HOW IT ALL BEGAN . . .

Pat and I first met because of our love for boxers -and we have had so many happy times with our dogs and some sad ones too - - but we enjoy a full and happy life together chasing this dream and we'd like to share some of those times with you!

Of course, our wonderful families take priority in our lives. We have 8 children and 14 grandchildren between us but unfortunately, most of them live far away - - - so we rely on our dogs and friends to keep us active and busy and that is an understatement! We are now showing what we hope will soon be our fourth AKC Champion and here is our story:

Going way back to 1991, my first boxer, Spencer, was bought as a "pet" quality boxer. Unknown to me, he was destined to be much more than that. After a successful show career, Spencer became our first Champion -- Ch. Loretta's Special Joy. This picture was taken after his first big win when he went Best of Breed over Specials -- we were both as green as the flowers next to the stand but this win carved out a path and new circle of friends in the Missouri Valley Boxer Club that I never could have imagined. Spencer was always special and sometimes a joy - but as with most boxers, he could also be a real pain! But he matured and turned into the Lion King and became the perfect pet, Pat's best "pal" and the love of our lives. When Spencer finished his Championship, he made his sire, Ch. Barisles Special Premium a Sire of Merit. We will always be grateful to Patty Chandler for her mentoring and help with this grand dog! We miss him every day that goes by and will never, ever forget him.

We got lucky again with our second boxer - a female we bought from John Smith (Xcel Boxers) - - - though she came to us mostly to keep Spencer company. Priscilla was a cute, typy little girl with a "mug" to die for. She was sired by Ch. Shieldmont's Let's Make a Deal, but she was the runt of the litter and we weren't sure if she would ever get big enough to finish. We had to keep little Prissy in the Am Bred Class but she eventually became Ch. Xcel's Shock A Kahn. Everyone loved Prissy and she finished in spite of my amateur handling skills. Johnny Johnson put the last winning point on her to make her a Champion while I was in Kansas welcoming my new grandchild, Bailey. I will always be grateful to John Smith for "tricking" me into a second boxer and helping me with Prissy - she was truly a sweet heart and the foundation of our small kennel. Her sweet temperament lives on today in her grandkids . . .

Priscilla produced our next champion, Gabby, BISS Ch. Ravenoaks Calalily of Xcel - a beautiful, spunky girl we co-own with Lee Mitchell of Echo Bay Boxers. When Gabby was bred, she produced three beautiful females who are currently being shown. Though all four girls are what the boxer world calls "plain" (lack of flashy white markings), it hasn't stopped them from being stars in the show ring - all three siblings have points towards their championships and their 8 year old mom, Gabby recently went Best of Breed from the Veteran class at our 2008 Specialty Show! Thank you to Lee Mitchell, Shelly Staats and Melvin Mobley for this great ride!

ECHO BAY'S MERGER OF MAXIMUS

We are so proud of our Echo, who has garnered 12 points towards her championship - a big thanks to Lori McClain for being such a great professional handler and friend - without you Echo would not be shining in the ring like she is today! Also, a big thanks to Ashley Hamling and Savanna Hulstein for the points they have put on Echo. Truth be told, Echo would rather be home on daddy's lap or playing with her new little buddy, Dooley but in every show, Lori transforms her into a beautiful show dog who always takes my breath away!!!

AND NOW . . . THE OTHER HALF OF BACK NINE'S BOXERS & BOSTONS . . .

DOOLEY - BACK NINE'S ACE OF HAPPYTAILS

Mr. Doodle, Doodle Bug, Doodle Man . . . it doesn't matter what you call him --- he comes running to you every time with his big personality, little body and adorable happy face! He thinks he is a boxer and we'll never tell him any different! Dooley is an amazing little guy and once again, we got really lucky with our first pick. A huge thank you to all of the people who made him happen for us - Amy Bieri of Happytails Kennel, Cindy Pagurski of Di Amores Kennel and Diane Peluso - and of course Kathy Hulstein & Lori McClain for being his biggest fans and our mentors. We need all the help we can get showing Dooley ourselves but so far so good! The little guy went Group 3 in his first puppy match and now has 6 points at 8 months - he's as fun to watch in the ring as he is at home at making us laugh!

A little history - - - Pat had Bostons growing up and had toyed with the idea of getting one again but I'd never had a "little" dog and wasn't too sure I wanted a yippy ankle biter . . . I assure you Dooley is none of that! He thinks he's 75 pounds and bigger than life and he has brought laughter to our home like nothing else! His antics and funny little quirks keep us in stitches every day - whether it's grunting like a little pig or doing circles with his favorite toy, he is entertainment we never bargained for!