be showing him. We said HUH???? He
said, "Just leave it to me," so we did. Windy won BIS for most of the shows and
1st in the group for all of them. He was finished in three shows, two of which were BIS.
Phil Marsh had my mother come down to Atlanta and he gave her a check for $2500.00 and
Windy then belonged to the Wagners. Mazie told us later that they were prepared to pay at
least $10,000 for the dog. My dad thought $2500 was plenty for a dog. Right after mother
got back from Atlanta with the check, Jane Kamp called and offered her $5000 from Mrs.
Shouse who was ready to retire Barrage and start out with a new dog. She, too, had a blank
check and they were willing to go up to the $10,000 mark. So it goes.
Witch, Whisper, Windigo, and Winsome were all sisters and they were bred
various ways by their owners. Witch is behind Carolina Star who is a Spark of Marjack
grandson. Windigo is behind all of Holly Lane. Whisper went to Cuba, and unfortunately, we
know what happend there. Wit is the foundation for EWO. Winsome was the dam of
Ch. Citation's Acclaim of Marjack
with The Secretary of the Army
Hon. Wilbur D. Brucker
and Mrs. Janett Shouse. |
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Ch. Citation's Acclaim of Marjack, whom we got as pick of a
litter. We had Larry Downey show her. She finished in 9 shows, and was bred to Windjammer.
She whelped a litter of 3 males, 1 bitch - Chs. Samurai, Sakiasan, and Sendai. Joe Gregory
showed Samurai who won all the shows on the Jan. Florida Circuit but the last major broke
and he came home needing the second major. I showed Sakiasan, who finished rather handily,
but not as fast as with the handlers, and Sendai ws shown by larry Downey who finished him
in 10 shows.
Ch. Marjack's Golden Sakiasan |
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I bred Samurai (Sam) to Helen Brod's Bang Away bred bitch and got Ch.Forest Gate’s
Spark of Marjack who finished quite easily as well. He would be known (if at all) as the
grandsire of Carolina Star who is behind Splashdown. I showed Sparky and he had a pretty
good record as a special, too. He had a couple of groups and gave Larry Downey and Fashion
Plate a run for their money at ABC the year Fashion Plate won it. Larry said he was
sweating bullets, but I would have collapsed if Sparky had won.
Then I went off to college, my parents moved permanently to the farm in
Rapidan, and we were pretty much out of dogs.
Another day on the Showboxer-List, we all got
into a discussion of the original purpose of the breed, and whether today’s boxers
could still fulfill that original purpose. I made the mistake of suggesting that a dog
that was powerful and agressive enough to pull down an angry bull, or so ferocious and
oblivious to pain that it could be successfully used as a fighting dog probably
wouldn’t fit into my - or any other present-day dog owner’s - largely urban and
far more "civilized" lifestyle. Here’s how Mary responded:
TODAY’S BOXER - TYPE & FUNCTION
Of course I am prejudiced, but I would definitely give house room to a
boxer who could pull down a bull and fight without cowering and who was oblivious to pain.
I have lived in the country since I was a "young un" and on a farm with cattle
all around me. When the Angus bull on the left side of me got out and went courting the
Hereford cows on the right side, they had to pass through our land to do so. A bull in rut
is an awesome thing to watch in action. The Hereford bull on the right would take his turn
and tromp through our fields to see the Angus girls on the left. And yep, our boxers were
called in to help herd them back home. They were too randy for the border collies to
handle.
To make my point, Ch. Marjack's Golden Windjammer, Ch. Marjack's Golden
Samurai, Ch. Marjack's Gold Sakiasan and Ch. Marjack's Golden Sendai were sent out on a
regular basis to bring these big guys to heel. And they did it!!!!!!!!
Ch. Marjack's Golden Samurai |
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They were elegant, strong, powerful, with the plastic muscles
called for in the standard and quite frankly, it was awe inspiring to watch a BIS dog grab
a bull by the nose, and, while being swung by this enraged titan, manage to unsettle him
enough that he turned in the right direction toward home. Once he headed home, Windy or
whoever was in charge that day ran to the bull's heels and nipped him into a strong trot.
It was a 3 mile jaunt to the next farm via the road, so this was no mean feat.
Yep, that's type and that's function and yes, they can
still do this and look elegant and be show dogs. Toddy (Mary’s current boxer)
took care of the cows with calves just this weekend, and he is a Ch. and is going on 11
years old! I am afraid that when I breed them, I am like Pat Craige -- I expect them to be
able to do the job they were intended to perform when created. By the way, Pat and I had
the same mentors in Norfolk--we used to show in Jr. Showmanship together and we learned a
lot from the old timers of that day. She was Pat Vincent then.
Don't mean to offend, but they can still do the job, be elegant and
stand up for their rights without being wimps or vicious.
ADDING A VARIETY TO THE BOXER
STANDARD:
or...
There’s More than One Way to Skin a Cat
and Exhibit a Boxer!
After listening to all the arguments pro and con and
attending the ABC membership meeting in Frederick in May, Mary devised a solution to the
"ears" problem - create a separate variety for uncropped (natural-eared) boxers!
The "new" standard follows:
Boxer (Cropped): Same standard we have now.
Boxer (Drop Ear): The Drop Ear boxer will have the same
characteristics and standard as the Cropped Ear boxer. The only difference is that the ear
is uncropped and falls to the side of the head. Ears should be neatly dropped, small, with
a break at the skull line, carried close to the cheek and not falling lower the the outer
corner of the eye. The ears should be V shaped, rounded at the tip, and smooth and velvety
to the touch.
FAULT: The rose ear (flyaway ear) is to be severely penalized.
An alternative way to do this is to continue with the standard as it is
written, and under the subheading "EARS," describe the ears as follows:
Ears - Cropped Variety: list the standard’s current
description.
Ears - Drop Ear Variety: insert the description above. Then
continue with the rest of the standard as it is now written.
You have now created two varieties. The point schedule for cropped
boxers will probably go down a bit and make it easier to procure championships. The point
schedule for drop ear boxers will be a dream come true, because it will take only 5 or 6
dogs for a 5 point major until more people exhibit the drop ear variety. Boxer breeders
will be able to choose to leave the high quality heavier eared dog with drop ears, and
still make champions of high quality that will benefit the breed. The handlers will be
able to show twice the number of dogs, as they will now have two varieties in which to
show!
The only "con" that I can see is the possible outcry of the
animal rights people as described by some "anti-drop ear" proponents who feel
that ear-cropping is the animal rights activists’ big issue. However, I work with a
member of the board of directors of a national animal rights organization, and believe me,
cropping and docking are a mere sidelight of their mission. Their mission is to stop all
BREEDING of PUREBRED dogs and cats! Mongrels are fine and are the only dogs to be allowed.
This is in their mission statement. They win battles by going to local level government
meetings and petitioning to have the local dog and cat ordinances changed. WE will win
those battles only if we start going to those same meetings and stopping these fanatics
from getting local, county, and state laws changed. Or we won’t have ANY boxers -
cropped or uncropped!! |
