Duel GV Ch. Yoncalla's Mike ROM

Breeders: Robert L. and Linda J. Freeny
Owners: Mr. and Mrs. Robert Freeny
November 14th, 1963-1975

GSDC of America---1966---Best of Breed

"Grand Victor and Best of Breed to Ch Yoncalla's Mike. "A 3 year old black and tan of beautiful type and outline. Very harmonious standing as well as in motion. This dog expressed typical Shepherd character and was very ably handled."

~Ernest Loeb

GSDC of America---1968---Best Opposite Sex to Best of Breed

"Grand Victor and Best of Opposite Sex went to the dog that I crowned Grand Victor in 1966, Yoncalla's Mike. This dog almost five year old now is what I am looking for in male-type. He is of excellent outline, all male, and carries himself with great ease and nobility. Viewed from the side he is still beautiful. Whereas two years ago I had difficulty faulting him, he now stands wide in front and is no longer as sound either coming or going. He and my best of breed winner could be improved going away and the reason why I placed the Grand Victrix over
him was that she was sounder in front."

-Ernest Loeb

"...Look at the wonderful balance, not only with Mike, but with his sire. The front is just as it should be and the angle of the croup is that magical thirty degrees. He has good feet and pasterns and is not over angulated.  He is a credit to Ernst Loeb, who judged both shows, and his understanding of what a German Shepherd should be."

~Garrett Gordon
Author of German Shepherd Dog History

THE STORY OF A DOG NAMED MIKE

(And of the people who were fortunate to have been owned by him)

Mike made a rather inauspicious entry into the world in the garage of a rented house in a poorer neighborhood, the son of Yoncalla's Colette who I bought for $45.00 at $5.00 per week from a co-worker.  But prior to his emergence into life there is another story.  The story of Colette and our seeking out her breeder, Ardyce Shively, who went a little pale when I showed her a grown Colette.  She had been sold as a pet but was far from one, except her valued pet status in our household.  Ardyce showed us Mr. America, Mike's sire, and love was in bloom, at least for me.  It turned out to be a mating from a story book, our first.  And because it was our first we had no idea what we had.  Other than Mike there was Select Ch. Wilhelm auf der Winterzeit (Big Boy), who we sold as a pet for $75.00, and were lucky enough to buy him back for the same $75.00 when the people couldn't keep him.  We inherited the name they had given him.  We had no kennel name of our own, and Ardyce volunteered to let us use hers on Mike, who was my choice from the day he was born.  Ardyce took a beautiful bitch from the litter as a stud fee.  She was run over and killed.  She looked exactly like Mike.  There was another beautiful bitch who was sold to a pet home and was also run over and busted her leg.  We bought her back too, but she could never be shown.  Another bitch was stolen from the yard.

Mike, from a litter of six was the only one of his siblings actually born on the thirteen.  The others were born on the 14th.  To this day we just LOVE the number 13.  Mike had 13 letters in his name, was born on the 13th, went Grand Victor twice on the 13th, his Grand Victor son, Hollamor's Judd had 13 letters in his name and was born on the 26th, (twice 13).  Tragically the number reversed on Mike the day he died on October 31st.

Encouraged by Ardyce who was our friend and mentor, we started to show Mike and Boy as puppies and they never lost.  No one knew the breed better then Ardyce Shively and we were privileged to learn from a master.  Ailing now, and out of the breed for many years, and living in Central California, we are happy to keep her name alive by using her kennel name, something she agreed to 5 years ago, since Mike had brought her kennel name to the forefront.  Passing the torch, so to speak.  Back to breeding more actively now, I feel that by using Yoncalla as my kennel name I must keep the standard high in remembrance of Yoncalla's Mike.  For it was he that set a standard for all of us to strive for, that being excellence in all that we do.  I have heard remarks that Mike could not win today.  I challenge those foolish words, because Mike had the beauty, structure, physical ability, coordination, gait and temperament to match or surpass any dog in our breed's history.

Later, Mike finished in four consecutive show weekends, and on to Grand Victor, a really dark horse because NO ONE but NO ONE knew who he was.

But on to the more important Mike, the Mike who road worked me every other day because I needed it as much or more than he did, and he loved it.  It was one of his more favorite times of the day.  We ran after I got off work by a big orchard.  The Mike who was family, who left a void nothing can ever fill.  The Mike who decided to explore the orchard on one of the road-working outings and got himself lost.  For hours we searched along with Ardyce and other friends, to no avail.  Finally, at midnight, I left my tee-shirt on the ground to give him a marker to come back to.  At 2 am we returned and he was laying on my tee shirt.... waiting to be found.  He let us know by "talking" to us that he was sorry he gave us that much worry, either that or he was telling us it was all our fault.  He was a real "talker", something he passed on to his progeny.  At one National, with a ring full of his progeny in a stud dog class, the auditorium rang out with chatter from Sire and progeny.  The Mike who went on every vacation with us, floated on a lake on a rubber raft, frolicked in the snow, played in the surf, brought out the best in people, survived cancer, to only lose that same battle later and let us know it was time for him to go, (though we weren't ready), who gave us a standard to breed by, not just because of his titles, but of what and who he was.

Yes, we were fortunate, and can only expect that a Mike is allotted to you only once in a lifetime.  He was a product of very little money, (just faith and love), no politics and of his own greatness.  Yep, he owned us, pure and simple, and God willing we'll be owned like that again, and if we are, I know Mike will be looking down and smiling his approval of another great ride.

God Bless and keep you Mike, as I know he does.  The privilege was all ours,

Bob Freeny